"When did they learn to do that?" Roger asked turning to Vegeta.
"A few months ago Kakkarot taught them." Vegeta smiled. "You should have seen them the first time they tried it. Abigail had her arm slightly off angle and they ended up fused in that fat form I told you about when Goten and Trunks fused for the first time. Abi-Chi spent the entire 39 minutes asking, 'Do I look Fat?'"
Roger chuckled.
"They're pretty strong!" Gerald said.
"Yeah, but we still can't sense how powerful Korlos is, or how he can present them with enough of a challenge for them to fuse." Jessica said.
"You could try reading his mind." Gerald offered.
"No thank you very much! I already ventured into that snake pit of a brain once, and that was more than enough!" Jessica exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Gerald agreed.
Kardeem was utterly amazed at the power of the women.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Korlos uncovered his eyes and the light died away. Where there were two women, now there was just one. This woman's brow was heavier, and she lacked eyebrows. Her long gold hair reached past the backs of her knees.
Her power was beyond anything Korlos had ever felt before.
Still, she was just a woman and Korlos's pride would never let him admit that any woman was his better."
Korlos turned his power up to full, his body started to softly glow. "Die bitch!" Korlos screamed as he launched himself at Abi-Chi.
"Oh no! You did not just call me a bitch!" Abi-Chi said as she easily blocked Korlos's attack. "Tell me that you did not just call me a bitch!"
Even at his top power, Korlos was no match for Abi-Chi's speed. He could not land a single blow. Korlos still pressed his attack.
After another full minute of punching and kicking to no avail, Korlos broke off his attack and flew back several yards.
Abi-Chi floated in front of him smiling. "What's a matter? Is the little weak lady too much for the big strong man to handle?" Abi-Chi said sarcastically.
"I'm going to wipe that stupid grin right off of your face!" Korlos's anger rose exponentially, as it did, so did his energy. Korlos charged an attack and fired directly at Abi-Chi's face. The explosion was huge! Half the city now lay in ruin as Kladeshians flew away from the fighting with several of their wounded being carried.
"Damned! This jerk doesn't even care about his own people!" Abi-Chi thought.
Abi-Chi had been holding back until now, slowly leading Korlos out of the city, but that may prove to be a mistake if Korlos has this much disregard for his fellow Kladeshians. Abi-Chi decided to take him out now. Abi-Chi flew in fast and threw a solid kick to Korlos's gut. The sound of Saiyan foot on metal could be heard for miles. The power of the blow proved devastating to Korlos.
Korlos was doubled over in pain, his eyes practically bulging from their sockets. He looked at Abi-Chi with an evil glare before falling to the ground.
Abi-Chi floated down to the ground in front of him. "Had enough boy?"
Korlos struggled to get back to his feet, faltered, and fell back to the ground. His cyborg body was heavily damaged.
"This isn't over!" Korlos finally managed to say. Suddenly, his body began to glow red. "I've activated my self-destruct mechanism. In 30 seconds, you, me and this entire planet will be dust!"
"How can you do this? These are your own people!" Abi-Chi exclaimed in disbelief.
"I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME!" Korlos screamed as his body glowed even brighter.
Abi-Chi didn't have time to think, so she acted on her first instinct. Rushing over to Korlos she threw him as high into the air as she could muster. Korlos tried to catch himself, but the damage to his metal form was too severe. Abi-Chi followed behind him. Just as Korlos reached the upper atmosphere, Abi-Chi raised her hands above her head and used the attack that Yambia had taught them.
"Burning Comet Attach!" The beam of energy left Abi-Chi's hands and struck Korlos full in the chest, pushing him up at an amazing rate. Up and out of the planet's atmosphere.
Korlos was riding the beam, screaming silently in the cold of space.
Abi-Chi pushed her energy forward, pouring her heart and soul into it. She had to get him as far away from the planet as she could before he exploded.
Then he did explode. He exploded with a tremendous force, knocking Abi-Chi down towards the planet surface. For several long seconds the planet was rocked with incredible force, and the sky looked like the sun had gone nova.
Again Tien had to cover his eyes with his arms as the shock wave reduced what was left of the city to rubble. Tien was forced towards the ground. Just then, a pair of strong hands caught him under the arms.
