Chapter One-Hundred-And-Six: Far From Over

At approximately the same time on the Medical Cruiser from Frieza's fleet, in Jaden and Chestra's hospital room…

"Jaden," Frieza told his Rybanese Top Elite Officer edgily, "Couldn't you have just given Alberm Dunlop a beating instead of killing him? Do you realize how hard it is to find good spies? It's even harder than finding good warriors."

Frieza had just arrived on the medical cruiser two hours ago to see which of his soldiers were still alive and recovering. He was also trying to decide whether he should send any of them back to fight. He was visiting Jaden and Chestra in their room first, since they were the highest in rank. He had not been too pleased when he had finally managed to squeeze a confession out of both Jaden and Chestra about Alberm's demise when he had inquired about the Calmagian interplanetary diplomat and spy for Frieza's forces. Alberm had been one of Frieza's favorite spies, and Frieza had greatly valued him for helping to bring Tayla's family to Calmag.

"Sorry, Lord Frieza," Jaden said calmly from her hospital bed, "but it was Alberm's incompetence that got us exposed. He was caught talking on his scouter, and his own people arrested him for treason against Calmag, along with Reccor, your Arlian spy for Astoria."

"It was because of him that our plans were discovered," Chestra added to Jaden's slight altering of the truth. "And he was trying to flee on his own, too involved in his own personal plans instead of his duties to you. So Jaden thought it best to punish him by killing him." She was sitting next to Jaden's hospital bed in a soft, leather recliner, but she was not relaxing. Her body posture was as rigid and tense as Jaden's now was. Frieza's presence never contributed to high levels of comfort for anyone, not even his Top Elite Officers.

"If I went too far, I am sorry," Jaden continued brusquely. "But I thought at the time that such idiocy should be punished severely, since it was revealed that Alberm had revealed our plans after his arrest. He was a weak link, and you told us a long time ago that all weak links must either be strengthened or destroyed, so in this case, I chose to destroy. Alberm simply couldn't be trusted, and his stupidity has caused this great delay in your plans."

Frieza sighed, and then there was no expression on his face, as he crossed his arms. Jaden wasn't sure, if that was a good sign, or a bad one; with Frieza, one could never tell. Finally, Frieza crossed his arms and said curtly:

"Jaden, next time you come across this situation, you are to try to contact me first before killing any of my spies. I prefer to deal with them personally, and any executions with spies I would rather handle myself, is that clear?"

"Yes, sire," Jaden said in a low tone. Chestra sighed with relief, for it was clear that Frieza was going to spare her best friend.

Frieza continued, "I suppose that you did do me a favor, now that I think about it. At least I have Narvo Norbrook, although I have not been able to reach him for some time. Has he tried to contact either one of you?"

"It's Zarbon who has been keeping in touch with him," Chestra explained. "Jaden and I have not talked to him in weeks."

"I see. Well, have either one of you heard from Dodoria or Diamonique?" Frieza wanted to know. Jaden and Chestra told him that they haven't heard from them in some time.

At that moment, Dr. Patina entered the room, carrying a tray of pill-filled cups. "Lord Frieza, my apologies for interrupting, but Commander Dodoria and Commander Diamonique have been recovered alive."

"And of Seductia and Bhodie Lett?" Frieza wanted to know.

"We are unable to find them," Dr. Patina replied. "Would you like to put them as missing and presumed dead?"

"Not yet, Doctor, thank you. Are Dodoria and Diamonique still alive?"

"Yes, sire, just barely. My orderlies and the three Low-Levels on your orders had found them an hour ago. Commander Dodoria was found on the brink of death in an empty lake, thanks to the tracking devices set in his scouter. The same method was used to find Commander Diamonique as well, and she herself was near death. Another hour, and she would have perished. Both of them are in the healing tanks now as we speak. And Commander Balair's body has also been recovered. Cause of death has been entered as severe electrocution, so it is likely that an Astorian has killed him."

Frieza was quiet for a few moments. Balair had been one of his favorite Top Elite officers, in spite of his crudity, drinking, and his appetite for young women. The brutal Sistrai warrior would not be easy to replace, although Balair had two older brothers, Hectar and Rectaurus…

Frieza put aside thoughts of Balair for now. "What about the others? Have any more bodies been recovered? Chestra, Jaden, have you two women heard anything lately?"
Chestra replied, "Lower Elite Officers Arachnor and Redusa have been reported dead by Commander Zarbon. Shalila Chloe was the one reported to have killed both Arachnor and Samsonite. Her granddaughter, Gorna Chloe, was the one said to have killed Redusa. Pork, Crystalis, and Flirtius are missing at this time; no one has been able to contact or locate them, even though we have tried several times. We've also tried to contact and locate Splitz, but he too was unreachable. And I believe Zarbon told me that Dirkan, Shalila Chloe's Namek husband, was the one to have destroyed Knightmare, and Knightmare's followers are gone as well."

Frieza nodded calmly, a bit perturbed over the deaths of fine potential Top Elite officers, but he didn't remain that way for long. He had plenty of other fine Mid and Lower Elite officers to take their places eventually. He asked his next inquiry in a casual tone used to discuss the weather, "What about Captain Ginyu?"

"He was brought back a few hours ago," Jaden explained. She then looked straight at Dr. Patina. "Okay, Doc, what's his status so far?"

