A/N: It sure has been a long time, but I've been missing writing about my favorite character, so bear with me while I dust off some rustiness and get back to it!
The next four days mercifully passed without incident, though tensions were running high amongst Frieza's men. Paranoia filled the air as everyone silently wondered just who was working with the latest resistance movement against Frieza. Resentment began to simmer beneath the surface the longer time passed without anyone stepping forward to confess. Without food or regeneration tanks, and with the soldiers unable to leave the planet until the traitors were found, the base felt like a ticking time bomb.
Vegeta wisely kept his head down after the tense gathering with Frieza in the Cold Gathering Chamber; for once, he did well in minding his tongue and his temper by keeping any smart commentary to himself. With injuries that were slow to heal due to lack of food and inadequate rest, he could no longer afford any unnecessary physical punishment. He also did not want to draw any attention until the heat died down regarding the resistance – as such, he preoccupied himself with the rank qualifying squad training, as expected of him, until the time was right to make his move with Orrin. And with the aggressive pace Dodoria set for training, he certainly had more than enough to keep him busy.
His days began at extremely early hours, at which time he and his fellow squad members did live spars for hours on end amongst themselves to the point of raw exhaustion and fatigue under Dodoria's close supervision. Dodoria would pause the spars as needed to demonstrate proper technique, violently doing it on each of them so the "learning was equitable" before ordering the spars to continue. Afterwards, they would do a thorough academic overview of a specific topic, sometimes standing around an enormous screen for instruction and other times sitting together on the ground like students as different experts came to speak with them and do demonstrations. While Cui and Manzin were visibly bored during these parts, Vegeta and Jhainer were fully engaged as they covered topics like survival tactics in various harsh planetary environments, how and where to strike to quickly debilitate the most common alien types in the universe, and the most successful methods of coercion that higher ranked men in Frieza's Galactic Army used. Finally, they ended each day with weapons training (both primitive like knives and swords, and modern laser and fire weapons), which was leaving them all worse for wear with fresh cuts and burns from defending themselves. Dodoria pushed them to the brink, not allowing them to hold back and brutalizing them whenever their technique lapsed even the slightest amount.
His day did not end with the squad training – immediately afterwards, he would begin training his recruit Adriel. Vegeta worked with the boy for hours, ruthlessly driving them both to the brink of collapse. Afterwards, the prince only allowed for two or three hours of rest before he needed to report to Dodoria to start all over again. While tanks were off-limits to everyone, the rank qualifying squad was allowed access to medical supplies, though they had to use it on their own without any help from the medics. Vegeta would use some of his precious spare time to tape up his wounds, and then try to get some sleep. Nappa and Raditz helped ensure he was on time reporting for training, though they were struggling more and more to wake him with how utterly exhausted he was. Vegeta always thanked them for their efforts by brutally slamming his fist into the face of the unlucky Saiyan whose turn it was to wake him that day.
It was the fourth night now, and Vegeta was alone in his quarters on base, having kicked out Nappa and Raditz for the night (the elder Saiyans gratefully obliged, eager for a respite from having the unforgiving task of waking him for his training). The prince was sitting against the wall, sweating profusely from anxiety and pain as he tried to focus on strategies for discretely killing Orrin without leaving a trace. In reality, it was a mental exercise to try to distract himself from his maddening thoughts; but try as he might, it all kept coming right back to Frieza.
Frieza knows, his mind whispered. Vegeta slowly rotated his head in an effort to crack his neck, before drawing up his knees. He was so exhausted, he could hardly think.
He knows.
Vegeta shook his head in denial and frustration, then grasped his hands tightly together; he hadn't realized they were shaking. He lowered his head to his hands, his forearms resting on his knees. His palms were bandaged with black tape, and his bare arms pulsed with burns from the weapons training, covered in a mix of ointment and more black bandages that were seeping through. He exhaled through his nose as he forced himself to disconnect from his pain, squeezing his eyes shut.
He can't know, the prince argued with himself, trying to find reason in the madness. If he did, I'd already be dead. Jhainer would be dead too.
Jhainer is going to confess your treason to save himself.
No – Jhainer will go down with me if he does. We will both be killed. He knows that.
What if you're wrong? Killing Jhainer would eliminate all doubt and prevent any betrayal.
