EPILOGUE: The End…Or The Beginning?
One year later on Calmag…
The damage to Calmag had been repaired much quicker than anyone from the Calmagian or the Astorian race ever expected. Of course, there was no way to bring back the many lives that had been lost, and the lives of those living were never the same again. Calmagians had learned just how vulnerable they had been, despite all of their technology, and the Astorians had learned that their problems with Frieza and his forces were still as great as ever, despite their increasing strength.
The royal castle, Chateau de Tamilieu, had been completely restored, and almost all of the damaged cities, from Magan to Rendor to Hensley, had been renovated. The Astorians and the royal Calmagian family had moved back into the Chateau de Tamilieu. Almost all of Calmag had been completely restored or renovated.
But it was the rebuilding of the attitude towards females on Calmag that was the true miracle.
The deceased Prince Ridikar's new hopes for a Calmag that had better treatment of women and girls were on their way to being fulfilled. Thanks to some new conditions in the alliance treaties that Shalila and Dirkan and Gorna had firmly insisted upon (in fact, they had "politely" informed King Kitchator that if he didn't do something about the treatment of females on his planet, he could not count on the Astorians' help the next time Calmag was threatened), many laws discriminating against females and forcing them into unwanted marriage were abolished.
Girls and women were now allowed to bring requests for divorce, and this resulted in an incredible increase in divorces, now that Calmagian females realized that they no longer had to stay in abusive or miserable marriages. Shalila and Gorna together had begun a program called Second Chances on Calmag to help newly divorced females rebuild their lives and become independent. Many of the Astorians were happy to help in this program, and anyone was invited to help, even adolescents. Tayla, Caline, and their peers in their age group did what they could to help Calmagian women and girls rebuild happier lives of choice and freedom.
The program involved training women and girls for jobs and careers, to help them go back to school, and provided shelters to care for girls under sixteen who had divorced their husbands, but were still too young to lead lives on their own without adult help. These shelters were quickly becoming crowded, for many young girls under sixteen could not safely go back home to their families without reprisals from abusive or overbearing fathers or other male guardians. Some of these young girls had put in petitions for asylum on Astoria, and Shalila and Dirkan had granted the requests of those girls that had no other options. King Kitchator had not been pleased with that, but since it had been part of the treaty to allow unhappy females to leave, he kept quiet.
Also, forced marriages and engagements had been made illegal, and the effects of this action had been both bad and good. The effects were good because females had a choice as to whom they wanted to marry and when they wanted to marry, if they wanted to marry at all. But there were some negative effects because many Calmagian fathers saw early marriages as a way to get rid of daughters that they did not want or could not properly care for. Many fathers complained bitterly to King Kitchator and his officials because now what was to be done with the girls who could not be forced into marriage against their will? Some more decent fathers dropped daughters off at the Second Chance shelters while more heinous fathers turned their daughters out onto the street when the girls refused to marry the men that their fathers had chosen. Shalila and her family had traveled around Calmag frequently, looking for homeless girls and encouraging them to go the Second Chance shelters before brothels or unscrupulous men snatched them up.
The legal age of marriage consent was moved up from age ten to age fifteen (Shalila and Dirkan had wanted the age moved up to seventeen, which was the legal age for Astorians to marry, but King Kitchator would not budge on that one). Marital rape and abuse were now declared illegal, and the Superior Gran and Granden had to fight hard for that to happen because most Calmagian men still were not entirely convinced that forced sex in marriage counted as rape, and some of the men still felt that they should be allowed to beat or hit their wives, if their wives displeased or angered them.
The Clan of Chloe, with the help of some of the more liberal men on Calmag, had started several women's universities and ten girls' schools on Calmag, and tuition was low-priced, with financial aid for those females who could not afford even that. And "equal opportunity/equal pay" laws were put in place, so that Calmagian girls and females could get jobs. Many Calmagian females started small businesses, and they would only hire other girls and women, mostly displaced ones who had left their fathers or husbands.
Much of this was funded with planetary funds, and also the estates of a small number of females that had inherited wealthy estates from deceased husbands. Caline, who was now a very wealthy young lady, thanks to Alberm's death, had asked that much of her money go to help the girls and women of her planet obtain better lives and better standards of living. It was Caline's financial generosity and Shalila's brilliance that had started the Second Chance shelters and one of the universities for women. Many of the profits coming from Alberm's computer company went towards the programs to help Calmagian females.
Shalila and Dirkan managed Caline's estate for her, but they considered most of the suggestions that their young ward had requested and granted them. Caline at first had not wanted anything to do with Alberm's money or businesses because of her bad memories of her treatment at Alberm's hands, but some of her new family members suggested that Caline could use the money to help others. Caline spent very little on herself; she dressed well and was generous with her friends, but she was truly not very extravagant. She had new friends and a new family who loved her dearly, and whom she loved in return, and she valued them far above her inherited wealth.
Caline fit in well with Gracina and Lektron's rambunctious family, and all of the Gracina and Lektron Chloe siblings adored their new sister. Tayka and Tila would frequently argue over whose bed Caline would sleep in, and Riccan and Nikon were protective of her. Gracina and Lektron were as fond of and as loving towards as ever, and it was becoming like Caline had lived with them all her young life. Caline divided her time between Gracina and Lektron's family, Natala and Raakon's family, Tayla and their friends, and Shalila and Dirkan. She was a busy and a much-loved girl these days.
She had more frequent contact with her sisters, Rosyn, whose husband had died in a skycar accident five months ago, and Meyline, who had chosen to stay with her husband out of love, and all three sisters had gathered together several times. Rosyn had asked Caline to come and live with her instead of leaving Calmag with the Astorians. Caline had declined, but she promised Rosyn that she would ask the Clan of Chloe, if Rosyn could come visit Astoria someday. Rosyn and Meyline had apologized for not helping Caline with her problems with Alberm, but all three sisters knew that there had been nothing that the older sisters could have really done. Their father, Amitar, had made all of the decisions in their family.
Caline was now taking singing and music lessons, and her brother, Naykiar, had signed up to join Intergalacticpol. Once the Astorians left Calmag to return home, he would leave Calmag as well for the Intergalacticpol Training Academy on one of Intergalacticpol's space stations located near planet Grain. Cirono and Dollan had too signed up to join Intergalacticpol, and Cirono had married his fiancée four months ago. Cirono and his new wife would too leave Calmag to go to the Intergalacticpol Training Academy, where Cirono would train to become an officer and his wife would stay in the housing wings on the space station. Dollan had already left for the training academy, and everyone in the Clan of Chloe had wished him luck, even Bajal.
Captain Qatar had been the general of the CRP, with Lieutenant Balboun being promoted to
Captain Qatar's position. Captain Qatar had married Zilly Fedamare two weeks after the war had ended, and Zilly was due to give birth to her first child, a son, any day now. (A gestation period for a Calmagian female was eight months.)
General Norbrook had never been found or caught, although several people had reported seeing Norbrook in several disguises in several places, but those rumors had never been confirmed. The former CRP general had seemed to disappear from the face of the planet. Most people thought that Norbrook had fled Calmag, but those suspicions too were never confirmed. His children and grandchildren moved on without him, although they missed him dearly, for despite his crimes, he had been a good father and a grandfather to them. Caline had occasionally worried that Norbrook might still come back after her, but Toria had assured her that Norbrook had lost interest in getting her back. Toria's visions would not reveal to her where Norbrook had vanished.
As for the Clan of Chloe, much had changed for them as well. Natala and Raakon were now the proud parents of five-month-old baby Maylia, who was a feminine version of Kekron and very pretty and feisty. Her ki level was high for a baby her age, and she had already been selected to be trained as a warrior or a healior. Maylia was deeply loved and highly spoiled by her immediate family, especially her siblings, Arlina and Kekron. Caline would come visit Kekron's family frequently to see Kekron and play with Maylia. Maylia enjoyed Caline's visits as much as Kekron did.
Bajal and Alora now had a three-month-old son named Handros, named after Aliquina's only son who had married a Gran of Sahara. Handros had been the father of both Gran Mauria and Alora, as well as the grandfather of Bendros. He resembled Bajal with a Saiyan tail, and he too was selected to be trained as a warrior or healior because of his high ki level. Rina was delighted with her baby brother, and she couldn't wait until he was old enough to spar with her. In the meantime, she was content to fight and spar with Tayka, now one of her best friends. Both Rina and Handros were delightful handfuls to their effusive parents.
Hazel was pregnant again, due to give birth any day now to a baby boy, whom she and Gohan had decided to name Gokaan, after both Gohan and Raakon, who had prevented Bhodie from raping Hazel. Aurora was looking forward to a new baby, but Mantros was already jealous of his unborn baby brother.
Gorna had not changed much, except for her attitude towards her children and Tayla. Gorna and Tayla still would clash and disagree now and then, but their fights did not last for long. Between their disagreements, Gorna and Tayla got along now fairly well. Gorna had learned to appreciate, value, and love her little sister, and Tayla was learning that Gorna did have her good points after all. One day, Tayla had actually told Gorna that she loved her, and Shalila had heard. Shalila was greatly comforted and relieved, knowing that Tayla's future would be more secure now that Gorna and Rojal no longer held a grudge against their favored relative. The Superior Gran counted the new relationship between Tayla and Gorna as one of her many blessings. Tayla and Gorna would still always disagree on a great many things because of their strong personalities and even stronger prides and wills, but they were no longer enemies, and that alone helped their grandmother to sleep better at night.
However, Gorna was still as overbearing as ever, and her siblings still chafed at times under her bossiness, but since they frequently told Gorna off when they deemed it necessary, things did not escalate or worsen. All of the Mantros Chloe siblings respected Gorna as their eldest sibling and future ruler, even if they didn't agree with everything that she said or did.
These days, Gorna was now making plans to get Rojal and Lelina married off, and Gorna was pleased with Rojal's liking Caline as a potential wife one day. Gracina and Lektron were a bit distressed to learn that Gorna planned to one day try to get Rojal and Caline together, and Gracina had already told Gorna that Caline's husband would be of her own choice. Gorna thought that Caline would be perfect for Rojal, but Gracina did not consider Rojal and Caline to be a potential match, and she and Gorna had argued several times over this. Caline knew nothing of Gorna's plans.
Marya, Toria, and Arlina went back to their fulltime jobs as Priestesses, and all three were still content in their holy lives.
Arlon and Lukan went back to enjoying their bachelorhood, and between them they courted a good many young ladies, both Astorian and Calmagian. But lately Lukan had seemed to take an interest in an unlikely object of his affections-Veal. She and Lukan had taken several walks together.
Cletos was slowly recovering from Farla's death, and he had become attentive towards Petalia. He and Petalia still kept trying to reach out to Dedron, but Dedron fully rejected Cletos and now barely tolerated Petalia. Dedron was still as nasty and as bitter as ever, and Cletos had vainly tried to coax Dedron into a father-son reconciliation. Dedron was contemptuous towards his father, and he was rude and surly whenever Cletos had tried to approach or speak to him.
But Dedron's real fury at this point concerned Shalila, Dirkan, Tayla, Bendros, and Kekron. Shalila and Dirkan had ordered Dedron to do community work in the women's programs and the rebuilding of Calmagian cities for the past year to pay penance for his crimes. He was also ordered to apologize to Tayla and Petalia in front of the entire Clan of Chloe family, and he did so in a smooth tone that hinted of a deep grudge against his aunt and some remaining antipathy his sister.
Shalila had thought of telling Dedron that if he didn't start to act like a decent person, she would leave him behind on Calmag, but she didn't feel it was fair to thrust Dedron onto the Calmagians. She didn't tell Dedron of this, but she did warn Dedron that if he didn't try to change his ways, he would lose his title as a Prince of Chloe and be excluded from being a warrior for the Clan of Chloe. Dedron had sulkily agreed, but Shalila knew that Dedron would not change much, unless he was prodded. Dedron had been put on probation of sorts, and his activities and whereabouts were closely monitored whenever possible. Both Shalila and Dirkan and Cletos were deeply worried about him. Dedron had not caused any major trouble in the past months, but he had disappeared a number of times without telling anyone where he was going.
Dedron had come back to the Chateau de Tamilieu several times smelling of cheap perfume and odors that Dirkan and anyone with Saiyan blood would know came from a female. Several people had reported to Shalila and Dirkan that Dedron had been hanging around a nearby covert brothel with an older blonde, but that rumor had yet to be confirmed.
Rojal had tried to talk to Dedron about his ways, and Dedron had been polite to Rojal, but he either shrugged off Rojal's concerns, or made false promises to change to appease his friend. Dedron had become chummier with Julien, and he and Dedron frequently prowled the city of Magan together. Julien introduced Dedron to many young girls and took him to many clubs, where drinking alcohol was involved. Dedron had tried alcohol and enjoyed it, but he dared not to drink anymore than one drink at a time because he knew that Shalila and Dirkan would come down hard on him for consuming any alcohol at all, and that someone would smell the alcohol on him. None of his family knew that Dedron had drunk before. Dedron seemed to be adopting more and more of Julien's attitude towards females, and both young men seemed to become more like each other each day. The entire Clan of Chloe family thought that Julien was a bad influence on Dedron, but King Kitchator and Queen Kildara felt that Dedron was the one who was the bad influence. Both families were up in arms as to what to do about their errant relatives.
Meanwhile, Kekron had been dividing his time between his family, Caline, and his devices and inventions. Many of Kekron's ideas had been implemented on Calmag, and he had created a number of machines to help rebuild cities faster. He was as good as putting his inventions and devices together, as he was in designing them. Caline often visited Kekron at least twice a day, and she would sit nearby him, as he either pondered over a blueprint, or repaired or built one of his creations. Kekron enjoyed her visits and answered her questions about what he was doing with limitless patience and understanding. If he were in deep thought or concentration, however, Caline would usually be quiet and sit and wait for him to finish on whatever he was so intensely focusing on before she spoke to him.
Fayra kept in contact with her mother back on Astoria through radio, once Calmag's intergalactic communication systems had been brought back up; her mother had been unable to come to Calmag with the family because she had been due to give birth to Fayra's half-brother. Fayra's mother, Esta, one of Felinda's daughters, had remarried two years ago to Hermon, one of Jesynthia's sons.
Petalia was as beautiful and showy as ever, and many young men paid her court, but Petalia still had eyes for only Rojal. She flirted with other young men in hopes of making Rojal jealous, but so far none of her schemes and tactics to land Rojal as a suitor had worked. She threw more time into her singing when she wasn't planning on how to get Rojal to notice her. She feared Dedron now, even though Dedron had started to be civil to her again. She and Dedron were no longer as close as they were, although Petalia still loved him and worried about his bad behavior.
Rojal and Riccan had made progress in their training and both boys had reached a long unattainable goal: they had finally come into their Awakenings, and they were stronger than ever, although still not as strong yet as Tayla and the others who had had their Awakenings a while back.
Lelina was quieter and more pensive than ever, especially after her father's death. She still missed him more and more every passing day. Tayla prayed and hoped for Lelina, and she and the other girls tried to spend as much time with "Lee" as possible.
Jaca and Kiran was now an established pair, and they were already discussing marriage, even though they couldn't marry until they were each seventeen or older. Bendros had kidded Kiran, saying that it was likely that Kiran would probably marry before he would.
"Probably," Kiran had teased his eldest brother back. "After all, Tayla is now what-thirteen? Just four more years until she's old enough to marry! And on more year, I might add, until she's eligible for courting."
"Kiran…that's still some time off," Bendros, now twenty-three, had scolded him. "Tayla will probably want somebody else by then."
"Ha!" Kiran, now fifteen, had scoffed. "You and I both know better than that. Why, Jaca and I noticed how Tayla looks at you. She may have had eyes for that Prince Ridikar for a while, but she's never stopped liking you. And you like her, Bendros, admit it! All right, so you're ten years older than her, but that's nothing really. So, are you going to try to court her when she turns fourteen next year or what?"
"Kiran…" Bendros had said hesitantly.
"You are, aren't you?" Kiran had exclaimed. "You can tell me; I can keep a secret!"
"Umm…"
"I knew it! You want Tayla, don't you?"
"Kiran…"
"C'mon, confess! I won't tell anyone, not even Jaca, I swear by the Seven Moons!"
"O…kay…then…yes. But I swear, Kiran, that if so much as a syllable of my intentions gets back to Tayla or any of her family…"
"Relax, big bro, I'll erase this entire conversation from my memory the minute I leave you. You know I'm good at that."
"I do," Bendros had said with a wink. "You're awfully good at erasing a lot of things from your memory."
