Chapter 17: The Price of Loyalty
Vegeta, was not a happy King. Since his unworthy excuse for a sister had revealed her intentions to start a new 'project,' he'd heard nothing but words going round and round in circles, bouncing back and forth within his tired skull. One by one, the Council that consisted of five Elites, had gathered in his throne room. And one by one, they'd each expressed their concerns over the various matters involved in their summoning. The most pressing concern, was the Trial of the half-blood, whom they had each watched carefully in their own unique way over the last nineteen years. The boy's father and sixth council member, General Kakarot, would soon be returning from his excursion to the Milky Way Galaxy. With him, came the seventh member, and the subject of their other, endless discussion.
"There has not been treason within the council for over a decade," spoke the eldest and wisest of the Elite Seven. In his younger days, Tatsoi had been a comrade to the late Vegeta Senior, and the very trusted bodyguard of the Royal brood. His old eyes had witnessed the eldest son and heir grow into a fine man, while he had tutored the 'unworthy' sister under a very watchful gaze. Specifically entrusted with the task of Supreme Judge, he had also shown an interest in science and technology. Now, the woman he often saw as a daughter, was under trial.
"Your Majesty, you must consider your own standing. The Royal Bloodline has ceased to flow beyond your generation. To execute Kari, would be treason in its' own right."
The King slumped on his throne, staring blankly ahead with very little attention being paid to the conversation directed at him. The large screen that monitored the progress of the three competitors on Gelidus, blinked with four dots. One had engaged Nappa, and now it very quickly diminished. The other two dots remained joint together, journeying east away from the great snow plains, to the embrace of trees.
"You speak as if you expect me to expire soon." Vegeta finally shot back, leaving his cheek propped against his knuckles. "It would seem I require a new council."
"With all due respect sire, that is not your decision to make."
"Hmph!"
Vegeta sat up with his unending scowl, still focusing on the screen, as Nappa's elite dot homed in on the remaining two. The tracking bugs only monitored temperatures and heart rates, with estimations of power levels. So it was very easy to know when an opponent had completely defeated the other. But the two dots that remained close together, had not been fighting. Not in the way Vegeta expected. Sure, their heart rates had quickened at various moments, and one dot in particular was experiencing a significant raise in temperature. If he knew for certain they were both Saiyan's, he might've assumed they were engaged in a very long and very worthy battle. Yet these two bug signals weren't tracking pure blood Saiyans, for they belonged to none other than the half-breed, and Kari's Earthling experiment. The same two beings that Kakarot had sworn were no longer connected. The King growled under his breath as he realised the plot was far thicker than he first imagined. 'Kakarot! You too will pay for your trickery. Mark my word…'
The very butch and masculine Saiyan who was in charge of the training academy, kept her arms folded across a very broad chest, as she too kept a close eye on the screen. At the King's order, Preceptor Jhinga had sent a very promising warrior to the Trial. All she had known, was that one of her favourite 'pups' as she so affectionately called them, would be facing the half-breed. Both young warriors had been born in the same year, and attended her warrior's 'Ludus' under her personal, close watch. She only felt it right that they be matched against each other, but then came the surprise of Nappa entering the game. It was quite unheard of for an already established Elite to fight against those seeking to claim their title. The tradition-loving Jhinga had been enraged by the news, and personally contacted the Royal abomination. Kari had been only delighted to explain herself to the other growling woman.
"Nappa bores me with his incompetence," she'd simply said while picking at her long nails. "He is no longer worthy of his title."
"That is not for you alone to decide!" The booming Jhinga had spat back, voice bouncing off each Throne Room wall. Even though they were still miles apart, Kari could sense the woman's rage almost piercing the walls of the space ship.
"Then let the trial decide," there was a clear, neutral shrug to her voice. Jhinga only growled deeper. "If any one of the younger warriors can defeat Nappa, then clearly he is the embarrassment I've long since suspected him to be."
Tatsoi, the supreme judge, had slowly come to agree with Kari's reasoning. Besides, it was sacrilege to intervene with the trials once they had already begun. But it was no secret that Jhinga possessed a very personal attachment to the young warrior she'd initially sent. He'd been one of her favourite students, and she'd of course been hoping Gohan would suffer a sour loss to the warrior she deemed more deserving of the prize. It was also well known amongst the council, that Jhinga treasured the old ways. Much like the present King, she valued the importance of pure blood, and disregarded previous scientific and breeding experiments as pure, disrespectful nonsense. So it was now also no wonder that her allegiances shifted to Nappa, as the old Elite finally engaged the remaining survivors.