Vegeta ran his bandaged hands up through his dark hair, gripping tight fistfuls of it, his teeth grinding together. His stress was overwhelming, his thoughts a whirlwind.
Killing him right now…is not worth the risk with the scrutiny we're all under…
You can't trust him.
You can't trust anyone.
Just then, his scouter beeped as the door slid open, abruptly drawing him back to reality. Vegeta raised his head and opened his eyes immediately as the small light in their room automatically turned on, glaring at his fellow Saiyan who dared come back in when he had been explicitly ordered to stay away. The prince rested one forearm on one knee, instinctively changing his posture to exude that he was in full control as the door slid closed.
"You have five seconds to tell me why you're here, Nappa, before I shatter your fucking tail," he threatened.
Not eager to test the prince, Nappa got straight to the point. "Just wanted to check in to make sure you are ready for training tomorrow. Do you need new bandages?"
Vegeta narrowed his eyes in suspicion; there was zero chance Nappa would come in to ask him such an absurd question. Still, he was well aware that their conversation was being monitored by their scouters. With the current stance the base was in, scouters were to remain on for everyone at all times, per Zarbon's strict orders.
"No. I'm fine," he answered, before telepathically asking- Why are you really here?
Raditz and I were down by the dock, talking with several men. Got news that the Interrogator is on his way and should arrive within the next day or two.
Vegeta tried not to react, but he couldn't help but swallow hard. The Interrogator was a specialist amongst specialists, serving directly under King Cold. It was stated that he could get the truth from anyone; and unlike Frieza's men, he did not need to resort to brutality to do so (though he was not above it, earning a sadistic reputation in his own right). There were rumors that he could read minds, or that he used witchcraft. Other rumors were that he was not skilled at all, and simply used mind-altering drugs to get the truth from any man.
Regardless, Frieza summoning the Interrogator now of all times made fresh sweat break out over Vegeta's body. The prince was a skilled liar when he needed to be, but if he had to sit one-on-one with the Interrogator, he did not like his odds. Unfortunately, he could not win this fight with his ki or his fists. One wrong glance in front of the Interrogator, one wrong gesture, and he was dead. And even if he managed to do the impossible and get past the Interrogator, he could only control himself…would Jhainer be able to stand up against the scrutiny?
The prince sighed and ran a hand up through his hair, mentally cursing to himself in his native language, his mind racing in another whirlwind. He silently agreed with his inner survival instinct regarding Jhainer; the Trikan knew of his role within the resistance and as such could leverage that information against him. The only way to remove all uncertainty with Jhainer was to kill him, but such a thing was much easier said than done. Jhainer was not some no-name, unproven child recruit – he was one of Frieza's favorite soldiers. Having practically grown up with the young Trikan, Vegeta knew Jhainer would be a tough kill on the battlefield without leveraging his Oozaru transformation (and even then, with his newfound teleportation skill, even the Oozaru would not be a certain victory). Jhainer was seasoned and vicious; the risk was too great to kill him after the ordeal with Ajox, the fall-out potentially catastrophic if anyone found out. It was better to keep him as an ally for the time being, and maintain close watch.
That only left Nappa and Raditz…they were the only others who knew about Vegeta's involvement in the resistance. The thought briefly crossed his mind to kill them both, his desire to maintain his race taking a backseat towards raw, unadulterated survival. The thought was fleeting though – Zarbon and Dodoria had both beaten the life out of Nappa and Raditz on numerous occasions to get them to rat out Vegeta for a variety of offenses, and the Saiyans had never once broken. Both Nappa and Raditz had made blood oaths with King Vegeta and Bardock respectively to protect their prince, and die for him if need be – which he was certainly willing to make happen if they ever betrayed him.
Vegeta sighed again, before spitting out a mouthful of blood on the floor. He then shifted his gaze back to Nappa.
The Interrogator does not concern me, Vegeta telepathically replied, though his mental voice sounded tired. What of Orrin and Manzin, and their routine? he asked, eager to change the subject.
They kept the same routine tonight, same as the last three nights. Orrin continues to train alone after Manzin has finished with him, same as all the other recruits. Manzin goes to visit the slave girl at the tavern for a bit, then gets back to the medical unit to tape himself up after you finish, then gets to his quarters until your training resumes. The recruits are alone and unguarded for several hours, until the sun rises. At that point, the recruits go to their quarters to sleep and stay there until you all summon them again.
