Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of it's characters. I do retain the right to do with them as I please for the sake of personal pleasure and free entertainment for others. =9

Author's Note: Well, I did pop this out pretty quick, though it's not really a chapter. This is the first of a several interludes that will break into the story. All interludes will take place in the past and let you, the reader, in on what happened between Serive and Vejita in the old days.

Warning: This chapter contains the beginnings of RAPE.

Interlude One

Serive grinned to herself as she strolled down a long hall towards a set of crimson double doors. Despite the rampaging barbarity of it all, this "purging" job was quite simple. Freeza must have been clueless about her race by thinking that their less technological, more nature-involved ways meant they were weak and couldn't handle violence. Her grin widened. Completely clueless. What did he think she'd do at this meeting? Break down and cry? Hell, she could do this for another three months, or however long it took to find a way out of here.

She could understand why the soldiers could kill without a thought; it was easy. Simple, quick, anonymous, and with the atmosphere of the soldiers' lives, it was a great venting tool. Still, inside Serive was a bit unnerved at her lack of disgust. She did not want to remain in this service for longer than she had to, lest she become as uncivilized and moronic as most of her purging peers. At least she understood how so many warriors would come to this employment with little thought.

Serive laughed openly as she approached the main doors to Freeza's main chamber. She knew how it would go: more threats she could withstand, more purging she'd be assigned to, perhaps a true risk of death. But death would be worth it. She refused to see her people in the hands of that vicious monster. She'd die before disclosing her planet's location and betraying her planet, the Wycanians, and most of all her king and queen to the greedy desires of the Ice-jin. Relov's adoring face flashed in her mind, and she frowned. Yes, she had been developing a fondness for the slightly younger boy, but she should not be favoring him above anyone else when it came to preserving Wycan. Besides, he was not a good match for her anyway. Her father would be furious if she knew she had any affection for Kouruji's new apprentice. But still…

The appearance of an effeminate creature with periwinkle skin interrupted her thoughts. She had seen him during every meeting she had with Freeza; he usually stood unemotionally in the corner or by Freeza's dias. He would just observe and say nothing during her interrogation, though once or twice she caught a bit of unamused surprise in his eyes at her fortitude. Sometimes the strange thought would cross her mind that he seemed a bit anxious for her, though she never knew why.

He was leaving Freeza's main room as she reached the doors, and she gave him a sarcastic salute as he passed by her. He gave her a warning glare.

"I would not continue to show that cockiness with Freeza," Zarbon cautioned.

Serive shrugged. "No harm in it. I am the key to my planet, am I not?" She laughed. "What's he going to do?"

The changeling frowned, tucking back a stray strand of dark green hair. "You're going to learn that answer the hard way," he muttered, continuing on his way.

"See you later," Serive said with a little wave, watching the man walk away, his long braid swinging back and forth behind him. He met the rather disgusting and rotund Dodoria at the end of the hall, and they vanished around the corner. It occurred to her then that this was the first time Zarbon would not be watching her direct defiance of his master; he had always been there, whether alone or with that aggravating pink bastard, Dodoria. Why would he not be there this time? The question made her feel uneasy, but she could not discern why Zarbon's presence in the room was so important to her. Dismissing her unnerving thoughts, she pushed one of the red doors open and slipped into Freeza's throne room.

The Ice-jin stood in the center of the room, waiting for her. As she had done about ten times before, Serive approached and knelt down on one knee, bowing her head. "I'm here, as you requested, Freeza-sama."

"You may stand," the tyrant replied.

She did so. "Why did you want to see me?" she asked, and she couldn't help her smirk. She always started their sessions this way; it had become routine. Next, he would ask her point-blank about Wycan's location.

"Just for a little talk."

She blinked. This was new. By now she should be telling him to find her planet by his damn self and preparing for a blow to the face. "A talk?" she repeated.

He nodded, eyes staring impassively into hers.

His utter calmness was very disconcerting, and Serive found herself frowning slightly as he slowly paced back and forth in front of her. He showed no anger, no arrogance, nothing. Then he spoke.

