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One – The Desert is Not Your Friend

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The space pod tumbled quite quickly into the alien surface, sand kicking up in its wake as the white, metal surface dented harshly upon impact. Blue eyes shifted in the red emergency lighting as she pushed the door open and stepped outside. Sandy, dry, and humid; the wind kicked up the soil in small little twisters to spin around the dusty surface. No water to be seen on either horizon and the red sky appeared blazing in the background. The sun created a hellish glow along the otherwise serene landscape. Even the gravity tugged at her untrained body.

I know he didn't want me to give you a name, but if I ever had a daughter I would've named her Bulma. You are our hope, so please don't forget that. That foul creature doesn't need to know what I've done and he never will.

She smiled at the memory of the scientist who tended to her in those quiet hours. Doctor Briefs was an up and coming inventor on Earth before the planet was scrapped. The good doctor was one among many scientists captured and put to work. Shaking her head, Bulma set out to clear this vast land hoping to find somewhere to hide. The master would come for her soon and she wanted to be able to formulate her plan before he found her.

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Vegeta punched a hole in the wall of his bedroom in frustration. Frieza was hovering over their planet again. Didn't he get enough from them on his last visit? Hadn't he done everything that he'd asked? The prince ran a hand through his black, flame-swept up-do in frustration. None of this was making sense. He'd already made them give up mating in exchange for better birthing techniques. Their numbers were the highest they'd ever been and he'd take his people to conquer planets. However, hardly any of them lived.

The King, his father, strained against these new rules and the deaths of his people. No matter how many children were eventually born, dozens would die. This was not the Saiyan way. He suspected the tyrant was up to something and even through the prince was a fighter, a true Saiyan spirit, even he had problems with this new regime. It was inexcusable what he had done to some of his best fighters, even himself. Nappa was always worse for wear and Bardock, his father's right hand, had become unstable since returning form an uncharted planet.

"Son, you'll be going back out with Raditz and Nappa. Frieza has need of you."

"I'm staying on Vegetasai." He looked down at the lake below. "I have no wish to go out on another tour at this time."

"You would disobey?" The King looked down at his son.

"Disobey? You make it sound like he is OUR leader! He is nothing, father. We are Saiyans! Elite warriors and we will not bow down to the Ice-Jins! They are using us and you are letting them." Vegeta huffed out while clenching his fists.

"You'd do well to remember whom it is you're speaking to."

"I have not forgotten." The Prince grumbled out. "It's you that doesn't remember."

Vegeta turned around and started heading toward the training rooms. He wouldn't go back out there ever again. Frieza would not have him wrapped up in this mess. His father was a fool leading their people to slaughter and as Prince he could do nothing to stop it. He still resented his father for getting his mother killed. The King had clearly lost his way.

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Bulma shuddered as she took in a deep breath of heated air, the desert was beginning to wear her thin. She supposed since she didn't grow up here that it would stand to reason why she wouldn't be used to this climate. Even the nights were hot. The sun had been set for hours, but the heat still raged on and she tried to flare her ki to keep her strength up. It seemed like an ever fruitless endeavor. Her body wanted to collapse, but she kept going finally seeing light in the distance. Being able to fly left her hours ago, her energy drained, and no food in sight.

Blue hair was matted down to her face and neck, her tail had given up staying around her waist and trailed listlessly against the back of her legs. She hoped against hope the Saiyans would take her in. She needed to talk to the Prince. He was her only chance. Guards in the distance stood outside the palace walls and as she neared they took up arms. Throat dry, arms shaking, knees failing, she found herself falling against the sand only to be caught at the last moment.

Everything went dark, all she could hear were voices and feel cool liquid upon her skin. Everything felt like heaven and she wondered if she had died. Had she failed her mission, her purpose? Her eyes shot open then to a red tinted room and it was empty save for 2 more beds in the corner and some medical instruments. Had she made it inside the castle? Before she could think on it anymore the door burst open to show the most beautiful creature she'd ever seen.

His hair was swept up in a wash of black flame leading down to hard black eyes framed in a very masculine face. His body exuded strength and she could feel his elevated ki all around her. He wore a blue spandex suit under his armor with a red cape billowing behind him. Gold tipped white boots adorned his feet and white gloves covered his hands. Her tail swished behind her slowly as she took in this Saiyan male and instinct told her this had to be the Prince.

"I hear you are looking for me..."

That voice. "Prince?"

"Yes." He raised a well-groomed eyebrow. "What is your business here?"

"We have a common foe." She found herself speaking, hoping she wouldn't trip further on the words. Her mouth was still very dry and she grabbed for the water on the table.

"I see." He leaned over and sniffed her. "You smell strange. Where did you come from?"

"I-"

"The only reason you are not dead is because you're clearly a Saiyan." He huffed out. "Your coloring is unusual, that means something happened to you. Also, the technicians say you kept calling out for me in your traumatized state. You've braved the desert, no other species can survive that but a Saiyan. Born here or no. Now tell me, where did you come from?"

She looked down at her hands and sighed. "I came from a ship science room. The scientist who made me named me Bulma. He was human. If anyone I'd associate with, it would be him. The Master is a white-skinned lizard-like creature with red eyes. I do not know his real name, but he would send me to purge planets. I hated what he was trying to make me become, so I ran.

"I displeased him after the last purge so he beat me. On occasion, he tried to rape me but I always managed to keep his efforts away. I hated how he treated me, like I was nothing more than a pet. I may have been created, but that doesn't mean that I'm not a real person with feelings and needs. I want to destroy him! I overheard a conversation on the main ship of a Saiyan Prince who had secret plans to destroy The Master." She looked up then, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "I want to join your efforts."

"The creature you call Master, his name is Frieza and he is a tyrant to my people." He sniffed her again. "You're not a full Saiyan? He experimented on you."

"I was the sixteenth clone in a long line. He was building an army to take over more planets. He wanted drones. The others followed orders, but not I. I think Doctor Briefs didn't make me like the others for a reason. He called me 'daughter'."

"A human scientist?"

"Yes. From Earth." She nodded before looking down at her hands again.

"I see. That explains the strange smells. You are a mix breed." He growled. "Damn you Frieza. I told father he was experimenting with our people!"

Bulma leaned back as she felt the sharpening of his ki. Even though she was startled, she couldn't look away from his ire. It was beautiful.

"I'll send someone to show you to a room soon. I'm going to keep news about you private. I'm sure if word gets back to my father he'll send you back to Frieza. Neither of us want that."

"I don't want to go back..." She trembled.

"A Saiyan doesn't show weakness. I have trusted servants here that will keep their mouths shut." He turned to the door. "I suggest you rest until then."

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The meeting with the female left him rankled. A Saiyan experiment, a warrior with no true place. He growled low in his throat at the audacity of Frieza. How dare he! His people were not toys to be played with. They were flesh and blood warriors born from the fruit of fighting and enjoyed the thrill. This female was proof of this tyrant's depravity.

At first, he didn't want to believe that it was true until Kakarot barged in and told him of the news. He was going to have her destroyed until he felt her distressed ki and heard that she was a creation of his enemy. She wanted his downfall just as badly as he did. Vegeta listened to her tale, felt the truth of it, smelled the truth of it, and saw how Saiyan-like she was. That blue tail still fascinated him and in his shame he found himself feeling the call of mating.

She wasn't even a true Saiyan, so he dampened the urge. This wouldn't do. He would agree to her plans, ask for information, but he would steer clear of any personal interaction. He would not shame himself this way. His father had shamed their race enough.