Vegeta nodded, unable to hide his exhaustion as he tried to digest the information. Nappa noticed his eyes seemed heavy and he was blinking slowly, but the eldest Saiyan wisely did not comment. He watched the teenager frown, as though pondering something.
Finally, Vegeta looked back at him and asked, And what of Jhainer's routine?
Nappa looked briefly surprised, but quickly recovered, Well, we haven't been keeping as close of an eye on him, Vegeta, but…he stops training his recruit around the time you do. Raditz has run into him a couple of times around this hour coming out of the bathing unit. That's all I've got. We can start to monitor Jhainer closer moving forward if you want.
Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to slowly crack his neck again to no avail. His head was pounding.
Fine. You have exhausted your usefulness, Nappa. Now get out, Vegeta harshly ordered. Nappa gave a sharp nod and then did as he was told, the door hissing shut behind him a second later. The light in their small room automatically turned off as soon as he did, leaving the prince in the darkness.
Alone once again, Vegeta sat in silence as he tried to rapidly think about all scenarios and how he could protect himself from all manners of failure and betrayal. But he was struggling to think straight. He contemplated closing his eyes and getting some desperately needed sleep, but was aware that he was so exhausted that he would likely sleep right through any alarm on his scouter. Too proud to reach back out to Nappa and Raditz to help wake him, he ultimately decided it was best to get up and stay awake.
Slowly trudging himself back up to his feet, he took a moment to feel the pain pulsing through his body, before disconnecting from it as much as possible as he slipped on his scouter. The Interrogator was on his way, and as such, it was time to get back to work.
Moments later, Vegeta entered the bathing unit that all the men shared. The unit was split into two large separate sections – the watering room used to bathe with overhead ice-cold water showers, and the accompanying dressing room, with storage and a bench. There was no expectation of privacy. Men used the bathing unit at their own peril, as fights would often break out to take advantage of being vulnerable – sometimes fatally. As such, it was imperative to never let one's guard down, though Vegeta found that to be a useful stance for life in general.
Vegeta eyed Jhainer's silver armor, uniform, and boots set on the raised bench in the middle of the dressing room, the Trikan's blue scouter neatly perched on top. At this hour, it appeared only Jhainer was using the amenities. Vegeta heard the running water in the next room, though it stopped just moments after the prince entered.
A heartbeat later and Jhainer emerged into the dressing room, soaking wet as he wrapped a loose cloth around his waist. His dead eye settled on Vegeta, a fleeting look of surprise passing over his face before suspicion took over. Vegeta was mildly comforted that the Trikan teenager was moving a bit slower and more gingerly than usual, his own thick bandages covering his hands and arms from their brutal training. Though the bandages were black, Vegeta could smell that Jhainer's bandages were bleeding through, just like his own.
Vegeta raised one finger up to his scouter, before motioning for Jhainer to stay silent. The Trikan nodded as Vegeta removed his own scouter and put it near Jhainer's belongings. They walked past each other then, with Jhainer going to his gear as Vegeta entered the watering room. The Saiyan ran the ice cold water for himself, and without undressing, let it run over his head and face for several long seconds to re-energize himself and wake up a little.
Moments later, the Saiyan stepped away and left the water running as though he was still bathing while he silently walked back into the dressing room. Now dressed, Jhainer was tucking in his teleportation device into his silver armor as they made eye contact, his blue scouter next to Vegeta's red one on the bench.
Vegeta silently nodded to him. Jhainer then put a heavy blue hand on Vegeta's shoulder, and they both vanished, their scouters left behind.
Moments later, Vegeta scowled as he glanced around. They were close to the most western post on the planet which handled supplies and equipment, with a focus on food for the entire base planet. Nearby were shipping docks meant exclusively for receiving large shipments of supplies – armor, food, medicine, new regeneration tanks, technical equipment, or anything else of value that was much too large to fit into one of the space pods utilized by the men. With Frieza's current orders for the base planet, there was no one working there, the modern, top of the line facilities empty and silent. The two teenagers were far off to the side, standing far out of sight near where the planet's natural blue vegetation began.
"What is it, Saiyan?" Jhainer peevishly asked, now able to speak freely while Vegeta ruffled his own hair with one hand, sweeping his wet hair back up into its natural spikes. "We should not be risking these encounters with the current posture of the base."
