The Deception--Chapter 15
By Elbereth in April
Kakkarot and Zarbon looked at each other. They'd been right. Frieza had called them into the throne room moments after he'd returned, to gloat over his successfully killing the Ginyu Force and to announce, "Now that those traitors have been dealt with, I have a gap in my ranks. I need a new elite fighting force that I can call on for missions that need a special touch.
"I'm appointing you two to head that force. Hold some try-outs and select two more of my strongest, most loyal fighters and report back to me."
"Um. OK," Zarbon replied. Kakkarot nodded, gave his standard half- bow, and they both left the room.
"Great," Kakkarot groaned. "Now what?"
"We do what he says," Zarbon answered softly. "Except for that 'most loyal' part."
Kakkarot smiled.
"We'll make the announcement of the try-outs to certain key people right after supper, and go from there."
"Which key people?"
"Ah, well, I think we need to have a meeting over that."
"OK. I'll go report to Vegeta and *before* supper, we'll have a meeting," Kakkarot agreed.
Vanyar came strolling over. "Are we standing down now?"
"Yeah. . . hey, I'll go tell Vegeta we're going to meet, and you go round up the others."
"No," Zarbon said, "*I'll* go get Vegeta. I want to say hello to my girl." He grinned.
"Fine! Van and I will get the others."
They all went their separate ways. Sekot slunk along after Zarbon.
___________ ___________
Dodoria landed about 10 minutes later. Frieza was at the landing bay waiting on his second lieutenant. "It's about time."
Dodoria knelt. "Sorry, my lord Frieza, but I have a gift for you!"
Frieza's eyebrows rose. "What?"
"Computer file from the official governmental records on planet Ponah."
Frieza yawned. "And I would be interested--why?"
"What's your main pet peeve, my lord?"
"I still haven't captured and killed that pesky Saiyan prince," he responded immediately.
Dodoria smiled and offered the disk.
Frieza's face lit up. "Dodoria. If you have discovered his identity, I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."
Frieza took the disk, and Dodoria finally stood. "Not exactly. But I hacked into their mainframe and intercepted a transcript of an interrogation of a Saiyan they had in their dungeons. He claimed to know how to find the Queen."
Frieza's grin was ear to ear. "Dodoria, you're not as stupid as you look."
". . . thank you, Lord Frieza."
_________ _____________
Zarbon and Vegeta walked towards the training room where they were meeting the other Saiyans. "I'm glad our women get along so well," Zarbon said.
Vegeta grunted.
"I have to admit, you did well for yourself. Lady Brains is beautiful. . . and a genius. I'm surprised you went for an alien, but in her case. . . irresistible."
"Zarbon. . ."
"Except for *my* woman, who I prefer. . ."
"Shut up, Zarbon."
"You don't like to talk about her, do you? Why's that?"
Vegeta looked away uncomfortably. If he couldn't discuss his feelings with *her,* he certainly couldn't with Zarbon. "It's just. . . personal."
"You just want her all to yourself. I can understand that. You're in love and don't want some other man getting ideas. . ."
Vegeta shoved him against the wall. "As if any other man could be competition!"
Zarbon laughed. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm still excited everything went so well!" He threw his arms in the air. "The Ginyu Force is no more!"
Vegeta finally smiled. "You do good work."
"You were my inspiration." Zarbon clapped him on the back. "You're a devious man."
Vegeta blushed slightly. "Shut up, Zarbon."
____________ ____________
The door opened. The two women looked up. Bulma minimized all her computer screens. "Can I help you?"
He looked at the two. "You're Lorimaya, Zarbon's girlfriend?" he asked, recognizing the other woman.
"Yes. Who are you?"
He ignored her. "So you would be. . . 'Lady Brains?'"
Bulma's eyes narrowed. "You're a friend of Zarbon's? Who *are* you?"
"Wold," he lied. "I'd just heard so many good things about you, I wanted to meet you. I can't believe you helped bring down the Ginyu Force."
Lori giggled. Bulma kept frowning. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard your name before."
He made a great show of being affronted. "Oh well, never mind then. I'll leave."
"Why don't you."
He did. Bulma looked at Lori, who seemed confused. "I have to stay here and run these tests on Saiyan D.N.A. Go and see Zarbon. Ask him if he knows a Wold and tell him what just happened. I'm afraid our cover may have been blown."
"Right," Lori said determinedly, and left as well.
___________ ____________
Dodoria met Sekot in the armory. "Frieza is busy right now. He sent me. What do you want?"
