Hi!

First of all, I want to give a big thank you for all the support I received in the comments and private messages! It's been good to read you guys :)

Unfortunately, I (again) took a little longer than expected to write this chapter, but I think I'm making up for it since it's longer than the others! I had a lot of fun writing it during baby's naps, and I'm even more eager to start writing the next one!

Hope you like it :3

Chapter 21 – Raditz

When he entered the common dining room that evening, Raditz was not surprised to find Vegeta, sitting alone behind a mountain of empty dishes. It was not the prince's habit to eat here, in the middle of the ship's rabble. But the food was served earlier than the one delivered to the rooms and since his starvation sentence had only just ended, it was predictable to see the prince running to be served.

And the cooks had to deliver, because he would probably spend the evening there.

Raditz, smiling and horribly hungry himself, approached the table, tying up his long mane. He sat down, silent, on one of the chairs in front of Vegeta and grabbed a bowl filled with Tepeli, a delicious dish native of the planet Prodillia.

But the food was snatched from his hands before he could even smell its aromas.

"It's mine" Vegeta said between mouthfuls. "Go get your own food if you're hungry."

"You could share man" Raditz insisted, banging his fist on the table. "Have you seen all the dishes you have in front of you? The meat stash has been emptied for tonight and there won't be any on the menu until tomorrow morning."

"Not my problem" Vegeta said, biting into a fish twice the size of his head, indifferent to the drama the Saiyan in front of him was experiencing.

Raditz sighed loudly. He tried to grab the fish's tail, hoping to get some protein. But Vegeta, much faster, stopped him without too much trouble.

"Stop being an idiot" Nappa's voice said behind him. "When you were stuffing your mouth with food, Vegeta couldn't bite into anything for over an Earth week. Leave him alone and eat the leftovers without whining, for once."

The giant walked around the table, sat down next to his prince and put down his enormous plate of Bouillasse. The furniture creaked under the weight of all this food, attracting grumpy glances from the other members of the crew, who also had to eat the smelly porridge prepared with table scraps from the previous meal. Raditz, also grumpy, resigned and got himself a bowl.

At the first bite, however, he raised an eyebrow.

"Is it me or is it less disgusting than usual?" he asked Nappa, pleasantly surprised.

"It's not you" he replied. "I'm not even feeling nauseous when I eat it."

The Saiyan pointed towards the kitchens with his spoon.

"It's that new cook again. The food taste so much better since she's been here. She works miracles."

"I noticed too" Vegeta added.

"Meh, how do you know that? You've been fasting since her arrival."

Vegeta shrugged, his gaze fixed on the plate in front of him. He mumbled something incomprehensible and began to chew his food noisily again.

It wasn't like him to be so evasive.

Raditz cast a furtive glance at Nappa. The latter was already looking at him, skeptical. A few days before, the two Saiyans had made a bet. Vegeta seemed to tolerate starvation much better than they had expected. Not only was he able to train, but he had also shown himself to be more energetic and in a much better mood than in previous episodes. Raditz suspected the prince of not respecting his fast, while Nappa was firmly convinced he had simply got more resilient. According to him, stubborn and proud as he was, Vegeta would never transgress the torture that had been imposed on him.

But this little comment he had just made, as well as this evasive attitude when Raditz had asked him to explain, had certainly betrayed him.

Thus, Nappa, frustrated, pushed away his meal with disdain. He had just lost his bet and he knew Vegeta well enough to be aware of it.

"You owe me a round next time we go to the Quarters" Raditz said, laughing.

The huge Saiyan grimaced.

"Nothing is proven yet" Nappa grumbled, but he didn't argue any more.

His partner burst out laughing. Vegeta, however, was far too focused on his meal to pay attention to the childishness of those two.

"I'm going to have so much fun!" Raditz said, rubbing his hands. "I heard we received a shipment of that strong alcohol I wanted to taste on Earth. Oh! And there's that new recruit Gunter was talking about today when I was training. I'd like to see her. She's Human, apparently!"

Raditz would have liked to continue making fun of Nappa's defeat, but he stopped, because Vegeta had just abandoned his meal to look at him.

"What is it?" he asked his prince, surprised he stopped eating.

"A new Human recruit, you say?" he asked.