"He'll live this time, Commander Jaden," Dr. Patina replied wryly, "although he won't be able to practice any of his poses for a while to come."

That bit of news was met with unmixed relief from everyone else in the room.

"My orderlies were fortunate," Dr. Patina added. "They were nearly captured earlier by CRP officers, but thankfully the Ginyu Force's activities further in downtown Magan distracted the officers. Good thing the tracking devices on the victims' scouters were still working, otherwise they would have perished."

"And they all are in the healing tank rooms, Doctor?"

"Yes, sire."














At the cliff where Zarbon, Tayla, and Bendros had chosen to fight…

Finally, Tayla and Bendros arrived at the cliff of their next stage of the battle with Zarbon. Zarbon was lounging calmly against a tall, white tree, smiling. Leisurely, he moved away from the tree and walked towards the two fighters from Astoria with a smooth confidence. As soon, as he was within ten feet of them, he levitated into the air gracefully until he was at least fifteen feet above them.

"Welcome, welcome," Zarbon said congenially from the air. "I was wondering when you two were going to show. Shall we begin again?"

"Yes," Bendros asserted.

"Good," Zarbon purred, as he easily fired a gold stream of ki from one palm. Bendros quickly deflected it with a one-handed Mirror Shield Attack, but Zarbon dodged the backfiring laser. Then he and Bendros flew at each other, with fists flying and feet kicking. Bendros delivered an uppercut to Zarbon's jaw while Zarbon's fist punched Bendros in his ribs. Zarbon then seized Bendros by his neck with his free hand and tried to throw him to the ground. The Head Commander of Frieza's forces managed to do so, but Bendros only fell so far.

Bendros then flew back up and launched a strong ki blast into Zarbon's side, piercing his armor, leaving a smoking hole in the side of Zarbon's protective wear. Zarbon then responded with a sudden rapid shower of ki packets all aimed at Bendros. The ki packets fell towards Bendros like hail, and when some managed to hit him, they stung and burned. Bendros cried out, as he tried to escape the ki shower that Zarbon was now raining down upon him. The Sastorian warrior managed to deflect some away with one-handed Mirror Shields, but it was not enough, for Zarbon's ki balls from above keep hitting him harder and faster.

Tayla knew that it was time for her to intervene. She then flew into the air, just a few feet above Zarbon's level, and she opened her hands and put them in Blitzer position, crossing her wrists in an X position, as her palms formed into the shape of clamshells. A few seconds later, she cried, "BLITZER!" and shot her now-famous attack at Frieza's Head Commander with the two silver-blue bolts of ki. Tayla's Blitzer attack crashed into Zarbon's body and knocked him out of the sky, sending him crashing into the ground, creating a huge hole about five feet deep.

Bendros panted with relief, as Tayla flew back down towards him to see if he was okay. He had been on his knees when Tayla helped him back up. He clung to her gratefully. "Thanks, little Tayla, I appreciate that!" he wheezed.

Tayla dusted him off the best that she could and panted, "No-no problem!"

"Oh, I'm afraid that it will be, little girl."

The speaker, Zarbon, began to crawl out of the hole that Tayla had sent him into. Tayla's Blitzer attack had slowed him down temporarily, but it had not disabled him enough to stop him significantly. Some of his armor had been burned away now, but Zarbon was still in good shape. Zarbon dusted himself off casually and laughed, although the laughter now caused a rib or two to hurt.

"Good shot! I'll give you credit for that one, Princess, but it won't be enough!" Zarbon mocked her.

"Time for the next round," Bendros told Tayla.

Tayla nodded, as she and Bendros both rose into the air. Zarbon arose into the air, following them, and within seconds, he was across from his opponents. Bendros and Tayla crouched down in the air in combat positions.

But before they could act, Zarbon shot two huge pillars of ki from his slender, cultured hands at each of them. One ki pillar rammed into Tayla's small body, shoving her out of the sky, and the second pillar crashed into Bendros, shoving him out of the sky as well. Both of them screamed, as the ki bolts knocked them out of the air, sending them both smashing into the ground on the cliff. Their bodies created a huge six-feet deep hole, as they sank through the earth.

Zarbon then wasted no time in firing another couple of large ki bolts after them before they could rise back up to meet him, or even deflect the attacks. He took pleasure in their screams, as he began to rapidly fire his shower of ki balls at them. Columns of dusty gray and brown smoke emerged from the hole that Tayla and Bendros had created.

He continued to shoot his ki packets at them repeatedly, not giving them a chance to crawl out.

"Give my regards in the other dimension!" he called after them cheerfully. He knew that Frieza wouldn't be happy about Tayla dying, but he'd get over it.

Finally, Zarbon stopped firing, deciding to take a breather for a few moments. He crossed his arms and smiled, well pleased with himself, as he turned on his scouter. He expected to find very low, or nonexistent ki readings.

But the ki readings that he found were just as high as ever!

"WHAT?" he screamed in horror, as he flew over the hole that the bodies of Tayla and Bendros had made.

Deep down in the hole, he then saw a huge dome of pure ki-what the Astorians called a Shield Field-and Tayla and Bendros were under it, panting, but smiling smugly at Zarbon.

"How can that be?" Zarbon screamed, although he knew better.

He then finally shouted, "Come on out, if you want to finish this pathetic fray! I don't have time to play all night!"