"Is that… the human?" A second, very short female rose from her chair, only for the equally short twin brother seated next to her, to mirror her fluid motion.
"That is the human," he concurred, and so they turned, nodding to each other in agreement. Individually, Ruta and Baga were strong for their rather young age of just twenty-one. Together, they were almost unstoppable, as Frieza's henchmen had been the first to discover. Though back then, they had both only been but twelve years old.
"Interesting," Ruta continued with the light swish of her tail. "It engages Nappa, and yet it… survives?"
"It continues to engage Nappa, and survive." Baga corrected with an elegant smirk, earning a side-glance from his now lightly smirking sister also. "Impressive."
"Curious," Ruta continued to correct. "That a mere human could possess such power. One wonders…"
"One does wonder," Baga chuckled lightly. "How a mere human could possess the capabilities."
"The capabilities, to match one of our own?"
"Indeed, and a balanced ki. Would that not require -"
"Specific training?" The twins exchanged smiling glances, pleased with themselves for narrowing down the investigation with their partnership of assumptions. The King however, could hardly share their enthusiasm, as his ears pricked to their odd conversation.
"Inconceivable!" Jhinga promptly shouted, speaking for the entire, rather tense room, as Nappa's dot suddenly disappeared entirely. Beetro, the equally large and usually rather silent execution master, even gasped in a raspy, audible breathe beside her.
"It must be a malfunction," he gruffly and flatly assumed, crossing his arms in an attempt to regain his more neutral stature.
"Run Gohan's stats," judge Tatsoi requested in his calm, even tone. The screen image flipped to a blank background with the scrolling of various numeric statistics across the foreground. Executioner Beetro found his jaw dropping once more, along with Preceptor Jhinga. The King however, was suddenly somewhat intrigued.
"Impossible," he breathed darkly, as he hoisted himself up to his feet. There was no mistaking the numbers he read, as they pointed to almost reaching his own ascended readings, those eight, unforgettable years ago. Vegeta had been unable to reach that level of power again, despite his rather ludicrous training schedule. Judge Tatsoi cast his very calmly observant eyes to the King, who had stepped closer to the screen and slowly folded his arms. Tatsoi knew by this slightly different look in the King's frowning eyes, that his mind was now troubled by the many deep thoughts which he never cared to share.
'So, Kakarot's brat has cracked the puzzle. How can this be happening? I am the King of all Saiyans! I am the greatest fighter in the universe. But he… he is just a common, half-blood soldier! How could this unpure baka of a half- Saiyan, achieve what I have dedicated my life to? How does he do it? Unless…'
The darkly brooding King stepped closer, narrowing his eyes to scrutinise the readings over, and over.
"Your majesty?" Tatsoi beckoned, only to be waved off by the flick of a gloved hand. Vegeta needed pure silence. The only sign of his slow ascent towards a bitter conclusion, was the low rumbling of a growl. It started quietly in the depth of his gut, but gradually climbed higher, past his throat, to snap with the sudden scowl and shaping of his tightly clenched fists.
"Your majesty," the voice attempted again more firmly, gaining the appropriate snarl from the King.
"What!"
"The half-breed and the human are moving again." Sure enough, onyx eyes lifted to the return of the planet's map, where the two dots slowly moved in unison with each other, away from the battle site. The information only fuelled the King's rage further.
'Kari! How dare you stoop this low. Do you think me a fool? Do you honestly think I wouldn't know by now, how you tick? Enough! This ends now. Too long have you outstayed your welcome with your miserable existence!'
"Jhinga!" The King growled the name perhaps far too loudly, but the butch woman immediately stood to attention, offering the respectful bow of her head.
"What is your will, your Majesty?"
"Prepare Kale. I want that Earthling blasted to oblivion!" The simple request however, usurped the very throne room in an uproar of activity.
"I shall see it done."
"B-but..sire! That is not -"
"Is it wise to disrupt the -"
"Much we could learn fr -"
"…SILENCE!"
The King unleashed his rage both vocally, and in the form of a red ki blast launched at the nearest, sturdy wall. The wake of the explosion brought a deafly still silence around the room. The whole idea of keeping the tradition of the council was seriously starting to wear on the King. In a dramatic turn that flapped his red cape around his shoulders, he re-ascended the seven, symbolic steps up to his high throne.
