They just keep on coming don't they! This is chapter err 1,2,3 …. 4! In this chapter we get to meat the main villain of the piece. I think I've given him a unique name but just if you know of, or are someone who have used this name your self, then he is not suppose to be a copy and sorry if he is. Oh yes we can also play "spot the really lazy name" in this chapter, so read and enjoy…

The Rules of Diplomacy in Action

There are several important rules to remember when running a country or planet. Firstly, no one ever reads or believes your election promises so there's no need to keep them. Secondly, if your not an elected ruler you must keep your promises or else people will throw you out in favour of a system which allows them to change which liar is in charge every few years. Thirdly never invade Russia, it will be too cold for your army (who will starve or freeze to death) and why would you want to conquer it any way? And finally remember who your friends are, they are the guys who can obliterate your nation in the blink of an eye if they wanted to.

There is always a top dog on the international, or galactic, scene. These are the people who are strong enough to push anyone around and, as a result, are entitled to say, buy, make and invade what ever they want. All the smaller nations can do is try to stay on there good side and wait for the inevitable decline of this great power. Then they can kick them a bit before fighting to be the next top dog.

At the time that Goten and Vegeta found them selves on Tamaran the top dog was still the Icea Empire. However, ever since that embarrassing mess on Namek they had been in decline. Still they couldn't let anyone know that…

Zibon looked at his watch, two hours till they reached Tamaran. That was in some way a relief. It had been a long journey and Zibon really needed some fresh air. Of course in the process of getting fresh air he would have to endure the hospitality of the Tamaraneans and with it their acquired tastes in food. He would also have to endure the presence of his boss. Still the sooner they began, the sooner it would be over. That wasn't strictly true but thinking that it was kept Zibon from going insane and deliberately steering the ship into the nearest star!

"Err sir we are nearly at our destination," said the ship's pilot choosing his words with care, "perhaps we should get Lord Thermos out of the bath, you know how long…I mean how much attention to detail he likes to put in to getting ready for these things."

"I guess so." Zibon replied with a sigh, "You have the bridge."

With that the men saluted and he left the bridge. Zibon slowly plodded down the corridors towards Lord Thermos' private quarters. It wasn't that he didn't want his boss to be ready for the meeting; he just really didn't like Thermos. No one did. Partly because he'd only got his job through family connections, but mainly because he was an arrogant jerk! He was also a vain bully who believed he was great at everything, quite a surprising feat for someone with no talent. All in all he was just the kind of guy that the King would send on a diplomatic mission to a far away dump like Tamaran!

Bearing this is mind Zibon carefully, and reluctantly, knocked on the door.

"Enter!" declared an artificially deep voice from in side. Zibon did so and found him self in Lord Thermos' bathroom.

There wasn't much you could say about the bathroom, except that it made Buckingham palace look like an out-house. Everything that could be was made from gold, even the handrails which you had to hold on to avoid falling over on the ludicrously slippery marble floor. The mats and towels were made from the finest silks in the known galaxy. They were of course useless for drying your self but Thermos never let practicality get in the way of style.

Zibon managed to close the door with out falling over and turned to Thermos. The royal Icea was busy looking at one of his latest portraits. He didn't even look at Zibon before asking;

"Do you think red is really my colour?"

Zibon looked at the portrait. It showed a considerably taller version of Thermos, wearing shiny golden armour and a red cape, standing victoriously in the middle of a battle field. Apparently he had lead his men to a great victory. Zibon sighed, that battle had actually happened, and Thermos's men had won. What the portrait failed to mention was that the enemies were pacifist farmers whose only weapons were mangos, and that Thermos had still managed to lose half his army! Still he had been asked a question;

"You look as good in red as you do in any other colour," he replied truthfully.

"I thought so," said Thermos proudly, misinterpreting Zibon's reply entirely. "You may go now."

"Err my lord," Zibon began trying to hide his annoyance, "I came to see you, you didn't send for me."

"Really?" Thermos paused to think for a moment, before finally conceding the point, "Well what do you want then?"

"I just came to tell you that we are only two hours from Tamaran sir," replied Zibon.

"Really, well I better get ready," replied Thermos importantly, "I can't greet those barbarians naked, they might think I'm one of them." Thermos laughed, Zibon merely faked a chuckle.