"I'm reporting in. I've been spying, you know. . ."
"I know. Make this quick." Dodoria was anxious to get back to Frieza and his findings.
"Tell Lord Frieza that Vegeta has a woman. She's an alien scientist named Bulma. She's gorgeous. Blue hair. . . Very smart. They're deeply in love." Sekot smirked.
Dodoria grinned. "Well, well. It's not news of the Saiyan Prince, but it'll make Frieza very happy all the same. If Frieza has Vegeta's woman. . ."
Sekot smirked wider. ". . . he's got Vegeta."
___________ _____________
"Long live the new Ginyu Force!" Valkan cheered.
"Needs a new name, obviously," Capran said.
"The name isn't important right now. We need two more members, and the question is who. It can't be you, Vegeta. Frieza would never allow it."
"Aw, I'm so unpopular," Vegeta smirked. They laughed.
"It probably shouldn't be a Saiyan at all," Kakkarot admitted. "We need to have Frieza looking away from us."
"But we don't have any non-Saiyan allies except Zarbon."
"I guess it's time to make some."
"OK. I have an idea," Kwil volunteered. "There's an Edorian named Tory who's pretty skilled."
"Aren't Edorians mostly telepaths, not warriors?"
"He's both. I heard he can get into a guy's mind and make him think his friend's an enemy so he attacks the wrong person."
"That's good. . ."
"And all of Frieza's telepath servants hate him, because they can get far enough into his mind to see what he's really like. So I've heard."
"I've got another one," Nappa said after a thoughtful pause. "There's an Apolyon-Catral hybrid who fights in the big All-Base Sparring Matches and wins a lot of the time."
"Isn't he that half-lion guy?" Dom asked.
"Exactly. And Frieza just sent his best friend off to blow up a planet and he got killed when the natives were too strong."
"Oh yeah, the Ginyu Force's last mission. . . before this one. They were sent to clean up the mess. I remember hearing talk in the dining hall."
"You mean Spona. He came in to yell at Frieza about his friend's death but Dodoria and I headed him off before he could get that far. And have Frieza execute him for his effrontery," Zarbon put in.
"He might work."
"We need a couple more. We have to seem to legitimately be holding auditions."
"Come on, Zarbon, you should know better than us."
"I'm thinking!"
Vegan had been doing sit-ups while he pondered. Now he stopped and said, "OK, how about Natala?"
Vegeta started to smirk. "Natala as in Recoome's half-brother's daughter?"
"She hates everybody."
"But I never heard she could fight."
"Oh, she can fight," Vegeta half-grinned. "Can't she, Nappa?"
Nappa was bright red. "No! I refuse to have anything to do with her!"
"She chased after him for awhile," Vegeta informed the others gleefully. "She can definitely fight."
They all laughed and stared at Nappa. "Oh, fine! Add her to the list!"
"Last one. Colyte. That wolf-bug guy," Zarbon suggested.
"He's creepy."
"But he's certainly strong."
"And he always mutters, 'Some day you will be brought down, tyrant,' whenever he leaves the throne room," Zarbon confided.
"All right. Can anyone think of anyone else?" No. "Any reason not to try one of these four?" No. "So. We eat. Then Kakkarot and Zarbon will approach them. We'll watch from the wings, and decide on which two after we see them," Vegeta declared.
The door opened and Lori burst in. "Zarbon, do you have a Saiyan friend named Wold?"
___________ ___________
Bulma stared at the computer screen. Saiyan D.N.A. was certainly complicated! It appeared that Kakkarot and Vegeta had the potential to actually transform their genes themselves--that in the process of going to Super Saiyan, they would achieve a higher, more powerful, and entirely new genetic state. She couldn't believe it.
But how to do that was still a mystery. There was a barrier, Vegeta had told her. A barrier that had to be broken through before he could transform.
Well, how did one break any barrier? Strength. That came from their training. Or. . . a key. If you had a key to the door, you wouldn't have to break it down.
A key. . . an artificially manufactured genetic mutation. . .
She smiled, her mind suddenly full of ideas.
Her door opened again without even a knock this time. It was that pink slug, Dodoria. "Yes?" she asked as she hid her screen.
"Frieza wants to see you," he said. He was smiling. That *couldn't* be good.
________ ____________
A/N: Ah, the plot thickens. By the way, read "Dimensions of You," another Kahlan Nightwing story. Bulma is a Saiyan and Vegeta is a human assassin and Frieza has Bulma's brother and wants her, too. . .
