Here we are, guys. Chapter Ten! Enjoy!
The ship dropped out of warp space near Arbol as Kalrot returned to the bridge. "How are we doing?" he asked. "Good," Rutaba said, turning to face him. "Alright. I'll take over. Rayna asked to see you," Kalrot said. Rutaba nodded. "About what?" he asked. "I've got no idea, other than the fact that she wanted to see you," Kalrot answered.
"Where is she?" Rutaba asked. "In our room still. She should be dressed by now," Kalrot responded. "She's feeling better now?" Rutaba asked. Kalrot nodded. "Yeah, after we had some fun. Her ribs are definitely bruised though," he said. Rutaba tried not to throw up upon hearing that, but continued what he was doing. "Well, I'll see you later," he said, departing the bridge. Kalrot chuckled and sat down, resuming flying.
"Could've done without that conversation," Commodus said, drawing a chuckle from Kalrot. "My wife is Rutaba's sister, so that feeling is worse for him," he replied. "Oh. So you did it to get a rise out of him?" Commodus asked. "Yep. It's funny to see his reaction," Kalrot said, returning his attention to flying. "That sounds like something Magnus would do…" Commodus said. Kalrot chuckled again. "Don't compare me to him!" he said, laughing. Commodus laughed as well, finding that hilarious.
A bit later...
The Quasar landed in Arbol City for the second time. To Kalrot's surprise, he found Amaria there to meet him. "You're back," she said. "Yes. Need a break. Know any good bars around here?" he asked. "There's one not far from that restaurant you guys were at the other day," Amaria responded. "Thanks. If you're not working, come join us," Kalrot said. "Maybe. I am done for the day," she said. "Worried about your husband?" he teased. "No! He's off on a deployment, anyway," she said. "Then come with us!" Kalrot said.
"I might come sit with you, but I can't drink," Amaria answered. "Why not?" Kalrot asked. "Because I'm pregnant," she said. "Congratulations! But you don't look like it," Kalrot replied. "I'm not far along. Just found out yesterday, actually," Amaria answered. "And Cabaga isn't around?" Kalrot asked. "Nah. We were together a couple months ago- before he left. The doctor's best guess is that's when I got pregnant," she said. "Who are you talking to?" Rayna asked from inside the ship. "An old friend," Kalrot called back as his wife came out. "Amaria?" she asked, surprised. "In the flesh," Amaria responded. Rayna practically sprinted down the ramp to Kalrot's side. "So you're alive, huh?" she asked. Amaria nodded. "Yeah. That battle was rough, but we managed to escape," she said.
"Where's the rest of your group?" Amaria asked. "On the ship. We needed a drink after recent events," Kalrot said. "Recent events?" Amaria asked. "You don't want to know, trust me," Rayna said, moving closer to Kalrot.
"Something bad happen?" Amaria asked. "You could say that. We'll tell you about it later," Kalrot said as the others began coming outside. "So this is Arbol?" Rutaba asked, walking over. "Yep," Amaria answered. Rutaba took a double take before looking her in the eye.
"Amaria?" he asked. "That's me," she replied. "We- "Rutaba began- only for Amaria to cut him off. "Thought I was dead?" she asked. "Yeah," Rutaba responded. "Kalrot showed up here a little while ago and helped us out. I gave him a starfighter as payment," Amaria said. "So that's where that came from," Rayna said. "Yep," Amaria said, nodding. "Now. Can you lead us to this bar?" Kalrot asked. "Yeah. Let's go," Amaria said, laughing. "How'd you know we were here?" Kalrot asked.
"I was coming over here to check on something before I went home and saw you landing," Amaria answered. Kalrot nodded. "My ship is kind of obvious," he said, chuckling. "You think?" Amaria responded, eliciting another laugh. A short while later, they sat at a corner booth inside the cantina, enjoying a drink. "So. Are you gonna tell me that story now or what?" Pyrus asked.
"What story?" Kalrot asked. "The story of our past," Cornalia said. "He's one of us. He deserves to know," he added. "I agree," Kalrot said. "Do you want to start? Or should I?" he asked. "You start," Cornalia said, taking another sip of his drink.
Kalrot nodded. "Alright, buckle up, because this is a long story," he said. Pyrus nodded, and focused on Kalrot as he began regaling them with the tales of their past. "This all began a long time ago," Kalrot started.