"Hey! All right, so I'm not the brilliant strategist you are, but I have my good points."
"I'm not sure if bossing Dakal around, or aggravating Herkon counts as among your good points."
"Hey, I have useful talents that I will be able to use in life! I'm good at teaching, for example."
"I don't think that teaching Jaca how to kiss you while slipping her tongue into your mouth can count."
"Very funny. Kissing with tongues is a useful life skill! Don't tell me that you don't plan on teaching Tayla the same thing!"
After that comment, Kiran had to escape from a blow to his arm that Bendros had wanted to give him for his remark.
So Bendros did intend to court Tayla after all, but he and Tayla both could wait. And he had no intention of telling Tayla his interest in her until she was older. His feisty, sharp-tongued Princess of Chloe could wait until then.
While Bendros was patiently waiting for Tayla to grow up a little, Flirtius was wasting no time with his courting. He and Melonia had started courting six months back after Shalila and Dirkan had agreed to give him permanent asylum on Astoria. Varrcan still did not approve, but Ebrona had convinced him to let things be as long as Flirtius treated Melonia well.
Varrcan and Ebrona were now married, having wed shortly after the War on Calmag. Even the royals had attended their wedding, and the two servants had been greatly honored and touched to have them there, as most Astorian royals normally did not attend servants' weddings unless they were close to the servants. Ebrona had just given birth to a little girl named Lurla, who resembled her beautiful mother.
Dalantra, sharp-tongued and spirited as ever, faithfully attended and looked after Shalila as usual. Shalila was thankful that Dalantra had survived; Dalantra had always been her most faithful, if not humble, servant.
Mykia was as loyal to Tayla as ever, and Tayla had heard Mykia confess to Ebrona that she liked Prince Arlon, Princess Tayla's older brother, but Prince Arlon had shown no interest in her. Tayla felt sorry for Mykia because Mykia had no young men calling on her. Tayla had secretly sworn by the Seven Moons that she would help her maid find someone once they returned to Astoria.
Pork and Crystalis had fit well into their family, and Crystalis became like the sister that Veal had never had. Steak thanked the good spirits, Kami Orchida, the East Kai, and the Supreme Kai several times a day for the return of his beloved lost son and the arrival of his new "daughter", Crystalis.
Pork, Crystalis, and Flirtius had been given permanent asylum on Astoria after turning traitor against Frieza. While turning to the Astorians' side guaranteed greater safety and standard of living for all three of them, their lives would now be in danger, if they ever left the Astorians' protection because any one who deserted Frieza's army automatically wound up on Frieza's ever-growing hit list. All deserters had a death contract put out on their heads, and if Frieza, or any of Frieza's minions, found Pork, Crystalis, or Flirtius, the one or ones caught would be tortured and then executed shortly afterwards. Frieza's soldiers were highly rewarded, if they found and killed any deserters from Frieza's forces.
Bhodie Lett was now serving a life sentence on the harsh prison planet Zelthar after being brought to the Rosetta Interplanetary Council by Gohan. The Rosetta Interplanetary Council tried intergalactic war crimes that happened in the Rosetta Galaxy, as well as overseeing the welfare of Rosetta planets and Intergalacticpol. Bhodie Lett had his life spared after agreeing to testify against Frieza and his minions, but Bhodie was not sure now if being forced to stay on Zelthar for the rest of his life was any better than death. However, it was better than going back to Frieza.
Neither Frieza nor his army had returned to Calmag, although for many weeks after the war, the Astorians and the Calmagians had feared they might. One time, Gohan had actually sent a fake radio message to stations throughout the galaxy that the Astorians had left Calmag already, just to see what Frieza would do. Nothing had happened, and Toria had assured the rulers of both Astoria and Calmag that Frieza had given up for now and moved on to other things.
And Tayla? She had come to Calmag a child, but now would leave as a young woman. She had grown up, matured for the most part. She had won over Gorna and Rojal, and she unknowingly had helped Cletos to see what he was doing to his children. She had helped a frightened child princess bride take the first steps to living a fuller, happier life and had helped her to see that she was worthy of being loved and valued. She had fought valiantly against some of the strongest and evilest fighters among Frieza's forces and survived to tell the tale. She had helped to prevent herself from falling into Frieza's clutches once more.
And she had helped to see a Calmagian prince see the light about the way his people viewed females. A part of her would always miss Ridikar and be grateful to him for saving her life. From time to time, Tayla would wonder what life would be now, if Ridikar had lived. Would she and Ridikar have eventually become a couple again, or would have she chosen Bendros in the end? And what would have Ridikar have thought of the changes going on today? Tayla would never know these things, but she believed in her young heart that Ridikar would have been pleased, and she truly thought that Ridikar was in heaven now.
Tayla hoped and prayed that Enma Daiou would be forgiving enough of poor Jaypros and Farla to allow them into heaven, but she wasn't sure how harshly Enma Daiou viewed adultery. The young Princess of Chloe felt that Jaypros and Farla had been punished enough, and most of her family agreed with her. She knew now that there was a little girl that Jaypros and Farla had between them, and she had heard that Uncle Gohan had sent out his officers to find the child. Gohan Chloe doubted that the child was still alive, and the visions of Toria, Arlina, and Marya revealed nothing to them. Tayla included the unnamed little niece in her prayers every night.
She wondered if Frieza, Vegeta, and the other soldiers in Frieza's forces still wanted to take her away. Tayla had several nightmares about Vegeta, off and on, in the past year, with each dream of Vegeta telling her the same message as before. In these dreams, sometimes Vegeta chased her for a good distance, but he never attacked her, or even touched her in any way, but the dreams would disturb her nonetheless.
Toria's room at the royal castle…
Today, she finally told Toria about these dreams, and Toria's face had grown somber, not a good sign. Tayla had gone to Toria and Marya's room, where Toria and Marya were packing their things to go home to Chloe, Astoria.
"Are these just bad dreams or premonitions?" Tayla wanted to know.
"A bit of both, I'm afraid," Toria admitted. "Your dreams are indeed sending you a message that Vegeta is not done with you yet."
"What can I do, Aunt Toria? I don't want him after me anymore."
Toria had drawn Tayla to her and embraced her fiercely for a long time.
Finally, the weary High Priestess and sorceress had said, "Your family will always fight to protect you, Tayla, and keep you safe. However…" Toria's voice had trailed off, as she tried to phrase her next words. "However…you will always have to keep training and striving to become stronger because Vegeta will do the same thing, and he won't rest until he can prove that he's stronger than you."
"Why does that matter to him so much? He's stronger than many people in the universe, even some of our people. He'll likely become as strong as Frieza one day; why can't those things be enough for him?"
"I haven't had much chance to look into Vegeta's soul, child, but I suspect that Vegeta has not had a happy life, despite his great power. I don't believe he's happy under Frieza either, but he has no real choice until he can grow strong enough to overthrow him. As for you, you are the first one outside of Frieza and his Elite who has defeated him, ever. From what my visions have shown me, your previous victories over him were an enormous blow to his ego, and those who rank above him love to give him a hard time about it. He views you as his greatest rival right now; he doesn't like that a 'weakling Astorian brat' has taken him down."
"I'm still surprised that I did defeat him, Aunt Toria. I felt the last time that we fought that he was much stronger than me, especially physically. What happened?"
"The strongest doesn't always win, Tayla; it is those who are persistent and determined to overcome that eventually bring down the oppressors. Yes, he was stronger physically than you were, and this time you won because of your speed and ki shots, plus your determination. He won't forget anytime soon, but you need not worry for a while. However, one day you will definitely see him again, and you must be prepared."
Tayla nodded, resting her dark head on Toria's bosom. She believed her. She gravely thanked her aunt, kissed her on her aged cheek, and left to find Caline.
On Frieza's mother ship, in a control room adjacent to a training chamber…
Jaden leaned back against the wall in the back of a control room, smiling smugly, as she watched from a distance into a soundproof, insulated room, where little Princess Kaydra Chloe was blasting away the last of the Saibamen sent after her for training purposes. Kaydra hadn't wanted to kill them at first during the first training session with the insane creatures, but when one nearly tried to strangle her, she quickly realized that she didn't have much of a choice. She had been practicing on them for the past four months now, and Jaden felt that part of Kaydra's training would end soon. Kaydra could now blast away Saibamen within less than twenty minutes.
Zarbon was standing up straight near Jaden; he too was pleased with Kaydra's rapid progress. "I am impressed, Jaden," he told her smoothly. "She'll be ready for the Elite within just a few years."
"I agree," Jaden said triumphantly. "I haven't seen any child training under me do so well since I took Vegeta as my student. Hell, she'll probably be taking one of our positions in Top Elite someday. You and Chestra should be proud."
"We are," Zarbon told her. "I had serious doubts at first about taking her as our ward, but now I'm glad that Chestra insisted on having the girl spared. She will make a fine soldier one day. When do you think that she'll be ready for her first Recruit Evaluation?"
"Probably not for six months to a year; she's a fine specimen of a child warrior, and I don't want to push her before I think she's ready. I want to make absolutely certain that she's mastered her skills, which she's well on her way to doing, but…"
"But what?" Zarbon pressed.
Jaden was debating on whether to tell Zarbon her remaining concerns about her newest student, but then suddenly the light above the window of the training room glowed a bright red color. That meant that Kaydra's training session was done. The lights brightened in the training room, and the door leading out opened. Little six-year-old Kaydra Chloe was walking out the training room like a little queen; she wore a simple blue tank top and pants.
A gray lizard with red plates on his back handed Kaydra her uniform, a miniature armor suit and bodysuit similar to the ones that some of the Elites wore. Kaydra thanked him graciously as he helped her into her clothes. She then ran excitedly over to Jaden and Zarbon, her tiny white boots galloping along the smooth tile floor.
"Did I do good, Commander Jaden, Mr. Zarbon?" she asked breathlessly.
"You killed them all, didn't you?" Jaden asked her brusquely.
"Sure did!" Kaydra exclaimed.
"Then what do you think?"
"I guess I did. Do you think I can get something to eat now?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm starving myself."
"When can I go on missions with you and Mr. Zarbon and Miss Chestra, Commander Jaden?"
"Not for a few years," Jaden told her gruffly. Kaydra didn't yet know the truth about exactly what happened on the missions that Jaden and the others went on frequently. The innocent girl thought that the "assignments" were just planetary field trips to maintain order for "Uncle Frieza". Kaydra didn't know still that whole populations were killed or enslaved on these fatal trips, and neither Jaden nor Chestra were looking forward to telling Kaydra that she would one day have to become a killer like they were.
Zarbon wasn't exactly thrilled either, but he was more hardened to the constant killing, raiding, and enslaving he and his comrades did on a regular basis than Jaden and Chestra were, so he didn't think that telling Kaydra the truth one day would be such a tragedy. After all, what choice would Kaydra really have? That was why Kaydra had been spared, so that she could be trained as an Elite soldier for Frieza's forces. Frieza had grown attached to the child in the past year, but he would have never allowed Kaydra to live in the first place, had Kaydra not had such a high ki level and strength potential, and Zarbon, Chestra, and Jaden knew it.
Zarbon could have trained the girl by himself, but he and Frieza decided that Jaden would be the better choice, since Jaden wasn't as personally involved with Kaydra as Zarbon and Chestra were. Zarbon thought that his beloved Chestra would have been too easy on Kaydra, and someone with a high ki level such as hers needed a stronger hand.
He, Jaden, Dodoria, and Ginyu were the only ones at the moment in the Top Elite who were certified to train anyone with a high ki level such as an Astorian's or a Saiyan's. Top Elite officers such as Chestra, Diamonique, and the other members of the Ginyu Force were only certified to train those who were potentials for Lower Elite and Upper Low-Levels, and a good number of Mid-Elites. Mid-Elite and Lower-Elite officers, and sometimes Upper Low-Levels trained all recruits who were not considered "Elite potentials". Vegeta had trained a small number of recruits who had gone on to become Upper-Low-Levels, or even Lower-Elites during the slow times between his assignments. The Saiyan prince had the potential to become a good, although harsh, trainer, but Vegeta preferred to fight and train himself rather than train others.
Now came Kaydra, who would prove to be a challenge for Zarbon, Jaden, and Chestra, not only because of her power, but because Kaydra was still "soft", as in she still didn't like to hurt people, if she could avoid it. She was lively at times, but there were times when she would grow quiet and pensive. The three adult soldiers suspected that Kaydra could see right through them and everyone else.
Jaden was observing the girl, who was now brushing her light gold hair, with a thoughtful expression on her grim face. She and Chestra shared a strange secret about Kaydra: the little girl was believed to be able to read people's minds, or had the potential to anyway. The child was literally psychic, especially concerning her dreams. Jaden knew of the Astorian priests and priestesses, people who were chosen to serve the holy order because of their abilities to see the future, or see what was going on in other places through their visions, and she wondered if Kaydra was one of them. Kaydra seemed to have a "second sight" or a "sixth sense" about everything.
Jaden and Chestra had mutually agreed not to tell anyone about Kaydra's psychic powers, not even Zarbon and Frieza. Chestra was waiting for the right time to tell Zarbon, and both she and Jaden feared that if Frieza ever learned of Kaydra's secret abilities, he would exploit them to his advantage. Frieza would just love to be able to know what everyone was thinking at all times; Jaden personally thought Frieza knew more than enough about his soldiers and enemies already. She didn't want to assist Frieza in his heinous acts against others any more than she had to.
Kaydra tugged at the hands of both Zarbon and Jaden. "Let's go find Miss Chestra and go eat; I'm hungry!"
Jaden looked down at the eager child clinging to her reptilian hand and gave Kaydra a grim smile that tinged of deep regret and pity. She was not looking forward to the day when she or Zarbon or Chestra would have to be the one to destroy what was left of Kaydra's innocence.
"I'm with that," Jaden, who could eat almost as much as a Saiyan, told her.
At the Elite Lounge And Bar…
Dodoria, Rectaurus, and Hectar were ogling the young female soldiers and servants that had been allowed into the Elite Lounge And Bar. Dodoria kept his eye on a cute humanoid female with yellow hair, pale green eyes and bright pink skin almost the same shade as his. The huge soldier was in love with Frieza, but he still liked to indulge his occasional appetite for young girls. He had to get some satisfaction somewhere. He left to make advances upon his hapless victim, who had spotted Dodoria, and was now trying to flee the bar. Dodoria, grinning, stalked after her.
Rectaurus and Hectar, now members of Frieza's Elite, were whistling and shouting out catcalls to the females in the bar they considered attractive. Some of the young ladies glared at them darkly, but none dared to say a word to the deceased Commander Balair's powerful brothers for fear of reprisal or more unwanted sexual attention. Having Rectaurus and Hectar around on a regular basis these days was like having Balair times two; only Balair's older brothers were not as smart as Balair (not highly reputed for his intelligence himself) had been.
Rectaurus then dared to seize and squeeze the behind of a tall humanoid female with icy-blue hair, cold, black diamond eyes and a perfect figure with peachy-blue skin. The young woman cursed under her breath, and then she turned around and sank her blue-diamond nails deep into Rectaurus's right arm. Her free hand dared to seize Rectaurus's throat.
"You listen to me, you perverted Sistrai bastard!" Diamonique hissed. "Don't you ever touch me again, or I will slash up your face so badly that not even the most desperate female will want to come near you. Or I might turn you into a diamond, not that you'd be worth much even then! You're lucky that you and your brother have been immunized to my poison, or you'd be dead now. Actually, I probably would be doing all females a favor by poisoning you."
"Don't threaten me, slut!" Rectaurus growled, seizing her wrist. Diamonique then abruptly kicked him hard in his stomach, forcing him to release her, and then she shot a thin, blue laser at him. Within seconds, Rectaurus was a diamond statue. Hectar launched himself at Diamonique, but he then too met the same fate. Diamonique then spat upon their frozen bodies. Everyone in the bar grew quiet, afraid to so much as breathe for fear of drawing Diamonique's ire to them.
"It's a pity that I can't leave you both in that state, but Lord Frieza wouldn't be too happy, if I did. You two boys can stay that way until I decide that you've learned your lesson." She dusted off her slender, well-shaped hands and walked arrogantly over to the bar.
"Tipsy!" she screamed. "I want a bolt of blue, now!"
