Here's chapter 66! Thanks to Random, Perfect Carnage, Diosa de la muerte , Ryo-chan wolfgirl, jomama25, ice-wolf, Hoshi124, Dragon1157, Scimitar X, Dark Domination and Guest for all the reviews on chapter 65. Thanks also to aFanaddict for the reviews on chapters 2, 10, 23 , 33, 36 and 38. And thanks to Bardock Ascendit autem ex for the reviews on chapters 19, 20 ,21-27 and 29 and 31.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters, Akira Toriyama does!
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A/N: Somehow chapters 41 and 43 were deleted and replaced with the wrong chapters. My backup does not contain those long-ago written chapters. Is there ANY chance someone reading this might have copied this fic and has those chapters? I would be BEYOND grateful if someone has them and I could replace them. If not I will try to rewrite them but I don't believe they'll have the same quality as the original chapters.
Thanks to aFanaddict for pointing out the error and THANKS to everyone who tunes in to each chapter especially those kind enough to review!
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Zailora entered Daiz's quarters. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as she looked around. Every item the room contained was a stark reminder of her terrible loss. Just a few short hours ago, Daiz had been alive and well. His gray eyes winking at her as he did his best to get under the Kardanagan's skin. The dark green-haired female sank to her knees as she realized she would never again feel his strong arms around her or share his gentle kisses. Her very heart felt as it were being crushed as she reeled with the impact of losing the man she loved with every fiber of her being.
Rising on trembling legs, Zailora stumbled with tear-filled eyes to the bed she'd shared with Daiz just the night before. She flung herself across it and burst into a fresh flood of tears as she breathed in the warm spicy scent he'd left behind. Curling up into a ball of pure misery, the Kabochan nobleman's daughter cried herself to sleep.
...
Gartoas walked back to the bridge area. The short rest his commander had insisted he take was filled with haunted dreams. Guilt assailed him as the burly pirate took in the sight of the three cases of wine the unfortunate Artruay had paid for. While he'd been having a grand time his crewmate had been fighting for his life. The Kardanagan looked cautiously at the bridge computer.
"There were no incoming communications," Turles informed him before he could even ask.
Gartoas bowed his head, his massive shoulders slumped. He had earnestly hoped that by some minute chance that Daiz remained alive. That the former prince would contact them. What he wouldn't give to hear one of the biting insults Daiz loved to throw at him now. A verbal barb would be much easier to bear than the annoying Kabochan's absence.
"Any word on tha boy, Master Turles?"
"Nothing," the Saiyan pirate growled.
They were still several hours away from planet Kashir. Turles had taken no respite from piloting the ship. But then Saiyans didn't require the amount of sleep that most beings did. No emotion other than anger had displayed itself on the pirate commander's countenance. Gartoas wondered how long Turles would tolerate Zailora's outpouring of grief. From his experience, the dark-skinned Saiyan had no patience for tears. The bushy black-haired pirate swallowed hard as he noticed Zailora making her way to the bridge. It seemed he was about to find out.
It was evident from the woman's appearance that she had spent quite some time weeping. Her swollen red-rimmed eyes and listless demeanor couldn't be missed. She stopped just short of the seat Daiz had always made a habit of sitting in. Turles flipped the switch that engaged the auto-pilot and he slowly walked over to Zailora. Gartoas held his breath.
'Er it comes, one o' is' tirades,' Gartoas thought as he nervously tugged at his beard.
"Zailora, You will be given adequate time to..to come to terms with your loss. Then you must decide whether to remain with this crew..or to move on," the Saiyan's hand rested on her shoulder for a fleeting moment and Turles disappeared down the hall.
Gartoas was too stunned to speak for a moment. Then he turned to Zailora.
"Bout' as mucha condolence as yer gonna git from Turles."
In her state of despair, Zailora wondered if she had just imagined it or had Turles really given her a just barely perceptible squeeze to her shoulder?
The female Kabochan ran her fingers across the leathery fabric of the seat before her vainly trying to hold back her tears. Just then Ember bounded into the bridge area. She eagerly sniffed around the seat where Gohan would be seated when he was not in the pilot's chair. Her silly tail was wagging about gaily and then it suddenly stopped. The Charladon raced back to the sleeping quarters and slowly made her way back to the bridge. A soft whine escaped her as she pawed Gohan's seat.
Zailora gasped as she realized the confused creature was looking for her master. In her grief she'd completely ignored the fact that Gohan was missing! She picked up the trembling canine-like life-form and stroked her silky bright red and yellow fur.
" You poor thing!" the female pirate murmured.
"Has there been any word about Gohan?" Zailora asked.
"Not ah bloomin' thing!" Gartoas mumbled.
The Kabochan wearily took her own seat still holding the distraught Charladon. After an hour had passed, Ember jumped down from Zailora's lap and explored the ship again. Standing on her hind legs, she whimpered as her nose gave Gohan's seat another thorough going over. Her whimpers steadily increased in volume. Soon the Charladon erupted into a full-blown mournful howl.