Ten Years Ago: Orgustal.
Kalrot awoke in the old house that he lived in. His parents had been killed in an Arcadian raid, and he wanted nothing more than to kill the ones responsible. He, his brother, sister, and most of their friends lived there, all of them orphans. He sat up on the bed, his scuffed armor being incredibly uncomfortable to sleep in. Then again, he didn't really have much else to wear, considering his situation. Just then, he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said. The door opened, revealing his brother standing there. "Yasa's back with her new boyfriend…" Spinak said. Kalrot rolled his eyes and stood up. "I thought I made it clear that this place is members only?" he said, slightly annoyed.
"You did, but you know that she's never quite cared for what you say. Most of the time, anyway," Spinak responded. Kalrot considered this for a moment before responding. "You're right…she's incredibly strong willed. Where are the others?" Kalrot responded. "Right. Then go to the main entrance and greet them. I'll go talk to the others," Kalrot responded, standing up. Spinak nodded and left the room as Kalrot sighed to himself. Yasa never listened to him when he made new rules.
Putting that aside, he left his room, arriving in the meeting room a few seconds later. He noted Kallot, Parsel, and Rutaba inside as he entered. "You guys waiting for me?" Kalrot asked. "Yeah," Kallot said. "Then this meeting will start," Kalrot began. "First order of business. Yasa's got a boyfriend, and apparently she wants him to join up with us," he said. Rutaba raised a hand. "Who is he?" he asked. "Don't know. All I know is that he goes to our school," Kalrot said. Rutaba nodded, before asking a question. "If I can convince my parents, can my sister join?"
Rutaba nodded, before asking a question. "If I can convince my parents, can my sister join?" Kalrot considered this a moment. Rayna had been nice to him in the past, and she was one of his only friends. "I'll think about it. If I let her in, I'd have to let Yasa's boyfriend in, and vice-versa.." he responded.
Rutaba nodded, and Kallot spoke up shortly thereafter. "What are we going to do about this?" he asked. "I don't know.." Kalrot said. "Parsel, do you have an opinion on this?" Kalrot asked. Parsel said nothing, just shaking his head no. Kalrot prepared to speak again but was quickly interrupted by Spinak and Yasa entering with Yasa's boyfriend in tow. "Nice of you to join us," he said sarcastically. "Yeah, yeah.. We got distracted. But we're here now," Spinak said. "Take your places," Kalrot replied, seeming a bit annoyed.
Spinak nodded and took his seat as Yasa and her boyfriend stood in front of the semicircle of tables in the room, at the head of which Kalrot sat. "This is Cornalia," she said. "His family doesn't have a lot of money. They barely scrape by. They could use the help he could earn by joining us." Kalrot looked him over. "The old man doesn't pay us much already. And you want to add another share?" he said. "Yes. I'll take it on myself to negotiate another share for him. And if that fails, I'll share with him," Yasa responded.
Kalrot sighed. "Is he any good in a fight?" he asked. "He's had to learn in order to help defend his parents' cargo freighter. He's got experience working security from that," she said. "Prove it," Kalrot said. "Right here?" she asked. "Yes, Yasa, right here," Kalrot responded.
"He beat me in a fight," she said. "Really?" Kalrot asked. "Yes. I agreed to go out with him if he could beat me. I fell for him because of that," Yasa answered. Kalrot took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Fine. Let's put it to a vote," he said. The others nodded. "You're up first, Spinak," Kalrot said. "I don't see why not. You've got my vote," Spinak said. "You're up next, Parsel," Kalrot said. He simply nodded yes. Yasa smiled. Two out of the four had voted yes. Even if Kalrot didn't vote yes, Rutaba voting yes would make him lose three to one. "It's your turn, Rutaba," Kalrot said. "I think we should give him a shot," Rutaba said.
Kalrot sighed. "Guess we're in agreement," he said. Yasa celebrated. "Not so fast. There's still initiation. We're going to go over the rules really quick," Kalrot said. Yasa nodded quickly. "Right," she said. "Let's get on with it, then."
Kalrot nodded in return, cracking his knuckles. He then turned and looked right at Cornalia, who looked nervous- allowing a smirk to form on his face as he did so. "We've got rules to establish," he said. "And you're going to follow them. Understood?"
Cornalia nodded quickly. "Yeah," he said. Kalrot smirked. "Good," he said. "Now, with that out of the way, let's get on down to the rules. I'm going to list them all off, from beginning to end, and I'm only going to do this once, so pay attention."