Tipsy, who was the popular bartender from the cleared planet Mimosa, was a short bald man with white skin, large round blue-green eyes and peach cheeks. He was dressed in a green, shiny metallic tuxedo with a bright pink bowtie. He had been spared out of his race because of his ability to make over two thousand different types of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. His most popular and famous drink was Crystal Blue Persuasion, which was a blue mixed alcoholic beverage that was normally drank in shot glasses that tasted of various fruits from at least ten different planets. Whenever anyone wanted a glass of Crystal Blue Persuasion, they would always say ask for a "bolt (shot) of blue".
His assistant and best friend was a tiny purple housefly with neon-green clear wings and long, electric-blue eyelashes named Eyelet. She helped to press buttons and lower or raise levers; she was strong for a housefly, and she had come from Mimosa as well. Her race, the Kincasan and Tipsy's race, the Mimosan, had been allies and friends for many decades before Frieza's soldiers had raided their planet and sold it off to another race.
Eyelet rested on the edge of the shiny marble bar, as an unnerved Tipsy gave Diamonique her "bolt of blue". Diamonique drank it in one shot, but she allowed the tangy liquid to swish about in her mouth, as she savored the fruity drink before swallowing it. Tipsy began to wipe down the bar with a wet towel, while Eyelet seized a light, damp cloth in her tiny feet and began to dab at a machine. Diamonique then ordered another bolt of blue, and Tipsy gave it to her.
Vegeta entered the bar at the moment, saw Diamonique and scowled. He then sat down four barstools away from her. He barked at Eyelet, whose tiny body had begun to shake the moment that he came up to the bar, "I want ice water."
"I'll get it," Tipsy told the fly, as he quickly prepared a glass of water. He rushed it over to the impatient Saiyan prince. Vegeta gulped his water down within three gulps, and before he knew it, Diamonique was sitting beside him, with her chin propped on her hand and her head tilted to the side. She smiled adoringly at Vegeta, and then she licked her bluish lips seductively.
"How've you been, my prince?" she purred in a thick, breathy accent. She lightly traced her fingers along his muscled arm.
Vegeta looked at her coldly, as if she were a stranger. Diamonique paid him no mind, as she dared to slide her fingertips along his tail, which was tightly wound around his waist. She tickled his tail, and before Vegeta knew it, he purred against his will. He was aroused now, and yet furious at the same time. Diamonique smiled wider when she noticed his mixture of emotions. She then sidled closer to him, curling up against him, as she trailed kisses on his broad shoulder.
Eyelet and Tipsy had wisely decided to leave and tend to the other patrons at the bar, not wishing to watch Commander Diamonique throw herself at Mid-Elite Officer Prince Vegeta anymore than necessary. Diamonique continued to stroke Vegeta's tail, and Vegeta purred again against his will.
"There's more where that came from," Diamonique whispered into his ear.
"Really," Vegeta said wickedly, looking directly at her.
"Really," Diamonique affirmed, as she pressed herself against him. Everyone in the lounge and bar had stopped eating, and all of them were watching Commander Diamonique continue her advances upon Mid-Elite Officer Prince Vegeta. She then crushed herself further against his hard body, and Vegeta wrapped one arm around her waist. Diamonique moaned in pleasure, and then her lips levitated over to his. She boldly laid a hand on his chest plate. Vegeta smirked, as his lips came closer to hers.
"So what do you wish for me to do next?" Vegeta purred.
"Just do whatever feels right," Diamonique cooed, tracing his thin lips with her slender, diamond-pointed finger. "Just do what you feel, my prince."
"With pleasure," he said deviously, as he brought his lips to her ear, as if intending to take a nibble on her tender earlobes. His breath tickled her, as he brought his mouth closer to her ear. He then took her wrists into his hands and leaned closer to her. Diamonique rubbed herself against him, as she smiled wickedly, enjoying Vegeta's attention.
"Just go with your instincts, just like I taught you," Diamonique whispered.
"Just like you taught me," Vegeta repeated. "Here goes, woman." He then leaned as close as he could to her ear. Diamonique smiled wider, anticipating some sweet words of seduction from her former royal lover.
Finally, Vegeta whispered some words into Diamonique's awaiting ear:
"Goodbye, Diamonique."
"WHAT?" Diamonique screamed, as a grinning Vegeta released her and stood up, brushing himself off. "What do you mean 'goodbye'?"
Vegeta chuckled. "You're an attractive woman still, but unfortunately…for right now, I prefer my women to be a little…let's say…a little less used?"
"Bastard!" Diamonique screamed, as she threw her drink into Vegeta's face. She threw the shot glass against the wall behind the bar, almost hitting Eyelet, and then she stomped out of the bar in a heavy huff. Vegeta growled under his breath and demanded a towel from Tipsy, who hurriedly provided it to him.
Vegeta wiped off his face with the towel, cursing Diamonique in Saiyan, and then he calmed down quickly. He leaned back against the bar, wiping the last of Diamonique's drink off of himself, as he grinned once more. It had been a few months since he had been with a woman. Maybe he'd be nice to Diamonique and allow her "the privilege" of sleeping with him after all.
If she behaved herself, that was.
No, if he slept with her again, she would definitely think that he wanted her for more than just sex. Diamonique was stalking him enough as it was; the last two women that Vegeta had slept with in the past year had mysteriously disappeared, and he suspected that Diamonique had something to do with their vanishing.
Diamonique was the best that he had had in bed so far; he didn't deny that. She had taught him many things in bed, and he had been a very willing student. Unfortunately, she wanted more from him than what he was willing to give. And she slept around frequently with other men when she wasn't pursuing him, and Vegeta didn't want a woman who spread herself around so easily. He didn't mind some experience, which was preferable, but he didn't want a woman who took a different man every night, or even every week or month.
No, she was too much of a risk. He had long ago moved on, and he intended to keep it like that. Diamonique wasn't the only star in the galaxy.
Frieza's office…
Frieza had just finished meditating; he hoped to eventually reach the fourth form that his mother, Queen Frost, had so wanted for him to attain. Coola was already ahead of him; Coola had attained his fourth form, and he was working on a fifth form as well. Frieza had to catch up with him before Coola became too powerful for him to even compete with.
Frieza had thought much during the past year. His first impulse after punishing his soldiers had been to fly his ship over to planet Calmag and finish off the Astorians and the Calmagians himself, but he finally decided against it. Calmag was no longer considered sellable now that Coola had let the word get out about Calmag's problems, meaning the Astorians and Calmag's high pollution rate. Frieza decided to wait, although part of him wanted yet to go after the Clan of Chloe and destroy them once and for all.
He insisted on putting his Elite soldiers through a rigorous training program devised by some of his father's men's to increase the strength of all of his fighters. So far, it seemed to be working, and the next time, he and his soldiers met Shalila Chloe and her family, the Clan of Chloe and hopefully the rest of the Astorians would be obliterated.
He touched his thoughts on Princess Tayla Chloe, the little Astorian girl who had proven to be a huge challenge to his own fighters. Princess Tayla was now almost as troublesome as her infamous grandmother, and soon she would become too old to come under his influence. He knew that the girl meant a great deal to Shalila Chloe and that taking Tayla Chloe away would hurt the Superior Gran greatly. He knew the child was powerful, but was Dodoria right about Tayla being too dangerous to allow into his army?
Possibly. Someone like Tayla still had the potential to grow up to be stronger, and that alone posed a threat to Frieza. What if Tayla and some of her family members one day decided to finally come after Frieza once and for all? Frieza decided then to have his soldiers still try to capture Tayla, if they came across her, but she was no longer his main focus. He had Kaydra now, and she would grow up to be as strong as Tayla, surely, if not stronger.
He decided to use Kaydra for the plans that he had intended for her Aunt Tayla. He would watch over and involve himself in Kaydra's training as much as possible, so that he could mold her into his own image. One day, he would use Kaydra to destroy the Astorians, like they should have been destroyed years ago. Kaydra would take Tayla's place for now, and Frieza intended to use her as the ultimate weapon to end the Astorians' existence once and for all.
In the meantime, Frieza had cleverly installed a new spy who would be going home with the Astorians who had been nowhere near the fighting, one that Frieza had kept in top-secret reserve on the other side of Calmag, a young female spy. This lovely young woman had pled for asylum and shelter with the Astorians, and none of the Astorians seemed to be the wiser. The girl, no more than seventeen years of age, had posed as a refugee who wanted to live on Astoria, along with the other young girls who were leaving Calmag. It had been General Norbrook who had found this girl and recommended her to Frieza, and Frieza, hearing of her cleverness, had been happy to take her.
None of the Astorians would ever suspect her. In their eyes, she would be nothing more than an innocent victim who wanted to rebuild her life on another planet. She wasn't just a pretty face either; she had superb technical skills along with some fighting ability. The Astorians would consider her an asset, but she would become part of their eventual downfall.
Frieza closed his eyes and went back to his meditating, grinning to himself. Shalila Chloe, Tayla Chloe, and their family may have won this battle, but they were far from winning the war. And he intended to keep it that way.
The last day on Calmag, in the control room on the Roccon…
Kekron was finishing some renovations on the engines of the Astorian family mother ship. He also did a final preflight check of everything with the help of one of the new Calmagian female refugees named Ruli Sassafras. Ruli was a tall girl with clear, cinnamon skin and auburn hair highlighted with gold, along with excellent teeth. Her father had worked for one of Alberm Dunlop's companies, and he had taught his clever daughter everything that he knew about technology. When Ruli's father had died, Ruli's uncle had taken custody of the girl and tried to force her into an unwanted marriage with a lecherous man in his fifties. Ruli had ran away from home and hid out in a Second Chance shelter when a friend mentioned that she was going to apply for asylum with the Astorian people. Ruli had joined her and both girls had been accepted. Now Ruli would be going home with the Astorians.
Ruli liked Prince Kekron Chloe; in fact she was already falling in love with him. When Prince Kekron had mentioned briefly that he had had no previous girlfriend, Ruli found it very hard to believe. Prince Kekron was just so gentle and kind, so different from many Calmagian men. She was determined already to make Prince Kekron her husband within the next couple of years, but there was a small problem-a certain pale-skinned Calmagian princess with blue eyes and white-gold hair that was becoming more gold than white.
And this interloper, royalty, but a nuisance nonetheless, had just left after bringing Kekron a delicious lunch of the best Calmagian meats, fruits, and desserts before Ruli had arrived. Little Princess Caline had brought Prince Kekron a meal in a picnic basket woven from the red grasses of Calmag. Prince Kekron had offered Ruli some of the food, but Ruli politely refused, saying that she had already eaten. She wasn't going to eat anything that her rival, Princess Caline, had brought.
Ruli despised Caline because she was royalty, and Ruli had been among the group of Calmagians that blamed the royal family for all of Calmag's problems, from the high pollution rate to the treatment of women. Ruli was part of a minority of Calmagians who thought that the royal family should be displaced and the monarchy abolished. She held no respect for the Calmagian royals above her.
And of course, Princess Caline's closeness with Prince Kekron was enough alone to attract Ruli's resentment.
What did Prince Kekron see in the little royal chit anyway? Princess Caline had no skills or special powers, just her good looks and sweetness. And she was a child who had admitted that she did not plan to marry. So what did Prince Kekron really see in Princess Caline other than her beauty?
Ruli knew that she had to find a way to push Princess Caline out of Prince Kekron's heart and thoughts. Prince Kekron needed an equal, someone as smart and skilled as he was, and Princess Caline was definitely not that person, and Ruli was. She'd show Prince Kekron that she was the one for him, not Princess Caline.
And now Princess Caline just had to return, accompanied by Princess Tayla Chloe, Prince Kekron's aunt. Ruli admired Princess Tayla, and she was trying to integrate herself into Princess Tayla's circle of friends, even if it meant putting up with Caline, a close friend of Princess Tayla. She intended to become very close to Princess Tayla and learn as much as she could about her. Ruli wanted to be a fighter, as well as a technician, and she thought that maybe someday she could train with the more experienced Princess Tayla.
"Hey, Princess Tayla!" Ruli cried excitedly, as Tayla and Caline stepped into the control room. "Glad to see you! I'm glad to know one of the people who helped to save my people!"
Kekron was typing some data into a computer as he sat on a bench in front of a terminal. Caline sat down beside him, and Kekron smiled warmly at her.
"Is everything okay?" Caline asked him.
"Perfect," Kekron told her. "Everything's in working order. We can take off anytime. And thanks again for lunch…that food was delicious!"
"I know a very good cook," Caline told him modestly. Ruli's thoughts of Caline at that moment were murderous ones, but she managed to keep her enthusiasm, as Tayla came up to her.
"Well, much credit goes to Caline," Tayla told Ruli warmly. "If it hadn't been for her warning us, we might not have been able to defend ourselves against Frieza's minions in time."
"Of-of course," Ruli told her hesitantly. "But it is those who fought in the war that deserve the true credit, such as you and the warriors in your family. I've admired you, Princess Tayla, and I want to learn everything that you know."
Kekron kissed Caline on her cheek, stood up and mentioned having to find Great-Nama. He told everyone gooden boden and said that he would be back shortly. He left the control room to go outside of the ship.
Tayla said humbly, "Thank you, but it took me years to learn what I did. Some lessons Kami Orchida taught me. I'm sure that you could become a warrior, if you wanted to, Ruli, but it seems that you're a very good technician. Kekron has told us so."
"Your family is very lucky to have Prince Kekron," Ruli purred. "And I am very lucky to be working with him…too bad not everyone can have that privilege. But then not all of us can be handy with technology."
"I wish I knew more about it," Caline said. "But Kekron has explained some of what he does to me."
"Well, that's wonderful of him, but it must be very hard for someone with no technology background to understand."
"I learn more every day," Caline told her.
"I'm sure you do," Ruli told her serenely. "Prince Kekron spends so much time with you, answering your questions and listening to you speak. Don't you ever worry though that you might be distracting him a bit?"
"Distracting him?" Caline asked worriedly.
"Just a tad. I noticed that you seem to…take up so much of his time. I know that he enjoys your company, Princess Caline, but sometimes he needs to be by himself more to focus on his tasks. It's kind of hard for a man to remain on task when someone is always trying to talk to him and question him, especially someone who knows nothing about what he really does or needs to do."
Caline looked dismayed, and Tayla suspected an underlying meaning behind Ruli's seeming concern for Kekron. Tayla said coolly, "Caline does not distract him; Kekron enjoys her company very much. If she was keeping him from his work, I'm sure that he would have told her so by now."
"I was just thinking about Prince Kekron, Tayla," Ruli said sweetly. "I'm sure that Princess Caline's company does bring him much delight, but Princess Caline cannot help him with any of his tasks. Whenever she's here, Prince Kekron and I are not as able to do everything that we would like. I'm not trying to hurt her feelings; I just want what's best for Prince Kekron and for all of us. Well, I have to go; I promised Mysty that I would meet her for some shopping. And Princess Caline, please don't take what I said personally; it's just that if you can't be a help to him, you really should leave him be until his work is completed. I just don't want him to not be able to do his job because of someone constantly visiting. See you all later; I'll be back in time for takeoff." Ruli then strolled out of the room, as if she were a queen.
Caline looked downtrodden then, and her shoulders were hunched over. Tayla went to sit down next to her and put her arm around her.
"What if she's right, Tayla?" Caline asked, her eyes too bright and shiny, shiny with unshed tears. "What if Kekron can't do his job because of me visiting him?"
"Don't worry about it-or her," Tayla told Caline. "If you were really distracting Kekron, he'd let you know. Kekron seems happier actually when you're around. Ruli sounds like she's jealous."
"I think that Ruli likes Kekron," Caline said softly, as a tear slipped past her eyes. "She'd probably be a good match for him."
Tayla doubted it seriously; she didn't like how Ruli fawned all over Kekron or how she seemed to slight Caline whenever Caline was around. Caline was Calmagian royalty, above Ruli in rank, and therefore Ruli should have treated Caline with more respect. Tayla was not snobbish, but she knew her and her family's place in Astorian society, and that they were to be treated with deference by the other Clans. Tayla felt that Ruli was discourteous and disrespectful towards Caline, and she didn't like it.
She gave Caline one of her handkerchiefs, and Caline dabbed her eyes and softly blew her nose.
"Don't pay her any mind," Tayla told her firmly. "She's foolish. Remember that you are royalty, and she's not; so the next time she makes you feel bad, don't let it get to you. If Kekron thought you were bothering him, he would have let you know. C'mon let's go outside and get some flying in."
"Okay," Caline told her softly, eager to forget about Ruli for now.
Tayla had been teaching Caline how to fly in the past year, and now she could fly as well as her beloved Astorians. She and Tayla abruptly scurried out of the ship and into the clean air (new pollution restrictions had been put into place to help with Calmag's pollution problem). Calmag was on her way to becoming a cleaner planet, and the smog was beginning to disappear.