By Elbereth in April
Kakkarot and Zarbon looked at each other. They'd been right. Frieza had called them into the throne room moments after he'd returned, to gloat over his successfully killing the Ginyu Force and to announce, "Now that those traitors have been dealt with, I have a gap in my ranks. I need a new elite fighting force that I can call on for missions that need a special touch.
"I'm appointing you two to head that force. Hold some try-outs and select two more of my strongest, most loyal fighters and report back to me."
"Um. OK," Zarbon replied. Kakkarot nodded, gave his standard half- bow, and they both left the room.
"Great," Kakkarot groaned. "Now what?"
"We do what he says," Zarbon answered softly. "Except for that 'most loyal' part."
Kakkarot smiled.
"We'll make the announcement of the try-outs to certain key people right after supper, and go from there."
"Which key people?"
"Ah, well, I think we need to have a meeting over that."
"OK. I'll go report to Vegeta and *before* supper, we'll have a meeting," Kakkarot agreed.
Vanyar came strolling over. "Are we standing down now?"
"Yeah. . . hey, I'll go tell Vegeta we're going to meet, and you go round up the others."
"No," Zarbon said, "*I'll* go get Vegeta. I want to say hello to my girl." He grinned.
"Fine! Van and I will get the others."
They all went their separate ways. Sekot slunk along after Zarbon.
___________ ___________
Dodoria landed about 10 minutes later. Frieza was at the landing bay waiting on his second lieutenant. "It's about time."
Dodoria knelt. "Sorry, my lord Frieza, but I have a gift for you!"
Frieza's eyebrows rose. "What?"
"Computer file from the official governmental records on planet Ponah."
Frieza yawned. "And I would be interested--why?"
"What's your main pet peeve, my lord?"
"I still haven't captured and killed that pesky Saiyan prince," he responded immediately.
Dodoria smiled and offered the disk.
Frieza's face lit up. "Dodoria. If you have discovered his identity, I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."
Frieza took the disk, and Dodoria finally stood. "Not exactly. But I hacked into their mainframe and intercepted a transcript of an interrogation of a Saiyan they had in their dungeons. He claimed to know how to find the Queen."
Frieza's grin was ear to ear. "Dodoria, you're not as stupid as you look."
". . . thank you, Lord Frieza."
_________ _____________
Zarbon and Vegeta walked towards the training room where they were meeting the other Saiyans. "I'm glad our women get along so well," Zarbon said.
Vegeta grunted.
"I have to admit, you did well for yourself. Lady Brains is beautiful. . . and a genius. I'm surprised you went for an alien, but in her case. . . irresistible."
"Zarbon. . ."
"Except for *my* woman, who I prefer. . ."
"Shut up, Zarbon."
"You don't like to talk about her, do you? Why's that?"
Vegeta looked away uncomfortably. If he couldn't discuss his feelings with *her,* he certainly couldn't with Zarbon. "It's just. . . personal."
"You just want her all to yourself. I can understand that. You're in love and don't want some other man getting ideas. . ."
Vegeta shoved him against the wall. "As if any other man could be competition!"
Zarbon laughed. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm still excited everything went so well!" He threw his arms in the air. "The Ginyu Force is no more!"
Vegeta finally smiled. "You do good work."
"You were my inspiration." Zarbon clapped him on the back. "You're a devious man."
Vegeta blushed slightly. "Shut up, Zarbon."
____________ ____________
The door opened. The two women looked up. Bulma minimized all her computer screens. "Can I help you?"
He looked at the two. "You're Lorimaya, Zarbon's girlfriend?" he asked, recognizing the other woman.
"Yes. Who are you?"
He ignored her. "So you would be. . . 'Lady Brains?'"
Bulma's eyes narrowed. "You're a friend of Zarbon's? Who *are* you?"
"Wold," he lied. "I'd just heard so many good things about you, I wanted to meet you. I can't believe you helped bring down the Ginyu Force."
Lori giggled. Bulma kept frowning. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard your name before."
He made a great show of being affronted. "Oh well, never mind then. I'll leave."
"Why don't you."
He did. Bulma looked at Lori, who seemed confused. "I have to stay here and run these tests on Saiyan D.N.A. Go and see Zarbon. Ask him if he knows a Wold and tell him what just happened. I'm afraid our cover may have been blown."
"Right," Lori said determinedly, and left as well.
___________ ____________
Dodoria met Sekot in the armory. "Frieza is busy right now. He sent me. What do you want?"