"I heard news tonight, Trikan," the prince gruffly said, crossing his arms over his silver armor. "It seems the Interrogator is on his way."
"…you're certain of this?" Jhainer asked, the annoyance gone from his soft voice. The Trikan was well guarded, his good eye impossible to read. His body language was tense though, something that did not escape Vegeta's notice.
"Yes. He will make arrival within the next day or two."
A heavy silence fell between them, the gravity of their situation becoming clear. Jhainer looked away, his face pensive, though his fists were clenched at his sides. Vegeta had his arms crossed over his chest, his serious gaze on the vegetation growing at their feet.
"That's not good," Jhainer mumbled, both teenagers making eye contact once more. "What do you propose?"
"For starters, I propose that you keep your damn mouth shut, Trikan," Vegeta growled threateningly, his earlier anxiety twisting in his stomach as he lowered his arms, his fists tight. "I can handle the Interrogator, but if you break under his questioning, we'll both be killed."
Jhainer's eyes narrowed, his tail whipping angrily behind him. He turned to directly face the prince with him, squaring his shoulders.
"I don't break for anyone, Saiyan," he softly said, steel in his words.
"Is that so?" Vegeta tauntingly asked. "You broke before I did in the strength of will competition. What's to stop you from caving under more pressure from the Interrogator, or Frieza himself?"
"You think I'm the one most at risk for betraying this movement, Vegeta?" Jhainer questioned dangerously. He stepped right up to the Saiyan, the soft light of the moon contradicting the viciousness of Jhainer's tone as he added, "Of the two of us, you are the one most inclined to betray us all to save yourself. In fact, you are already failing in your duties."
"What-" Vegeta started, blinking in a mix of surprise and growing rage before he snarled, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Orrin!" Jhainer snapped at him. "Your task was to kill him, and you haven't done it yet."
"And what of your task?" Vegeta shot back. "You were supposed to kill the lead technician-"
"I killed him tonight before I went to bathe," Jhainer informed him, earning a surprised look from Vegeta. The Trikan scoffed. "The timing was good as no one would expect such a move right now, and the kill was clean, made to look like natural causes. So I've done my part. What about you, Saiyan? Are you backing out from killing Manzin's recruit? Pray tell, Vegeta, what else might you be backing out of?"
"I'm not backing out of anything," Vegeta sneered, his tail slowly uncurling from around his waist as it bristled. "I will kill the boy before the recruits fight-"
"When?"
"Soon."
"When?" Jhainer forcefully demanded.
"I don't answer to you, Trikan," Vegeta sneered, shoving Jhainer hard in the chest, forcing the Trikan back half a step. Jhainer immediately returned the favor, shoving Vegeta hard enough that it would have likely knocked him down if he hadn't braced for it.
That was enough. Vegeta swung his fist at Jhainer's face, but the Trikan ducked, barreling into the Saiyan's midsection to roughly tackle him down to the ground as the two suddenly were fighting for the upper hand in an impromptu brawl. Despite their sudden explosion of violence, both teenagers maintained their wits enough to avoid using their ki, lest their fight trigger on scouters. Relying purely on hand-to-hand skill, Vegeta managed to get back up to his feet, throwing an elbow back hard into Jhainer's face and making the Trikan stagger backwards.
Jhainer cursed, fresh blood running down his face – Vegeta immediately spun for another punch to the face, but he was one step slower than he normally was and Jhainer read it perfectly, ducking underneath again and spinning to grab Vegeta into a headlock from behind. He roughly dragged Vegeta back down to the ground, panting through his nose as he did, his grip iron tight and relentless around the prince's throat from behind.
"Are you fucking done, Saiyan?" Jhainer hissed as the prince viciously thrashed to get free. Vegeta twisted to get leverage, snaking his hands underneath Jhainer's and using his raw strength against the Trikan's hands as both their arms shook with the strain – with neither of them at 100 percent, the fight was exhausting them both.
Finally, Jhainer simply released him. Both teenagers scrambled back up to their feet, then got into their respective fight stances as they squared up against each other, both panting. Vegeta had one fist pulled back, blue light threading around his fingers in warning as he shifted one boot back. Jhainer was lower to the ground, legs spread with one hand braced on the ground, his free hand curled back into a tight fist, yellow light dancing around his hand.
