Sorry it's been a while. My husband and I just got a dog 3 weeks ago and between taking care of a puppy and work I haven't had time to update or write much. Here's an update on this story and I hope to have some writing done in the near future. Please be patient with me.

-VP

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Four – A King in Peril

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King Vegeta paced the throne room in agitation. Frieza would be landing soon and his son was no where to be found. His scouter was turned off and he knew that if his son wasn't there on the docks with him to greet the ice-jinn leader then all hell would break loose.

"Where is that boy?" He spoke to the empty space beside him. "Has he lost his mind?"

Finally, a few moments later, the doors opened and his son stood at the end of the hallway.

"You're late, boy. Where were you?"

"None of your concern. I don't need to tell you where I am all the time." Vegeta looked at his father with disdain. "The guard told me you had need of me."

"Yes, Frieza will be here within the hour."

"What does that lizard want now?"

"Mind your tone." The king growled before resuming his pacing. "He did not say what he wanted, just that he was coming and it was urgent we be there to receive him."

"He should be grateful if we send the royal guard to fetch him. This is our planet."

"This is my planet, but in his alliance!" The king grabbed him by the hair. "You have spoken out of turn too many times lately boy. You are the prince, my son, and you will act like it. My word is law and if I say we are to meet him, we will meet him. You will act like a proper royal and stand with your king."

"I will not stand with you if you continue to ignore the plight on our people." Vegeta punched him in the gut to get him to let go then started to turn away from his father. "You would follow him blindly after what he did to mother?"

"What choice do we have, son? He offers protection as long as we stay loyal." The king stated diplomatically, out of breath. "It is wise to choose the battles you know you can win."

"So you would let him use us? Use our people and send them to die?" Vegeta growled before marching away. "You meet him on your own, I will not play a part in this game any longer. Have fun being his whore."

"How dare you!"

"No, father." Vegeta turned around and looked at his father in anger. "How dare you."

With those words he let the doors shut behind him with a resounding thud that echoed through the chambers. The king stood there alone staring at the space where his son once stood. He could see this meeting with Frieza already going to hell in a hand-basket. Why couldn't his son just do as he was told for once? He realized that he got that trait from his mother who was too headstrong for her own good. King Vegeta decided it was time to face the music. He needed to go meet the Lord at the docks and find out what he wanted. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

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Vegeta looked at Kakarot like he had grown an extra head as he explained his situation. Of course, he couldn't be too surprised, the younger male was nothing like a saiyan after his accident. It would make sense why he would feel the mating urge for another species. The young woman even looked saiyan, in his defense. The only thing she was missing was a tail.

Vegeta felt rankled after the meeting with his father and decided it was time to devise a plan to get him and his followers off the planet. He could only hope that they could stay hidden long enough to get into motion after Frieza was officially back off the planet.

"What about Bulma?" Kakarot asked suddenly.

"I do not know." He turned to look at the sheepish warrior in front of him. "Against all odds we're connected but I don't know how I truly feel about it."

"Is it because of the way she is?"

"Her origin is of concern, yes, but the bond wouldn't have happened if we weren't compatible in some way." The prince shrugged as they settled into their pre-training kata. "It seems like she's essential to me in some way. Just before our connection ended I saw a vision of myself."

"The legend?" Kakarot's eyes sparked with wonder.

"Perhaps." Vegeta replied. "It was a blurry vision, but there was a flash of gold. I assume she has something to do with my ascension."

"What do you think Frieza is looking for?"

"The girl, no doubt." He growled instinctively. "It would make sense that he'd check here first since he's been hovering over the planet for a good month now."

"That and she's technically a saiyan." Kakarot sighed as they took their fighting stances. "Best two out of three?"

"Quite."

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The ship hissed as it landed and clinked into the docking area. The king was quite nervous since his son basically disobeyed a direct order. He did not falter though, he would stand tall and accept his fate. The door opened to reveal the ice-jinn leader flanked on either side by his two main fighters, or 'pets'. Dodoria, a pink blob-like creature and Zarbon, the beautiful amphibious one who's beauty was certainly only skin deep.