"Looks like the King of all the Saiyans had to bail you out again!" Tien looked up into Vegeta's smirking face just as the light was subsiding.
Tien smiled. "You know, for once I don't really mind."
Vegeta's smirk turned into a smile.
"Look up there!" Roger exclaimed pointing to a rapidly falling figure high in the sky.
Roger flew up underneath Abi-Chi and waited until she was close enough. He then matched her speed and gently caught her. She was singed and out cold.
"Is she okay dad?" Gerald looked concerned.
"I think she will be alright." Roger answered. "She's going to be sore for awhile though."
"Perhaps not." Gerald smiled. Gerald powered up into his Double Mystic Ultimate Saiyan form.
"You can do that at will now!" Roger exclaimed. Vegeta and Tien also looked surprised.
"Yes, I can." Gerald said simply as he lowered himself to the ground.
Gerald began to concentrate his energy, letting it flow out like water.
"What's he going to do?" Tien asked wide-eyed.
"Just watch." Vegeta said.
Tien did watch. The city that was nothing more than rubble was rebuilding itself. The reconstruction traveled in a wave in all directions from Gerald's body. A few minutes later, the people that had died or been trapped in the rubble began to venture out into the street. The wounded Kladeshians that had been carried out by the survivors also healed, and opened their eyes. All the Kladeshians looked at each other in amazement. The sunlight seemed to take on a new feel, and even the air seemed fresher somehow.
Tien felt his own strength return.
"Let go of me!" Abi-Chi yelled at a surprised Roger who immediately did as he was told.
"Sorry." Roger said sheepishly. "You were falling and…"
"It's okay. What happened?" Abi-Chi asked.
"You saved the planet!" Gerald said flying up to meet them.
"I did? I did, didn't I?" Abi-Chi said proudly.
"Yes you did." Vegeta smiled. "However, I said arrest Korlos, not blow him to smithereens!"
Vegeta smirked.
"Well he didn't give me a whole lot of choice Vegeta!" Abi-Chi took the bait. She looked into Vegeta's eyes.
"You're not serious, are you?" Abi-Chi said at last.
"Of course not." Vegeta smiled. "You fought bravely and well. You should be proud. You are a true Saiyan."
Abi-Chi blushed. "Thank you Vegeta."
Vegeta looked over at Tien, who wasn't paying much attention to the rest of them. He was looking down towards the large building that he was first brought to when he was kidnapped. From an aerial perspective, it looked to be a palace or castle of some sort. The people, confused by the recent events, were gathering in front of the palace, in the mall, perhaps looking for some guidance. They looked lost, leaderless, and sad.
"Hey baldy! I think that wraps up our business here. I can take you back to Earth. I have to pick up the runt anyways." Vegeta snapped Tien out of his reverie.
"Vegeta, what do you think will happen to these people?" Tien asked somberly.
"If they follow the same pattern that they have in the past, the other factions may use the leadership vacuum here to their advantage and attack initiating another civil war which may probably last for years." Vegeta said. "I've seen it happen on numerous other worlds."
Tien looked at his people again. He remembered the faces and the people in the bombed out city he visited earlier. The boy with only one arm…
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Tien whispered, then louder. "Vegeta, will you help me?"
"Ask, and it will be yours." Vegeta bowed low. "King Sarmen."
The others all followed Vegeta's lead.
Tien looked at the faces around him. "Thank you, my friends."
"These people will need food, and supplies until we can get them back on their feet." Tien said.
"It will be done, Roger?" Vegeta turned to his trusted trade advisor.
"Yes! We will call the full trade council together; we'll ask them to all pitch in. We can use instant transmission to get what you need here faster!" Roger said. "It should be no problem at all!"
"There is one more thing." Tien paused. "I have to visit Earth just one last time after this planet is running smoothly again. I have one last piece of unfinished business."
"We will see to it." Vegeta said.
"Well then… I guess it's time I go and meet my people." Tien said as he floated down towards the balcony above the mall.
Roger started to fly down with him, but Vegeta pulled him back.
"If he is to be an effective King, his people must accept him because they believe in him, not because he has some high powered friends. He must do this alone." Vegeta said.
