Chapter Nine
"Please! Aunt Bulma..." Zarah pleaded desperately.
"No, absolutely not. I am not going to send a five-year-old into space!" Bulma stood her ground uncompromisingly.
"I have to help Sasoli!" Zarah growled.
"Hey, calm down, I am sure she's just fine," Bulma smiled at her nephew.
"What's with all the shouting in here?" Goku stepped into Bulma's laboratory.
A smile crossed the full-blooded saiyan's face when he spotted the half-breed.
"Would you like to spar with me, Zarah? Goten tells me your parents train you regurlarly."
Zarah appeared to visibly hesitate as the opportunity to increase his strength was put before him and the urgency to rescue his sister.
"You might as well, since, you won't be going into space," Bulma remarked glibly.
"Yeah, Zarah, and we can get something to eat later," Goku placed a hand on the small boy's shoulder and led him from the room.
Bulma sighed to herself. It was sad really, Zarah really wanted to help, and came everyday to ask for a spaceship. He will make a good husband, she decided suddenly.
**
Bardock checked the time mechanism on his ship. One hour until he reached the planet where he would either find a small saiyan girl and know the records were incomplete or he would find no one and then go to earth to find his son. Hopefully Kakarot was alive and well, and if not... Bardock didn't know what he would do...
Bardock let his fingers play on the sides of his temple. He wanted to see if he could get a vision of the saiyan child again or if he would get something else. The last thing he wanted to happen was to become dependent on this ability, plus, there were some things best unknown.
Bardock set his jaw. I need to know where she is on the planet.
He concentrated as he put the tip f his finger on the small groove.
The alien with elfin ears stomped down the hallway with the girl in his arms.
Why can I never see her face? Bardock wondered absently as he saw the vision as if over the girl's shoulder.
A huge arch loomed in the distance, obviously meant for ships, when the man turned the corner.
"Are you going to kill me?" Her voice echoed softly in the room.
"No," the male replied sharply navigating through long hallways with ease, "You will stay in this room for your protection."
The male stopped in front of the room with strange symbols on it.
/^~^\
Bardock let his hand fall and his world instantly steadied. I don't understand, I thought he was setting a trap.
He shook himself, it didn't matter, he was going in like a thief into the night to get the girl anyway. Discretion, though not usually preferred, was a vital ability in one's repertoire and highly valuable.
**
Ava leaned against the door with relief, the sooner they reached the planet the better. She shivered as a memory stubbornly clung to her and refused to be suppressed, again.
"No, leave me alone," she clutched her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
Strong hands pinning her down on the floor of a ship...
"Stop it," she whimpered.
Dikon taking Sasoli from her, she couldn't get her back...
She curled into a tight ball.
The weight of a male, a tongue thrusting into her mouth...
"No," she snarled to herself as she straightened, she would kill her enemy before she would submit.
Green eyes, sharp teeth shredding her lips...
She turned to open the door when the large jagged crack caught her eyes.
I love you...
She traced the crack with her fingertips, she closed her eyes in memory.
Soft hands, soft lips...
"I have become weak," her lips twisted.
She knew better than to isolate herself after such events had taken place. The mind was a very powerful ally but could be one's most dangerous enemy. She had allowed her mind to play tricks on her and cloud her thoughts with doubt. No more.
Ava leaned against the fractured door again and sighed. She knew what her mate wanted of her just as she knew she could never do it. He didn't understand she needed to be strong and to save her rage for the people responsible. 17 wanted her to cry. He didn't realize she couldn't do so until she found her daughter dead. If she cried now, she would betray Sasoli's memory by not having faith.
Ava opened the door slightly, just enough to peek into the main room, and smiled.
17 sat with his back to her, slouching, and, knowing him, he was leaning on his elbows with his hands supporting his face.
Ava opened the connection between them. I love you...
**
17 jumped to his feet in surprise as he heard a door close softly. He swallowed and ran a hand though his hair.
He had heard her as clear as day, saying the words he had given up ever hearing from her mouth, what she had always said with her eyes.
A smile crossed his face as he shook his head. Sasoli had to be kidnapped before Ava would admit love to him.
Figures... Female saiyans, can't live with them, and you can't underestimate them unless you don't value certain parts of your anatomy. 17 shook his head once more as he returned his eyes to the control panel where a light blinked.
**
"Dikon!"
Dikon opened his eyes, instantly awake, as he got to his feet to answer the door.
"Why are you disturbing me?" Dikon demanded softly, concious of Blue sleeping in the connecting room.
"The watch ship has alerted us to a ship that has already landed! He couldn't tell how long it has been on the surface! You must come!" The guard pleaded.
"How big was the ship?" Dikon asked, wondering how many saiyans had come.
"It was a pod."
"One saiyan? I thought more would come for sure," Dikon mused.
