Disclaimer: yaddayaddaa.... you know this already.

Author's Notes: Blah!
Review please, flames will heat my house during blackouts.



Chapter 5: Invitations

On Yasha . . . .

"Listen up!" The local slave director called above the conversations of a dozen or so slaves. Yamcha vaguely tried to remember what species the short blue man was but came up with a blank. It didn't really matter, he was in charge and that was enough knowledge at the moment.

"I. Said. SHUT UP!!" The effect was immediate, a line was formed and silence permeated the room. Lessons were harsh, the director was harsher, you learned that quickly or you didn't survive.

"One of you punks is lucky. Or unlucky, however you want to put it. The twelve of you are here because you behave. For the most part." With this he glanced at Yamcha.

He hadn't been one of the ones who learned quickly. In fact, Yamcha hadn't started cooperating until he realized that his best chance of getting out of this hell-hole was on good behaviour.

"I've been informed by the Captain of the Hanyo that the ship needs a . . . an errand boy. The Hanyo is going on a trip, children. And one of you is going to volunteer to go."

Yamcha couldn't believe his luck. How to make sure I'm the one to go?

"Well, who wants to go?" the alien sounded far too friendly for Yamcha's liking. So friendly that directly volunteering was probably a bad idea. Apparently the others agreed with this assessment, no one was rushing to volunteer.

Vague ideas about how to do this with the least amount of suspicion were still floating through Yamcha's head when a huge figure loomed over the assembled slaves.

Three figures, Yamcha amended, looking over, although the one in front is more intimidating than the other two.

There was something familiar about the Yokai-jin who was obviously the leader of this group.

"Captain!" The slave director's voice came out as an undignified squeak, "I was just in the process of picking out one of these for you . . ." He trialed off as the Captain's gaze raked the line, resting on Yamcha.

"No need, I've already chosen." Now Yamcha knew why this guy was familiar, it was the Yokai-jin from earlier who had told him to load cargo onto the Hanyo.

The scary guy with the nails-on-chalkboard voice.

Mr. Big and Nasty pointed at Yamcha, "Atre, Isf. Take this one and familiarize him with the ship and his duties."

"Yes, sir," chorused the two flanking him.

Well, Yamcha mused as he followed Isf and Atre, that solves one problem. Hope I haven't landed in a bigger one.



On Vegeta . . . .

Caulif flopped into a booth at The Deadman's Haven as carelessly as she seemingly did everything else in life. With trained idleness she watched as Radditsu took the seat across from her, being more careful due to the drinks he held.

He'd changed. Physically, of course, but that wasn't what interested Caulif. No, it was the look in his eyes that had changed the most. Radditsu was battle-worn, tired, listless and lacking direction.

He's like I was before . . . .

"So, Radditsu, what have you been up to all this time?"

"Nothing much, normal army stuff. Off-world postings for the most part, I'm doing guard duty at the moment though. Bored out of my skull really. You?"

Picking up her drink she took a sip before responding, "Same stuff really. Sometimes I think 'if things were different,' you know?"

Radditsu nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I do. But it's not like anything is going to change. Not while Frezia's around."

"I'm not so sure," Caulif watched Radditsu's reactions carefully.

It'll be a risk, but . . .

"Rad, you're right. Nothing is going to change. Not while people don't do anything to change it. But there are some . . . There are some who are working towards change."

"Huh?"

Leaning forward, Caulif decided. She was sure Radditsu would be worth the risk.

"Ne, Rad? Have you ever heard of a group called Third Eye?"



Kakarotto sat leaning against a tree, wide eyes looking up at the stars without seeing them.

What is it about this girl?

ChiChi had fallen asleep after pouring out her story to him. Her tears had pulled at his heart, they were wrong. She shouldn't bear so much pain.

As a rule Kakarotto didn't think much on the comings and goings of anyone or anything outside his own existence. Things like Frezia, armies, and the purging-slash-takeover of planets were beyond his ability to affect, so he didn't think about them. Slavery he was more familiar with, he was faced with that every day, but it was a fact of life. True, it had bothered him before but he'd never been angry about it like he was now.

ChiChi had told him about the take-over of Earth, of armies and fighting, of friends found and lost, and of being taken from her home to be slave. In that she'd actually been vaguely lucky, having been bought by an old woman who merely wanted someone to cook and clean, things that under other circumstances ChiChi enjoyed.

That didn't change the fact that she was a slave and a long way from home.

The old woman had died recently. No one had bothered to claim ChiChi as their property, so she'd been more or less free for a few days. Still, now she had nowhere to go, and no way to support herself.

Upon hearing this Kakarotto had immediately offered for her to stay with him for a while. He felt drawn to ChiChi, he needed to make her safe and happy. She had accepted the offer.

Stupid! Kakarotto mentally berated himself. You're a homeless street-rat! What do you have to offer her? No food, no money, not even a place to sleep under a roof!

He wasn't sure why he'd made the offer in the first place, it had been purely instinctual, and his pleasure when she'd accepted had been beyond reason.

Hell, he was still pleased about it, but now there was a nagging voice in the back of his head. You'll fail her and she'll hate you for it.

Kakarotto wasn't ever sure about much, but he was positive that the last thing he wanted was for ChiChi to hate him.

He looked over at her sleeping and felt something fall into place in his heart.

So I'll figure this out, and I won't fail her.



Kabaji scowled at her brother in distaste.

"You're drunk again, Kyu."

"So? 'Ish not yur problem," Kyukamubaa retorted as he stumbled in through the door.

Sighing, Kabaji put down the book she'd been reading and went over to steady him on the trip to his room.

This was nothing new, her brother - Well, half-brother - was forever coming home at strange hours, and was usually piss-loaded drunk. It bothered Kabaji immensely, but more so because she also knew Kyu had reasons for being drunk half the time.

Shaking her head, she kicked open the door to his room half-carrying, half-dragging him in. Strangely he kept his room clean, Almost not lived in.

Kyu dropped onto the bed with a thump. It would have been funny had she not seen it happen so many times before.

She started to leave the room with some idea of getting a bucket for him, just in case he needed it later.

"The hag'll not like you takin' care of me," Kyu's voice drifted up from the bed, causing Kabaji to halt in her tracks.

"Mother isn't home. She had a meeting with Zarbon earlier, and she's been gone making arrangements since. She was home briefly, she seemed....pleased about something."

"Don' care 'bout that . . ."

Kyu was twisted, vulgar, dirty, forever drinking, always getting in fights, and was generally messed up but he was her brother.

Kabaji turned to met his gaze, only to find him asleep.

I'll let him sleep.