Caline and Tayla leaped off of the ground and soared into the sky like young birds. They held hands, as they flew around in the air. After about half an hour, the girls were now floating over a huge, blue lake that contained two boats. Caline recognized one fishing boat as belonging to Julien; Julien and Dedron liked to go fishing together these days. Recently, Julien and Dedron had decided to have a fishing competition at least once a day, and they were trying to see who could catch the most fish. Julien had lent Dedron one of his own boats.
Tayla then began to grin. Julien still taunted and heckled Caline whenever no one else was around, and Dedron and Tayla were no closer to being friends. Dedron still referred to Tayla as a dog, and Tayla's friends had had to intervene several times to prevent a murder. Riccan and Nikon had almost ganged up on Julien, and they would have beaten on him for teasing Caline two weeks ago, had it not been for Gracina's quick intervention.
Tayla decided that Dedron and Julien needed to be taught a lesson for all of the things they had done to her and Caline. Dedron had been talking to Tayla still, as if he were addressing a dog, and Julien had ridiculed Caline for wanting to learn to fly like the Astorians. He had told Caline that she was already enough of an unwanted freak.
He had also been giving Caline a hard time when Caline had just learned how to swim. Caline had always been afraid of swimming ever since she had been four years old, when on a family picnic without her mother, Amitar had thrown her into the deep part of a lake to get her to swim. Amitar, an excellent swimmer, had taught all of his children to stay afloat that way, but Caline had been terrified of swimming. She had begged her father not to throw her into the water, but Amitar had yelled at her and did it anyway. Caline had nearly drowned because she was too panicked to try to swim to shore. Finally, Amitar had barked orders at Ridikar to go rescue Caline. Ridikar had done so quickly, and he had comforted Caline when their father wouldn't. Caline had refused to go into the water ever since, despite Amitar's numerous taunts and the cruel teasing from both Julien and Naykiar before Naykiar had begun to reform.
It had been Tayla, who loved to swim any chance that she could, who had encouraged Caline to try to swim again. With the help of Bendros, who was an experienced swimmer, Tayla had helped Caline to learn to swim. Caline was not an experienced swimmer yet, but she was getting to that point.
So Caline had agreed to go along with Tayla's plan to teach Julien and Dedron a lesson. She had just learned to swim underwater for long distances, so she and Tayla went to a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Caline and Tayla stripped down to their undershirts and long, thin underwear (their swimsuits were already packed). She and Tayla took deep breaths and plunged into the water. Every now and then, they would come up just long enough to take another deep breath, but they swam most of the way to Dedron and Julien's boats.
Finally, the two girls, who had concealed their ki levels, were close to the boats of their obnoxious relatives. Tayla briefly poked her dark, wet head above the surface of the water, and she saw that she was next to Julien's boat. Julien, deep in thought, did not notice her there. Tayla plunged back underwater, and she swam under Julien's boat.
Caline was underwater too, and she was swimming towards Tayla, holding the end of Dedron's fishing line. Caline gave the hook and bait a few good tugs to trick Dedron into thinking that a fish had bitten. Tayla by then had the end of Julien's fishing line in her hand, and she brought hers to Caline. She then tied the end of Julien's fishing line to the end of Dedron's fishing line while they were still underwater. The girls quickly swam away under Julien's boat, came up long enough to take a deep breath of air and go back down again. They did this repeatedly, as they swam away a good distance from the boats.
Finally, Tayla and Caline came up to the surface, and two wet heads were peering above the water's surface. Tayla said breathlessly to Caline, "Now the fun begins."
Caline panted and nodded.
"Hey Jules, I've got one!" Dedron cried excitedly. "It's a big one too!"
"So is mine!" Julien called back, as he began to reel in his line.
Dedron did the same, and his line tugged harder and harder. Julien tried to reel in his line, and Dedron tried to reel in his. Finally, as they were reeling in their "catches", their boats were pulled closer and closer to each other's. Julien pulled back his line, and Dedron pulled back his. The boys were now in a tug-of-war with each other, although they didn't realize it.
"I will catch this fish!" Julien grunted.
"This catch will come up!" Dedron grumbled.
Pull, pull, pull, tug, tug, and tug.
Then Dedron gained the advantage and gave his line a good hard yank because he was tired of waiting. Julien screamed, as Dedron's line pulled onto his line-and pulled Julien off of his boat.
Julien's body flew into Dedron's body and crashed into his. Dedron fell overboard with Julien, as they tumbled off of Dedron's boat and into the chilly water. The two heads of the two boys collided into each other's, as the two princes struggled to get to the surface. When the boys managed to come back up, they were both entangled in their fishing lines, tied together. Dedron and Julien foolishly struggled to free themselves of each other, but they only tightened the lines worse. When Dedron tried to pull away from Julien, Julien was dragged between them, and Julien's lips then crashed into Dedron's, inadvertently kissing his.
Dedron, embarrassed, decided to power up, and when he did, the fishing lines burned away from his body. Finally, he was untangled, and he helped to free Julien of his binds as well.
They then heard wild shrieks of girlish laughter coming from the sky. Tayla and Caline were hovering in the air, laughing and pointing at Dedron and Julien.
"You two make a good couple!" Tayla screamed happily.
"Can I come to your wedding, Julien?" Caline asked, laughing. "I saw you kiss Dedron; you two are made for each other!"
Julien growled, as he pulled up a piece of tied-up fishing line. He noticed that Dedron's line was tied to his. "Dedron, they tied our fishing lines together, those little wenches!"
"I thought there was something swimming underwater," Dedron hissed. "But I couldn't sense a thing."
He shook his fist towards the girls, aiming it more at Tayla than Caline. "You're going to pay for that, Tayla!"
"Yeah, Caline!" Julien roared. "Don't think that just because I'll never have to look at your ugly face again after you leave that you can treat me any old way!"
Caline giggled, and Tayla screamed with more laughter. "Oh, kiss and make up!" Caline told her brother amiably. "You looked like you were enjoying that kiss with Dedron earlier."
"And to think that Dedron wants Caline!" Tayla squealed. "Really, Dedron, I think that you're more compatible with Julien!"
Dedron fired a small ki blast at Tayla, but Tayla deflected it easily with a one-handed Mirror Shield, and the blast hit the water, knocking Dedron and Julien beneath the surface.
When Julien and Dedron reemerged again, they were furious to find that the mischievous girls were gone.
"I hate girls!" Julien roared.
Dedron almost agreed with him. "C'mon, Julien, let's go dry off," he grumbled. "Just like wenches to know how to ruin a man's fun."
By the time that Tayla and Caline returned, most of the people going home to Astoria had boarded the Roccon. Tayla and Caline had managed to dry themselves quickly using their body ki (Caline had learned ki control as well), but their hair was still tangled, so that everyone could tell that Tayla and Caline had gone swimming. The girls were wearing their clothes, although they were now carrying their wet underclothes in bags.
They were still giggling and laughing when Shalila came across them. "Tayla, Caline, there you two are! Where have you been?"
"Umm…swimming," Tayla told her truthfully.
"What have you been up to?" Shalila wanted to know.
Caline and Tayla looked at each other worriedly, but then they burst into uncontrollable laughter. Between peals of ringing mirth, Tayla squeaked, "Nothing, Nama."
"I didn't know that 'nothing' was that funny," Shalila said, puzzled. "Now what really happened?"
"Umm…" both girls said uncomfortably.
"Is this something that I'm better off not asking about?" Shalila said a bit sternly.
"YES!" both Tayla and Caline cried happily. They then kissed Shalila on each cheek, and before she could question them further, Tayla and Caline ran towards the mother ship.
Thirty minutes later…
Many Calmagians were waving at the mother ship, as the main door began to close. King Kitchator was holding Queen Kildara in his arms.
"Goodbye!" both king and queen called.
Julien was waving to Dedron, sad to see Dedron go, but happy that he wouldn't have to see Caline anymore. Naykiar was sad and pensive; he and Caline had shared many goodbye hugs and kisses, but now just as he was getting reacquainted with his sister, she was now going away. Rosyn and Meyline were there with their brothers waving goodbye.
Many of the CRP officers under General Qatar's authority, were saluting the Astorians with shot blasts from their laser guns, and Cirono and his wife, now pregnant, were waving goodbye as well.
"So long, farewell, gooden boden!" everyone called to each other, both Astorians and Calmagians.
Tayla and Caline were waving from a huge window in the control room, as the ship finally began to blast off. The girls hugged each other hard, as the ship took off from the Calmagian spaceport and into the fading sunset. Soon it would be headed to space.
Headed to space, to Astoria, and to their future…a future still yet to be seen and explored.
A future where hope never dies…
THE END (for now)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: I would like to thank everyone on my fanfic mailing list for all of your encouragement and support through your emails, IMs, and reviews. I want to thank Kristy, Liz, Francesco, Daniel, Billyone1739, Phillip, Sarra, Yeary9, and The Lord Vegeta. I also have some people not on the fanfic list to thank, but I won't be able to let them know until ff.net finally gets its act together, and I can post again.
CIRONO: Thank you for allowing me to have you in this story, and I hope that you have enjoyed, or at least liked, what I wrote about your character. The Clan of Chloe and Caline thank you themselves for warning them about General Norbrook (and being the first to guess that the traitor was him). And thank you for some of the hints that you gave me.
TO KRISTY, LIZ, FRANCESCO, DANIEL (also known as Fungie or Mirai Blue Sky), BC, LORD VEGETA, YEARY9, SARRA AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO SENT EMAIL ABOUT MY STORIES: Thank you all so very much for the nice emails, reviews about my stories.
Daniel: Thank you for having my stories on your site.
Redlady: I enjoyed the summary that you sent me about "Ti Chi Anna", that novel that you removed. I wish that you were still continuing it, but I understand. I wish your Anna and her Warriors of Drey all the happiness in the world.
TO WHOMEVER SUGGESTED THAT CHESTRA BE PART ASTORIAN: I did make a copy of you email suggesting that Chestra be part of the Clan of Chloe family, but I lost your name, so if you are reading this, could you let me know who you are? Thanks! I greatly appreciate it. And thank you again for suggesting this.
TO JYYUACHIPEACH, CIRONO, SS. VEIL, STARKILLER, EINSTEIN-006, REDLADY, HYPER SAIYAN, ZARBON'S LOVER, DIGIPUPPY, AND PTLIZ: Thank you all for adding me to your favorites lists! It really does mean so much to me, and I hope that my stories continue to keep all of you entertained. If anyone else has added me to their favorites list, and your name is not mentioned here, please let me know, and I thank you when I put out the sequel.
TO NEKO-CHAN AND MIRAI MAGIC MAN OF DRAGONWORLDZ.NET: I know that I haven't resubmitted my stories to the two of you yet, but I will eventually, if you still want them. I also want to thank you both very much for having my stories (Tayla of Astoria, Chestra, and Dragonspaceballs) up on your site before your site's servers crashed. I'm sorry that I've been slack in getting the chapters back to you. And Neko and MMM? Neko, I hope to see more of your "Cosmic Crisis" stories, and MMM, more about Stacie, Trunks and Heather. I have enjoyed reading them.
TO TRIXIE-CHAN OF DBZ ROMANCE: I loved your "Wild Horses" story, which I found both romantic and funny at the same time! I want to thank you for putting my "Chestra" and my Master Roshi romance, "Be Careful For What You Wish For" on your site.
TO PRINCESS KYLEY SERUNNE: Thank you for putting my "Chestra" story on your Zarbon Shrine Site.
TO VEGETA GODDESS: Thank you for posting my "Dragonspaceballs" story on your site. Hopefully, I can get it finished in time to enter it in your contest.
And thanks also to everyone else who read my stories or talked to me about them. Thanken, thanken, and thanken! If I didn't mention your name by accident, please know that I wish to thank you as well! =)
I also want to thank those of you who took the poll. I know that I never got around to posting the results, but your answers have helped me out a lot with planning the next stage of the lives of both the DBZ characters and my characters in the sequel.
Half of those who contacted me want Vegeta/Tayla, and the other half say no way, Bendros/Tayla. It is very likely that I will have both, but if I go with Vegeta/Tayla, it won't be for a very long time.
Almost everyone chose Kekron/Caline instead of Rojal/Caline, and it will be headed towards Kekron/Caline, but don't think that Rojal and Dedron will give up on Caline. Dedron will have a trick or two up his sleeve to get Caline and to get back at his "enemies", and Rojal will have some help in courting Caline.
Again thank you all very, very, very much. I am glad that you all have enjoyed my stories, and I hope that you continue to enjoy them. I wish all of you luck with your endeavors in life, both literary and non-literary.
Expect to see the beginning of the sequel, "Hope Never Dies" out within the next week or two. Much of it is still in the planning stages, but I believe that I have the first story "arc" worked out.
WHAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN (at least in the first arc):
---Vegeta and Nappa finally get their comeuppance--temporarily at least.
---Vegeta and Tayla will cross paths again.
---The beginnings of Bendros/Tayla and Kekron/Caline, but those potential couples won't be without their problems and people trying to keep them apart.
---Frieza's new spy will integrate herself into the life of an Astorian prince, causing problems between him and the girl that he truly wants to be with.
---Caline and Tayla will their hands full with suitors, both wanted and unwanted.
---Kekron definitely still wants to be with Caline, but will Rojal, Dedron, Ruli, and someone else get in the way?
---Caline studies music under one of the universe's greatest singers, Operetta, and Operetta makes Caline an almost irresistible offer, but if Caline accepts it, it means that she will have to leave Astoria and her beloved adoptive family behind.
---Tayla trains to join Intergalacticpol.
---Vegeta and Nappa will cause more trouble among the good guys than expected, but then don't Saiyans always do?
---And so, so much more...
WHAT WILL ONLY HAPPEN IN OUR WILDEST DREAMS:
WARNING: Do not take the following ideas seriously...
---Frieza finally decides that he loves Dodoria after all, but Dodoria no longer wants him. Instead Dodoria decides that he wants Guido instead, and he and Guido abandon Frieza's army to start their own music group, "2FAT" and their own bubble gum, "Blubberlicious".
---Jaden hits her head hard during a purging mission, and she decides in her new insanity that she loves Balair after all, so she goes to planet Namek to get the Dragonballs and wish him back to life. Jaden and Balair then train together and merge into a powerful warrior called "Jadair". Then they overthrow Frieza by driving him to suicide playing awful Barney and Sifl and Olly music, and Jadair takes over the universe, forcing tributes from everyone in the form of chili-and-cheese pot pies and Penthouse magazines.
---It later turns out that Frieza never really died after all, but he wisely decides not to challenge "Jadair", so he goes to Astoria, and Shalila Chloe realizes that she needs a younger man, so she leaves Dirkan for Frieza.
---Chestra leaves Zarbon for Captain Ginyu, who teaches her the joys of cross-dressing. Unfortunately, that leads Chestra to decide to change her sex as well, so she gets an operation turning herself into a man and renames herself Chester. Chester dumps Captain Ginyu and goes back to Zarbon, who strangely enough likes his amour better as a man...
---Captain Ginyu turns gay, and he sets his sights on a new love--Vegeta! But then he changes him mind when Vegeta refuses to join Ginyu in his new drag-queen career.
---Gorna gives up her right to Astoria's throne and when Vegeta comes to raid Astoria again, she falls passionately in love with Vegeta, and they run away together to get married.
---It turns out that Dedron is not really Cletos's son after all, or even Farla's. Instead this Dedron turns out to be a genetically altered clone of King Dayrus, whom Vegeta's father had a spy on Astoria switch with the real baby Dedron, who died at birth. The clone was programmed to grow up to give Shalila Chloe grief. Tayla later uncovers the insane plan, and with Kekron's help, reprograms Dedron to become a good person. Dedron and Tayla fall in love and marry, producing thirty children.
---Caline decides that Kekron isn't for her after all, so when Captain Ginyu decides to complete Vegeta's failed mission to clear Astoria, she falls in love with him. Ginyu ditches Frieza's army and runs away with Caline to planet Earth, and together, they unite the Rolling Stones, the Monkees, and the Beatles into one huge music group, along with Britney Spears. With Ginyu and Caline as the lead singers, the renamed band called Gone, But Not Forgotten has seventeen triple-platinum records.
---Kekron ulitmately joins Frieza's army and takes Captain Ginyu's place, creating better poses than even the infamous captain.