"Best be shuttin' tha mutt up afore Turles ears it!" the Kardanagan warned.
No amount of coaxing could silence the visibly upset animal. The scowling form of Turles came striding purposefully towards the bridge.
"Now yer infer it , mutt!" Gartoas huffed.
A low threatening growl came from the annoyed Saiyan. Ember gave a frightened bark and sped for Gohan's quarters as fast as her spindly legs could carry her. Turles turned on his heel and went back to his own quarters.
...
Gohan groaned and rubbed the back of his aching head. He tried to sit up and discovered that there were metal restraints that encircled his wrists and held him fast to the wall of the small dank cell he was in.
'Where am I ?' the half-Saiyan youngster wondered.
The last thing he remembered was fighting alongside Daiz against a group of armored soldiers. What had become of Daiz? Was he here in another cell? Gohan tensed up as the door to his cell slid open revealing what had to be the ugliest life-form he had ever laid eyes on. A rotund armored figure of deep pink with spikes atop his head glared down at him.
"So the filthy little ape's awake at last!"
"Now, Dodoria. Let the whelp enjoy our hospitality while he can. When Lord Frieza arrives things won't be so pleasant for him," a teal-skinned, emerald-haired being chuckled.
"I don't know about that. Looking at your ugliness is pretty painful at the moment," Gohan quipped.
"You DO know he's talking about you, right Dodoria?" Zarbon taunted.
"I'll teach you some respect, Saiyan-scum!" Dodoria snarled as he aimed a beefy fist at the little half-blood. He was prevented from striking the boy by the teal changeling.
"Lord Frieza insists on dealing with the brat himself."
"Yer gonna wish ya were never born, runt!" Dodoria gloated.
"I wish I'd never seen your face!" the son of Goku shot back.
Zarbon snickered at the demi-Saiyan's insult.
"What are you laughing about? You're no prize either!" Gohan snorted.
Frieza's right-hand man grit his teeth in anger but he knew better than to put a hand on the spiteful imp. Of course the little beast had inherited his sire's lack of respect for his superiors.
"Impudent Brat!" Zarbon hissed as the door closed once more.
...
Zailora remained on the ship when it landed on Kashir. Gartoas was quite surprised that Turles allowed the Kabochan female to hole up grieving in her quarters instead of ordering her to join them.
Gartoas grumbled under his breath as he walked the muddy streets of planet Kashir. Of all times they had to be here it was during the jungle-strewn world's rainy season. Heavy angry looking clouds hung in the sky threatening a downpour at any moment. The burly pirate's boots were soon caked with the thick sediment that almost pulled his boots from his feet as he made his way through the muck. Gartoas followed Turles to a long row of buildings crudely fashioned from the drab gray rock that was a plentiful and popular construction material on the small out-world.
"Jus' who er' we lookin' fer, Master Turles?" Gartoas asked.
"Kerlis!" was the curt answer.
'AW, why's it always gotta be ah wench?' the Kardanagan groaned inwardly.
It didn't take long for Turles to find the one he sought. The slim pale-skinned , long raven-haired female's green eyes blazed with anger as she caught sight of the Saiyan pirate.
"And just what do YOU want? You completely ignore me for almost a year now and you have the nerve to just waltz in here and expect me to..."
"I need you to assist me in breaking into Frieza's communication frequency," Turles interrupted.
"Are you out of your mind? I could be tracked down and killed for such a thing! Frieza's techs would probably pick me up as soon as I made the attempt," Kerlis protested.
"I didn't say this was a request!"the Saiyan pirate commander growled.
"And just who put you in charge here, hmmm?" the woman pressed.
"Don't try my patience, Kerlis!" Turles warned.
"Or what? You'll destroy my home-world? Well you're too late, Frieza beat you to it!" Kerlis snapped.
"If that's the case, maybe you'd like a planet of your own in exchange for a bit of assistance?" the dark-skinned Saiyan offered.
"P-planet of my own?" the ebony-haired female gasped.
"Yes, there are plenty I'll allow you to choose from," Turles continued with a devilish grin.
'Er' e' goes ! E'll be puttin' on tha charm til' she takes tha bait' the bearded pirate thought.
Kerlis bit her lip nervously and twisted her fingers in her long hair as she considered the notion.
"I have little time to waste so since you're obviously not interested..." the Saiyan pirate turned on his heel and began to walk away.
"Okay! I'LL DO IT! But you'd BETTER come through for me, Turles!"
Turles smirked at Gartoas who rolled his eyes. The Kardanagan already knew the woman would fall prey to Saiyan's ploy.
"Excellent!" Turles replied.
...
Gohan stared at the bonds on his wrist. He was surprised no ki-reducing shackles had been used to keep him confined. That was a mistake.
'Something tells me I DON'T want to be here when Frieza arrives' the seven -year-old thought.
Powering up, he quickly freed himself. Now about the door...
The little demi-Saiyan chuckled to himself. No locked door was going to prevent his escape. He had learned to open ANY lock from a master at the craft...
...
Will Gohan succeed in escaping Frieza's ship? Find out in the next chapter!
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