Zicke- Hey! Thank you for the review. I hope I can keep this interesting! Haha
Garowyn- Thanks! I love the interaction of the Saiyans in that last chapter. Probably my favorite one was Brolly or Radditz. Not sure! ;-) I promise it's only going to get better down the road.
Vegeta's first fan- You'll find out why Vegeta was banished from Vegetasei in this chapter. Him and Akira talk about it. Thanks for the review!
Shades of Crimson- I did it again, huh! Hahaha I'm so proud of all my stories. I think this one is going to do really well. It's got a lot of interesting twists down the road. ;-) I love the Saiyans in this story too! They're fun. Vegeta was a bit cruel in the cave with Bulma. What a first impression, huh! Hahaha… Yep, Akira is Goku, Turlis, Nor, and Radditz little sister. Don't worry. There was no romance between Vegeta and Akira back in the day. Strictly friendship. You'll see! Thanks for babbling! I really didn't mind hehe Thanks!
Tsume-Hiei luver- Hahaha yeah. Both Bulma and Vegeta are little troublemakers in this! Thanks for the review!
GlOwStIcKcAnDyGuRl- Yep, yep, yep! You're going to like how Chi comes in. It's interesting! Thanks!
SilverWing145- Hahaha. Poor Bulma getting terrorized by Vegeta… He can be so cruel sometimes. I promise there was nothing but friendship between Akira and Vegeta. Thanks for reviewing!
KarineD- Everyone liked the cave scene! Awesome! Hahaha Thanks for the review! Enjoy!
DBZ-fan-JESS- Thanks! It's getting hard to come up with original things anymore, especially when you want to do a certain type of story. I hope I keep everyone interested!
Princess Bulma- Thanks for the review!
Na'Janay- You're right about one thing. This is going to be a long ride, and to give everyone an estimate, I've only got 24 chapters completely outlined and that's maybe only half of the story! Yeah! Haha… Lots of work. Hope everyone is ready for this! Thanks for the review!
Kataan- Yeah, Bulma's a bit girly and stuff at the moment. She'll mature a bit very quickly. There's a lot that's going to happen! Thank you for reviewing!
Mustang07- Vegeta was great in this chapter, huh! Thanks!
PrEtTyStUpIdGuRl- Yikes! Don't hurt me! I swear I'll update! Thanks!
Chapter 02: Loyalties
"This is the last time I'm going to ask you, Briefs," Freeza hissed. "Where did you send your daughter!"
The human king's head lulled slowly to the right and he somehow managed to glare at the Icejin through his swollen, black eyes. "You'll never find her. By now, she's far from here and safe," he gurgled painfully through the blood and bile rising in his throat.
The Icejin prince gritted his teeth furiously and stomped over to the king. Grabbing a fistful of graying lavender hair, he jerked King Brief's head sharply at an odd angle, snapping it like a twig. Behind him, King Cold sighed.
"Well, now we'll never get anything out of him, son," he stated in a bored tone. "I hope you have some alternate way of tracking the princess and her little friend."
Freeza glared at the lifeless, bloodied body lying on the table in front of him. "He never would have told us anything useful," he spat.
"How do we know for sure now, brother?" Cooler reached for a glass of wine. "As usual, you let your anger get the best of you instead of thinking of the consequences." He took a small sip and then grinned at his younger brother. "Thank the gods I'm the stronger of us both and next in line to rule. You wouldn't have an Empire left because you'd get so mad you'd blow everything up."
Before Freeza could retaliate verbally or physically, their father stepped in. "Enough bickering. It's getting us nowhere, but Freeza?"
"Yes, father?"
"You're brother is right. You really must learn to control your temper."
(Change scene)
Once Akira was sure that Bulma was bandaged up and sleeping, she walked out of their room and decided to wander around the ship for a while. She needed to clear her head and come up with a plan. She made her way down the hall and into the lounge. All the chairs had been moved against the wall, leaving the middle of the floor open, and that's where she spotted Vegeta. He was sitting Indian-style, and his hands were resting palm up on his knees. She cast him an apologetic look when she realized that his eyes were open, and he was staring up at her.
"What are you doing up?" He demanded.
She walked over and sat down on the floor facing him. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
Vegeta nodded. "Good, then you can explain to me why you left Vegetasei when I gave you explicit orders to remain."
"I couldn't stay there, not after the banishment proceedings, Vegeta. When your brother took over, everything seemed to fall apart. He doesn't even know how to rule. Vegetasei is in shambles, and I couldn't stand to be associated with the council or the monarchy. The way they turned on you," she started sadly. "To think that you were even capable of killing your father. How no one seemed to stand up for you in the council," she went on, staring at the floor to hide the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.
"There's something else you're not telling me," he said after a while, though he knew everything else she had said was sincere.
Akira blinked back the sting in her eyes and looked up at him. "He changed my marriage contract as well." She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. She could feel Vegeta's intense gaze boring into her.
"Is it who I think it is?" He demanded angrily.