---And thank heavens, there's no more than that...I think
Gooden boden fro noy,
Sawnya
One year later on Calmag…
The damage to Calmag had been repaired much quicker than anyone from the Calmagian or the Astorian race ever expected. Of course, there was no way to bring back the many lives that had been lost, and the lives of those living were never the same again. Calmagians had learned just how vulnerable they had been, despite all of their technology, and the Astorians had learned that their problems with Frieza and his forces were still as great as ever, despite their increasing strength.
The royal castle, Chateau de Tamilieu, had been completely restored, and almost all of the damaged cities, from Magan to Rendor to Hensley, had been renovated. The Astorians and the royal Calmagian family had moved back into the Chateau de Tamilieu. Almost all of Calmag had been completely restored or renovated.
But it was the rebuilding of the attitude towards females on Calmag that was the true miracle.
The deceased Prince Ridikar's new hopes for a Calmag that had better treatment of women and girls were on their way to being fulfilled. Thanks to some new conditions in the alliance treaties that Shalila and Dirkan and Gorna had firmly insisted upon (in fact, they had "politely" informed King Kitchator that if he didn't do something about the treatment of females on his planet, he could not count on the Astorians' help the next time Calmag was threatened), many laws discriminating against females and forcing them into unwanted marriage were abolished.
Girls and women were now allowed to bring requests for divorce, and this resulted in an incredible increase in divorces, now that Calmagian females realized that they no longer had to stay in abusive or miserable marriages. Shalila and Gorna together had begun a program called Second Chances on Calmag to help newly divorced females rebuild their lives and become independent. Many of the Astorians were happy to help in this program, and anyone was invited to help, even adolescents. Tayla, Caline, and their peers in their age group did what they could to help Calmagian women and girls rebuild happier lives of choice and freedom.
The program involved training women and girls for jobs and careers, to help them go back to school, and provided shelters to care for girls under sixteen who had divorced their husbands, but were still too young to lead lives on their own without adult help. These shelters were quickly becoming crowded, for many young girls under sixteen could not safely go back home to their families without reprisals from abusive or overbearing fathers or other male guardians. Some of these young girls had put in petitions for asylum on Astoria, and Shalila and Dirkan had granted the requests of those girls that had no other options. King Kitchator had not been pleased with that, but since it had been part of the treaty to allow unhappy females to leave, he kept quiet.
Also, forced marriages and engagements had been made illegal, and the effects of this action had been both bad and good. The effects were good because females had a choice as to whom they wanted to marry and when they wanted to marry, if they wanted to marry at all. But there were some negative effects because many Calmagian fathers saw early marriages as a way to get rid of daughters that they did not want or could not properly care for. Many fathers complained bitterly to King Kitchator and his officials because now what was to be done with the girls who could not be forced into marriage against their will? Some more decent fathers dropped daughters off at the Second Chance shelters while more heinous fathers turned their daughters out onto the street when the girls refused to marry the men that their fathers had chosen. Shalila and her family had traveled around Calmag frequently, looking for homeless girls and encouraging them to go the Second Chance shelters before brothels or unscrupulous men snatched them up.
The legal age of marriage consent was moved up from age ten to age fifteen (Shalila and Dirkan had wanted the age moved up to seventeen, which was the legal age for Astorians to marry, but King Kitchator would not budge on that one). Marital rape and abuse were now declared illegal, and the Superior Gran and Granden had to fight hard for that to happen because most Calmagian men still were not entirely convinced that forced sex in marriage counted as rape, and some of the men still felt that they should be allowed to beat or hit their wives, if their wives displeased or angered them.
The Clan of Chloe, with the help of some of the more liberal men on Calmag, had started several women's universities and ten girls' schools on Calmag, and tuition was low-priced, with financial aid for those females who could not afford even that. And "equal opportunity/equal pay" laws were put in place, so that Calmagian girls and females could get jobs. Many Calmagian females started small businesses, and they would only hire other girls and women, mostly displaced ones who had left their fathers or husbands.
Much of this was funded with planetary funds, and also the estates of a small number of females that had inherited wealthy estates from deceased husbands. Caline, who was now a very wealthy young lady, thanks to Alberm's death, had asked that much of her money go to help the girls and women of her planet obtain better lives and better standards of living. It was Caline's financial generosity and Shalila's brilliance that had started the Second Chance shelters and one of the universities for women. Many of the profits coming from Alberm's computer company went towards the programs to help Calmagian females.
Shalila and Dirkan managed Caline's estate for her, but they considered most of the suggestions that their young ward had requested and granted them. Caline at first had not wanted anything to do with Alberm's money or businesses because of her bad memories of her treatment at Alberm's hands, but some of her new family members suggested that Caline could use the money to help others. Caline spent very little on herself; she dressed well and was generous with her friends, but she was truly not very extravagant. She had new friends and a new family who loved her dearly, and whom she loved in return, and she valued them far above her inherited wealth.
Caline fit in well with Gracina and Lektron's rambunctious family, and all of the Gracina and Lektron Chloe siblings adored their new sister. Tayka and Tila would frequently argue over whose bed Caline would sleep in, and Riccan and Nikon were protective of her. Gracina and Lektron were as fond of and as loving towards as ever, and it was becoming like Caline had lived with them all her young life. Caline divided her time between Gracina and Lektron's family, Natala and Raakon's family, Tayla and their friends, and Shalila and Dirkan. She was a busy and a much-loved girl these days.
She had more frequent contact with her sisters, Rosyn, whose husband had died in a skycar accident five months ago, and Meyline, who had chosen to stay with her husband out of love, and all three sisters had gathered together several times. Rosyn had asked Caline to come and live with her instead of leaving Calmag with the Astorians. Caline had declined, but she promised Rosyn that she would ask the Clan of Chloe, if Rosyn could come visit Astoria someday. Rosyn and Meyline had apologized for not helping Caline with her problems with Alberm, but all three sisters knew that there had been nothing that the older sisters could have really done. Their father, Amitar, had made all of the decisions in their family.
Caline was now taking singing and music lessons, and her brother, Naykiar, had signed up to join Intergalacticpol. Once the Astorians left Calmag to return home, he would leave Calmag as well for the Intergalacticpol Training Academy on one of Intergalacticpol's space stations located near planet Grain. Cirono and Dollan had too signed up to join Intergalacticpol, and Cirono had married his fiancée four months ago. Cirono and his new wife would too leave Calmag to go to the Intergalacticpol Training Academy, where Cirono would train to become an officer and his wife would stay in the housing wings on the space station. Dollan had already left for the training academy, and everyone in the Clan of Chloe had wished him luck, even Bajal.
Captain Qatar had been the general of the CRP, with Lieutenant Balboun being promoted to
Captain Qatar's position. Captain Qatar had married Zilly Fedamare two weeks after the war had ended, and Zilly was due to give birth to her first child, a son, any day now. (A gestation period for a Calmagian female was eight months.)
General Norbrook had never been found or caught, although several people had reported seeing Norbrook in several disguises in several places, but those rumors had never been confirmed. The former CRP general had seemed to disappear from the face of the planet. Most people thought that Norbrook had fled Calmag, but those suspicions too were never confirmed. His children and grandchildren moved on without him, although they missed him dearly, for despite his crimes, he had been a good father and a grandfather to them. Caline had occasionally worried that Norbrook might still come back after her, but Toria had assured her that Norbrook had lost interest in getting her back. Toria's visions would not reveal to her where Norbrook had vanished.
As for the Clan of Chloe, much had changed for them as well. Natala and Raakon were now the proud parents of five-month-old baby Maylia, who was a feminine version of Kekron and very pretty and feisty. Her ki level was high for a baby her age, and she had already been selected to be trained as a warrior or a healior. Maylia was deeply loved and highly spoiled by her immediate family, especially her siblings, Arlina and Kekron. Caline would come visit Kekron's family frequently to see Kekron and play with Maylia. Maylia enjoyed Caline's visits as much as Kekron did.
Bajal and Alora now had a three-month-old son named Handros, named after Aliquina's only son who had married a Gran of Sahara. Handros had been the father of both Gran Mauria and Alora, as well as the grandfather of Bendros. He resembled Bajal with a Saiyan tail, and he too was selected to be trained as a warrior or healior because of his high ki level. Rina was delighted with her baby brother, and she couldn't wait until he was old enough to spar with her. In the meantime, she was content to fight and spar with Tayka, now one of her best friends. Both Rina and Handros were delightful handfuls to their effusive parents.
Hazel was pregnant again, due to give birth any day now to a baby boy, whom she and Gohan had decided to name Gokaan, after both Gohan and Raakon, who had prevented Bhodie from raping Hazel. Aurora was looking forward to a new baby, but Mantros was already jealous of his unborn baby brother.
Gorna had not changed much, except for her attitude towards her children and Tayla. Gorna and Tayla still would clash and disagree now and then, but their fights did not last for long. Between their disagreements, Gorna and Tayla got along now fairly well. Gorna had learned to appreciate, value, and love her little sister, and Tayla was learning that Gorna did have her good points after all. One day, Tayla had actually told Gorna that she loved her, and Shalila had heard. Shalila was greatly comforted and relieved, knowing that Tayla's future would be more secure now that Gorna and Rojal no longer held a grudge against their favored relative. The Superior Gran counted the new relationship between Tayla and Gorna as one of her many blessings. Tayla and Gorna would still always disagree on a great many things because of their strong personalities and even stronger prides and wills, but they were no longer enemies, and that alone helped their grandmother to sleep better at night.
However, Gorna was still as overbearing as ever, and her siblings still chafed at times under her bossiness, but since they frequently told Gorna off when they deemed it necessary, things did not escalate or worsen. All of the Mantros Chloe siblings respected Gorna as their eldest sibling and future ruler, even if they didn't agree with everything that she said or did.
These days, Gorna was now making plans to get Rojal and Lelina married off, and Gorna was pleased with Rojal's liking Caline as a potential wife one day. Gracina and Lektron were a bit distressed to learn that Gorna planned to one day try to get Rojal and Caline together, and Gracina had already told Gorna that Caline's husband would be of her own choice. Gorna thought that Caline would be perfect for Rojal, but Gracina did not consider Rojal and Caline to be a potential match, and she and Gorna had argued several times over this. Caline knew nothing of Gorna's plans.
Marya, Toria, and Arlina went back to their fulltime jobs as Priestesses, and all three were still content in their holy lives.
Arlon and Lukan went back to enjoying their bachelorhood, and between them they courted a good many young ladies, both Astorian and Calmagian. But lately Lukan had seemed to take an interest in an unlikely object of his affections-Veal. She and Lukan had taken several walks together.
Cletos was slowly recovering from Farla's death, and he had become attentive towards Petalia. He and Petalia still kept trying to reach out to Dedron, but Dedron fully rejected Cletos and now barely tolerated Petalia. Dedron was still as nasty and as bitter as ever, and Cletos had vainly tried to coax Dedron into a father-son reconciliation. Dedron was contemptuous towards his father, and he was rude and surly whenever Cletos had tried to approach or speak to him.
But Dedron's real fury at this point concerned Shalila, Dirkan, Tayla, Bendros, and Kekron. Shalila and Dirkan had ordered Dedron to do community work in the women's programs and the rebuilding of Calmagian cities for the past year to pay penance for his crimes. He was also ordered to apologize to Tayla and Petalia in front of the entire Clan of Chloe family, and he did so in a smooth tone that hinted of a deep grudge against his aunt and some remaining antipathy his sister.
Shalila had thought of telling Dedron that if he didn't start to act like a decent person, she would leave him behind on Calmag, but she didn't feel it was fair to thrust Dedron onto the Calmagians. She didn't tell Dedron of this, but she did warn Dedron that if he didn't try to change his ways, he would lose his title as a Prince of Chloe and be excluded from being a warrior for the Clan of Chloe. Dedron had sulkily agreed, but Shalila knew that Dedron would not change much, unless he was prodded. Dedron had been put on probation of sorts, and his activities and whereabouts were closely monitored whenever possible. Both Shalila and Dirkan and Cletos were deeply worried about him. Dedron had not caused any major trouble in the past months, but he had disappeared a number of times without telling anyone where he was going.
Dedron had come back to the Chateau de Tamilieu several times smelling of cheap perfume and odors that Dirkan and anyone with Saiyan blood would know came from a female. Several people had reported to Shalila and Dirkan that Dedron had been hanging around a nearby covert brothel with an older blonde, but that rumor had yet to be confirmed.
Rojal had tried to talk to Dedron about his ways, and Dedron had been polite to Rojal, but he either shrugged off Rojal's concerns, or made false promises to change to appease his friend. Dedron had become chummier with Julien, and he and Dedron frequently prowled the city of Magan together. Julien introduced Dedron to many young girls and took him to many clubs, where drinking alcohol was involved. Dedron had tried alcohol and enjoyed it, but he dared not to drink anymore than one drink at a time because he knew that Shalila and Dirkan would come down hard on him for consuming any alcohol at all, and that someone would smell the alcohol on him. None of his family knew that Dedron had drunk before. Dedron seemed to be adopting more and more of Julien's attitude towards females, and both young men seemed to become more like each other each day. The entire Clan of Chloe family thought that Julien was a bad influence on Dedron, but King Kitchator and Queen Kildara felt that Dedron was the one who was the bad influence. Both families were up in arms as to what to do about their errant relatives.
Meanwhile, Kekron had been dividing his time between his family, Caline, and his devices and inventions. Many of Kekron's ideas had been implemented on Calmag, and he had created a number of machines to help rebuild cities faster. He was as good as putting his inventions and devices together, as he was in designing them. Caline often visited Kekron at least twice a day, and she would sit nearby him, as he either pondered over a blueprint, or repaired or built one of his creations. Kekron enjoyed her visits and answered her questions about what he was doing with limitless patience and understanding. If he were in deep thought or concentration, however, Caline would usually be quiet and sit and wait for him to finish on whatever he was so intensely focusing on before she spoke to him.
Fayra kept in contact with her mother back on Astoria through radio, once Calmag's intergalactic communication systems had been brought back up; her mother had been unable to come to Calmag with the family because she had been due to give birth to Fayra's half-brother. Fayra's mother, Esta, one of Felinda's daughters, had remarried two years ago to Hermon, one of Jesynthia's sons.
Petalia was as beautiful and showy as ever, and many young men paid her court, but Petalia still had eyes for only Rojal. She flirted with other young men in hopes of making Rojal jealous, but so far none of her schemes and tactics to land Rojal as a suitor had worked. She threw more time into her singing when she wasn't planning on how to get Rojal to notice her. She feared Dedron now, even though Dedron had started to be civil to her again. She and Dedron were no longer as close as they were, although Petalia still loved him and worried about his bad behavior.
Rojal and Riccan had made progress in their training and both boys had reached a long unattainable goal: they had finally come into their Awakenings, and they were stronger than ever, although still not as strong yet as Tayla and the others who had had their Awakenings a while back.
Lelina was quieter and more pensive than ever, especially after her father's death. She still missed him more and more every passing day. Tayla prayed and hoped for Lelina, and she and the other girls tried to spend as much time with "Lee" as possible.
Jaca and Kiran was now an established pair, and they were already discussing marriage, even though they couldn't marry until they were each seventeen or older. Bendros had kidded Kiran, saying that it was likely that Kiran would probably marry before he would.
"Probably," Kiran had teased his eldest brother back. "After all, Tayla is now what-thirteen? Just four more years until she's old enough to marry! And on more year, I might add, until she's eligible for courting."
"Kiran…that's still some time off," Bendros, now twenty-three, had scolded him. "Tayla will probably want somebody else by then."
"Ha!" Kiran, now fifteen, had scoffed. "You and I both know better than that. Why, Jaca and I noticed how Tayla looks at you. She may have had eyes for that Prince Ridikar for a while, but she's never stopped liking you. And you like her, Bendros, admit it! All right, so you're ten years older than her, but that's nothing really. So, are you going to try to court her when she turns fourteen next year or what?"
"Kiran…" Bendros had said hesitantly.
"You are, aren't you?" Kiran had exclaimed. "You can tell me; I can keep a secret!"
"Umm…"
"I knew it! You want Tayla, don't you?"
"Kiran…"
"C'mon, confess! I won't tell anyone, not even Jaca, I swear by the Seven Moons!"
"O…kay…then…yes. But I swear, Kiran, that if so much as a syllable of my intentions gets back to Tayla or any of her family…"
"Relax, big bro, I'll erase this entire conversation from my memory the minute I leave you. You know I'm good at that."
"I do," Bendros had said with a wink. "You're awfully good at erasing a lot of things from your memory."