"Rule One: I'm the boss. In the field, you do what I say, and there won't be a problem. Disobey too many times, and you're kicked out," Kalrot began, intentionally keeping his voice a low growl- he was trying to make Cornalia nervous- trying to test his nerve, see how he'd react under pressure. Cornalia didn't visibly react, so Kalrot elected to continue. "Rule Two: We're equals. No one's better than another. For the purposes of voting, we're all equivalent. Break it, you're kicked out," he said.
Cornalia nodded silently, still not cracking. Impressed with his fortitude, Kalrot continued. "Rule Three: I make the rules, no one else. Break it, you're kicked out," he said. "Rule Four: Rule Four: Spinak is my number two. You have a problem and can't get me, talk to him."
Kalrot kept an eye on Cornalia's expression as he spoke, noting that it continued to remain stoic. "Rule Five: Don't cause any trouble. Break it, you're kicked out," Kalrot said, continuing. "Rule Six: Don't hurt anybody. Break this one, and you're definitely getting kicked out."
Again, Cornalia said or did nothing, allowing Kalrot to continue. "He's more impressive than I thought..." Kalrot mused. "But I still need to see his skill in an actual fight." With his mental assessment of Cornalia concluded, Kalrot continued. "Rule Seven: No crime. We aren't a gang, no matter what anyone says. Commit a crime, and you're out, 100%. Might even hand you off to the authorities myself. Rule Eight: Each new member has to go through Initiation. Simple combat trial, nothing hard."
Cornalia again nodded, remaining silent once more. Kalrot smiled briefly, again impressed by Cornalia's refusal to show any nervousness that he may be feeling at the moment. "Rule Nine: All new members are approved by me. Once that's done, you're voted in. And finally, Rule Ten: No drugs, booze, or anything like that around here. You're kicked out if we find you with anything like that here. No stealing, either," he said, finishing off his listing of the group's various rules.
"Understood," Cornalia said as soon as he'd finished speaking. "Good. Then we can get down to business. Out to the backyard for your initiation ceremony," Kalrot responded, standing up. He moved towards the door, beckoning for the others to follow.
Soon enough, they stood out in the backyard, which was surprisingly large. They were a few miles out of the city, though, so there was more room. "So what's this initiation?" Cornalia asked. "Simple. You have to fight all six of us in succession. Five minutes each, and you have to beat three of us to pass," Kalrot said.
"What counts as winning the fight?" Cornalia asked. "You have to either force your opponent to yield, knock them out, or force them out of the ring," Kalrot responded. "Ring?" Cornalia asked, confused. "Oh, right. Forgot to explain. From the back door of the house to the edge of the woods behind me is the ring. Anything outside of that is out of bounds," Kalrot said. Cornalia nodded, stepping into the designated area. "You're up, Yasa. Prove that he beat you," Kalrot said, stepping aside with the others. He then started the timer, gesturing for them to begin.
The two squared off, preparing for the fight ahead of them, knowing that this was the only way that Cornalia was getting in. He noticed a rectangle carved in the dirt, stretching from the back door to the edge of the woods. He was soon set upon by his girlfriend, who charged him with a barrage of blows.
He recognized the attack patterns from their first fight and blocked them with ease. He responded with a sweeping kick, knocking her off her feet. He charged in, grabbing her by the leg. She quickly realized that he was intending to toss her out. "It won't be that easy," she said, firing a ki blast into his face, enabling her to escape.
She followed up with a barrage of blows, sending him staggering back. She drew her fist back for a haymaker, only for him to catch her wrist as she tried to strike. He then smiled and tossed her back with all his strength, sending her flying out of the ring.
"Impressive. And you did it with three minutes to spare," Kalrot said, stopping the timer. "Thanks," Cornalia said. Kalrot nodded, resetting the timer. "You're up, Kallot," Kalrot said. The tall, lean Saiyan jumped into the ring to face the would-be initiate. Cornalia smirked and assumed his stance as Kallot charged him. He managed to block the first three hits, but was caught off guard by the fourth, sending him staggering backwards. Kallot capitalized on this, attempting an axe handle.