"Fine with us!" Bendros told him, as he and Tayla slowly dropped the Shield Field that they had created together so quickly.

Zarbon smirked, this time allowing Tayla and Bendros to come out of the hole without trouble. They began to rise into the air again to come after him, and then he began to power himself up. His body began to glow, as he increased his ki. He could have gone into his famous second form, but he hated the disfiguring results that would affect his handsome face and body.

He'd save that method as a last resort.

But he still believed that he could easily defeat Tayla and her half-breed monkey boyfriend.

"Round three?" he asked pleasantly, as Tayla and Bendros charged to attack him once more. Zarbon flew at them. Tayla and Bendros were more than ready for him, this time determined to attack him at once.















Out in the Medical Wing corridors, twenty minutes later…

Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz had quickly tired of being confined to their beds, so when they were certain that Dr. Patina wouldn't return for a while, they hit the attending nurses in the backs of their heads and had snuck out. They decided to pay a visit to Journa's room before that annoying Gemstarian "woman-doctor" made them go back to bed. Journa, tired of being bedridden herself, decided to join her male counterparts in sneaking out-to the kitchen, and maybe even some escape pods to return to Calmag. Vegeta desperately wanted to return to Calmag and settle the score with Tayla. A short, stubby, pink froglike nurse with frizzy yellow hair tried to prevent Journa from leaving, but Journa had promptly thrown her into the closet after knocking her out.

Now they were raiding the huge refrigerator in the kitchen, eating better food that they had been receiving in their beds. None of the kitchen staff had dared to intervene, or even attempt to tell on them, for they were wise enough to know how dangerous Saiyans were. Vegeta was munching on a huge bird leg, while Journa was gobbling down on some wings from the same bird, as Nappa and Raditz fiercely fought over a roast. Nappa's hands were greedily pulling on one end of the roast while Raditz's teeth were sunk deep into the other end.

"I saw that roast first!" Nappa hissed. "Oldest gets first pick!"

"Youngest gets the choice-and the last laugh!" Raditz declared triumphantly, after he took another huge bite out of the already cooked roast. He chewed and swallowed with relish. "And besides, it wouldn't hurt for you to lose a few pounds."

"Pounds? That's a lot a talk from someone who had to have his armor resized to a larger size before we raided Calmag! Your hair alone adds fifty pounds to the scale!"

"At least I have hair!" Raditz retorted. "And at least my head stays warm at night! Actually, now that I think about it, your nose hairs are almost longer than that strip of fur that you call a mustache! I don't know how Eclipse manages to kiss you without her lips getting chafed every time!"

"I've heard no complaints from her!" Nappa snapped, pulling the roast away from Raditz.
"That's because she complains to us instead!" Raditz lied easily, as he snatched the food back from Nappa.

"Why, you little-"

"Hey, the only thing that's little is that randy little fellow between your legs! You know, the pal that hasn't been getting much action, even before Calmag?"

"You're dead, rug-head!"

"Not before you will be, baldy! At least, I'll have this roast to myself!"

"The roast is mine, Raditz! I'm above you in rank!"

"You want it that badly, Nappy? Come fight me for it!"

"With pleasure!"

Journa shook her head at this petty quarrel. Saiyan men could act less immature than two-year-olds, especially when it came to food. One more reason that she was thankful for being a female.

Vegeta said coolly, "There is one way to settle this quarrel over the roast."

"What's that?" both men asked.

Vegeta deftly snatched the roast away from both of his comrades. "I get it! I rank above both of you, and I am the youngest-not to mention the strongest." And with that being said, he triumphantly began to devour on his prize. Nappa and Raditz glared at him, but they dared not do anything else.

"Nice to see that all of you monkeys have recovered."

All four of the Saiyans turned around reluctantly at the sound of Frieza's cool voice. The tyrant had his arms crossed, and a malicious smirk played upon his face.

Vegeta put down the roast; Frieza's presence had suddenly cost the Saiyan prince his appetite. Journa, Raditz, and Nappa no longer felt like eating either.

Frieza said wickedly, "Now tell me this, monkeys: how were all of you once again defeated by a scrawny Astorie girl and her family?"

Vegeta's sister and comrades moaned; Vegeta glared darkly at their liege, but even he dared not to do anything beyond that.

"Well?" Frieza asked.

Vegeta glanced at the others with a look ordering them to keep quiet. Quickly, reluctantly, he began to tell the story of his humiliating defeat.
















In the healing tank room…

The healing tank room was large and gray with five healing tanks. Dodoria's huge body was hovering in regeneration fluid in one tank, and Diamonique and Ginyu were in other tanks. Jaden and Chestra strolled casually into the room, more out of curiosity than of much real concern. Jaden was whistling happily; ever since she had heard of Balair's demise, she was in an unusually good mood. She just couldn't wait to tell Dodoria.

"I'm afraid that Dodoria already knew," Chestra reminded Jaden.

Jaden cursed in her native language.

"Of course my fun would be spoiled one way or the other."

"MISS CHESTRA!"

Chestra and Jaden turned around to see little Kaydra Chloe run into the room, with her long, pale hair streaming behind her like a golden cirrus cloud. She ran up to Chestra and hugged her legs.

"I missed you, Miss Chestra!" Kaydra wailed. "My mother died, and she died 'fore I could get to her!"