"Yes, to replace the last one. That one wasn't very popular and cried all the time, apparently. Frieza got rid of her, but you know, Humans are so pretty, everyone whined and asked to replace her. I heard she arrived yesterday."

Vegeta wrinkled his nose imperceptibly. A detail Raditz didn't fail to notice.

"There hasn't been Human boarding during the last missions on Earth" the prince commented. "The last one happened the time of our visit. Where did he get this new Human recruit?"

"No idea" Raditz replied.

Vegeta looked at him, stoic and inscrutable, his interest in food suddenly vanished. Raditz sent him a questioning look, wondering how such an insignificant detail could harpoon him like that.

"Maybe Frieza ordered a secret mission that we don't know about" the Saiyan suggested.

"Vegeta would have been informed of the operations" Nappa objected.

"Not necessarily. With what happened during the last mission, Frieza could have asked that he not be informed in order to punish him."

Nappa nodded and went back to eating his porridge. Vegeta didn't blink. He bit into his piece of meat and began to chew it without much appetite, apparently thoughtful.

"Besides, I almost forgot, but Freiza talked about launching a new raid on Earth in a few days" said Nappa. "It's kind of hell down there, apparently. Several bases have been dismantled, hundreds of soldiers and even captains are missing. Something is going on. Humans are really defending themselves better than we thought."

The huge Saiyan stretched his arms. A cruel smile appeared on his lips.

"I think Frieza is going to send some elite soldiers to settle the matter" he concluded.

"Oh shit!" Raditz exclaimed. "Do you think he's going to send us back there to fight? That would be SO great. I've had enough of this ship. The food, the girls, and the moon too! I want to explore Earth... and destroy some skulls too!"

"With what happened last time we went, I'd be surprised if Frieza sent us back there."

"Who's he going to send then? Recoome is still missing. Guldo and Jeice are clearly not strong enough. And Burter could do the trick, but he's gone on a mission to the other side of the galaxy."

"There's still Ginyu... Or maybe even Zarbon?"

"Pfff! Frieza would never take the risk to send his two favorite whores right away. He'll send us first, I'm sure of it!" Raditz exclaimed. "Oh... I can't wait to see the faces of those who kick his precious little army's ass. I'm going to have so much fun, ha!"

"I want to know who is responsible for all this, and especially, how they manage to make such a mess. Do you really think it could be Humans? They are so pathetic. It's hard to believe they could... "

Nappa didn't finish his sentence. He was interrupted by Vegeta, who had gotten to his feet so abruptly that he made his chair tip over. The Saiyans were so absorbed in their conversation that they both hadn't noticed their prince wasn't listening to a word of it.

"What is it?" Raditz asked again, alarmed by the concern he could read on his face.

"Follow me" Vegeta ordered without giving any details.

The smallest Saiyan headed towards the exit of the dining room with giant steps. Nappa jumped to his feet to follow him. Raditz, much less alert and surprised by this turnaround, did not obey right away. He frowned and threw a perplexed look at his partner. The reason for this sudden change in attitude was a secret for them both. But if the situation was serious enough for Vegeta to abandon his meal after a famine, it was because it deserved they follow suit without asking questions.

The Saiyans therefore followed Vegeta in silence. They quickly left the dining room and walked towards the elevator that took them a few floors lower. They then followed a series of hallways, passing through many third-class soldier's rooms. The prince moved quickly, as if something was urging him, and their destination quickly became clear.

"Why are we going to the Quarters?" Raditz asked Nappa when he realized.

The latter shrugged. Vegeta was not the type to frequent this place, and even less to rush toward it.

At the pace they were going, they soon arrived at their destination. The heavy and suave atmosphere of the Quarters enveloped them as soon as they passed through the glass door. Once inside, Vegeta wasted no time. He began to crisscross between the tables, royally ignoring the drunken occupants cursing him and the whores insisting for his attention. Raditz was a little more distracted by them, but as a good soldier, he managed to follow his prince until they reached the section reserved for privileged crew members.

"Welcome, Prince Vegeta" greeted the soldier guarding its access.

He bowed, then turned to Raditz and Nappa with a much less welcoming attitude.

"You two, get lost. You're not allowed here" he said, pointing at them brazenly.