"Are you coming? A filthy saiyan could be roaming our halls for all we know," the guard looked over his shoulder nervously.
"I doubt it," Dikon snorted, "From what I have seen of saiyans they don't have a discreet bone in their body."
Dikon stepped out of the room and took one last look at the room where Blue was before he shut the door.
**
"18!" 17 burst into the room, "the lights blinking!"
Without a word she left the room and pushed the button. She drummed her fingers impatiently as the screen took its sweet time rolling out.
"How lovely to see your face again," the male smiled.
"Yes, do you have the information?"
"Ah, to the point, well, the word in the air is Dikon is setting a trap on planet Splavish. The Splavoids, had in fact, challenged him to do the impossible, find live saiyans."
"Do you have the coordinates?" 18 asked, trying to appear excited.
"Yes, I am sending them to your computer. I couldn't get any details about whether he has succeeded or not, though... If you want to know for sure, they have a watch ship that floats around their planet that alerts them of incoming ships."
18 frowned.
"That's illogical, they would only be able to see ships coming if they happened to be on the same side of the planet."
He laughed.
"These are Splavoids," he shrugged.
"I am in your debt," 18 smiled and tilted her head before him.
"I am in love. I hope we will meet again, and if you should ever need help again, my name is Prol."
"I am 18."
He smiled as he terminated the connection.
**
Vegeta punched in the new coordinates with gusto.
"Excellent, it will only take an hour, at most, to reach the watcher," he smiled.
"The watcher?" 18 asked, confused.
"We are going to intercept the watcher so he can't send a warning to the other Splavoids. Ha! Splavoids! I can't believe they evolved enough to grow balls but not brains!"
"What are we going to do with the scout once we intercept him?" 17 frowned.
"Wait and see," Vegeta smirked evilly.
**
Bardock held his breathe as the male he had seen so often in his visions walked by arrogantly with a Splavoid in tow.
So, the lousy Splavoids are behind this after all, the bums. Bardock checked the hallway to see if it was clear.
Clear! Bardock slipped quietly through the door marked /^~^\.
He listened for any indication of being heard as he scanned the dark room. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark room and he could make out dark shapes easily. There was no bed or sleeping place in this particular room so there must be a connecting room.
He picked his way slowly across the room as he ran his hand against the wall. He didn't dare turn on the light and give away his position, at least until he had the child.
"Ah," he said softly, when his fingers felt the distinct shape of a door.
He turned the handle. This room was slightly brighter as it revealed a bed with a small lump on it.
Bardock kept his footsteps light as he went to the bed. He didn't want to startle her and have her awake with great noise. He shook her gently.
"Wake up small one," Bardock whispered softly in his native tongue, ears pricked to pick up the slightest sound from the hallway.
The girl yawned as she rolled over. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She then looked up at him though he seriously doubted her ability to see more than his general shape in the dark.
"Come on, we have to go," Bardock whispered urgently as he picked her up.
She seemed to smile at him though he couldn't be sure in the dark.
"I didn't know you spoke saiyan, Kakarot," she yawned, curled into his arms comfortably, and went right back to sleep.
Bardock blinked at her form. She knows my son, he's alive...
**
"All right, 18, are you sure you've got the plan?" 17 regarded his twin stoically.
"Yes," 18 replied, "now leave me alone."
The men had agreed to let 18 talk to the Splavoid since she had the most unlikely coloring for a saiyan. 17's coloring would have been too suspiciously similar to Sasoli.
18 watched the screen roll out. We really should keep this out all the time.
"State your purpose with Splavish stranger!" A green pink-eyed creature demanded.
"I am an ambassador that wishes to start trade with your planet," 18 didn't hesitate.
"Is that right?" Greed shone clearly in the creature's pink eyes.
18 nodded.
"I will have to search your ship female," he told her slyly.
"Done," 18 terminated the signal, "it's a go boys!"
**
Vegeta sat on the bed in direct view of the door. He could hear the Splavoid making it's way toward him.
"What's in this room?" A coarse voice demanded.
"Nothing special, just cargo," came 18's reply.
They had agreed to let 17 take the alien down.
Vegeta nodded at the black-haired android who stood beside the door.
The door swung open throwing 17 into seclusion.
The Splavoid stopped in its track as he saw Vegeta.
Vegeta stood up and regarded him coldly.
"What is this?" The Splavoid stared at Vegeta completely perplexed, this creature looked like a saiyan but did not have the tail of a saiyan--
17 interrupted the Splavoid's thought process when he picked up the small alien by the throat. 18 stepped forward and quickly searched the alien for concealed weapons. She found none.
"Where is my daughter?" 17 glared at the alien as he brought him to eye level.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the Splavoid replied shakily.
"The saiyan girl you bastards kidnapped!" 17's grip tightened, "Where is she?"