"Kari wanted her precious Earthling to experience the trial," he explained as he stalked to his target destination. Pausing briefly, he only continued once he was nestled against the plush, velvet red cushion. "So let the human have the trial." Onyx eyes swifted to the loyal Jhinga; the only sign of her slight discomfort being the light flaring of her wide-set nostrils.
"Send Kale with this simple message: They will all rot on Gelidus, until a sole survivor remains. Test my patience for too long, and there will be no Gelidus to stand on. Should even Kale fail to deal with both abominations…"
The King briefly snickered at his own genius, very much liking the sound of his concocted idea now it was out in the open. "They will just have to deal with each other, or die as one."
The woman barely had time to nod, as the King's patience had worn far too thin.
"Well? What are you waiting for? See it done!"
Oh yes, he would enjoy forcing Kari to watch the destruction of her little project. Though first and foremost, Vegeta had to address the matter of the Council, and how they persisted in clouding his breathing space with their foul stench.
"That applies to all of you! Get out of my sight before I have you join theNappa."
As each of the five departed with their own gestures of loyalty to the King, the eldest bravely remained; a deep breath filling his lungs. Vegeta only continued to demonstrate his further lack of respect for the council. In particular, towards the man who had practically raised him in the place of an uncaring father.
"What now Tatsoi? Do you grow deaf as well as blind in your old age?"
"I could ask the same of you, my King."
"Hah! You seem to have grown a pair, and a death wish to match." The elder Saiyan smirked, knowing that for now, the King's words carried very little threat behind them.
"You only honour me with your words," the elder stepped forwards, clasping his hands behind his back. "But I could never toy with death as you have. The day you faced Frieza… it will never be forgotten. You are a Legend, my liege."
"Cut your ass-sniffing and be out with it." Right on cue, Vegeta tilted his head to the side, and rested his palm against the sharp, high cheekbone.
"On behalf of the Council, and your father's strict wishes, I request that you rethink your decision. It could be -"
"It is done." The King snapped, leaving no time for the elder to attempt to finish whatever he'd started to say. "My father's wishes have long since remained to be my priority. Listen carefully, old man. You may have been my personal preceptor and father's comrade, but I have long surpassed your strength. Last time I checked, it was I who bore the name Vegeta. It is I alone who bears the right of free will and choice on my planet. Do not push me."
Tatsoi said nothing, merely bowed his head, and retreated with what seemed to be his wounded pride. Indeed, there was but one King, but he clearly had not outgrown his childhood weakness. For Vegeta had always underestimated far beyond his own ability to defend himself. For too long, had both the council and planet suffered the leadership of an unworthy ruler. Now, it was time to remove the thorn in the planet's side. In the palace gardens, the two short twins awaited the elder's decision. At last, he soared down to their meeting place, wearing a serious frown. Before words were exchanged, the twins already knew what had to be done.
Kale barely even winced, as his mother pressed the small gun against his bicep, and triggered the swift insertion of the thick needle that would position the tiny tracking bug under his thick skin.
"You must make us all proud. my boy." Jhinga started, as she pulled the gun away, and smoothed her calloused palm over the slight bump under the skin. It took a moment for the 'bug' to rest in a fixed place.
"I will not disappoint our blood," the young man obediently replied, whacking his palm to his heart. The gesture brought great pride to his mother's thick lips.
"You must not carry your father's name back to the grave," she lowered, to lovingly nuzzle her nose against her son's forehead. "Else you will cease to be my son."
He abruptly stood, bearing the burden of her words on his broad shoulders. Dutifully, Jhinga assisted with the strengthening of shoulder straps, and the placing of gloves affectionately over each hand.
"Remember," she snapped the last glove in place, and he flexed his fingers to mould the material perfectly against the joints. "Only one must survive," she pressed her hand against his back, directing him to the small, one-man space pod programmed for the destined journey. "You."
Yet as the pod door opened, it was accompanied by a much larger, inorganic and very unwelcome sound. Jhinga turned in time for the chamber doors to sudden blast open, thanks to two, matching ki energies colliding with the solid metals. Her arm flung out, swinging against the door piece that threatened to topple her son, and flinging it aside with a glorious battle cry.