Chestra bent down towards the child and stroked her soft, flaxen hair. "I am sorry, little one," she told Kaydra softly, as she drew her close. Kaydra hugged Chestra's neck and suddenly began to weep again.

"Now I have no one!" she said. "I just know that Pappa and Darcos are gone…they're dead, and I just know it!"

"How?" Jaden asked, horrified.

"I can't see who killed them, but he's big and pink and nasty!"

"Did anyone tell you, little one?" Chestra asked gently.

"No, Miss Chestra. I saw them in my mind. I had a bad dream on the way here. I was sitting in Uncle Frieza's lap in his space pod, and I fell asleep, and I dreamt of Pappa and Darcos being killed! Now I have no Mamma or Pappa or baby brother! They're all dead!"

"I am sorry, sweetheart," Chestra told her in a voice full of regret and guilt. Regret that she had not done anything to help Kaydra's mother, poor Farla, and guilt over having being part of an army that would take a family away from an innocent little girl.

"Uncle Frieza says that his army's going to be my new family, and that I shouldn't worry about it, but I can't help it, Miss Chestra! I can't even go to sleep right anymore 'cause Mamma's not there to sing me to sleep!"

"I'll sing you to sleep, little one," Chestra told Kaydra gently. "And I won't leave you."

"Kid, can I ask you something?" Jaden asked Kaydra. The little Astorian princess looked up at Jaden quizzically.

"What is it?"

"Umm…why are you calling Lord Frieza uncle?"

Kaydra's voice brightened slightly, as she wiped at her chubby, tearstained face. "He told me to! He says that he likes me, and he's going to help me get bigger and stronger! He says that he and Miss Chestra and Mr. Zarbon are going to take good care of me, and he'll probably someone named Jaden train me. Who is Jaden?"

"I'm Jaden," Jaden replied. "Commander Jaden."

"What are you going to train me in?" Kaydra wanted to know.

"Umm…I'll have to discuss that with…Uncle…er, I mean, Lord Frieza."

"Uncle Frieza says that you're a good trainer, even though you have a dirty mouth," Kaydra said, not to be rude, but to be curious. "What makes your mouth dirty? Is it cause you didn't brush your teeth?"

Jaden counted to twenty before answering. It was only because Kaydra was a child and didn't know better that Jaden was able to keep her temper. She glared at Chestra, who was smothering a laugh. Finally, she replied evenly, "He probably said that because I cuss and say a bunch of naughty words that little kids aren't supposed to be saying."

"You cuss--I mean cursed?" Kaydra asked, amazed and fascinated. "Some soldiers on planet Dijon cursed, and I said what they were saying, but Mamma said those words weren't nice to say, and I couldn't say them."

"What did you say?" Jaden asked.

Kaydra looked around the huge room cautiously, as if her mother could still come rushing in and scold her. She whispered the naughty phrases, all of which included nasty words concerning the parts between a woman's legs. Jaden laughed, and Chestra sighed.

"Well, your mother was right about those words," Jaden declared. "You really shouldn't say them, although you'll catch me saying them from time to time. But I'm a bad example when it comes to that sort of thing, and I don't want you quoting me, or else I'll have to hear it from Lord Frieza and Zarbon. Chestra here doesn't like it when people say those words either, so you'll have to watch your mouth around her too."

"So you're going to train me then?" Kaydra asked eagerly. "Uncle Frieza says that you can teach me how to blow up planets."

Jaden said uncomfortably, "Umm…that won't be for some time yet, kid. You still have a long way to go before you learn that."

"Blowing up planets is not always a good thing, anyway," Chestra told Kaydra quickly. "And there are other things that you would need to learn like-"

"Hey, don't get soft, baby!" a gruff voice echoed from the doorway.

"Yeah, blowin' up planets is fun!" another rough voice added.

Jaden frowned heavily, and Chestra instinctively gathered Kaydra closer to her for protection. They had good reason to do so, for two Sistrai Elite Officers entered the room. Jaden's frown deepened, for she recognized them, as Balair's annoying and equally chauvinistic brothers, Hectar and Rectaurus. Hectar was the oldest of Balair's siblings, and he was a bright orange color with yellow eyes; Rectaurus, the second oldest of Balair's brothers and family, was a bright, yet sickly shade of yellow, and even when his eyes were open, no one could really see them.

"Where's Bali?" Hectar asked, as his breath hit the three females. All of them wrinkled their noses, for Hectar had been drinking heavily; the smell of a substance similar to vodka floated within his hot breath. Hectar was a transfer from Coola's forces, and he had been considered to be the strongest Sistrai warrior in the Cold Empire, even stronger than Balair.

"Dontcha remember, Hec, Bali died," Rectaurus, who was sober at this time, told his older brother. "Some bastard Astorie killed him, and when I find who it is, I'm going to blow him to bits!" Rectaurus was also a transfer from Coola's forces, and he and Hectar had been in Coola's Top Elite. Frieza had agreed to allow them to have the same positions in his forces; the two brothers had transferred to be closer to Balair and Samsonite. Rectaurus, three years older than Balair, was also stronger than he was.

"Can't believe that Bali was taken down by an Astorie," Hectar declared. "He was the strongest of all of us next to me."

"And now our lil bro, Sams, is gone too," Rectaurus said, a bit mournfully.

"Not much of a loss," Jaden mumbled before she thought.