"They're with me" Vegeta quickly replied in a muffled voice to avoid being heard. "You let them pass, or I'll smash your skull. In both cases, they'll follow me to the other side. So, what do you choose?"

Vegeta's threats were always very persuasive. The soldier swallowed his reply and without hesitation, stepped aside to let the three of them enter.

Although he had already tried in the past, this was the first time Raditz had set foot in the restricted section of the Quarters. He was at first surprised to see how small the place was. It was in fact only a simple corridor on either side of which stood a dozen or so cabins. The atmosphere was heavy, hushed, and the lights were even more subdued than in the main room. The occupants, mostly females, were imprisoned in their cabins behind an electrified field. Each of them had a particularly interesting physique and as soon as they arrived in the corridor, most of them stood up to highlight these unusual attributes.

Raditz's gaze was first drawn to the occupant of the first cabin on his right, a male covered in golden fur from the nape of his neck to his lower back. His eyes, also golden, shone like stars under the glow of the spotlights. The Saiyan stopped for a brief moment to contemplate him. Hypnotized by his beauty and charisma, the idea of pressing the button that would make the crackling wall disappear crossed his mind. He would have loved to plunge his hand into that dazzling mane...

But Vegeta had other plans for him.

"Come on, move!" the prince ordered his distracted acolytes.

Just like Raditz, Nappa had also been bewitched by a female who had called him by bulging and caressing her heavy boobs. Vegeta, insensitive to the charms of the creatures, did not pay the slightest attention and headed straight to the end of the corridor. The other Saiyans followed him, trying as best they could to ignore the calls coming from the cabins. When they finally arrived at the last cabin, the prince cursed. It was empty and the electric curtain had disappeared. In the darkness, at the very back of the room, Raditz could see the outlines of a reinforced door above which a small light indicated "occupied". The person who was there had apparently been requested for its services.

Vegeta quickly noticed the emptiness of the cabin as well. He turned abruptly towards the female from the neighboring prison.

"There was a Human here. A thin waist, very pale skin and black hair. Has she been replaced?" he asked.

The woman with the greenish complexion and immaculate hair approached the curtain that separated her from the three soldiers. She gave Vegeta a smirk before answering.

"Prince Vegeta has a thing for Humans I see, huh?"

Vegeta raised his chin, a gesture that probably served to compensate for the blow his pride had just taken. The female nonchalantly leaned on the adjacent wall and began to smooth the scales on her leg.

"The woman you are talking about was eliminated a few days ago. She did not fit the job. She was indeed replaced by another."

She rolled her eyes and started playing with her short hair.

"But that new one… she makes me miss the previous Human's tears, if you ask me... She arrived yesterday, and I can't stand hearing her anymore. She is constantly whining and demand to be freed. She screams so loud, my eardrums might have been ripped apart. And she hits too. Several men came to see her, but they quickly lost interest because she protests too loudly. Although some apparently find it to be appealing... she's with her first client right now." she added, pointing to the light above the cabin door.

Vegeta approached the electrified curtain dangerously.

"This new Human, describe her to me." he ordered in an implacable tone.

The woman raised an eyebrow and threw a dazed look at the two other Saiyans behind him. Raditz winked at her and shrugged to indicate that he didn't know the reasons for this interrogation any more than she did.

"Well, I'm not surprised she was sent here, she's a very pretty girl, huh" she finally said in her caressing voice. "Much more than the previous one, but with an extra bad temper. Average height I would say. Big breasts and a nice round ass. What's most impressive, however, are her eyes. They are really bizarre, a very light blue, just like her hair."

The woman continued her description, but Vegeta was no longer listening to her. As soon as she mentioned the color of the woman's eyes and hair, he rushed into the empty cabin.

Raditz immediately understood who it was. Nappa was a bit slower.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"It's the girl from the nightclub. You know, the one who was there when we visited the other day." explained the long-haired Saiyan.

Nappa laughed, enlightened by Raditz's description.

"I really don't know what's up with her, but damn… he looks furious that she's here."

"Probably the best shot of his life." said Raditz, who was also having a lot of fun. "This is getting very interesting."

The Saiyan made a brief bow towards the woman who had informed them, then rushed towards the door in the cabin. It was locked, naturally, but the obstacle was not significant for a Saiyan as determined as Vegeta. The prince raised his left foot in the air and struck a sharp blow against the galvanized metal wall. The door did not resist and was immediately ripped off its hinges, before falling to the ground with a deafening crash.