"Hey! All right, so I'm not the brilliant strategist you are, but I have my good points."
"I'm not sure if bossing Dakal around, or aggravating Herkon counts as among your good points."
"Hey, I have useful talents that I will be able to use in life! I'm good at teaching, for example."
"I don't think that teaching Jaca how to kiss you while slipping her tongue into your mouth can count."
"Very funny. Kissing with tongues is a useful life skill! Don't tell me that you don't plan on teaching Tayla the same thing!"
After that comment, Kiran had to escape from a blow to his arm that Bendros had wanted to give him for his remark.
So Bendros did intend to court Tayla after all, but he and Tayla both could wait. And he had no intention of telling Tayla his interest in her until she was older. His feisty, sharp-tongued Princess of Chloe could wait until then.
While Bendros was patiently waiting for Tayla to grow up a little, Flirtius was wasting no time with his courting. He and Melonia had started courting six months back after Shalila and Dirkan had agreed to give him permanent asylum on Astoria. Varrcan still did not approve, but Ebrona had convinced him to let things be as long as Flirtius treated Melonia well.
Varrcan and Ebrona were now married, having wed shortly after the War on Calmag. Even the royals had attended their wedding, and the two servants had been greatly honored and touched to have them there, as most Astorian royals normally did not attend servants' weddings unless they were close to the servants. Ebrona had just given birth to a little girl named Lurla, who resembled her beautiful mother.
Dalantra, sharp-tongued and spirited as ever, faithfully attended and looked after Shalila as usual. Shalila was thankful that Dalantra had survived; Dalantra had always been her most faithful, if not humble, servant.
Mykia was as loyal to Tayla as ever, and Tayla had heard Mykia confess to Ebrona that she liked Prince Arlon, Princess Tayla's older brother, but Prince Arlon had shown no interest in her. Tayla felt sorry for Mykia because Mykia had no young men calling on her. Tayla had secretly sworn by the Seven Moons that she would help her maid find someone once they returned to Astoria.
Pork and Crystalis had fit well into their family, and Crystalis became like the sister that Veal had never had. Steak thanked the good spirits, Kami Orchida, the East Kai, and the Supreme Kai several times a day for the return of his beloved lost son and the arrival of his new "daughter", Crystalis.
Pork, Crystalis, and Flirtius had been given permanent asylum on Astoria after turning traitor against Frieza. While turning to the Astorians' side guaranteed greater safety and standard of living for all three of them, their lives would now be in danger, if they ever left the Astorians' protection because any one who deserted Frieza's army automatically wound up on Frieza's ever-growing hit list. All deserters had a death contract put out on their heads, and if Frieza, or any of Frieza's minions, found Pork, Crystalis, or Flirtius, the one or ones caught would be tortured and then executed shortly afterwards. Frieza's soldiers were highly rewarded, if they found and killed any deserters from Frieza's forces.
Bhodie Lett was now serving a life sentence on the harsh prison planet Zelthar after being brought to the Rosetta Interplanetary Council by Gohan. The Rosetta Interplanetary Council tried intergalactic war crimes that happened in the Rosetta Galaxy, as well as overseeing the welfare of Rosetta planets and Intergalacticpol. Bhodie Lett had his life spared after agreeing to testify against Frieza and his minions, but Bhodie was not sure now if being forced to stay on Zelthar for the rest of his life was any better than death. However, it was better than going back to Frieza.
Neither Frieza nor his army had returned to Calmag, although for many weeks after the war, the Astorians and the Calmagians had feared they might. One time, Gohan had actually sent a fake radio message to stations throughout the galaxy that the Astorians had left Calmag already, just to see what Frieza would do. Nothing had happened, and Toria had assured the rulers of both Astoria and Calmag that Frieza had given up for now and moved on to other things.
And Tayla? She had come to Calmag a child, but now would leave as a young woman. She had grown up, matured for the most part. She had won over Gorna and Rojal, and she unknowingly had helped Cletos to see what he was doing to his children. She had helped a frightened child princess bride take the first steps to living a fuller, happier life and had helped her to see that she was worthy of being loved and valued. She had fought valiantly against some of the strongest and evilest fighters among Frieza's forces and survived to tell the tale. She had helped to prevent herself from falling into Frieza's clutches once more.
And she had helped to see a Calmagian prince see the light about the way his people viewed females. A part of her would always miss Ridikar and be grateful to him for saving her life. From time to time, Tayla would wonder what life would be now, if Ridikar had lived. Would she and Ridikar have eventually become a couple again, or would have she chosen Bendros in the end? And what would have Ridikar have thought of the changes going on today? Tayla would never know these things, but she believed in her young heart that Ridikar would have been pleased, and she truly thought that Ridikar was in heaven now.
Tayla hoped and prayed that Enma Daiou would be forgiving enough of poor Jaypros and Farla to allow them into heaven, but she wasn't sure how harshly Enma Daiou viewed adultery. The young Princess of Chloe felt that Jaypros and Farla had been punished enough, and most of her family agreed with her. She knew now that there was a little girl that Jaypros and Farla had between them, and she had heard that Uncle Gohan had sent out his officers to find the child. Gohan Chloe doubted that the child was still alive, and the visions of Toria, Arlina, and Marya revealed nothing to them. Tayla included the unnamed little niece in her prayers every night.
She wondered if Frieza, Vegeta, and the other soldiers in Frieza's forces still wanted to take her away. Tayla had several nightmares about Vegeta, off and on, in the past year, with each dream of Vegeta telling her the same message as before. In these dreams, sometimes Vegeta chased her for a good distance, but he never attacked her, or even touched her in any way, but the dreams would disturb her nonetheless.
Toria's room at the royal castle…
Today, she finally told Toria about these dreams, and Toria's face had grown somber, not a good sign. Tayla had gone to Toria and Marya's room, where Toria and Marya were packing their things to go home to Chloe, Astoria.
"Are these just bad dreams or premonitions?" Tayla wanted to know.
"A bit of both, I'm afraid," Toria admitted. "Your dreams are indeed sending you a message that Vegeta is not done with you yet."
"What can I do, Aunt Toria? I don't want him after me anymore."
Toria had drawn Tayla to her and embraced her fiercely for a long time.
Finally, the weary High Priestess and sorceress had said, "Your family will always fight to protect you, Tayla, and keep you safe. However…" Toria's voice had trailed off, as she tried to phrase her next words. "However…you will always have to keep training and striving to become stronger because Vegeta will do the same thing, and he won't rest until he can prove that he's stronger than you."
"Why does that matter to him so much? He's stronger than many people in the universe, even some of our people. He'll likely become as strong as Frieza one day; why can't those things be enough for him?"
"I haven't had much chance to look into Vegeta's soul, child, but I suspect that Vegeta has not had a happy life, despite his great power. I don't believe he's happy under Frieza either, but he has no real choice until he can grow strong enough to overthrow him. As for you, you are the first one outside of Frieza and his Elite who has defeated him, ever. From what my visions have shown me, your previous victories over him were an enormous blow to his ego, and those who rank above him love to give him a hard time about it. He views you as his greatest rival right now; he doesn't like that a 'weakling Astorian brat' has taken him down."
"I'm still surprised that I did defeat him, Aunt Toria. I felt the last time that we fought that he was much stronger than me, especially physically. What happened?"
"The strongest doesn't always win, Tayla; it is those who are persistent and determined to overcome that eventually bring down the oppressors. Yes, he was stronger physically than you were, and this time you won because of your speed and ki shots, plus your determination. He won't forget anytime soon, but you need not worry for a while. However, one day you will definitely see him again, and you must be prepared."
Tayla nodded, resting her dark head on Toria's bosom. She believed her. She gravely thanked her aunt, kissed her on her aged cheek, and left to find Caline.
On Frieza's mother ship, in a control room adjacent to a training chamber…
Jaden leaned back against the wall in the back of a control room, smiling smugly, as she watched from a distance into a soundproof, insulated room, where little Princess Kaydra Chloe was blasting away the last of the Saibamen sent after her for training purposes. Kaydra hadn't wanted to kill them at first during the first training session with the insane creatures, but when one nearly tried to strangle her, she quickly realized that she didn't have much of a choice. She had been practicing on them for the past four months now, and Jaden felt that part of Kaydra's training would end soon. Kaydra could now blast away Saibamen within less than twenty minutes.
Zarbon was standing up straight near Jaden; he too was pleased with Kaydra's rapid progress. "I am impressed, Jaden," he told her smoothly. "She'll be ready for the Elite within just a few years."
"I agree," Jaden said triumphantly. "I haven't seen any child training under me do so well since I took Vegeta as my student. Hell, she'll probably be taking one of our positions in Top Elite someday. You and Chestra should be proud."
"We are," Zarbon told her. "I had serious doubts at first about taking her as our ward, but now I'm glad that Chestra insisted on having the girl spared. She will make a fine soldier one day. When do you think that she'll be ready for her first Recruit Evaluation?"
"Probably not for six months to a year; she's a fine specimen of a child warrior, and I don't want to push her before I think she's ready. I want to make absolutely certain that she's mastered her skills, which she's well on her way to doing, but…"
"But what?" Zarbon pressed.
Jaden was debating on whether to tell Zarbon her remaining concerns about her newest student, but then suddenly the light above the window of the training room glowed a bright red color. That meant that Kaydra's training session was done. The lights brightened in the training room, and the door leading out opened. Little six-year-old Kaydra Chloe was walking out the training room like a little queen; she wore a simple blue tank top and pants.
A gray lizard with red plates on his back handed Kaydra her uniform, a miniature armor suit and bodysuit similar to the ones that some of the Elites wore. Kaydra thanked him graciously as he helped her into her clothes. She then ran excitedly over to Jaden and Zarbon, her tiny white boots galloping along the smooth tile floor.
"Did I do good, Commander Jaden, Mr. Zarbon?" she asked breathlessly.
"You killed them all, didn't you?" Jaden asked her brusquely.
"Sure did!" Kaydra exclaimed.
"Then what do you think?"
"I guess I did. Do you think I can get something to eat now?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm starving myself."
"When can I go on missions with you and Mr. Zarbon and Miss Chestra, Commander Jaden?"
"Not for a few years," Jaden told her gruffly. Kaydra didn't yet know the truth about exactly what happened on the missions that Jaden and the others went on frequently. The innocent girl thought that the "assignments" were just planetary field trips to maintain order for "Uncle Frieza". Kaydra didn't know still that whole populations were killed or enslaved on these fatal trips, and neither Jaden nor Chestra were looking forward to telling Kaydra that she would one day have to become a killer like they were.
Zarbon wasn't exactly thrilled either, but he was more hardened to the constant killing, raiding, and enslaving he and his comrades did on a regular basis than Jaden and Chestra were, so he didn't think that telling Kaydra the truth one day would be such a tragedy. After all, what choice would Kaydra really have? That was why Kaydra had been spared, so that she could be trained as an Elite soldier for Frieza's forces. Frieza had grown attached to the child in the past year, but he would have never allowed Kaydra to live in the first place, had Kaydra not had such a high ki level and strength potential, and Zarbon, Chestra, and Jaden knew it.
Zarbon could have trained the girl by himself, but he and Frieza decided that Jaden would be the better choice, since Jaden wasn't as personally involved with Kaydra as Zarbon and Chestra were. Zarbon thought that his beloved Chestra would have been too easy on Kaydra, and someone with a high ki level such as hers needed a stronger hand.
He, Jaden, Dodoria, and Ginyu were the only ones at the moment in the Top Elite who were certified to train anyone with a high ki level such as an Astorian's or a Saiyan's. Top Elite officers such as Chestra, Diamonique, and the other members of the Ginyu Force were only certified to train those who were potentials for Lower Elite and Upper Low-Levels, and a good number of Mid-Elites. Mid-Elite and Lower-Elite officers, and sometimes Upper Low-Levels trained all recruits who were not considered "Elite potentials". Vegeta had trained a small number of recruits who had gone on to become Upper-Low-Levels, or even Lower-Elites during the slow times between his assignments. The Saiyan prince had the potential to become a good, although harsh, trainer, but Vegeta preferred to fight and train himself rather than train others.
Now came Kaydra, who would prove to be a challenge for Zarbon, Jaden, and Chestra, not only because of her power, but because Kaydra was still "soft", as in she still didn't like to hurt people, if she could avoid it. She was lively at times, but there were times when she would grow quiet and pensive. The three adult soldiers suspected that Kaydra could see right through them and everyone else.
Jaden was observing the girl, who was now brushing her light gold hair, with a thoughtful expression on her grim face. She and Chestra shared a strange secret about Kaydra: the little girl was believed to be able to read people's minds, or had the potential to anyway. The child was literally psychic, especially concerning her dreams. Jaden knew of the Astorian priests and priestesses, people who were chosen to serve the holy order because of their abilities to see the future, or see what was going on in other places through their visions, and she wondered if Kaydra was one of them. Kaydra seemed to have a "second sight" or a "sixth sense" about everything.
Jaden and Chestra had mutually agreed not to tell anyone about Kaydra's psychic powers, not even Zarbon and Frieza. Chestra was waiting for the right time to tell Zarbon, and both she and Jaden feared that if Frieza ever learned of Kaydra's secret abilities, he would exploit them to his advantage. Frieza would just love to be able to know what everyone was thinking at all times; Jaden personally thought Frieza knew more than enough about his soldiers and enemies already. She didn't want to assist Frieza in his heinous acts against others any more than she had to.
Kaydra tugged at the hands of both Zarbon and Jaden. "Let's go find Miss Chestra and go eat; I'm hungry!"
Jaden looked down at the eager child clinging to her reptilian hand and gave Kaydra a grim smile that tinged of deep regret and pity. She was not looking forward to the day when she or Zarbon or Chestra would have to be the one to destroy what was left of Kaydra's innocence.
"I'm with that," Jaden, who could eat almost as much as a Saiyan, told her.
At the Elite Lounge And Bar…
Dodoria, Rectaurus, and Hectar were ogling the young female soldiers and servants that had been allowed into the Elite Lounge And Bar. Dodoria kept his eye on a cute humanoid female with yellow hair, pale green eyes and bright pink skin almost the same shade as his. The huge soldier was in love with Frieza, but he still liked to indulge his occasional appetite for young girls. He had to get some satisfaction somewhere. He left to make advances upon his hapless victim, who had spotted Dodoria, and was now trying to flee the bar. Dodoria, grinning, stalked after her.
Rectaurus and Hectar, now members of Frieza's Elite, were whistling and shouting out catcalls to the females in the bar they considered attractive. Some of the young ladies glared at them darkly, but none dared to say a word to the deceased Commander Balair's powerful brothers for fear of reprisal or more unwanted sexual attention. Having Rectaurus and Hectar around on a regular basis these days was like having Balair times two; only Balair's older brothers were not as smart as Balair (not highly reputed for his intelligence himself) had been.
Rectaurus then dared to seize and squeeze the behind of a tall humanoid female with icy-blue hair, cold, black diamond eyes and a perfect figure with peachy-blue skin. The young woman cursed under her breath, and then she turned around and sank her blue-diamond nails deep into Rectaurus's right arm. Her free hand dared to seize Rectaurus's throat.
"You listen to me, you perverted Sistrai bastard!" Diamonique hissed. "Don't you ever touch me again, or I will slash up your face so badly that not even the most desperate female will want to come near you. Or I might turn you into a diamond, not that you'd be worth much even then! You're lucky that you and your brother have been immunized to my poison, or you'd be dead now. Actually, I probably would be doing all females a favor by poisoning you."
"Don't threaten me, slut!" Rectaurus growled, seizing her wrist. Diamonique then abruptly kicked him hard in his stomach, forcing him to release her, and then she shot a thin, blue laser at him. Within seconds, Rectaurus was a diamond statue. Hectar launched himself at Diamonique, but he then too met the same fate. Diamonique then spat upon their frozen bodies. Everyone in the bar grew quiet, afraid to so much as breathe for fear of drawing Diamonique's ire to them.
"It's a pity that I can't leave you both in that state, but Lord Frieza wouldn't be too happy, if I did. You two boys can stay that way until I decide that you've learned your lesson." She dusted off her slender, well-shaped hands and walked arrogantly over to the bar.
"Tipsy!" she screamed. "I want a bolt of blue, now!"