"What did you say?" Rectaurus growled, turning towards Jaden, whom he and Hectar had met in the past. Like Balair and almost all Sistrai, they were fiercely prejudiced against anyone of Rybanese blood.

"She said that it was very much a loss," Kaydra fibbed.

Rectaurus glared at Kaydra, trying to determine if the humanoid brat was telling the truth. Kaydra looked back at him a bit defiantly, her clear blue eyes darkening, as she stood close to Chestra. Finally Rectaurus grunted and turned away from her. Chestra was visibly relieved, and even Jaden was calmer. Jaden had been able to hold her own against Balair when she had been alive, but Balair's older brothers were going to be harder to deal with, particularly since together they were both stronger than Balair.

Rectaurus cast Kaydra another suspicious look before nudging his older brother. "C'mon, Hec," Rectaurus told him. "Let's go to the morgue and pay Bali our last respects. Maybe they even found Sams's body by now."

Hectar grunted, as he and Rectaurus turned to leave. The floor shook, as the two huge, burly Sistrai warriors exited the healing tank rooms. All three females were relieved to see them go.

Jaden looked down at Kaydra. "Thanks, kid," she told her. And then the normally unaffectionate Jaden did something a bit out of character-she went over to Kaydra and patted her golden head.

Kaydra nodded. "You really don't like Sistrai people, do you?"

"Not really," Jaden admitted gruffly. "Particularly anyone's who related to Balair."

"Was Balair that mean red monster who wanted my mother for his slave?" Kaydra asked. "Was he the red monster in my dream that was hurting Mamma?" Her clear voice grew teary at this point.

"Yes," Jaden said in a low tone, "he was."

Kaydra turned her face into Chestra's white leg and wept for her mother. Chestra stroked her hair. Jaden sat down on the floor to meditate, and she closed her heavy blue-lidded eyes.

"Don't fear, little Kaydra," Chestra assured her. "Balair won't hurt anyone ever again. He's gone to meet Enma Daiou." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jaden grin to herself.
Before Jaden could prevent herself, she broke out into a chuckle.

"I bet all of Bali's victims are roasting him over an open fire! All the women that he's hurt must be celebrating in heaven! Why I bet that Bali's probably--"

"Jaden…" Chestra said reproachfully. "Kaydra." Kaydra was looking at Jaden with her large blue eyes wide.

Jaden managed to sober herself-barely. "Oh, yeah, right."

But just before Jaden settled herself into a trance, Chestra and Kaydra could hear her singing under her breath, "Happy days are here again…now that Bali's been sent below to the garbage bin…"














Back at the Angori Hotel in the stairways on the fifth floor…

Caline was openly crying and sobbing, huddling in Naykiar's arms. Naykiar was rubbing her back, as he shed some tears himself. They were sitting on the stairs leading down to the fourth floor.

"Ridikar…Ridikar…why…why?" Caline cried, with her face buried in Naykiar's chest. Her tiny, snowy fists were clenched, as her small body shook violently.

"Ridi may have had his faults…but he was a good brother…most of the time," Naykiar said shakily, holding his little sister tighter.

"Ridikar and I became friends again, and now he's gone…why, why?" Caline wailed.

"Cali, I'm sorry, so sorry…'bout some things," Naykiar said in a trembling voice.

"'Bout what things?" Caline asked him, looking into his face, into his eyes. Naykiar was nonplussed by her giving him eye contact; Caline acting as if she an equal towards him was going to take some getting used to. Huge, cobalt blue eyes stared intensely into dark brown eyes that were almost black.

Naykiar sighed, still uncomfortable yet with this slowly emerging new Caline, "'Bout the way we've all been treating you…especially me and Ridi. None of us should have treated you the way that we did…you didn't deserve any of what happened to you. I should have spoken up for you, and I didn't. So should have Ridikar, especially Ridikar…we were all wrong to treat you like we did."

Caline nodded, too stunned to speak or reply. Fortunately for Naykiar, she was usually a very forgiving soul towards most people. She slowly put her small, milky arms about his dark neck and kissed him on his cheek. A peach stain of blush touched Naykiar's chiseled cheeks.
Naykiar abruptly arose, with Caline in his arms, saying firmly, "I'm not going to allow this."

"Allow what?" Caline wanted to know, a bit alarmed.

"Allow Julien to carry out his plans. Are you absolutely against marrying Filcor Sedemeyer?"

"Absolutely!" Caline declared with new strength in her voice. "I'd sooner go back to Norbrook!"

"I'm not going to lie to you anymore, Cali," Naykiar told her. "Julien wants to be rid of you as soon as possible, now that he's going to become the next king of Calmag after Grandfather. He doesn't want the responsibility of you as his ward. You know that he's always been jealous of you-"

"I know," Caline whispered sadly.

"But this time he's gone too far. I know that we'll have to put up with Julien ruling over us for the rest of our lives, but that doesn't mean we have to buckle to his every demand and whim. He plans to force you to marry Filcor, and he's already reinstated his engagement to you."

"How am I going to get out of it? I guess I'll have to run away again," Caline said worriedly.

"No," Naykiar told her. "You're not running away because this time you're not alone."

"He's right, Caline," a kind, masculine voice said from behind.

Caline and Naykiar turned around to see Kekron standing three steps up behind them. They had been so absorbed in their grief that they had not heard Kekron quietly following behind them. Kekron had flown down the stairs instead of walking. Kekron had left Petalia and Lelina to tend to Rojal and Dedron. He was now standing there, using one hand to make a ki ball to light the stairway.