She simply nodded. There was no way she was going to say his name out loud. She despised the man, and Vegeta knew all too well why she did. He decided to drop it. He wouldn't bring it up again. Nearby in the hallway, Bulma was standing with her back against the wall. She had never heard Akira talk about any of this before, and no one she knew had even this much knowledge as to why Vegeta had been banished in the first place. Akira seemed to think that Vegeta was incapable of killing his father, but Bulma wasn't too sure. He had seemed to derive great pleasure out of tormenting her in the cave several hours ago, so he didn't really come off as a nice guy to her. Back in the lounge, Akira was silently coming to terms with a difficult decision.
"There's something you should know," she told Vegeta. She waited until she had his undivided attention once more. "The reason I'm on the run from the Colds. They're planning an attack on Vegetasei. Princess Bulma overheard it personally."
"How dare you!" Bulma shouted, coming out of her hiding place.
Vegeta and Akira were instantly on their feet, startled by the intrusion.
"You swore an oath of loyalty to my father, and here you are disclosing important information! I thought you were honorable," she yelled at Akira.
Akira stepped up to her and glared back.Like a true Saiyan, she wasn't going to stand back and let her honor be questioned."I'm a Saiyan, and my loyalties have always been, and always will be, to Vegetasei. Besides," she continued on angrily. "You're father is most likely dead by now, and Vegeta is our only hope because incase you hadn't noticed, Your Highness, we're kind of fugitives!"
Bulma covered her mouth with her hand, and Akira watched stoically as the tears slipped down the princess's face before she turned and ran back to their room to cry herself to sleep. As soon as she was gone, Akira let out the breath she had been holding. Beside her, Vegeta just chuckled softly.
"I think you just kicked me out of the number one spot on her 'most hated' lists," he told her.
"She's just very unnerving to be around sometimes," Akira replied. "I should go speak with her." She was feeling really guilty now.
"Leave her. It's not like she's going to want to talk to you right now anyway." He walked toward the other end of the room, and Akira followed him quietly. "This information could help me a great deal," he went on thoughtfully. "If the council hears it from me, they might at least lift the decree that banished me."
"That's what I was thinking, and then we can try to bring to light your brother's part in your father's death," Akira spoke up as they entered the control room.
Radditz looked up from the navigational screen. "What's going on?" He asked after spying their serious expressions.
"It's finally time to exact my revenge," Vegeta said.
"How do you plan on pulling that off?" Radditz inquired skeptically.
Akira leaned against the wall by the chair Vegeta had decided to sit in. "The Cold Empire's going to make a strike against Vegetasei soon."
(Change scene)
Outside the Saiyan palace on the eastern side was a sprawling garden with huge fountains that spout sparkling droplets of water into the warm summer air. This was where the young princess found some semblance of peace in her strange existence. Her older brother hardly ever came into the courtyard. Indara wasn't sure why he seemed to be so wary of this place, but she was grateful for it. Sighing, she leaned back against the bench and remembered all the good times she had spent here with her friends. It tore at her heart that they had left, but they all had good reasons. Hell, she would have gone with them, but her mate wouldn't allow it.
'Space is no place for a princess,' he had told her, and she knew he was right. He was a warrior, and he had traveled to other systems and planets. He knew how things worked out there. She had only ever been to the moon colonies of Vegetasei, and even then, she had had to sneak there by stowing away on her eldest brother's ship once when she was a little girl. The memory brought a sad smile to the pretty, raven-haired girl's face as she remembered Vegeta's face when he caught her and Akira cramped together in a utility closet. Her father had been so angry with her, too.
Indara sniffed slightly and brushed back the straight black hair that framed her face. She'd give anything to see her father again, to be twirled around in his arms after he just got back from some diplomatic meeting on one of their neighboring planets. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She missed her big brother too. Sure, he checked in with her from time to time, but it wasn't the same. They could never speak for long for fear of their brother, the king, finding out. Who knew what he would do?
"Princess Indara," one of her ladies-in-waiting called out to her as she approached out of breath.
The Saiyan princess glanced up at her. "Yes, Ghanyma?"
The other woman knelt beside her and leaned in close. "There is a message from your brother's ship for you at Lady Mara's house in the city. She sent word that it was urgent."
Indara rose to her feet slowly and sent Ghanyma a serious look. "How many times must I remind you that you are to never rush in here like you just did? You know how paranoid the king is," she scolded. "It could raise suspicion with him."
"Forgive me, princess. I know we must be cautious."
"It's alright. Calm down. Rall is in a meeting with the council at the moment. Accompany me to Lady Mara's estates." Indara motioned for a guard nearby. "Have a transport waiting for me at the main gatehouse," she commanded.
He bowed politely and ran off to carry out his duty so that by the time the princess and her friend made it to the gate it would be there for them.
(Change scene)
Lady Mara's estate was the most beautiful house in the entire city mainly because her father had owned and operated several companies throughout the Saiyan Empire. Indara laughed as Mara's five-year-old son, Riodan, ran down the steps and into her arms. She swung him up and perched the boy on her hip.