Tipsy, who was the popular bartender from the cleared planet Mimosa, was a short bald man with white skin, large round blue-green eyes and peach cheeks. He was dressed in a green, shiny metallic tuxedo with a bright pink bowtie. He had been spared out of his race because of his ability to make over two thousand different types of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. His most popular and famous drink was Crystal Blue Persuasion, which was a blue mixed alcoholic beverage that was normally drank in shot glasses that tasted of various fruits from at least ten different planets. Whenever anyone wanted a glass of Crystal Blue Persuasion, they would always say ask for a "bolt (shot) of blue".
His assistant and best friend was a tiny purple housefly with neon-green clear wings and long, electric-blue eyelashes named Eyelet. She helped to press buttons and lower or raise levers; she was strong for a housefly, and she had come from Mimosa as well. Her race, the Kincasan and Tipsy's race, the Mimosan, had been allies and friends for many decades before Frieza's soldiers had raided their planet and sold it off to another race.
Eyelet rested on the edge of the shiny marble bar, as an unnerved Tipsy gave Diamonique her "bolt of blue". Diamonique drank it in one shot, but she allowed the tangy liquid to swish about in her mouth, as she savored the fruity drink before swallowing it. Tipsy began to wipe down the bar with a wet towel, while Eyelet seized a light, damp cloth in her tiny feet and began to dab at a machine. Diamonique then ordered another bolt of blue, and Tipsy gave it to her.
Vegeta entered the bar at the moment, saw Diamonique and scowled. He then sat down four barstools away from her. He barked at Eyelet, whose tiny body had begun to shake the moment that he came up to the bar, "I want ice water."
"I'll get it," Tipsy told the fly, as he quickly prepared a glass of water. He rushed it over to the impatient Saiyan prince. Vegeta gulped his water down within three gulps, and before he knew it, Diamonique was sitting beside him, with her chin propped on her hand and her head tilted to the side. She smiled adoringly at Vegeta, and then she licked her bluish lips seductively.
"How've you been, my prince?" she purred in a thick, breathy accent. She lightly traced her fingers along his muscled arm.
Vegeta looked at her coldly, as if she were a stranger. Diamonique paid him no mind, as she dared to slide her fingertips along his tail, which was tightly wound around his waist. She tickled his tail, and before Vegeta knew it, he purred against his will. He was aroused now, and yet furious at the same time. Diamonique smiled wider when she noticed his mixture of emotions. She then sidled closer to him, curling up against him, as she trailed kisses on his broad shoulder.
Eyelet and Tipsy had wisely decided to leave and tend to the other patrons at the bar, not wishing to watch Commander Diamonique throw herself at Mid-Elite Officer Prince Vegeta anymore than necessary. Diamonique continued to stroke Vegeta's tail, and Vegeta purred again against his will.
"There's more where that came from," Diamonique whispered into his ear.
"Really," Vegeta said wickedly, looking directly at her.
"Really," Diamonique affirmed, as she pressed herself against him. Everyone in the lounge and bar had stopped eating, and all of them were watching Commander Diamonique continue her advances upon Mid-Elite Officer Prince Vegeta. She then crushed herself further against his hard body, and Vegeta wrapped one arm around her waist. Diamonique moaned in pleasure, and then her lips levitated over to his. She boldly laid a hand on his chest plate. Vegeta smirked, as his lips came closer to hers.
"So what do you wish for me to do next?" Vegeta purred.
"Just do whatever feels right," Diamonique cooed, tracing his thin lips with her slender, diamond-pointed finger. "Just do what you feel, my prince."
"With pleasure," he said deviously, as he brought his lips to her ear, as if intending to take a nibble on her tender earlobes. His breath tickled her, as he brought his mouth closer to her ear. He then took her wrists into his hands and leaned closer to her. Diamonique rubbed herself against him, as she smiled wickedly, enjoying Vegeta's attention.
"Just go with your instincts, just like I taught you," Diamonique whispered.
"Just like you taught me," Vegeta repeated. "Here goes, woman." He then leaned as close as he could to her ear. Diamonique smiled wider, anticipating some sweet words of seduction from her former royal lover.
Finally, Vegeta whispered some words into Diamonique's awaiting ear:
"Goodbye, Diamonique."
"WHAT?" Diamonique screamed, as a grinning Vegeta released her and stood up, brushing himself off. "What do you mean 'goodbye'?"
Vegeta chuckled. "You're an attractive woman still, but unfortunately…for right now, I prefer my women to be a little…let's say…a little less used?"
"Bastard!" Diamonique screamed, as she threw her drink into Vegeta's face. She threw the shot glass against the wall behind the bar, almost hitting Eyelet, and then she stomped out of the bar in a heavy huff. Vegeta growled under his breath and demanded a towel from Tipsy, who hurriedly provided it to him.
Vegeta wiped off his face with the towel, cursing Diamonique in Saiyan, and then he calmed down quickly. He leaned back against the bar, wiping the last of Diamonique's drink off of himself, as he grinned once more. It had been a few months since he had been with a woman. Maybe he'd be nice to Diamonique and allow her "the privilege" of sleeping with him after all.
If she behaved herself, that was.
No, if he slept with her again, she would definitely think that he wanted her for more than just sex. Diamonique was stalking him enough as it was; the last two women that Vegeta had slept with in the past year had mysteriously disappeared, and he suspected that Diamonique had something to do with their vanishing.
Diamonique was the best that he had had in bed so far; he didn't deny that. She had taught him many things in bed, and he had been a very willing student. Unfortunately, she wanted more from him than what he was willing to give. And she slept around frequently with other men when she wasn't pursuing him, and Vegeta didn't want a woman who spread herself around so easily. He didn't mind some experience, which was preferable, but he didn't want a woman who took a different man every night, or even every week or month.
No, she was too much of a risk. He had long ago moved on, and he intended to keep it like that. Diamonique wasn't the only star in the galaxy.
Frieza's office…
Frieza had just finished meditating; he hoped to eventually reach the fourth form that his mother, Queen Frost, had so wanted for him to attain. Coola was already ahead of him; Coola had attained his fourth form, and he was working on a fifth form as well. Frieza had to catch up with him before Coola became too powerful for him to even compete with.
Frieza had thought much during the past year. His first impulse after punishing his soldiers had been to fly his ship over to planet Calmag and finish off the Astorians and the Calmagians himself, but he finally decided against it. Calmag was no longer considered sellable now that Coola had let the word get out about Calmag's problems, meaning the Astorians and Calmag's high pollution rate. Frieza decided to wait, although part of him wanted yet to go after the Clan of Chloe and destroy them once and for all.
He insisted on putting his Elite soldiers through a rigorous training program devised by some of his father's men's to increase the strength of all of his fighters. So far, it seemed to be working, and the next time, he and his soldiers met Shalila Chloe and her family, the Clan of Chloe and hopefully the rest of the Astorians would be obliterated.
He touched his thoughts on Princess Tayla Chloe, the little Astorian girl who had proven to be a huge challenge to his own fighters. Princess Tayla was now almost as troublesome as her infamous grandmother, and soon she would become too old to come under his influence. He knew that the girl meant a great deal to Shalila Chloe and that taking Tayla Chloe away would hurt the Superior Gran greatly. He knew the child was powerful, but was Dodoria right about Tayla being too dangerous to allow into his army?
Possibly. Someone like Tayla still had the potential to grow up to be stronger, and that alone posed a threat to Frieza. What if Tayla and some of her family members one day decided to finally come after Frieza once and for all? Frieza decided then to have his soldiers still try to capture Tayla, if they came across her, but she was no longer his main focus. He had Kaydra now, and she would grow up to be as strong as Tayla, surely, if not stronger.
He decided to use Kaydra for the plans that he had intended for her Aunt Tayla. He would watch over and involve himself in Kaydra's training as much as possible, so that he could mold her into his own image. One day, he would use Kaydra to destroy the Astorians, like they should have been destroyed years ago. Kaydra would take Tayla's place for now, and Frieza intended to use her as the ultimate weapon to end the Astorians' existence once and for all.
In the meantime, Frieza had cleverly installed a new spy who would be going home with the Astorians who had been nowhere near the fighting, one that Frieza had kept in top-secret reserve on the other side of Calmag, a young female spy. This lovely young woman had pled for asylum and shelter with the Astorians, and none of the Astorians seemed to be the wiser. The girl, no more than seventeen years of age, had posed as a refugee who wanted to live on Astoria, along with the other young girls who were leaving Calmag. It had been General Norbrook who had found this girl and recommended her to Frieza, and Frieza, hearing of her cleverness, had been happy to take her.
None of the Astorians would ever suspect her. In their eyes, she would be nothing more than an innocent victim who wanted to rebuild her life on another planet. She wasn't just a pretty face either; she had superb technical skills along with some fighting ability. The Astorians would consider her an asset, but she would become part of their eventual downfall.
Frieza closed his eyes and went back to his meditating, grinning to himself. Shalila Chloe, Tayla Chloe, and their family may have won this battle, but they were far from winning the war. And he intended to keep it that way.
The last day on Calmag, in the control room on the Roccon…
Kekron was finishing some renovations on the engines of the Astorian family mother ship. He also did a final preflight check of everything with the help of one of the new Calmagian female refugees named Ruli Sassafras. Ruli was a tall girl with clear, cinnamon skin and auburn hair highlighted with gold, along with excellent teeth. Her father had worked for one of Alberm Dunlop's companies, and he had taught his clever daughter everything that he knew about technology. When Ruli's father had died, Ruli's uncle had taken custody of the girl and tried to force her into an unwanted marriage with a lecherous man in his fifties. Ruli had ran away from home and hid out in a Second Chance shelter when a friend mentioned that she was going to apply for asylum with the Astorian people. Ruli had joined her and both girls had been accepted. Now Ruli would be going home with the Astorians.
Ruli liked Prince Kekron Chloe; in fact she was already falling in love with him. When Prince Kekron had mentioned briefly that he had had no previous girlfriend, Ruli found it very hard to believe. Prince Kekron was just so gentle and kind, so different from many Calmagian men. She was determined already to make Prince Kekron her husband within the next couple of years, but there was a small problem-a certain pale-skinned Calmagian princess with blue eyes and white-gold hair that was becoming more gold than white.
And this interloper, royalty, but a nuisance nonetheless, had just left after bringing Kekron a delicious lunch of the best Calmagian meats, fruits, and desserts before Ruli had arrived. Little Princess Caline had brought Prince Kekron a meal in a picnic basket woven from the red grasses of Calmag. Prince Kekron had offered Ruli some of the food, but Ruli politely refused, saying that she had already eaten. She wasn't going to eat anything that her rival, Princess Caline, had brought.
Ruli despised Caline because she was royalty, and Ruli had been among the group of Calmagians that blamed the royal family for all of Calmag's problems, from the high pollution rate to the treatment of women. Ruli was part of a minority of Calmagians who thought that the royal family should be displaced and the monarchy abolished. She held no respect for the Calmagian royals above her.
And of course, Princess Caline's closeness with Prince Kekron was enough alone to attract Ruli's resentment.
What did Prince Kekron see in the little royal chit anyway? Princess Caline had no skills or special powers, just her good looks and sweetness. And she was a child who had admitted that she did not plan to marry. So what did Prince Kekron really see in Princess Caline other than her beauty?
Ruli knew that she had to find a way to push Princess Caline out of Prince Kekron's heart and thoughts. Prince Kekron needed an equal, someone as smart and skilled as he was, and Princess Caline was definitely not that person, and Ruli was. She'd show Prince Kekron that she was the one for him, not Princess Caline.
And now Princess Caline just had to return, accompanied by Princess Tayla Chloe, Prince Kekron's aunt. Ruli admired Princess Tayla, and she was trying to integrate herself into Princess Tayla's circle of friends, even if it meant putting up with Caline, a close friend of Princess Tayla. She intended to become very close to Princess Tayla and learn as much as she could about her. Ruli wanted to be a fighter, as well as a technician, and she thought that maybe someday she could train with the more experienced Princess Tayla.
"Hey, Princess Tayla!" Ruli cried excitedly, as Tayla and Caline stepped into the control room. "Glad to see you! I'm glad to know one of the people who helped to save my people!"
Kekron was typing some data into a computer as he sat on a bench in front of a terminal. Caline sat down beside him, and Kekron smiled warmly at her.
"Is everything okay?" Caline asked him.
"Perfect," Kekron told her. "Everything's in working order. We can take off anytime. And thanks again for lunch…that food was delicious!"
"I know a very good cook," Caline told him modestly. Ruli's thoughts of Caline at that moment were murderous ones, but she managed to keep her enthusiasm, as Tayla came up to her.
"Well, much credit goes to Caline," Tayla told Ruli warmly. "If it hadn't been for her warning us, we might not have been able to defend ourselves against Frieza's minions in time."
"Of-of course," Ruli told her hesitantly. "But it is those who fought in the war that deserve the true credit, such as you and the warriors in your family. I've admired you, Princess Tayla, and I want to learn everything that you know."
Kekron kissed Caline on her cheek, stood up and mentioned having to find Great-Nama. He told everyone gooden boden and said that he would be back shortly. He left the control room to go outside of the ship.
Tayla said humbly, "Thank you, but it took me years to learn what I did. Some lessons Kami Orchida taught me. I'm sure that you could become a warrior, if you wanted to, Ruli, but it seems that you're a very good technician. Kekron has told us so."
"Your family is very lucky to have Prince Kekron," Ruli purred. "And I am very lucky to be working with him…too bad not everyone can have that privilege. But then not all of us can be handy with technology."
"I wish I knew more about it," Caline said. "But Kekron has explained some of what he does to me."
"Well, that's wonderful of him, but it must be very hard for someone with no technology background to understand."
"I learn more every day," Caline told her.
"I'm sure you do," Ruli told her serenely. "Prince Kekron spends so much time with you, answering your questions and listening to you speak. Don't you ever worry though that you might be distracting him a bit?"
"Distracting him?" Caline asked worriedly.
"Just a tad. I noticed that you seem to…take up so much of his time. I know that he enjoys your company, Princess Caline, but sometimes he needs to be by himself more to focus on his tasks. It's kind of hard for a man to remain on task when someone is always trying to talk to him and question him, especially someone who knows nothing about what he really does or needs to do."
Caline looked dismayed, and Tayla suspected an underlying meaning behind Ruli's seeming concern for Kekron. Tayla said coolly, "Caline does not distract him; Kekron enjoys her company very much. If she was keeping him from his work, I'm sure that he would have told her so by now."
"I was just thinking about Prince Kekron, Tayla," Ruli said sweetly. "I'm sure that Princess Caline's company does bring him much delight, but Princess Caline cannot help him with any of his tasks. Whenever she's here, Prince Kekron and I are not as able to do everything that we would like. I'm not trying to hurt her feelings; I just want what's best for Prince Kekron and for all of us. Well, I have to go; I promised Mysty that I would meet her for some shopping. And Princess Caline, please don't take what I said personally; it's just that if you can't be a help to him, you really should leave him be until his work is completed. I just don't want him to not be able to do his job because of someone constantly visiting. See you all later; I'll be back in time for takeoff." Ruli then strolled out of the room, as if she were a queen.
Caline looked downtrodden then, and her shoulders were hunched over. Tayla went to sit down next to her and put her arm around her.
"What if she's right, Tayla?" Caline asked, her eyes too bright and shiny, shiny with unshed tears. "What if Kekron can't do his job because of me visiting him?"
"Don't worry about it-or her," Tayla told Caline. "If you were really distracting Kekron, he'd let you know. Kekron seems happier actually when you're around. Ruli sounds like she's jealous."
"I think that Ruli likes Kekron," Caline said softly, as a tear slipped past her eyes. "She'd probably be a good match for him."
Tayla doubted it seriously; she didn't like how Ruli fawned all over Kekron or how she seemed to slight Caline whenever Caline was around. Caline was Calmagian royalty, above Ruli in rank, and therefore Ruli should have treated Caline with more respect. Tayla was not snobbish, but she knew her and her family's place in Astorian society, and that they were to be treated with deference by the other Clans. Tayla felt that Ruli was discourteous and disrespectful towards Caline, and she didn't like it.
She gave Caline one of her handkerchiefs, and Caline dabbed her eyes and softly blew her nose.
"Don't pay her any mind," Tayla told her firmly. "She's foolish. Remember that you are royalty, and she's not; so the next time she makes you feel bad, don't let it get to you. If Kekron thought you were bothering him, he would have let you know. C'mon let's go outside and get some flying in."
"Okay," Caline told her softly, eager to forget about Ruli for now.
Tayla had been teaching Caline how to fly in the past year, and now she could fly as well as her beloved Astorians. She and Tayla abruptly scurried out of the ship and into the clean air (new pollution restrictions had been put into place to help with Calmag's pollution problem). Calmag was on her way to becoming a cleaner planet, and the smog was beginning to disappear.