"Well, I guess we need to go and set up the aid these people will need." Roger said.
"I'm going to stay, at least for a few days. Old three-eyes may need some advice." Vegeta said.
"Okay, but don't forget that you have your own planet that needs you." Roger smiled.
"Go on. These people need help as soon as possible. Tell Bulma I will be home soon" Vegeta said.
Roger smiled as he put two fingers to his forehead. "Of course." Abi-Chi and Gerald grabbed Roger's shoulder and they disappeared.
Vegeta floated down to the roof of the palace and tried to remain inconspicuous. It wasn't hard since the crowd's attention seemed riveted to the figure on the balcony.
Many of the Kladeshian's eyes were wide with recognition.
"My people…" Tien started. "I am King Sarmen IV… I have come… home."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tien and Vegeta landed on Mt. Zu's southern face, less than a kilometer from the top.
"Wait for me here Vegeta." Tien turned and started trudging up the side of the mountain.
"Do I have to stay here?" Vegeta scowled. "I knew the squirt too!"
"I don't know if the dragon will let me in, much less a total stranger." Tien said. "But you can come and ask."
Truth to tell, Tien was glad Vegeta wanted to come as well. The past two years has given Tien an opportunity to really get to know Vegeta. His insights have been invaluable to the reconstruction effort that is still ongoing on Gardedose.
Roger was true to his word, within just a few days food, medicine, even medical staff was sent from various planets to help set up facilities and treat all the poor souls previously wounded in the wars that Korlos started as a cover for his activities.
Apparently, the tyrant was pillaging the old science labs for technology that he then used to 'improve' himself.
Bulma even came in and inspected everything and gave it her seal of approval.
Korlos was right about one thing, Tien's presence did bring his people together, especially when they found out that Tien was not going to stand for the despotic cultural rules that Korlos demanded. Tien found that most people were sick of these rules anyway. The Kladeshian now women enjoyed an equal standing in society. A situation that surprisingly, most men didn't object to as much as Tien thought they would. Kardeem proved to be a valuable advisor, bringing Tien up to snuff on Kladeshian history, culture, and everything else he needed to know. A few weeks after Korlos was defeated, Kardeem approached Tien.
"King Sarmen? Your lordship?" Kardeem with his head bowed.
"What can I do for you Kardeem?" Tien asked the obviously distressed man.
"My sister, and the other prisoners. What would you have done with them?" Kardeem said.
"Prisoners?" Tien looked at Kardeem a bit confused.
"The heretics and the defectors sire." Kardeem said.
"Take me to them at once, Kardeem." Tien said.
Kardeem blinked. "Sire?
You want to go to them?"
"Now Kardeem." Tien reiterated.
"At once your highness." Kardeem started down the hall.
As soon as Tien passed through the iron doors at the lowest level of the palace, he knew he had entered into hell. The stench of death and disease hung heavy in the air. The moans and groans of the damned could be heard from somewhere beyond the next corner.
Tien steeled himself and rounded the corner. Nothing he could have possibly done could have prepared him for what he saw.
The hall was lined on both sides by small cells. In each one was a Kladeshian, or the remnants of one. Some cells contained no more than rotting corpses, or bones. The others contained living Kladeshians well on their way to becoming rotting corpses, or bones. The stench was overwhelming. Each cell had a name tag. Tien walked the length of the hall; he counted 400 cells as he walked.
"Kardeem!" Tien called trying not to retch.
"Yes your highness!" Kardeem said.
I want food, and medical staff down here now! I want these people freed and taken care of." Tien ordered.
A wide grin came over Kardeem's face, and tears came to his eyes. "Yes sire! Immediately!"
Kardeem ran off as fast as he could.
Another cell had caught Tien's attention. The name plate said, "Katrinka".
"So this is why Katrinka decided to stay on Earth." Tien mused.
Vegeta had naturally contacted her when he picked up Kirillin. After getting over the initial shock of hearing that Korlos had been destroyed, she asked if she could live on Earth. She said she had nothing here to come back to.
"Painful memories." Tien muttered.