Once the way cleared, Raditz became aware for the first time of the Quarter's exclusive rooms. It was vast, but apart from the gigantic bed that sat there and which shamelessly revealed its use, there was no furniture. The occupants were therefore easily spotted.

He first identified a Kordylipe, an enormous beast with smooth black skin that came from the planet Mondteris, known for sheltering particularly ferocious living beings given the deplorable conditions that reigned there. Lying on the bed, he presented his back to the door, hence why he had not yet seen them enter. He had removed his armor, a piece probably twice as big as Nappa's, and one could easily see the details of his bumpy, sweat-slicked epidermis. In one of his eight hands was the thigh of a female whom he dominated with his entire body, while another had imprisoned her wrists to keep her on the mattress. An action apparently necessary, because she was struggling body and soul to escape him.

The Kordylipe's intentions were clear. And the woman's protests apparently weren't going to discourage him.

Raditz and Nappa gritted their teeth. In Saiyan culture, forcing a woman into sex was one of the most unforgivable offenses. Mating, as well as the entire process leading to the creation of offspring, was sacred and, above all, consensual. You really had to be vermin of the lowest level to force one of the two parties to take part in it.

Disgusted, Raditz unrolled his tail and whipped the air with it. He clenched his fists and bent his knees, ready to intervene. But he was beaten to it by Vegeta, much faster and, most importantly, much less merciful...

The prince jumped towards the bed and grabbed the filth by the neck. Kordylipes possessed this astonishing ability to control their senses at will. This one had probably blocked his hearing to avoid the Human's unbearable screams, which explained his total lack of reaction when the door had been broken down. Hence, he was taken by surprise when he felt Vegeta's iron grip spread across his neck. The creature barely had time to straighten up. One of his hands rose into the air to fight back and free himself.

But it was too late. The Saiyan, driven by rage, tore his head off with a sharp blow.

The following silence was eloquent. The Kordylipe's grunts stopped. The woman's desperate screams dissipated. Then, as if in slow motion, the creature's four pairs of arms fell down alongside his body, which collapsed heavily onto the mattress. Its head, now a unit in its own, flew into the air and landed, rolling lazily on the ground. Blood spurted out, cheerfully spraying the walls and blankets with a thick black liquid. The woman, lying beneath the beast, was not spared. She was showered by the substance, her blue hair and immaculate skin instantly covered in black.

The Saiyans, spectators, opened their eyes wide, surprised that their prince had eliminated with so little hesitation an allied soldier to save this Human. The woman, disconcerted by this turnaround, took a moment to assimilate what had just happened. Then, she let out a cry of horror, tearing the silence that had settled. She began to wriggle in all directions to extract herself from under the monster that had partially spread out on her. Her weak muscles were of no use against the weight of the beast, and Raditz began to snicker at her useless panic. Nappa had burst out laughing. Seeing his prince eliminate a Kordylipe so easily was hilarious.

Vegeta, on his part, was not amused. He growled, approached the bed, and grabbed the corpse by the leg to make it fall to the ground. Blood quickly pooled on the smooth surface of the floor, forming a visibly growing puddle. The woman, now free, looked up at her savior. She jumped out of bed as soon as she saw him.

"Are you fucking insane?!" she cried, pointing at Vegeta.

He didn't flinch and just stared at her. He was used to people questioning his sanity.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she added hysterically.

Now that was an interesting question. Raditz, curious, couldn't wait to hear the answer.

"I should be the one asking this question" the prince replied, furious. "Explain to me, what are YOU doing at the Quarters?!"

"What... I... what am I..." the woman stammered.

She blinked, seemingly speechless at his question. Her facial expression then changed drastically, and she raised her arms in the air to express her indignation.

"What am I doing in the Quarters?! Are you fucking stupid?! Unless you're suffering from memory troubles because of all those blows you received on the head?! Frieza sent me here! You know that! You let that soldier take me away yesterday, and you said nothing to keep it from happening! What did you think? That The Emperor was going to welcome me with a glass of wine and flowers?! Well, he did not!"