"Seriously sir, please don't call them barbarians at the meeting," he begged "we can't afford to lose any more allies!"

"Ungratefully traitors!" snapped Thermos suddenly from no where. "Those planets that turn against us I mean, after all we did for them! We could have destroyed them but we didn't, and now they all just want to take advantage of our national tragedy."

Zibon nodded solemnly.

"If only Lord Freeza, King Cold and Cooler had not had those horrible water skiing accidents all would be well," sighed Zibon, sticking to the official reason for their leader's deaths.

"Quite," agreed Thermos. "Why are we going to Tamaran anyway?"

"King Fridge wants us to bring back a, supposedly, magic gem which the Tamaraneans are giving to us in return for military protection from there enemies," explained Zibon for what he was sure was the millionth time.

"Huh, sounds like those imps tricked our esteemed leader in to a bum deal, magic gem indeed," grumbled Thermos, showing that he had a modicum of common sense. Then when and ruined it, "Still must look my best. Zibon go see my valet and tell him to pick out the suit of amour that will go best with the colour scheme in the palace!"

Zibon wanted to say, "Get stuffed you vain clot, I have more important things to worry about then making you look gay!" but as a professional second in command who wanted to get a promotion at some point he merely said "Yes Sir" while hurrying out of the room before Thermos could give him anymore "orders".

Kori happily lead Goten and Vegeta through the massive corridors that made up the palace. It was quite a squeeze despite the width as hundreds of Tamaraneans were also hurrying up and down the corridors, carrying food, chairs, tables and tapestries. Seeing the food reminded Vegeta how long it had been since he had eaten, it also had the amazing ability to make Vegeta no longer hungry. Most of it looked like it had been eaten once already, the rest like it wasn't quite dead yet. Goten wasn't bothered.

"Tastes like worms," he declared happily having taken something off one of the passing trays. Vegeta did his best not to throw up.

"Oi, kid! What are all these people doing?" he asked trying to take his mind off the food.

"Oh they are preparing for a big feast this evening," replied Kori, "Galfore says it is very important so I have to keep out of the way."

"Why is it important?" asked Vegeta.

"I do not know, but it is," said Kori showing the same blind belief in the words of her elders as Goten did.

"Thanks, that's very helpful." Said Vegeta in response.

"Your welcome," said Kori proving that she could match Goten's innocence in other areas too.

Presently they came to a great hall. This appeared to be the centre of attention. Vegeta swore Goten's eyes where about to explode out of his head at the size of the place. It was enormous, with a ceiling painted to match the night's sky; a black marble floor lined with beautifully weaved red carpets. Massive tapestries hung from the walls perfectly framing the glorious golden throne that stood at the head of the grand table around which the festivities where being prepared. Vegeta grudgingly admitted that it was a little nicer then his living room, but only a little.

"Hey Vegeta do you think we could go to the feast?" asked Goten eagerly.

"No chance!" replied Vegeta, who had felt ill enough looking at a tray of Tamaranean food and thus had no intention of going anywhere near a huge table covered in it.

"But you're a Prince!" declared Goten "Surely they have to give you a place, or else it would be an insult or something."

"Which TV show did you pick that up off?" asked Vegeta rudely, but they where interrupted before Goten could reply.

"You're a Prince?" asked Kori eagerly. Vegeta sighed "modestly" and was about to "grudgingly" admitted that he was, when he spotted one of the flags on the wall.

"No," he replied quickly, "no I'm not."

"That not what you always tell me!" said Goten sounding morally outraged. "You always say that you're Prince of all Saiy…"

"Ignore him!" said Vegeta to Kori as he clenched his hand tightly over Goten's mouth. "He just has an over active imagination!"

"Okay then," said Kori happily and turned to continue there journey. Before they could the room was filled with the sound of trumpets. All the workers stopped at once and moved to the edge of the hall. There they bowed down leaving a path through the great hall. Realizing the need to maintain some sort of cover Vegeta grabbed Goten and followed them. Kori didn't move. At one end of the hall the huge doors opened and a line of smartly dressed solders marched in carrying pikes. Behind them walked a tall impressively dressed man, surrounded by a small group of officials. Vegeta didn't need an announcer to tell him who the man was. The King of Tamaran had arrived.