"K-Kekron," Caline said shakily.

"Are you okay?" Kekron asked her softly.

"I-I think so."

"Caline and Naykiar, I'm sorry about Ridikar," Kekron told them somberly. He then looked directly at Caline, "And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier."

Caline was calmer now-and ashamed of her behavior with Kekron earlier. She looked at him sadly, forlornly. "I am sorry for yelling at you like I did," she said in her usually whispery voice. "But why didn't you tell us right away? You knew for a long time, and you didn't tell even me that our own brother died. Why, Kekron?"

Kekron sat down on the steps, still in Tayla's nightgown. "You're right, Caline, I should have told you much sooner. It was just-well, I know there's no real excuse-you looked so happy and so relaxed, so peaceful after we left Norbrook. I didn't want to make you so sad again so soon. I-I just wanted you to be happy, and I guess I was trying to put off hurting you for as long as I could."

"You still should have told me," Caline said firmly. "And Naykiar and Julien."

Kekron nodded. "Yes, I should have. Again, I am sorry, Caline. Can you ever forgive me?"

Caline was silent for a few seconds, and then a small, wistful smile curved on her sweet little face. "Y-yes," she whispered, stepping up the steps towards him. She cautiously sat down next to him and hugged him slowly. Kekron put his arm around her and held her close. Caline buried her face in his shoulder, as he stroked her soft, wispy hair. Kekron's other arm was still maintaining the small globe of ki to give them light in the darkness.

Naykiar stood there, watching them from a few steps down, with a thoughtful expression.
Finally, he said gruffly, "I am sorry myself that I yelled at you earlier, Prince Kekron, but I was upset about Ridikar's death and the fact that you kept it from us. You saved both of our lives, Caline's and mine, and I want to thank you for that. We wouldn't be living right now, if it hadn't been for you. Thank you, Prince Kekron, for saving our lives, and for saving my sister earlier from Norbrook."

"You're welcome," Kekron told him quietly. "But you can just call me Kekron."

Naykiar continued, "If Caline ever wishes to marry again, I believe that you would make her a good husband, much better than Filcor."

Caline's white face blushed to peach, as she was embarrassed and alarmed by Naykiar's statement. She didn't think that at her age, she would ever want to marry again, even someone as nice and kind as Kekron. She didn't want to dwell upon getting married again anytime soon, and she wished that Naykiar had not brought the subject of Kekron's prospects as her husband up.

"That's up to Caline," Kekron told Naykiar firmly, much to Caline's relief. "She's a bit young for that now. She needs to just be a little girl for right now. Her next husband should be her own choice when she's older, whether it's me or not. We don't marry children in our culture, or force them into marriages against their will."

Naykiar flinched at Kekron's last sentence, growing uncomfortable. Kekron noticed his discomfort, and at first he thought of saying something consoling, but he then thought that maybe Naykiar needed to learn something from Caline's experiences. Maybe Naykiar would think back on this time when it came for him to choose a bride.

Caline looked at Kekron gratefully from where she was sitting in the crook of his arm. A small part of her agreed with Naykiar, but Caline was still too fearful right now of being married. To her, marriage represented being bound to an abusive husband and being raped or beaten. It would be a while before she would come to realize that both marriage and sex could be wonderful things, and that not all husbands were like Alberm, Filcor, and her father. For now, Caline was just content to have Kekron for a friend and protector. Unconsciously, she snuggled further into him, feeling safer, like she always did these days whenever he was near.

"I miss Ridikar," she whispered suddenly.

Kekron stroked her hair again, trying to find the right words to say, but he couldn't. Instead he just held her tighter, as Caline burrowed herself into his chest.

Naykiar said abruptly, as he sat down two steps below Kekron and Caline in the darkness, "We still have to figure out what we're going to do about Julien and Filcor. I'm not allowing them to force Caline to marry Filcor, if she doesn't wish it."

"Neither am I," Kekron told him. "We'll find a way to stop them, no matter what." He took Caline's hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Stop them from doing what?" asked a familiar, velvety voice.

"Mamma?" Kekron asked, seeing his mother, his Great-Aunt Toria, Great-Aunt Hazel, Great-Uncle Gohan, and Lieutenant Balboun come up the stairs. The Astorians in the group were each holding out small balls of lighted ki in one of their palms.

"Are all of you okay?" Gohan asked.

"Most of us are," Kekron replied. "But we need to go back upstairs. Rojal and Dedron have been treated for their injuries, but they may need help getting out. Petalia and Lelina are with them."

Natala excused herself, gently pushing past the others to reach Kekron and Caline. She sat down on the other side of Caline and touched her back. "Are you okay, Caline?" she asked softly.

"Somewhat," Caline replied. "I-I just found out that Ridikar has died." Tears began to fill her eyes again, and Natala gently wiped away the falling ones with her thumb. She then leaned over and kissed Caline's forehead.

"I am sorry, Caline," she said tenderly.

"Th-thank you," Caline whispered. She looked at Natala, greatly relieved that Natala was alive and safe. Kekron looked at his mother that moment, as if his mother were a Kai coming especially to see him.

Kekron rubbed Caline's back, as he addressed his mother, "Now that Ridikar has died, Julien, the brother of him, Caline and Naykiar here, has reinstated Caline's engagement to Filcor Sedemeyer."