Raditz held back a laugh. He really had no idea what wine was, and even less flowers, but the Human's message was clear; she deplored Vegeta's attitude. And she did it brilliantly, because it was the first time he had seen his sovereign too disconcerted to let himself be yelled at by such a small and scantily clad living being.

The situation was unexpected, but also particularly comical. And the show wasn't over.

"You're really mad if you believe I ended up here voluntarily! I might remind you… you're the one who barges in here and breaks down the door. Who... who decapitates this... this... monstrosity! Right in front of me! Look at me now! I'm covered in... in... blood! I'm covered in blood! It's disgusting!" she bellowed, trying to clean her neck and arms with her hand, already covered with the thick, viscous liquid.

The maneuver only made it worse, and the substance spread copiously on her skin, staining even more the pale blue underwear she was wearing. Raditz and Nappa's laughter echoed in the room. The Human, suddenly aware of her vulnerability in front of three aliens she barely knew, placed her hands to try to hide her chest and took a few steps back in the hope they wouldn't see too much of her butt.

"Aw come on, honey" Nappa cooed. "It's just a little bit of blood, there's really no reason to panic. But... you can keep trying to clean yourself, I really don't mind. Look, you have a little on your chest, right there..."

"Nappa! Shut up!"

Vegeta, who had said nothing since she had made accusations he did not dare deny, abruptly broke his silence. He grabbed a sheet from the bed and threw it irreverently at the woman.

"Cover yourself" he ordered. "These two idiots don't know how to behave."

"It's covered in blood!" she protested, looking at the stained sheet with disgust. "Who do you think I am? I will not-"

"I don't care if it's dirty or not. You're practically naked. Cover yourself."

The woman gave him a look, but ultimately decided that the order was reasonable, as she did as he asked. Raditz wanted to protest and enjoy the situation a little longer, but it was clear that Vegeta would not have approved of this attempt.

"Would you have preferred that I let him jump on you?" the prince spat, furious at the Human's apparent displeasure.

The tension was palpable in the room. They both looked at each other with defiance for a few seconds. Raditz and Nappa, uncomfortable as they witnessed this strange intimacy around them, looked at the floor.

Then, the woman calmed down perceptibly.

"No" she finally said, resigned.

She broke eye contact to look at the Kordylipe lying on the floor. A shiver ran through her. She tightened the sheet around her body and grimaced to suppress her nausea.

"I… actually… should be thanking you for-"

"I don't need you to thank me" Vegeta cut in.

He turned to Nappa and Raditz, a more formal look on his face. Raditz knew that beneath the impassiveness he was trying to display, the prince was seething with rage. It was not usual for him to be so protective, and even less so to be impulsive when it came to being so. That they had witnessed this obvious lack of control most certainly made him furious.

So, Vegeta, true to himself, began to address the formalities to hide this anger and overwhelming shame.

"I have to get rid of the body to avoid arousing suspicion. Frieza will give me another famine sentence if he finds out what I did" he said in a measured voice.

The other two Saiyans nodded.

"With the new waste vacuum on wing four, it shouldn't be too much of a problem" Raditz suggested.

"Oooh! What a good idea! It should be easy to carry a 300 kilo Kordylipe to the other side of the ship without being noticed" Nappa replied.

"Well, you have a better idea? I at least proposed something."

"We could dismember him first. Or just vaporize him with our Ki."

"Ohh look at that! So we must choose between hiding a Kordylipe's arms and legs around the ship, or destroying the entire Quarters? That's much better!"

"That's a more subtle option than your first idea."

"Yeah, well... Oh I know! We could cook him and eat him? That way we won't have to fight for our portion of meat tomorrow morning!"

"See, that's a good idea!" exclaimed Nappa. "But… what should we do with the bones and-"

"Will you two shut up!" Vegeta suddenly thundered.

The prince was getting impatient. He crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath.

"Eating a Kordylipe... Even if I was lost at the edge of the galaxy, I wouldn't risk it. Their skin is toxic to warm-blooded living beings. Only you could have that kind of stupid idea."

"So what? We're trying to find solutions..." Raditz justified.

Vegeta frowned and took advantage of the calm to think. Lacking a solution, Raditz turned to the woman, who was watching them with wide eyes near the bed.