"I don't... know," he gasped, "even if I did... I wouldn't tell you..."
"Then you're expendable," 17 formed a small energy ball in his free hand.
"Wait, I have a better idea," Vegeta stepped forward, "give him to me."
17 glared at the Splavoid for a long moment before relinquishing his hold.
Vegeta made no move to restrain the alien though everyone knew, including the Splavoid, that he wasn't going anywhere.
The Splavoid swallowed against the tightness in his throat as the one that saved him, studied him, and he wondered if he had been better off with the one who had tried to kill him.
"I am only going to ask you this once, where is she?"
"I'll never tell," the Splavoid stood up straighter.
"That means you know," Vegeta picked the alien by the back of his shirt and carried him from the room.
"Where are you taking him, Vegeta?" 18 trailed along with her brother.
"Vegeta!" The Splavoid gasped with obvious horror.
Vegeta stopped in front of Ava's room ignoring the gasps of the stupid alien.
"Last chance, Splavoid, or I'll let the mother ask you," Vegeta sneered.
The Splavoid turned a light green.
"No, female saiyans do not exist anymore..." he almost seemed to plead with Vegeta.
"Is that so?" Vegeta rapped sharply on the door, "Ava, I have a gift for you."
"You're bluffing..." the green alien trailed off, his eyes widened in horror as the door opened.
She filled the doorway with an angry presence, her tail lashed behind her.
"A Splavoid?" She eyed the alien who was now trying desperately to slip out of his shirt.
"He knows Sasoli's whereabouts but he doesn't want to share his information with us, maybe you could ask him. Give him your... woman's touch," Vegeta's evil smirk was returned by his sister, though her eyes had narrowed into dangerous slits.
"Of course," Ava snatched the creature from her brother as a fierce joy lit her eyes, "How soon do you want the information?"
"We aren't in a hurry, take your time," Vegeta offered.
The Splavoid let out an ear-piercing scream of absolute horror, which startled the androids with its intensity.
"I'll talk!" The alien pleaded to the androids, "Please don't let her have me! I'll talk!"
"Of course you'll talk," Ava said almost soothingly as the door swung shut.
17 and 18 listened with wide eyes as the screams increased in frequency and intensity with an occasional cruel laugh. Vegeta just stood there leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and a pleased expression.
Seeing their discomfort, Vegeta sighed, "What is it now?"
"What is she doing to him?" 17 asked barely managing to repress a shudder as a particularly anguish-filled scream rent the air practically in two.
"I would have thought it was obvious," Vegeta chuckled.
"Why? He said he would talk?" 18 looked at Vegeta with new eyes, she had thought the saiyan egoistical but not sadistic.
Vegeta snorted.
"Doesn't matter, besides, she needs this."
"She needs to brutally torture someone to death?" 17 asked sarcastically.
"Yes," Vegeta started to laugh at their expressions of surprise, "You don't get it, do you?"
"What is there to get?" 18 frowned, "Just get the information and kill him. I don't see the point of torturing him if he was willing to talk."
"Better him than us," Vegeta shrugged, "We used to have many childless mothers on the loose, their children killed in wars or mishaps."
18 frowned confused.
"Why is this relevant?" 17 asked.
"Something snapped in their minds and made them turn on everyone around them, everyone became the enemy. It was as if they couldn't handle the thought, that in the end, they simply weren't strong enough to protect their young. They were like... zombies, sometimes taking other's children for their own, stealing them out of pods, and basically screwing up our whole system."
"So what happened to them?" 18 asked, concerned.
"It was decided to put them together and send them on suicide missions," Vegeta smiled at their outraged gasps, "the funny thing was they always managed to win and survive with their numbers intact. Only in battle did they come back to life and it was there they lived."
Vegeta turned his face slightly to the door.
"You see when they fought the enemy, the only face they would see is the face of the person who took their child to begin with."
17, too, turned his gaze to the door, understanding filled his eyes.
"I understand."
He did, he truly understood what Vegeta was trying to tell him. Ava had been dead to him to everyone when they had first found her, and released her from her rage. She had only responded to him slightly when he told her Sasoli was still alive and they would get her back. She then had responded completely, only after, he had explained his plans for revenge in explicit detail. H had saved her from the zombie existence but only barely...
"Thank you," 17 nodded to Vegeta who just shrugged.
"I missed something, didn't I?" 18 turned to her brother.
17 laughed, enjoying the confusion on her face.
"Saiyans speak their own language, 18," 17 smiled at her.
"Spare me," 18 rolled her eyes, ignoring the two males as they laughed at her.
End of Chapter Nine
AN: Alright! Things are starting to happen! I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your support, thee is nothing like a supportive reader so tell me if you like where I'm going with this story and I will update next Sunday, bye!