"I'm reporting in. I've been spying, you know. . ."
"I know. Make this quick." Dodoria was anxious to get back to Frieza and his findings.
"Tell Lord Frieza that Vegeta has a woman. She's an alien scientist named Bulma. She's gorgeous. Blue hair. . . Very smart. They're deeply in love." Sekot smirked.
Dodoria grinned. "Well, well. It's not news of the Saiyan Prince, but it'll make Frieza very happy all the same. If Frieza has Vegeta's woman. . ."
Sekot smirked wider. ". . . he's got Vegeta."
___________ _____________
"Long live the new Ginyu Force!" Valkan cheered.
"Needs a new name, obviously," Capran said.
"The name isn't important right now. We need two more members, and the question is who. It can't be you, Vegeta. Frieza would never allow it."
"Aw, I'm so unpopular," Vegeta smirked. They laughed.
"It probably shouldn't be a Saiyan at all," Kakkarot admitted. "We need to have Frieza looking away from us."
"But we don't have any non-Saiyan allies except Zarbon."
"I guess it's time to make some."
"OK. I have an idea," Kwil volunteered. "There's an Edorian named Tory who's pretty skilled."
"Aren't Edorians mostly telepaths, not warriors?"
"He's both. I heard he can get into a guy's mind and make him think his friend's an enemy so he attacks the wrong person."
"That's good. . ."
"And all of Frieza's telepath servants hate him, because they can get far enough into his mind to see what he's really like. So I've heard."
"I've got another one," Nappa said after a thoughtful pause. "There's an Apolyon-Catral hybrid who fights in the big All-Base Sparring Matches and wins a lot of the time."
"Isn't he that half-lion guy?" Dom asked.
"Exactly. And Frieza just sent his best friend off to blow up a planet and he got killed when the natives were too strong."
"Oh yeah, the Ginyu Force's last mission. . . before this one. They were sent to clean up the mess. I remember hearing talk in the dining hall."
"You mean Spona. He came in to yell at Frieza about his friend's death but Dodoria and I headed him off before he could get that far. And have Frieza execute him for his effrontery," Zarbon put in.
"He might work."
"We need a couple more. We have to seem to legitimately be holding auditions."
"Come on, Zarbon, you should know better than us."
"I'm thinking!"
Vegan had been doing sit-ups while he pondered. Now he stopped and said, "OK, how about Natala?"
Vegeta started to smirk. "Natala as in Recoome's half-brother's daughter?"
"She hates everybody."
"But I never heard she could fight."
"Oh, she can fight," Vegeta half-grinned. "Can't she, Nappa?"
Nappa was bright red. "No! I refuse to have anything to do with her!"
"She chased after him for awhile," Vegeta informed the others gleefully. "She can definitely fight."
They all laughed and stared at Nappa. "Oh, fine! Add her to the list!"
"Last one. Colyte. That wolf-bug guy," Zarbon suggested.
"He's creepy."
"But he's certainly strong."
"And he always mutters, 'Some day you will be brought down, tyrant,' whenever he leaves the throne room," Zarbon confided.
"All right. Can anyone think of anyone else?" No. "Any reason not to try one of these four?" No. "So. We eat. Then Kakkarot and Zarbon will approach them. We'll watch from the wings, and decide on which two after we see them," Vegeta declared.
The door opened and Lori burst in. "Zarbon, do you have a Saiyan friend named Wold?"
___________ ___________
Bulma stared at the computer screen. Saiyan D.N.A. was certainly complicated! It appeared that Kakkarot and Vegeta had the potential to actually transform their genes themselves--that in the process of going to Super Saiyan, they would achieve a higher, more powerful, and entirely new genetic state. She couldn't believe it.
But how to do that was still a mystery. There was a barrier, Vegeta had told her. A barrier that had to be broken through before he could transform.
Well, how did one break any barrier? Strength. That came from their training. Or. . . a key. If you had a key to the door, you wouldn't have to break it down.
A key. . . an artificially manufactured genetic mutation. . .
She smiled, her mind suddenly full of ideas.
Her door opened again without even a knock this time. It was that pink slug, Dodoria. "Yes?" she asked as she hid her screen.
"Frieza wants to see you," he said. He was smiling. That *couldn't* be good.
________ ____________
A/N: Ah, the plot thickens. By the way, read "Dimensions of You," another Kahlan Nightwing story. Bulma is a Saiyan and Vegeta is a human assassin and Frieza has Bulma's brother and wants her, too. . .