Neither moved for several moments. After what felt like ages, Jhainer finally relaxed his posture, slowly standing. His tail whipped behind him in annoyance as he glared at the teenager across from him.
"Feel better?" Jhainer asked, his soft voice dripping with sarcasm as he brushed the dark blue blood from his face with his bandaged forearm. "The rest of Frieza's men are being consumed with paranoia, but we must not succumb to such madness. Rest assured, I am not going to betray you," he said, his voice more forceful than usual.
"Your planet still exists, Jhainer," Vegeta harshly stated, still posed as though ready for battle. "What will you do when Frieza threatens to purge it if you do not tell him what you know?"
"I have purged many planets in my lifetime. What makes mine more precious than any other?"
"And what of your woman that you care about? What will you give up if her life is at stake?"
Jhainer's entire posture suddenly changed, his expression darkening, his aura menacing as he exposed his canines. Vegeta instinctively braced himself for their fight to resume as Jhainer sneered at him.
"You are the only soul I have ever confided that to. If those words ever reach Frieza's ears, it won't be because I broke, but rather that you betrayed me. But rest assured Vegeta, that if you betray me in any way, I will kill you, Nappa, Raditz, and that last Saiyan on Planet Earth. I will even throw in a purge of Earth as a bonus." Vegeta looked openly shocked, which made Jhainer laugh humorlessly. "I do my research as well, and I know about Raditz' brother. If you betray me, Vegeta, I will end your entire race."
The fur on Vegeta's tail was standing on end, bristling as it lashed behind him. "I can say the same, Trikan," he evenly responded. "If you betray me, I will purge your whole fucking planet and save your woman for last, so she can see her world burned to ashes."
Another tense silence fell between the two teenagers. A wind blew, rustling Vegeta's hair, a brief whistling sound in the dead of night. Finally, Jhainer sighed, both in fatigue and exasperation.
"Look. Trust is as difficult for me as it is for you, Saiyan," Jhainer quietly said, his gaze hard. "But the reality is that we cannot betray each other now without both of us dying, so we can do this all night but ultimately, these threats are meaningless. I am prepared to die if it means helping this resistance movement succeed. I am in this, Vegeta. The real question is…are you?"
Vegeta hesitated, a mixture of confusion and uncertainty crossing his face, disarmed over Jhainer's words. Trust was an attribute of the weak; trust in others and you were dead. That was just fundamental survival. However, the alliance with Jhainer was unlike anything Vegeta had ever allowed before, which inherently required some degree of mutual trust. Although trust was not a concept he was capable of understanding, Vegeta did understand the concepts of mutual enemies and mutual destruction very well. Though he could not fully trust the young Trikan warrior before him, he could at least trust in that.
For the first time that night, Vegeta's posture relaxed as the blue light around his fingers vanished, and he finally nodded. Reaching up, the prince brushed at his nose, which was bleeding from their short fight as his tail wrapped around his waist.
"I am in this as well," Vegeta asserted. There is no going back now, he reminded himself. The moment he had agreed to be part of this, he had agreed to put his life on the line. Still, that did not mean he was eager to die any time soon. The prince scowled, "But it needs to be smart, Jhainer. If we are to actually help the resistance, it means we need to stay alive. Forget Manzin's recruit for the time being. The Interrogator is a serious problem. We cannot meet with him, because if he is half as good as his reputation, we won't need to say anything at all before he knows the truth of it."
Jhainer remained silent for a moment, before scowling and reluctantly nodding. "You are right," he softly conceded. "It's only a matter of time before we are summoned once he arrives. It's not as though we could just kill him."
Vegeta scoffed. "Says who?"
"Don't be reckless, Saiyan," Jhainer hissed angrily, his tail whipping behind him. "You talk about wanting to survive? Killing the Interrogator is not going to help that cause. Frieza would kill us all and rebuild his army from scratch if we pulled such a foolish maneuver and you know it. He is more valuable than all of us combined. We would never get away with it. Besides, we would never get the opportunity."
Vegeta grit his teeth. Deep down, he knew the older teenager was right. He barely had opportunity to kill Orrin alone without leaving a trace. Going after the Interrogator was suicide. He reached with one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath, aiming to think clearly.
Analyze and strategize. He needed to be smart, or he would be dead within the fortnight.