"GO!" She wheezed, manually closing the pod hatch as her tall son barely managed to sink down into the cushioned yet rather cramped interior. From behind the cloud of smoke, two figures of the same, matching height, slowly appeared. Jhinga spun, releasing two powerful blasts of her own from her palms, aimed directly at them, as she protected her son's new womb.
"I would not do that," Ruta started, as she knocked the blast away as though it were a mere rock being thrown at her.
"If I were you," Baga finished, once he'd knocked aside the second ball in the opposite direction to the first.
"You're too late!" Jhinga grinned, hammered her fist on the entire control panel. Without fail, the double doors of the exit hatch slid open, in perfect timing for the space pod to light up in preparation for its' forced launch.
"Funny you should say that," Ruta folded her arms, though strangely not bothering to stop the launch.
"I'd say we were right on time," Baga agreed with the flick of his tail. The twins merely watched as the pod jetted forwards, escaping the wide launch room in a trail of nothing but heat, as it propelled upwards into the vast red skies.
"Funny you should think us late."
"When she knows we are always early." The twins exchanged brief glances; their arms unfolding. Then, they turned back to the heavily breathing Jhinga, in perfect unison.
"You're too late!" She repeated, slowly cackling in her loud, sinister manner. "My son will defend the honour of the old ways! He will see our King's demands met."
Ruta and Baga needed no further words, for the traditional Saiyan was no longer worthy of their patience. In a joint explosion of their powered up ki auras, they collided in a series of what would be victorious yells, against the inevitability of Vegatasei's fallen preceptor…
Time was proving to be a most tiresome inconvenience, as the three Saiyans remaining in outer space also watched the entertainment of the Trials. Since Kakarot and Kari's little 'spar' in the control room, the main communication system had been totally inoperable. Still, the small screen they were forced to now watch, couldn't hide the truth of the battlefield. The statistics were clear; the flashing dots against increased heart rates and ki readings. A very proud Kakarot beamed as he witnessed his son's continued glory in battle. Next to him, was the almost equally impressed Kari. The half-blood brat had kept his promise, and her own daughter seemed to flourish under the pressure of the trials. It was perfection. Therefore it was no wonder, since everything was running so smoothly, that a surprise, coded transmission, suddenly interrupted the feed of the reports. Raditz lazily pressed the green 'accept call' button, permitting a new image to flicker onto the small screen.
"Kari," a hushed voice called the attention of the female, who immediately sat forwards to stare directly into the deathly serious eyes of her mentor. "There is not enough time. You must listen to me closely."
"Speak Tatsoi."
"You must hasten here. You must do whatever you can to lessen the remaining length of your journey. Plans are being put to motion as we speak."
The female grit her teeth, and growled deeply.
"I asked you to wait for my return. Why do you act now?"
"We have little choice. The King threatens everything we've worked towards." Kari inhaled a tensed breath, tail swishing dangerously behind her; the coarse fur standing on edge. "Kale is already on his way to Gelidus, as we speak."
"Jhinga's Kale? What madness is this!" Even Kakarot and Raditz sat forwards slightly by this news. It was well known that Kale, the one and only son of Jhinga, was an impeccable warrior. He would certainly be a more appropriate challenge for Gohan at least.
"He is sent with two objectives. First, he will tell the competitors they will never leave Gelidus. Not until only one survivor remains." A disturbed slowly Kari rose to her feet. "Even if that means total annihilation of the planet itself. The King grows tired of your games Kari."
"He wouldn't dare!"
"Kale will then attempt to kill them both." Now even Kakarot was concerned. "For the honour of the title."
"Curse that Vegeta!" Kari of course spat, hammering her fist down hard on the table. "He's ruining everything! And you! How could you let this happen? Why did you not stop this?"
"The council can do very little, when the King plays by the rules. You know this Kari. But...Calm your tongue a moment more." Tatsoi even lifted his hand, soothingly facing his palm to the monitor screen. "The half-bloods connection, in conjunction with Vegeta's reaction…" He briefly paused, to lick his lips. "I believe...I have formed a theory."
If there was a single person Kari trusted in the entire galaxy, then that would be the man she now stared back at. With the calming of her temperament, she slowly sank back down onto her chair. A soft sigh eased her frustration along with a shaky hand that eased through her thick hair. Tatsoi could already see that she was ready to listen to his voice of wise reason. After all, he'd been the surrogate father to the long-suffering 'villain.'
"…Then tell me what I must do…"
To be continued…