"Engagement?" Hazel asked indignantly. "You mean after all she did to save both her people and ours, her family's going to make her marry another old fart?"

"What is a fart?" Naykiar wanted to know. The Calmagians called their farts "butt-burps", and whenever someone passed gas, they would say that person's butt had burped.

"Someone like Alberm and this Filcor," Gohan replied.

"It's also the same thing as a butt-burp," Hazel told him, for she had heard some CRP officers use that word before.

Caline looked up from Kekron's arm and asked Toria directly, "Princess Toria, you can see into someone's future right? Kekron told me that you could."

"Sometimes," Toria replied. "I usually do so better with a blood-and-hair reading from the person involved. My mistress, Kami Orchida of Astoria, is much better at seeing the future than I am. My skills more lie towards seeing what's happening in other places in my mind at the same time, and casting an array of spells."

"If I gave you some of my blood and hair, could you tell my future?" Caline asked her.

Toria smiled. "When this war is over, yes, little one, I can try. But I don't need your blood and hair to tell you that you will eventually come to live a happy life with people who love you, my dear. Your future, little Caline, is whatever you make of it."

"Filcor's not going to be in my future, is he?" Caline asked worriedly.

Toria smiled again. "Now that part of your future, I can, for the most part, tell you…no. You won't be forced into another bad marriage, not if we can prevent it."

Happily relieved, Caline snuggled into Kekron's arms again.

"Do your visions tell you how we intend to pull that off?" Hazel asked Toria.

"Truthfully, no," Toria replied honestly. "But I know with all of us behind Caline, it would take Frieza himself to force her into marrying Filcor, and even Frieza wouldn't waste his time with that. I am afraid, Hazel, that we will actually have to cultivate a plan this time."

Natala then noticed her son's new apparel. A wry smile formed on her lovely face, as she asked, "Excuse me, son, but I didn't know that it was the style on Calmag for young men to wear nightgowns." Kekron wished at that moment for the steps to open up and swallow him whole. He wished that at least his mother hadn't seen him in his attire. What if Father saw? What would he say?

"Pink is his color," Caline teased. "It brings out the highlights in his hair."

"I...see," Natala told her, amused. "Do you or him mind telling me where he…acquired his new nightwear?"

"He traded with Tayla," Caline told her. "Tayla couldn't fight Zarbon in a nightgown, and-"

Natala nearly shrieked, "Tayla is fighting ZARBON? BY HERSELF?"

"Natala, calm down," Gohan consoled her.

"CALM DOWN! MY LITTLE SISTER-IN-LAW IS FIGHTING ZARBON BY HERSELF, AND YOU EXPECT ME TO REMAIN CALM?" Natala's clear velvet voice was now at full volume. She then took Kekron by his shoulder and nearly shook him. "Kekron, how could you let Tayla go off like that?"

"I-I…" Kekron stammered.

"Don't blame him, Natala," Toria told her calmly. "Even if Kekron had tried to stop her, Tayla would have gone anyway."

"I'm-I'm not blaming him, it's just that-"

"You know how Tayla is, Natala," Gohan commented. "Nothing short of Mamma could have stopped her from going, and at this point even my mother probably couldn't have held her back."

"And Tayla's not fighting alone," Caline added. "Bendros is with her."

Natala was relieved-slightly.

"But still, why couldn't she have waited until at least Nama-lan, Dirkan, and my husband and some others could have joined her? Not even my husband was able to defeat Zarbon alone! What in Kami Orchida's name had that child been thinking?"

"Of saving her people," Caline said softly. "And mine. She is a fighter, you know, Natala, and she's just doing her job." Natala looked at her quizzically, not expecting Caline, who had become so close to Tayla, to be this pragmatic about her friend risking her life.

"The little one is right," Toria added gently. "Tayla is destined to become a great warrior, Natala, and destiny is not always a kind mistress."

"Will Tayla and Bendros win?" Natala asked anxiously.

A chilling silence followed her earnest question. Toria was quiet, very, very quiet.
Everyone looked at Toria worriedly. Toria's long hush was not a good sign.

Toria said chokingly, tears in her aged voice, "I-I am sorry, Natala, but this is one of the things in life that I cannot…tell the future…about…"

"What are you saying, Aunt Toria?" Gohan demanded to know.

Toria could not even see Tayla and Bendros in her visions right now. Sometimes fate would not let her see certain things until it chose to do so. She tried to concentrate her mind on seeing Tayla and Bendros, but all she could see was a huge, thick gray fog in her mind, where she could see nothing.

"Well?" Gohan pressed.

Toria hung her golden head down. "I am saying," she murmured in a low voice, "that for one of the few times in my life…I…don't know."

A heavy silence fell over the group. Caline buried her face in Kekron's shoulder, and Kekron held his head down. Natala bit her lip to keep from crying, and Hazel clung to Gohan, who had his fists clenched. Tears freely streamed down Toria's face, as she silently prayed.

Uncertainty was always harder to endure than verification.













Back at the cliff where Zarbon, Tayla, and Bendros had chosen to fight…

Things were not looking good for Tayla or Bendros. Zarbon was a merciless, powerful fighter, and so far, he was winning. His last powerful ki blast that had been aimed at Bendros from the sky had sent Bendros almost six feet into the cliff. Tayla, furious, had retaliated for him with a Blitzer attack, which unfortunately, Zarbon managed to deflect away from him into some nearby mountains. Several of the mountains had been permanently destroyed, reduced to rubble.