"Alright," the prince muttered, lowering his hand over his mouth as he methodically assessed this situation. "The Interrogator is coming. We cannot kill him. We could face him directly at his game, but the risk is too high. As such, we cannot meet with him, but we also cannot postpone indefinitely without raising suspicion. This leaves only one solution…"
"Which is?"
"We give Frieza what he wants," Vegeta slowly answered. He looked up and made eye contact with Jhainer, a scheming look spreading over his face.
It took only a moment before Jhainer understood. The young Trikan then snorted, shaking his head as he looked down, pondering exactly what Vegeta was proposing. He slowly paced back and forth several times while Vegeta watched him.
"…it's bold…" Jhainer finally relented, shaking his head again. For the first time that evening, Vegeta saw that he wasn't the only one who was completely exhausted. "I'm unsure if this is madness or brilliance, Saiyan."
"Call it what you want, Trikan, but I call it survival," Vegeta gruffly stated, his dark eyes focused and determined. "So then, are you in?"
Jhainer gave a brisk nod, and then looked back up, his face set in determination.
"I'm in."
"Alright then," Vegeta said with a cunning smirk. "If he wants to find the traitors, then let's give him the traitors."
Later that same night after retrieving his scouter from the bathing unit on base, Vegeta descended in front of the Ozo tavern. He peeked in through the glass, his dark eyes scanning for signs of Aradeen. He saw a couple of Frieza's men, though both seemed soundly passed out; one was sitting at a table with his head in his arms, and the other was laying on the floor by the wall, snoring away. The lights were dim inside, and he picked up no further movement. Frowning, he reached up and lowered his threshold on his scouter, until he placed her near the back in the small living quarters.
She was sound asleep on the floor, wrapped in blankets when he found her. Vegeta stood over her in the darkness, frowning as he observed her while he briefly forgot his purpose. Though Kyanna had educated him in some things, and satiated some male primal urges, he still found the woman at his feet to be undeniably attractive…it was enough to make him briefly hesitate. He was about to pull her into a web of schemes that could mean her life. Though Aradeen's life mattered little to him, he would certainly lament such a beautiful woman dying, especially if it happened before he could get her to submit to him.
Vegeta could almost hear Jhainer's voice in his mind telling him to focus. His dark eyes sharpened as he scowled, before he left the room to ensure the other two men were truly down and wouldn't overhear.
Moments later, Aradeen stirred when she heard something shuffling close to her. She squinted her eyes open in the darkness, and then was greeted by the silhouette of a Saiyan prince squatting down next to her.
Vegeta opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance before there was a flash of red across his vision, white hot pain exploding on his face as the smell of blood quickly filled the room. The prince briefly choked on his words as he fell back, sitting down hard from the force – his guard had foolishly been down, and too late he remembered the slave girl had warrior blood in her veins. He raised one hand to his face in shock, when he sensed Aradeen swinging something towards him again.
This time, Vegeta instinctively caught her wrist, stopping her from sinking a blade the size of her forearm into him. The blade's edge pulsed hot red with live fire, and he now had an idea of what had swept across his face.
"Drop the fucking blade," Vegeta hissed, warm blood running down his face as his skin burned, both of them panting from the adrenaline. Their motion had turned on a dim light in the room; Aradeen looked shocked to see him. A heartbeat later, and Aradeen dropped the blade. Her shock had passed, and now she looked truly frightened as he painfully tightened his grip on her wrist.
"Vegeta – I didn't know it was you –"
"Is that so?" he sneered, one hand going up to the side of his face, which was pulsing in pain. She had sliced him up the right side with her fire blade, narrowly missing his eye. The flare-up of pain, the rage over a slave girl having the audacity to injure him – his hand holding her wrist trembled, his instincts demanding she pay with her blood.
Instead, he reached up to his scouter.
"Zarbon – if you're listening, I need to remind a slave girl of her place… as such, request permission to disconnect scouter comms. Some things are only meant to be heard between a man and a woman, after all," he threatened, making Aradeen's face pale.
A few tense seconds passed, before Zarbon's voice came through, sounding mildly disgusted. "Yes, fine. You are officially authorized twenty minutes of being disconnected, and not a second longer, monkey prince."