"Let us review the past three months, shall we?" he said coolly.

He did not go on, so Serive responded. "If you wish, sir." The title had an obvious inflection of humor.

He stopped in front of her, though he still faced the wall across the room. His blood eyes slid to her and for a moment the corner of his mouth quirked up in a very amused expression before relaxing again. "I do."

He began his pacing again, his tail swinging idly back and forth, speaking as if he had all the time in the universe. "Three months ago, I met your father on Kreoko, while you two were visiting its king, an acquaintance of his. I had been searching for the Wycanians for some time, to no avail, for apparently they had, coincidentally shortly after it was known that I wanted to visit, used all the power they could spare in shielding their planet from any kind of radar."

"And visual surveillance," Serive added with a proud smile. Though she did not fear death, she doubted Freeza would take so far an action. After all, she was the only one who could reveal her planet's location, and he could only dispose of her if he was absolutely sure she would not be budged.

He smirked again, and this time it stayed, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "So I was pleased to meet your father, who implied that he could meet me another day so we may arrange a meeting. I politely replied that I was not a fool. After a short conversation, I realized that your father would not be so kind as to escort me back to your world, so I proposed that if he was not so keen on employing your people under me, perhaps I should take you back with me to this base. You could have some first-hand experience, and if you thought it was worthwhile venture, you could escort me back to Wycan and we could report such to your king."

He paused, stopping in his steps and turning to her. "Of course, with all the underhanded words and phrasing, we all still know what the true deal was. I was rather surprised that your father would give his heir to me to spare your people." He laughed a bit to himself. "Although, it has happened before. This time, however, it was much more straightforward."

"The survival of all is more important than the survival of one," Serive recited. It was a basic Wycanian moral.

"Is that so?

"Of course. Any society needs dedication in its people. That is how Wycan has been around for so long." Serive stared at Freeza and added pointedly, "And that is why you will never break me down and make me tell you where Wycan is."

"Do you remember Vejita?" the Ice-jin asked abruptly with a horribly pleasant smile.

The grin made her uneasy, but she answered. "I see him now and then." What did Vejita have to do with this?

"You remind me of him."

"Do I?"

"Strong, willful, and proud… Clever and witty; always willing to make a smart-ass comment to prove your independence. All the necessary qualities for a royal brat. I'm the same way." His eyes had a sudden eerie sheen. "But do you know the difference between us?"

Serive opened her mouth to answer, but there was only a strangled sound when his claws took hold of her throat and squeezed. The sudden jerk of her body threw Jinja off her shoulder and sent the doll sliding across the tile floor. She worked her lungs the best she could to get air, but her efforts were stifled when his grip tightened.

"I am more powerful than either of you could ever hope to be!" he snarled, locking her still defiant gaze with his glare.

"Death is nothing to me!" she rasped out.

"Death?" He snorted, lowering his face close to hers. "There are much worse things, my dear," he hissed, a hand traveling across her breast.

Serive's eyes widened in fear. No. Not that. She was ready to face horrible torture, ready to meet her demise, but not this. She desperately lashed out, hoping to snag an important blood vessel with her long nails, but she only sliced through air.

He growled and slammed her onto the floor. His tail slithered around her throat and was nearly suffocating her as it held her on her back. She twisted and turned, gasping for breath. The hold loosened slightly and she could drag air into her lungs, but she couldn't get up no matter how she writhed. Freeza lay on top of her, quickly making shreds of her clothing. She felt a sudden sickness when something firm pressed into her leg, but she could only glare in horrified anticipation at Freeza's sick, gleeful face as she realized why Zarbon had not sat in on this particular session.

The face vanished and there was disgustingly warm breath on her ear. "You should be quicker to learn obedience after this," a mocking voice purred, and he drew back his hips.

Strewn across the floor, Jinja's stitched eyes could only watch.

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Constructive criticism, please? ::puppy-dog eyes::

Next chapter should be out soon. The key word being "should."