Caline and Tayla leaped off of the ground and soared into the sky like young birds. They held hands, as they flew around in the air. After about half an hour, the girls were now floating over a huge, blue lake that contained two boats. Caline recognized one fishing boat as belonging to Julien; Julien and Dedron liked to go fishing together these days. Recently, Julien and Dedron had decided to have a fishing competition at least once a day, and they were trying to see who could catch the most fish. Julien had lent Dedron one of his own boats.
Tayla then began to grin. Julien still taunted and heckled Caline whenever no one else was around, and Dedron and Tayla were no closer to being friends. Dedron still referred to Tayla as a dog, and Tayla's friends had had to intervene several times to prevent a murder. Riccan and Nikon had almost ganged up on Julien, and they would have beaten on him for teasing Caline two weeks ago, had it not been for Gracina's quick intervention.
Tayla decided that Dedron and Julien needed to be taught a lesson for all of the things they had done to her and Caline. Dedron had been talking to Tayla still, as if he were addressing a dog, and Julien had ridiculed Caline for wanting to learn to fly like the Astorians. He had told Caline that she was already enough of an unwanted freak.
He had also been giving Caline a hard time when Caline had just learned how to swim. Caline had always been afraid of swimming ever since she had been four years old, when on a family picnic without her mother, Amitar had thrown her into the deep part of a lake to get her to swim. Amitar, an excellent swimmer, had taught all of his children to stay afloat that way, but Caline had been terrified of swimming. She had begged her father not to throw her into the water, but Amitar had yelled at her and did it anyway. Caline had nearly drowned because she was too panicked to try to swim to shore. Finally, Amitar had barked orders at Ridikar to go rescue Caline. Ridikar had done so quickly, and he had comforted Caline when their father wouldn't. Caline had refused to go into the water ever since, despite Amitar's numerous taunts and the cruel teasing from both Julien and Naykiar before Naykiar had begun to reform.
It had been Tayla, who loved to swim any chance that she could, who had encouraged Caline to try to swim again. With the help of Bendros, who was an experienced swimmer, Tayla had helped Caline to learn to swim. Caline was not an experienced swimmer yet, but she was getting to that point.
So Caline had agreed to go along with Tayla's plan to teach Julien and Dedron a lesson. She had just learned to swim underwater for long distances, so she and Tayla went to a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Caline and Tayla stripped down to their undershirts and long, thin underwear (their swimsuits were already packed). She and Tayla took deep breaths and plunged into the water. Every now and then, they would come up just long enough to take another deep breath, but they swam most of the way to Dedron and Julien's boats.
Finally, the two girls, who had concealed their ki levels, were close to the boats of their obnoxious relatives. Tayla briefly poked her dark, wet head above the surface of the water, and she saw that she was next to Julien's boat. Julien, deep in thought, did not notice her there. Tayla plunged back underwater, and she swam under Julien's boat.
Caline was underwater too, and she was swimming towards Tayla, holding the end of Dedron's fishing line. Caline gave the hook and bait a few good tugs to trick Dedron into thinking that a fish had bitten. Tayla by then had the end of Julien's fishing line in her hand, and she brought hers to Caline. She then tied the end of Julien's fishing line to the end of Dedron's fishing line while they were still underwater. The girls quickly swam away under Julien's boat, came up long enough to take a deep breath of air and go back down again. They did this repeatedly, as they swam away a good distance from the boats.
Finally, Tayla and Caline came up to the surface, and two wet heads were peering above the water's surface. Tayla said breathlessly to Caline, "Now the fun begins."
Caline panted and nodded.
"Hey Jules, I've got one!" Dedron cried excitedly. "It's a big one too!"
"So is mine!" Julien called back, as he began to reel in his line.
Dedron did the same, and his line tugged harder and harder. Julien tried to reel in his line, and Dedron tried to reel in his. Finally, as they were reeling in their "catches", their boats were pulled closer and closer to each other's. Julien pulled back his line, and Dedron pulled back his. The boys were now in a tug-of-war with each other, although they didn't realize it.
"I will catch this fish!" Julien grunted.
"This catch will come up!" Dedron grumbled.
Pull, pull, pull, tug, tug, and tug.
Then Dedron gained the advantage and gave his line a good hard yank because he was tired of waiting. Julien screamed, as Dedron's line pulled onto his line-and pulled Julien off of his boat.
Julien's body flew into Dedron's body and crashed into his. Dedron fell overboard with Julien, as they tumbled off of Dedron's boat and into the chilly water. The two heads of the two boys collided into each other's, as the two princes struggled to get to the surface. When the boys managed to come back up, they were both entangled in their fishing lines, tied together. Dedron and Julien foolishly struggled to free themselves of each other, but they only tightened the lines worse. When Dedron tried to pull away from Julien, Julien was dragged between them, and Julien's lips then crashed into Dedron's, inadvertently kissing his.
Dedron, embarrassed, decided to power up, and when he did, the fishing lines burned away from his body. Finally, he was untangled, and he helped to free Julien of his binds as well.
They then heard wild shrieks of girlish laughter coming from the sky. Tayla and Caline were hovering in the air, laughing and pointing at Dedron and Julien.
"You two make a good couple!" Tayla screamed happily.
"Can I come to your wedding, Julien?" Caline asked, laughing. "I saw you kiss Dedron; you two are made for each other!"
Julien growled, as he pulled up a piece of tied-up fishing line. He noticed that Dedron's line was tied to his. "Dedron, they tied our fishing lines together, those little wenches!"
"I thought there was something swimming underwater," Dedron hissed. "But I couldn't sense a thing."
He shook his fist towards the girls, aiming it more at Tayla than Caline. "You're going to pay for that, Tayla!"
"Yeah, Caline!" Julien roared. "Don't think that just because I'll never have to look at your ugly face again after you leave that you can treat me any old way!"
Caline giggled, and Tayla screamed with more laughter. "Oh, kiss and make up!" Caline told her brother amiably. "You looked like you were enjoying that kiss with Dedron earlier."
"And to think that Dedron wants Caline!" Tayla squealed. "Really, Dedron, I think that you're more compatible with Julien!"
Dedron fired a small ki blast at Tayla, but Tayla deflected it easily with a one-handed Mirror Shield, and the blast hit the water, knocking Dedron and Julien beneath the surface.
When Julien and Dedron reemerged again, they were furious to find that the mischievous girls were gone.
"I hate girls!" Julien roared.
Dedron almost agreed with him. "C'mon, Julien, let's go dry off," he grumbled. "Just like wenches to know how to ruin a man's fun."
By the time that Tayla and Caline returned, most of the people going home to Astoria had boarded the Roccon. Tayla and Caline had managed to dry themselves quickly using their body ki (Caline had learned ki control as well), but their hair was still tangled, so that everyone could tell that Tayla and Caline had gone swimming. The girls were wearing their clothes, although they were now carrying their wet underclothes in bags.
They were still giggling and laughing when Shalila came across them. "Tayla, Caline, there you two are! Where have you been?"
"Umm…swimming," Tayla told her truthfully.
"What have you been up to?" Shalila wanted to know.
Caline and Tayla looked at each other worriedly, but then they burst into uncontrollable laughter. Between peals of ringing mirth, Tayla squeaked, "Nothing, Nama."
"I didn't know that 'nothing' was that funny," Shalila said, puzzled. "Now what really happened?"
"Umm…" both girls said uncomfortably.
"Is this something that I'm better off not asking about?" Shalila said a bit sternly.
"YES!" both Tayla and Caline cried happily. They then kissed Shalila on each cheek, and before she could question them further, Tayla and Caline ran towards the mother ship.
Thirty minutes later…
Many Calmagians were waving at the mother ship, as the main door began to close. King Kitchator was holding Queen Kildara in his arms.
"Goodbye!" both king and queen called.
Julien was waving to Dedron, sad to see Dedron go, but happy that he wouldn't have to see Caline anymore. Naykiar was sad and pensive; he and Caline had shared many goodbye hugs and kisses, but now just as he was getting reacquainted with his sister, she was now going away. Rosyn and Meyline were there with their brothers waving goodbye.
Many of the CRP officers under General Qatar's authority, were saluting the Astorians with shot blasts from their laser guns, and Cirono and his wife, now pregnant, were waving goodbye as well.
"So long, farewell, gooden boden!" everyone called to each other, both Astorians and Calmagians.
Tayla and Caline were waving from a huge window in the control room, as the ship finally began to blast off. The girls hugged each other hard, as the ship took off from the Calmagian spaceport and into the fading sunset. Soon it would be headed to space.
Headed to space, to Astoria, and to their future…a future still yet to be seen and explored.
A future where hope never dies…
THE END (for now)
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A/N: I would like to thank everyone on my fanfic mailing list for all of your encouragement and support through your emails, IMs, and reviews. I want to thank Kristy, Liz, Francesco, Daniel, Billyone1739, Phillip, Sarra, Yeary9, and The Lord Vegeta. I also have some people not on the fanfic list to thank, but I won't be able to let them know until ff.net finally gets its act together, and I can post again.
CIRONO: Thank you for allowing me to have you in this story, and I hope that you have enjoyed, or at least liked, what I wrote about your character. The Clan of Chloe and Caline thank you themselves for warning them about General Norbrook (and being the first to guess that the traitor was him). And thank you for some of the hints that you gave me.
TO KRISTY, LIZ, FRANCESCO, DANIEL (also known as Fungie or Mirai Blue Sky), BC, LORD VEGETA, YEARY9, SARRA AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO SENT EMAIL ABOUT MY STORIES: Thank you all so very much for the nice emails, reviews about my stories.
Daniel: Thank you for having my stories on your site.
Redlady: I enjoyed the summary that you sent me about "Ti Chi Anna", that novel that you removed. I wish that you were still continuing it, but I understand. I wish your Anna and her Warriors of Drey all the happiness in the world.
TO WHOMEVER SUGGESTED THAT CHESTRA BE PART ASTORIAN: I did make a copy of you email suggesting that Chestra be part of the Clan of Chloe family, but I lost your name, so if you are reading this, could you let me know who you are? Thanks! I greatly appreciate it. And thank you again for suggesting this.
TO JYYUACHIPEACH, CIRONO, SS. VEIL, STARKILLER, EINSTEIN-006, REDLADY, HYPER SAIYAN, ZARBON'S LOVER, DIGIPUPPY, AND PTLIZ: Thank you all for adding me to your favorites lists! It really does mean so much to me, and I hope that my stories continue to keep all of you entertained. If anyone else has added me to their favorites list, and your name is not mentioned here, please let me know, and I thank you when I put out the sequel.
TO NEKO-CHAN AND MIRAI MAGIC MAN OF DRAGONWORLDZ.NET: I know that I haven't resubmitted my stories to the two of you yet, but I will eventually, if you still want them. I also want to thank you both very much for having my stories (Tayla of Astoria, Chestra, and Dragonspaceballs) up on your site before your site's servers crashed. I'm sorry that I've been slack in getting the chapters back to you. And Neko and MMM? Neko, I hope to see more of your "Cosmic Crisis" stories, and MMM, more about Stacie, Trunks and Heather. I have enjoyed reading them.
TO TRIXIE-CHAN OF DBZ ROMANCE: I loved your "Wild Horses" story, which I found both romantic and funny at the same time! I want to thank you for putting my "Chestra" and my Master Roshi romance, "Be Careful For What You Wish For" on your site.
TO PRINCESS KYLEY SERUNNE: Thank you for putting my "Chestra" story on your Zarbon Shrine Site.
TO VEGETA GODDESS: Thank you for posting my "Dragonspaceballs" story on your site. Hopefully, I can get it finished in time to enter it in your contest.
And thanks also to everyone else who read my stories or talked to me about them. Thanken, thanken, and thanken! If I didn't mention your name by accident, please know that I wish to thank you as well! =)
I also want to thank those of you who took the poll. I know that I never got around to posting the results, but your answers have helped me out a lot with planning the next stage of the lives of both the DBZ characters and my characters in the sequel.
Half of those who contacted me want Vegeta/Tayla, and the other half say no way, Bendros/Tayla. It is very likely that I will have both, but if I go with Vegeta/Tayla, it won't be for a very long time.
Almost everyone chose Kekron/Caline instead of Rojal/Caline, and it will be headed towards Kekron/Caline, but don't think that Rojal and Dedron will give up on Caline. Dedron will have a trick or two up his sleeve to get Caline and to get back at his "enemies", and Rojal will have some help in courting Caline.
Again thank you all very, very, very much. I am glad that you all have enjoyed my stories, and I hope that you continue to enjoy them. I wish all of you luck with your endeavors in life, both literary and non-literary.
Expect to see the beginning of the sequel, "Hope Never Dies" out within the next week or two. Much of it is still in the planning stages, but I believe that I have the first story "arc" worked out.
WHAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN (at least in the first arc):
---Vegeta and Nappa finally get their comeuppance--temporarily at least.
---Vegeta and Tayla will cross paths again.
---The beginnings of Bendros/Tayla and Kekron/Caline, but those potential couples won't be without their problems and people trying to keep them apart.
---Frieza's new spy will integrate herself into the life of an Astorian prince, causing problems between him and the girl that he truly wants to be with.
---Caline and Tayla will their hands full with suitors, both wanted and unwanted.
---Kekron definitely still wants to be with Caline, but will Rojal, Dedron, Ruli, and someone else get in the way?
---Caline studies music under one of the universe's greatest singers, Operetta, and Operetta makes Caline an almost irresistible offer, but if Caline accepts it, it means that she will have to leave Astoria and her beloved adoptive family behind.
---Tayla trains to join Intergalacticpol.
---Vegeta and Nappa will cause more trouble among the good guys than expected, but then don't Saiyans always do?
---And so, so much more...
WHAT WILL ONLY HAPPEN IN OUR WILDEST DREAMS:
WARNING: Do not take the following ideas seriously...
---Frieza finally decides that he loves Dodoria after all, but Dodoria no longer wants him. Instead Dodoria decides that he wants Guido instead, and he and Guido abandon Frieza's army to start their own music group, "2FAT" and their own bubble gum, "Blubberlicious".
---Jaden hits her head hard during a purging mission, and she decides in her new insanity that she loves Balair after all, so she goes to planet Namek to get the Dragonballs and wish him back to life. Jaden and Balair then train together and merge into a powerful warrior called "Jadair". Then they overthrow Frieza by driving him to suicide playing awful Barney and Sifl and Olly music, and Jadair takes over the universe, forcing tributes from everyone in the form of chili-and-cheese pot pies and Penthouse magazines.
---It later turns out that Frieza never really died after all, but he wisely decides not to challenge "Jadair", so he goes to Astoria, and Shalila Chloe realizes that she needs a younger man, so she leaves Dirkan for Frieza.
---Chestra leaves Zarbon for Captain Ginyu, who teaches her the joys of cross-dressing. Unfortunately, that leads Chestra to decide to change her sex as well, so she gets an operation turning herself into a man and renames herself Chester. Chester dumps Captain Ginyu and goes back to Zarbon, who strangely enough likes his amour better as a man...
---Captain Ginyu turns gay, and he sets his sights on a new love--Vegeta! But then he changes him mind when Vegeta refuses to join Ginyu in his new drag-queen career.
---Gorna gives up her right to Astoria's throne and when Vegeta comes to raid Astoria again, she falls passionately in love with Vegeta, and they run away together to get married.
---It turns out that Dedron is not really Cletos's son after all, or even Farla's. Instead this Dedron turns out to be a genetically altered clone of King Dayrus, whom Vegeta's father had a spy on Astoria switch with the real baby Dedron, who died at birth. The clone was programmed to grow up to give Shalila Chloe grief. Tayla later uncovers the insane plan, and with Kekron's help, reprograms Dedron to become a good person. Dedron and Tayla fall in love and marry, producing thirty children.
---Caline decides that Kekron isn't for her after all, so when Captain Ginyu decides to complete Vegeta's failed mission to clear Astoria, she falls in love with him. Ginyu ditches Frieza's army and runs away with Caline to planet Earth, and together, they unite the Rolling Stones, the Monkees, and the Beatles into one huge music group, along with Britney Spears. With Ginyu and Caline as the lead singers, the renamed band called Gone, But Not Forgotten has seventeen triple-platinum records.
---Kekron ulitmately joins Frieza's army and takes Captain Ginyu's place, creating better poses than even the infamous captain.
---And thank heavens, there's no more than that...I think
Gooden boden fro noy,
Sawnya