"Also, what should we do with her?" he added, pointing in her direction. "Did you see her? Covered in blood and terrified as she is... how do we explain that to the other soldiers? And to Frieza? After what just happened, I have a feeling you won't want her to stay here huh? How do we get her out of the Quarters?"

"We could send her through the waste vacuum" Nappa suggested with a chuckle. "It'll be a lot more subtle to drag her there than the Kordylipe... and it would solve a good part of our problem."

Raditz laughed as well, but he stopped as soon as he saw Vegeta's eyes on him, suddenly remembering that the last one who had harmed this woman was lying on the ground without his head.

"There is probably a better solution... " Nappa muttered, also aware of their prince's anger.

"Your incompetence is deplorable" Vegeta said, raising his chin. "Let me take care of it. I'll get rid of the body and go see Frieza without you. I just have to think of a lame excuse. In the worst case, he'll hit me a few times-"

"Oh Kami! Can't you guys hear yourselves?!" said a high-pitched voice near the bed.

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. The Human had come out of her stupor. She was looking at them, deeply indignant.

"You really can't think of a solution that doesn't involve dismembering, eating, or getting beaten up?! Is it in your Saiyan genes to be so stupid?" she exclaimed without embarrassment, pivoting towards the prince.

She then turned to the other two Saiyans to give them a haughty and disgusted look. Raditz swallowed hard, strangely concerned about what she was going to reproach them for.

"For your information, I'm not terrified at all! I'm rather astounded at how imbecile you can be! All three of you! You guys seriously need to use your brains a little! Not all problems can be solved with muscles and violence."

Vegeta clenched his jaw at the accusations. Being one of the most prolific strategists in the Cold army, he didn't like being called an imbecile.

"Tsk!" he spat. "You woman seem to have so much more brainpower than us, heh? Do you have something better to offer?"

"You bet I do!" she exclaimed, raising her chin in the same way Vegeta had done a few seconds earlier.

She approached him and tightened the sheet around her shoulders before planting her fists on her hips, a mean but cocky smile on her lips. Vegeta stiffened, puffing out his chest, unhappy that his abilities were being questioned.

"You do what you want, but I'm the one who's going to talk to Frieza" she declared, confident and proud.

Nappa laughed.

"You? I hope it's a joke. He's the one who sent you here. And you have no way to defend yourself, he's going to-"

"Tut tut!" she interrupted. "Turns out that I have a brain, and I know how to use it, unlike you apparently. I have a plan. So shut up and learn a little, you brute."

"And what's this ingenious plan of yours?" Raditz asked, skeptical, but intrigued.

She didn't answer him. She preferred to address Vegeta directly, who had raised an eyebrow, ready to listen to her.

"Actually, I prefer that you guys don't know what I have to tell him... but let's just say that... I have a deal for him. A deal he won't be able to refuse."

She took a few more steps towards Vegeta, her gaze suddenly softening.

"I can't tell you my intentions" she confessed more calmly. "It would be too... dangerous. For me. For Earth. And for... you, too."

She looked into his dark eyes, seeking an approval that Raditz knew she wouldn't get. At his side, Nappa was already no longer listening and had started to roll the Kordylipe's head with his boot. Vegeta would oppose this option. He would want to know all the details of the plan. He would never leave such a delicate situation in the hands of a poor Human like her.

The woman held the prince's impenetrable gaze. She pretended to touch his arm, but something stopped her. She held her breath, ready to justify herself knowing that she would most likely face a refusal.

But to everyone's surprise, her argument was less belligerent than expected.

"You'll have to trust me" she whispered, looking him straight in the eye.

Raditz chuckled. Nappa raised his head, a mocking smile on his thin mouth. Rather than start fighting tooth and nail to win, the woman had opted for a more manipulative strategy. What she didn't know was that this emotional threat never worked with the Saiyan prince. No matter the color of the eyes or the size of the ass, Vegeta was not the type to be intimidated by a pretty girl.

The Saiyans watched their prince with a smile, both ready to hear him ridicule the Human's unrealistic request. Vegeta took his time before answering. Impassive, he held the woman's blue gaze. He was probably thinking about how to formulate a scathing response that she wouldn't soon forget.

Then, after long seconds of silence, the prince announced his final verdict.

"Okay" he simply declared, without an ounce of hesitation in his voice.