Tien watched as members of the Saiyan medical team came down on Tien's order to Kardeem. Each one expressed horror. Even on their very worst day, a Saiyan would never torture an enemy like this. This was the work of a butcher.
After a few minutes, Kardeem returned with water and food carriers.
"Your majesty?" Kardeem approached the reluctant king again.
"Yes Kardeem?" Tien turned and Kardeem noticed the tear running down Tien's cheeks.
"The labs sire. K-Korlos kept a lab at the end of the hall where he… he performed e-experiments." Kardeem stammered out pointing to a door at the far end of the hall.
"Kardeem. Every body that can be identified is to be taken and given a respectful burial. Every living person is to be properly taken care of and taken out of this place. Then seal these rooms off forever." Tien ordered grimly.
"On Earth, in the United States, they have a crypt of sorts called 'The Unknown Soldier'. Take the body parts that cannot be identified and build a memorial in the mall in front of the palace. Inscribe on it, "Those that suffered so that no Kladeshian forgets the cost of tyranny."
"It will be done sire." Kardeem said as he started walking away.
"Kardeem? Did you find your sister." Tien asked.
"Yes sire. She is in bad shape. The Doctors say it would be a miracle if she recovered." Kardeem said sadly.
Tien smiled a bit. "Do you believe in miracles Kardeem?"
"I pray for one with all my heart sire." Kardeem said as he left to fulfill his duties.
"Then I will see what I can arrange my friend." Tien whispered at Kardeem's retreating back.
Late that night, a tall figure appeared outside of the medical ward.
"Thanks for coming Gerald." Tien said.
"Vegeta said you needed me to heal some people, so I transformed before I left Vegetasei." Gerald said. "Where are the people you need healed?"
"Inside this wall. Can you do it without going in?" Tien asked.
Gerald put his hands against the wall and concentrated. Inside he felt several hundred kis, many of which were extremely low.
Gerald let his ki flow out and concentrated again.
The next morning Kardeem was quite a bit late reporting to his post. When he did come in, he was very apologetic.
"Sire, I am sorry I am so late! You will not believe what has happened!" Kardeem said excitedly.
"What has happened Kardeem?" Tien smiled inwardly.
"All of Korlos's prisoners have completely healed over night! My sister will live!" Kardeem was almost dancing.
"Kardeem, you are way too excited to be of any possible use to me today. So I will give you two days to go and be with your sister and report back to work and be prepared to give a good day's work. You will be paid for this time off." Tien said.
"Yes sire! You won't regret this! I will work hard when I come back!" Kardeem ran out of the palace as fast as he could.
Tien's reverie was broken as he approached the front gate of the cemetery. Tien stopped and Vegeta walked up beside him.
"I don't see a dragon! I just see snow, snow and ice!" Vegeta complained.
"Believe me Vegeta, he is here." Tien said, then raised his voice.
"Great Dragon! Please talk to me! I have come to make a request of you!" Tien called.
At first there was nothing but the sound of the blowing
wind.
Then the sound of cracking ice came as the ground began to shift and uncoil
from around the mountain's top. A huge
head reared up into the sky.
"Know you that this is holy ground. None are permitted here." The dragon's booming voice echoed off the surrounding mountains.
"Dragon! Please! I will never be back here again! I only wish to say a last goodbye to my friend! Don't you remember me?" Tien pleaded.
The dragon's great head lowered and examined Vegeta first, then Tien closely.
The dragon's eyes glowed red for several seconds.
"I will honor your request on one condition." The dragon finally said.
"What is it?" Tien asked.
"That you and your friend promise never to come back here again." The dragon answered.
"It shall be so." Tien said.
"I also promise." Vegeta said.
"Then you may pass." The dragon stated.
In front of them, the gate to the cemetery opened.
Several minutes and a bit of a hike later, they stood in front of Choutzu's grave.
Tien didn't say a word, just stood there for several long minutes.
Finally, he sighed, took something from under his tunic and placed it on the grave.
"Good-bye my friend." Tien nodded at Vegeta who placed two fingers to his head. Both of them disappeared from site.
They left behind nothing but the dead, and a small hat on a lonely grave.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay! That concludes the King Tien Saga! Next up is Buu's Humanity Saga! Let me know if you want me to continue!