"I see that your son isn't here." He scowled and the king grumbled in his mind. Of course that'd be the first thing he'd notice. "Where is he? Wasn't I clear in my direction that both of you were to attend me?"

"Forgive me your Lordship, my son has been on a disobedient streak lately. He seems to have his head in the clouds." The king bowed before righting himself.

"We will wait then. Call him here. When I give an order I expect it to be followed." The tyrant's eyes narrowed. "He will be punished for making this meeting late."

King Vegeta nodded and clicked his scouter on to call his son. As expected, it was met with an empty signal. "Drat that blasted boy."

"Does he not have his communicator turned on?" Frieza asked with a distinct displeased tone. "No matter, he'll have to listen to mine. It's always on."

The king started to sweat then. Frieza never gave out direct orders to lower-level ranked officers. His son was considered to be one of them. If Frieza ever had to contact one directly, they were in big trouble. His son was about to get a taste of that.

"Prince, why are you not here to attend me as I ordered?" Frieza calmly asked. He got no answer. "Prince, I know you can hear me. This frequency is never turned off. Answer me now or you will not like it when I find you."

"What do you want?" His son's voice came through finally and he felt the ire coming off of the tyrant.

"That is not the tone to take with me you stupid monkey. I am your Lord, your superior, and when I ask you attend me upon my arrival, I mean it. We are waiting on the docks until you get here and your punishment will be most unpleasant for making this meeting late. You are not doing anything more important than being here at this very instant to meet me!"

"What you do is of no importance to me. I am not coming to this meeting, I have already explained this to my father."

"You will do as I say, and now your father will be punished as well for not shackling you to his side! Come at once or every minute you make me wait will be more painful than the last!"

"Fine, but this better be a quick meeting."

With that the signal completely cut out and Frieza looked down at his own scouter in complete and utter indignation. "Did that little shrimp just break his communicator? How dare he! That was ice-jinn property!"

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Vegeta walked up the ramp to the docks, not even bothering to change out of his training equipment. He felt that he didn't need to be there but he would spare his father the beating. The gods only knew why he was giving him the small favor.

"You could've at least bathed before meeting us." The king grumbled under his breath at his approach.

"I see you've finally decided to make your appearance." Frieza walked up to him and backhanded him harshly across the face. Vegeta took it, the sting biting his skin, before righting his face and staring into the cold, red eyes of his enemy. "That was for making us wait a good half-hour here for you. I have to reset my entire schedule around your behavior. When I give an order it is to be followed. You have become insubordinate since I left you here."

"Whatever. Let's get this over with so I can get back to my training." Vegeta turned as they walked down the ramp.

"I have come because I have a job for your people. I have lost an asset of mine and I need your finest warriors to set forth across the alliance planets to find it. This little gem is quite precious to me and I believe it couldn't have been taken far." He looked down his nose at them. "You, dear prince, will be going as well. Consider it punishment for making me wait so long. Next time when I say you are to attend me, do it."

"I will not be going out on a wild goose chase. I'm a prince, not a seeker." Vegeta turned away and started to walk off. "I have more important things to do with my time."

He didn't even make it five steps away when he was picked up by his neck and thrust into the wall. "You have nothing more important than this mission! You are doing this, Vegeta, or else your planet will lie in ruins and just for your insubordination against orders you have earned this ultimate punishment."

A red ball gathered on the tip of his finger before a beam of light shot out and struck his father through the chest. His eyes widened as the beam bored through armor, flesh, and then out the other side. His fathers eyes lost their luster as he felt to the ground, dead. Vegeta coughed as his throat was finally released, his feet connecting roughly with the floor. The prince looked down at the corpse of his father, the stubborn old fool, who thought there was no danger. He barely felt pity for him.

"You have 48 hours to gather what you need. I'd better see your ship take off by then. You do not want me to come back down here, Prince." He handed him a holodisk. "This is your target. Find it and bring it back to me. Do not disappoint me. You have three months or your planet dies."