With his heavy escort in tow the King walked past the tables admiring the servants work. After a few minutes and a lot of nodding he came to Kori, who was standing some what in the way of the procession. Vegeta had heard many stories about the Tamaraneans and if half of them were true he wouldn't have stood in the way like that it he was a little girl. However most of the stories had to be lies, like most stories in fact, as the guards did not proceed to beat the little girl. Instead the guards stood there almost respect fully as one of the courtiers with the king broke ranks.

"Koriand'r, thank goodness we've found you," said a huge bearded man who Vegeta had pegged as a warrior until he said that. Kori went flew forwards and gave the man a hug.

"Do not worry Galfore I am fine," she said "I just when for a walk in the garden."

"Still you should have told me where you were going," said Galfore sternly, "especially considering the security breach we just had." A hushed gasp rose from the crowd.

"I was quite safe." Kori attempted to reassure him.

"Kori, you should listen to your k'norfka," said the King, finally speaking up, "We still haven't found these intruders, and seeing as they were desperate enough to deliberately crash their ship to get in hear who knows what they are capable of. I do not wish to see my daughter in any danger."

"Your daughter!" thought Vegeta, "Stupid kid you could have told us that earlier." Just then another though occurred to him. "Please, please don't tell them about us!" he mentally begged.

"You needed not to worry," Kori persisted, "If I had got into any trouble my new friends Goten and Vegeta would have helped me out." Vegeta swore to himself.

"New friends?" said the king slowly. The guards and courtiers all looked around. Vegeta froze and hoped to hide in the crowd. He wished he had chosen to wear something other than his Saiyan amour this morning. Looking around he realized he should have worn something purple, and died his hair orange too. Still it wouldn't have done much good as Goten in his orange fighting uniform stood out like a laser rock concert in a dessert at night.

"There they are," pointed out Kori not helping the situation. There was another gasp from the crowd and about two nanoseconds later the Tamaranean warriors had surrounded the two Saiyans in a neat dome.

"What's going on?" asked Kori nervously.

"I'm sorry Kori," said Galfore quietly leading her away.

"Wait, Kori where are you going," asked Goten sounding completely lost.

"Forget her," snapped Vegeta, "We have bigger things to worry about kid."

"You have one chance to explain yourself Saiyan," demanded the King. Vegeta paused to think for a sec.

"I could you know," he said before suddenly transforming into a Super Saiyan, "but what would be the fun in that!"

The guards' hesitation cost them dear and a second later they had enjoyed a rather close in counter with Vegeta's fist. Laughing like a maniac Vegeta race towards the door. A call from behind made him stop.

"Halt Saiyan or else we kill your son!" Vegeta swung round to see Goten being held down by five guards, one had a knife at the kid's throat. Despite this both Saiyans felt the need to point out that…

"He's/I'm not his father/son!" they cried (delete as appropriate).

The king turned to Goten;

"Didn't your mother tell you not to travel with strange men?" he asked mockingly.

"Yes," replied Goten taking the question literally, "but Vegeta's not a strange man, most of the time."

The king decided to ignore the kids comment.

"Okay Saiyan what are you going to do, give yourself up or let the kid die?" he asked.

A few minutes a go Vegeta would have given himself up in return for them killing the kid, however now he wasn't so sure, if Chi-Chi ever found out there probably wouldn't be enough left of him to fit in a match box.

"What happens if I give my self up?" he asked quickly hitting the guard who had tried to sneak up on him. The king thought for a while.

"We will hand you over to the Iceas this afternoon," he declared definitively, "You two can be extra gifts."

"Really," said Vegeta thoughtfully. This could be his best chance to get close to one of Freeza's relatives for years. If he played along for now he might be able to get some more revenge. Yes it was another fool proof plan! "Very well, I'll come quietly."

"Very good," said the king, "take them… what" he said looking at Goten who had raised his hand.

"Can I come kicking and screaming?" the kid asked…

I did it! I got thought the whole chapter without mentioning lawnmowers...RATS! Anyway that's four chapters down and the plot is beginning to thicken. Soon it might take on the consistency of air, if we're lucky. Anyway if you have anything to say about the story, including constructive criticism just send me a review!