Zarbon stood in the air with his arms crossed. "Give it up, Tayla; you and your monkey boyfriend don't have a chance to win. Why don't you surrender to me now, and maybe I'll spare that pathetic half-breed who insists on-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, for at that moment, Bendros, who had arisen from the hole, came up behind Zarbon in a blur and smashed both of his fists into the middle of Zarbon's back. Zarbon rapidly plummeted towards the grassy ground, where Tayla wasted no time in giving Zarbon a swift kick in his ribs.

Bendros then drew back away from Zarbon and flew into the air, and he put his hands together, side-by-side, with palms facing down. Within a second, small, but quick ribbons of pale green ki shot out from his palms towards Zarbon. There were six in all, and all of the small streams of ki zipped through the air towards Zarbon's body. Before Zarbon could escape, each one of the small ki ribbons wrapped themselves around Zarbon's neck, waist, both wrists, and both ankles. Zarbon struggled, but when he did, the thin strips of ki electrocuted him at a voltage similar to that used in an Electric Quake attack. Zarbon screamed in horror, as the bands of ki entrapping him electrocuted him. Strings of pure ki wove in and out of his body, and then all of the ki ribbons left their parts to join together into one huge rope. The rope then wound itself around Zarbon several times, electrocuting him every few seconds or so. Then the rope split back into six ribbons and attached themselves to the same body parts that they were at before and electrocuted Zarbon again.

Bendros had called this attack that he used often simply Ribbon Coil, and so far this attack, one of his most powerful, seemed to be working.

"Tayla," he told her. "Use that Blitzer attack again! I believe that it should finish him off, now that he's being held!"

"Okay!" Tayla declared, as she drew her hands back with wrists crossed once more and palms in clamshell position. She screamed, "BLITZER!"

Tayla's Blitzer attack once more crashed into Zarbon's body, as he was being fried by Bendros's Ribbon Coil attack. Zarbon screamed when Tayla's powerful attack hit him, knocking him out of the sky and sending him plummeting to the cliff's surface.

"NO!" Zarbon screamed. "What's happening to ME?"

Zarbon's body crashed deeper into the cliff, until his body had created a hole nearly ten feet deep.

Zarbon's screams could be heard for several more minutes, and then…

Silence. And no trace of ki could be sensed.

Had Zarbon been defeated?

"I can't feel him anymore," Tayla whispered, as Bendros drew closer to her.

Bendros rested a large hand on Tayla's small shoulder. "I-I think that he's gone now…I hope."

He quietly drew Tayla into his arms and embraced her, not as a lover, but as an older brother hugging a little sister. Tayla rested her head against Bendros's chest and closed her eyes, as she put her arms around his waist. She buried her face into his body.

"Bendros…" she whispered. She felt so safe with him, as she nestled herself against him.

"Is it okay, if I touch your hair?" Bendros asked her.

Tayla nodded soundlessly, and Bendros stroked her matted hair. Tayla's body relaxed, as she allowed herself to rest against him. She then opened up her eyes slowly, allowing herself to look into his face, as Bendros brushed back some hair from her face. He lightly kissed her dusted forehead.

She realized something then.

She did love him; she always had.

She then remembered Ridikar's words, just before he died:

*Tayla…please…don't worry…he loves you too…you won't be left alone. *

Had Ridikar been talking about Bendros?

Had he?

Would she ever know?















Down in the hole where Zarbon had fallen…

Zarbon was barely alive, but he had just enough energy to try a last resort.
He hated to do this, for this method of his made him look so ugly.

He wondered how Chestra could have ever stood seeing her beloved in this form before, but she loved him anyway. She had long ago told him that it had not mattered to her.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

And Zarbon slowly arose to his feet, struggling, barely able to stand, as his hideous transformation began.

His face began to expand and stretch, bloating and blowing up horizontally until it resembled the face of a green Oozaru. His trim, muscular body began to widen, and what remained of his armor began to expand with it. His slim legs and arms enlarged until they were the size of small columns or pillars. His feet increased to three times their size, and his boots grew larger to meet the new size.

The transformation was painful, and he was glad that he did not have a mirror nearby, for this transformation made him look horrible. He hated how his face looked like Frieza had been pulling it into two directions at once. His eyes were bulged, his lips were flabby and wide, and he was starting to drool. His nostrils were also three times their size.

But he was twice as strong as before (as well as twice as large), and he knew two certain opponents, one a defiant brat, and the other, a half-breed monkey, who would pay for his humiliating, albeit temporary disfiguration.

His ogre-like face looked up towards the sky, where he was certain that Princess Tayla and her monkey boyfriend were just waiting for him.

He'd capture that brat yet and take her to Frieza.

And no half-breed monkey was going to get in his way of accomplishing his goal, or even a scrawny, yet powerful little girl.

He grinned maliciously, and his cruel smile only added to his now frightening appearance.

*Here I come, Princess Tayla. You better start packing your bags and kissing your monkey man goodbye. *

He then shot up from the hole like a green, muscled rocket, towards the almost impenetrable darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see heavy, black-gray clouds gathering quickly.

And a distant rumble of thunder, accompanied by a small streak of lightening.