"And how is my little man today?" She asked him.
"Mother won't let me into the com-room," he pouted. "Do you know why?"
'Of course I know why,' she thought sadly, but instead of saying so, she decided to change the subject with him. "But if you were in the com-room, who would be here to meet me?" She asked with a wounded tone.
"Mother would meet you," he insisted.
Indara walked into the main hallway, still holding the boy in her arms. She spotted Mara standing outside the com-room door. The princess gently placed Riodan back on his feet. "Stay out here, dear. I bought you a treat on my way through the city, but I'll only give it to you if you behave for Ghanyma," she told him.
Riodan's cute little face lit up with a huge grin. "I'll be good!" He ran over and clung to Ghanyma's leg.
Indara turned to her friend. "Are you coming in with me?"
Mara shook her head. "I can't," she whispered sadly, glancing at her son. "It hurts too much to see him."
"Nor deserves to know he has a son," the princess whispered hastily. "I can't believe you've kept this from him for so long."
"What would it change, Indy? He's banished along with your brother. He can never come home."
"This is your business. I just wish you'd listen to reason." Indara pulled open the door to the com-room. "I'll be out in a few minutes."
(Change scene)
"I don't remember Indy being so slow," Akira joked as she waited patiently for her old friend to come on the screen.
Radditz laughed. "She does this every time because normally it's Turlis calling on her, and she's still making him pay for leaving her behind."
"She wouldn't have left, even if he begged her to," Vegeta cut in.
"You got that right," Indara spoke up, startling them all. Radditz was the only one that showed up on her screen. "Nice to see you for a change, Radditz."
"I imagine it is," he joked back, grinning. "I'd get sick of looking at Turlis all the time as well."
Indara laughed. "I heard my brother's voice just a second ago. Where is he?"
"I'm here," Vegeta muttered.
His younger sister smiled softly. "Good. Things are going well?"
"For the most part," Vegeta answered. "I have a favor to ask of you though."
"That's what family's for," she said. "Go ahead."
Vegeta took over Radditz chair so his sister could see him. "I have something to bring up before the council that could get me back into their good graces." He looked to his left at Akira then back to the screen. "I have undeniable evidence as well. We need your help to get back onto the planet."
Indara bit her bottom lip. "Hmm. Where are you at right now?"
"About a month and half to two months away."
"Can you give me a week to figure something out?"
Vegeta nodded. "We'll contact you this time next week," he assured her.
"Perfect. Now, how about getting my no good mate in there so I can make him feel bad about leaving me here," she joked.
(Change scene)
"Where is my sister?"
The nervous guard bowed before his king and fought to suppress his trembling. "She went into the city, but she never confided in me on where she was going exactly," he answered carefully. He didn't want to give away the princess to her brother.
The Saiyan king frowned, tapping his foot against the cold marble floor. "She told you nothing of where she was going?" He stood up from his throne and stepped off the dais, stopping just in front of the guard. "Your job is to know of Princess Indara's every move." He placed his hand on the other man's shoulder and shook his head sadly. "How am I to know my sister is safe if you're not doing your job?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness."
The king turned to one of his loyal guards. "Find this man's family and have them killed."
"That is unnecessary," Indara spoke up from the main archway. She walked across the room and curtsied in front of her brother. "I purposely mislead him, dear brother, because I did not want you to find out where I was going."
"And why is that, Indara?" Rall demanded in an angry tone. He did not like people keeping things from him.
The princess smiled up at her brother. "Because it is a surprise for your birthday next week, and I will not have it spoiled." She glanced back at her loyal guard. "Spare his family. It is my own fault."
The king sighed, running his hand though his spiky black hair. "Very well, but from now on, you will be escorted by one of my own guards. This man is to be reassigned," he told her.
Silently, Indara cursed but knew there was nothing she could do about it. She had meant to save her guard's family for the loyalty he had shown to her, and now she was stuck with on of her brother's guards! It was going to make it harder for her to find a way for Vegeta to land secretly, but not impossible. She looked her brother in the eye and nodded.
"Very well."
(End chapter 2)
Okay. Just to clarify for everyone. Vegeta was banished after being framed by his younger brother, Rall, for the death of their father, King Vegeta, and his entire guard entourage. Any other questions, just let me know in your reviews! I promised someone that I would provide ages, so they're listed below. ;-) When I bring in new characters, I'll put their ages at the end of the chapter they come in at.
Ages:
Bulma- 18
Akira- 23
Vegeta- 26
Goku- 24
Turlis- 24
Nor- 28
Radditz- 26
Brolly- 23
Nappa- 33
Indara- 21
Rall- 23
Mara- 27
Riodan- 5
Next time! Akira receives some terrible news from her brothers. Vegeta and Bulma fight, as usual! Hahaha, and we get to find out some more information about everyone!
Thanks! Don't forget to review!
PANDORA ;-)