Vegeta turned off his scouter when Aradeen abruptly yanked her wrist free from him. She went to pick up the blade again, but the Saiyan was too fast. A split second later, and she was being slammed hard against a wall, an unbreakable, tight grip around her throat. She tried to desperately free herself from him, but his strength was overwhelming.
"I'm not going to rape you, woman. There is no challenge in that," Vegeta bluntly told her. The words were enough to make Aradeen stop struggling, a look of surprise in her reptilian blue eyes. Vegeta's glare was intense, his grip on her throat at just the right pressure to keep her immobile without outright strangling her. "I'm not going to kill you either, as you are about to prove yourself very useful to me."
Aradeen barely had time to digest what he said though before the Saiyan raised her own fire blade right over her eye as his lip curled, a shadow of a snarl crossing his face. Terrified, Aradeen forced herself to remain deathly still.
"But if you ever raise a blade to me again, I will use it to carve your eyes out, before I skin you alive," he threatened, lethal promise in his dark gaze. "Understand?"
"Yes," she quickly answered. Vegeta held still for a moment, before finally releasing her throat.
"Good." He smoothly spun the fire blade in his hand before offering her the handle. "You work for me now, girl. You can start by getting me something to drink and a cloth for the blood. Make it fast."
Aradeen hesitantly took her blade back; as soon as she did, Vegeta abruptly left the room, finally giving her personal space. She let out a shaky breath, sheathing her blade in a scabbard at her side. Frieza's men generally respected that Manzin had "claimed" her, but intoxication did strange and dangerous things and it was necessary to be prepared.
Although grateful that per his own words, Vegeta did not intend to harm her at the moment, she was wary about the true reasons why. Moments later, she stepped out into the main tavern area, just in time to see Vegeta roughly throw out one of the intoxicated and passed out men that had been there for hours now; the other was already sprawled face down outside, still snoring. Aradeen unconsciously pulled her custom black jacket-like cloak closer to her, briefly shifting her wings through the custom opening in the back as she went about to make Vegeta a drink.
Vegeta finally turned his attention back to her once he was sure they were alone. He sat down heavily on one of the levitating slabs by the main counter just as she handed him a warm white cloth. Snatching it from her, he pressed it against the fresh wound she had given him.
"So how does a slave like you get a weapon like that anyway?" he irritably demanded. He knew that such a thing would command a hefty price on the black market.
"It was a gift from Manzin," she replied, earning an indifferent grunt from him. Aradeen's nerves were calmer now as she expertly prepared Vegeta the most popular drink from the last several days. Finally, she offered it to him, a blue liquid that naturally emitted light and smoke. Vegeta tossed aside the bloodied cloth and took it, his eyes lingering on her breasts. Aradeen resisted the urge to roll her eyes, staying neutral as she ventured, "So…you mentioned that you might need something from me?"
"Before we get to business, a question."
Aradeen hesitated a moment, pulling her cloak closer to her. "Yes?"
"What would it take for you and I to head to the back and acquaint ourselves properly?" Vegeta bluntly asked. He raised the drink up, breathing in the blue smoke coming from it, his eyes focused intensely on her.
She took a moment – the honest answer was that it would take a miracle. But she did not want to put his patience to the test and risk offending him. Finally, she settled on a diplomatic answer.
"I am Manzin's, Vegeta."
The Saiyan prince grunted before chugging down half his drink, then sighed in satisfaction. It was so incredibly strong that it burned his throat, but damn did it feel good going down.
"Yes…about him," he finally said, lowering his drink. Vegeta slowly twirled the glass, unconsciously mimicking Frieza, his dark eyes locked on her. "He comes here every night, correct?"
"That's correct," Aradeen answered suspiciously.
"And after he shows you how little of a man he is, does he sleep?"
She hesitated. His eyes narrowed as his hand holding the glass stilled, one gloved finger tapping the glass impatiently. Aradeen swallowed and nodded.
"Only for 30 minutes or so."
Vegeta grunted and then went to reach into his armor – anxious about what he was doing, Aradeen's fingers drifted down to the blade that was sheathed on a sling around her waist. Vegeta saw the motion and scoffed.
"Well. You are certainly bold…" he drawled, reaching into his armor. He produced a red vial the size of his index finger – the poison vial Felsin had given him. He gently put it on the table next to the glass, before picking up the glass and twirling it again. "So let's see just how bold you really are, woman."
A heavy and uncomfortable silence fell between both of them. "What is this?" she finally asked, her voice wary.
"It's not about what it is, it's about what you are going to do with it. Later tonight after Manzin falls asleep after you have the misfortune of laying with him, you are going to put this inside of his armor. There are internal pockets, but use the lower one over the abdomen. He won't notice it."
Vegeta raised his glass and finished the drink she had prepared for him while he studied her reaction. It was one thing to accuse another soldier in Frieza's ranks of being part of the resistance – such an accusation would never stand up to the Interrogator, and would ultimately draw more attention to the accuser once proven false. No, they needed undeniable proof. He and Jhainer had ultimately agreed that it was worth the risk of angering the resistance with "losing" the poison vial, if it meant ensuring their own survival.
Pinning it on Manzin was also their final decision because he had unknowingly made the very unfortunate mistake of recruiting a boy who was directly linked to the resistance, a fact that Jhainer and Vegeta were going to ruthlessly exploit in the next phase of the plan. But first, he needed to see this first part through.
Aradeen had a serious look on her face as she stared at the vial, her long spikes of hair hanging almost over half her face, while the prince watched her intently. Having her be the one to technically plant the vial on Manzin was his idea, something that gave him a degree of separation and plausible deniability – if things went badly, then it was preferable that she die instead of him, after all.
"Well?" Vegeta impatiently demanded.
"Will this kill him?" she finally asked, her voice quieter than usual.
"Eventually."
She raised her eyes to his. "So…you are part of the resistance then?"
Vegeta's gaze darkened, warning in his dark eyes. "I never said that. What do you even know about the resistance, slave?"
"You see where I work. Most men talk."
"I am not most men. I have nothing to do with the resistance. You know that Manzin and I are in direct competition to earn rank in Lord Frieza's Galactic Army…I did tell you that I was going to kill him sooner or later."
Aradeen said nothing for a time – now, she was studying him. He easily held her gaze. She had no choice, and they both knew it.
"Well," she finally said, in a tone he couldn't read. She reached out and easily took the vial, tucking it inside her cloak. "If you ever were to become part of the resistance…I would want in."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Such talk is treason, girl," he growled low. "I could have you killed for that."
"You don't strike me as a born follower," she stated.
Vegeta scoffed. Born followers were the ones raised in the light, as Frieza liked to phrase it. It was the group of babes confiscated because they showed enough potential at birth, or they were unfortunate to have been sired by one of his soldiers. They were raised in Frieza's ranks, trained and molded from before they could walk. They were fiercely loyal to Frieza, despite not getting any special treatment. It was the only life they had ever known. Regardless, they were weak, brainwashed fools in the prince's mind.
"You truly are bolder than I thought…foolish for a slave girl," Vegeta evenly responded. "But no, I am not a born follower, and I am not with the resistance. I would strongly advise you to be mindful of who you say such things to. They may not be as merciful as I am." His voice was dripping with the threat of retribution as he glared at her. "Now do what I told you to do, and keep your damn mouth shut, no matter who asks any questions. If you can do that, then you just might be free of Manzin soon."
Aradeen said nothing, though she pondered her fate without Manzin. It was risky; she could be claimed by someone far worse, to say nothing of what fate awaited her if she was caught. In some ways, the devil she knew was almost comforting. But if it gave a small opportunity for freedom in some improbable manner, even if only just from Manzin…she was willing to take the risk. Plus, she dared not cross Vegeta now.
The Saiyan didn't wait for her response as he reached up to activate his scouter again. He had hit the time limit Zarbon had given him, and had a few minutes before he needed to take flight to get back to his training. He rotated his neck, and this time was able to crack it. The first phase of the plan was done for now – he and Jhainer would execute the next phase after their training ended.
"Get back to fucking work, slave," the Saiyan ordered harshly, aware that others were eavesdropping now. He spun on his heel, his black cape fluttering up behind him as he headed out.
Vegeta didn't look back as he stepped outside of the tavern, ignoring the passed out men as he walked past them. Though still dark, the sky was just starting to lighten with the incoming dawn. Peering up at the sky, he looked briefly at the stars, but the sky was clouded. His shoulders felt heavy as he faced the day ahead, brushing absently at the blood still running down his face.
By this time tomorrow, Frieza would have his traitors, one way or another.