He proved too slow, however, resulting in Cornalia nailing him in the face as he jumped back to his feet. Cornalia took the opportunity to charge himself, forcing Kallot all the way to the other end of the field with a furious barrage of blows. "You're much better than I expected," Kallot said, grappling with Cornalia, who was attempting to push him out. "Thanks. I've got to impress my girl," Cornalia said.
Kallot smiled and pushed back harder. Cornalia got an idea just then, and shot his leg out, striking Kallot's ankle, causing him to buckle. Cornalia seized that opportunity to knee him in the chest, sending him stumbling out of the ring. "And that's it!" Kalrot shouted, stopping the timer. "That one took a little longer. Two and a half minutes to spare," he said.
He proved too slow, however, resulting in Cornalia nailing him in the face as he jumped back to his feet. Cornalia took the opportunity to charge himself, forcing Kallot all the way to the other end of the field with a furious barrage of blows. "You're much better than I expected," Kallot said, grappling with Cornalia, who was attempting to push him out. "Thanks. I've got to impress my girl," Cornalia said. Kallot smiled and pushed back harder.
Cornalia got an idea just then, and shot his leg out, striking Kallot's ankle, causing him to buckle. Cornalia seized that opportunity to knee him in the chest, sending him stumbling out of the ring. "And that's it!" Kalrot shouted, stopping the timer. "That one took a little longer. Two and a half minutes to spare," he said.
Cornalia smiled, knowing that he only needed to win one more to pass his initiation. Kalrot glanced at the three who hadn't fought yet. "Who wants to go next?" he asked. Rutaba stepped up. "I'll do it," he said. Kalrot nodded and reset the timer as Rutaba took his place in the ring. He and Cornalia charged each other as soon as Kalrot started the timer. They traded blows, neither able to gain an advantage, both being roughly the same body type: average height, fairly muscular.
Despite this, Cornalia proved craftier, confusing his opponent with afterimages. Whilst Rutaba was distracted, he moved in and caught his arm, using it to pin him to the ground. "Alright. I don't think I can win. I yield!" Rutaba said. Kalrot nodded and stopped the timer. "That was even faster than the first match! Only a minute passed," he said.
"Does that mean I pass?" Cornalia asked, releasing Rutaba. "Yes. We won't bother making you fight the rest of us," Kalrot said. "You've impressed me, and we've got to get to school soon." Cornalia nodded, stepping out of the ring. "Good going!" Yasa called. He smiled and walked over to her. "Thanks," he said. "You're welcome," she said. "Now come on. I've got to get my stuff together before we leave." He nodded and left with her, walking inside to get her stuff. "This place is huge," he said. "Yeah. Belongs to the guy that runs the bank. He lets us live here in exchange for working security for him. He pays us a little as well," she said.
"Did he used to live here?" Cornalia asked. "Yeah. But then he moved into a newer house in the city. This place sat empty for a long time. Then he hired us orphans, and let us use it," Yasa answered. "Huh," Cornalia said, following her up to her room.
Outside, the others prepared to leave. "Rutaba, tell your sister that she can join. Bring her here after school if you can. We'll get on with the Initiation." Kalrot said. Rutaba nodded. "Time for school?" he asked. "Yeah. We've got an hour to get there. Better start getting ready," Kalrot said. He nodded and followed Kalrot inside, alongside the others. A little later, they arrived at school, walking into the entrance/courtyard. The other students were scattered around, waiting for classes to start for the day.
"Another day of this.." Kalrot sighed. "Don't be so dramatic. Military life is worse," Spinak said. Kalrot glared at him. "If we were soldiers, we'd be making more money than we do now," Kalrot responded, not missing a beat. Spinak couldn't respond to that, speechless. "Rutaba! Where have you been all morning?" a voice called.
Rutaba took a deep breath and turned to see his sister standing there. "Rayna," he said, his tone a mix of nervous and annoyed. "Mom and dad were angry. You left and didn't say a thing!" she said, angry. "And...? I went to see my friends," Rutaba said, defending himself.
She stopped her rant when she heard that, glancing at the others. Kalrot spoke up, amused. "You've got guts, girl. I've got to renegotiate our deal to include Yasa's new boyfriend, so you might as well join us too," he said. Rayna just gave him a blank look. "Come on. I've seen the way you look at us. You want to be our friend, but your parents don't like you being around us. But since when has that stopped your brother?" Kalrot said. She considered that a moment before she spoke up.
"I admit it. I want to have more friends. But my parents think you guys are in a gang," she said. Kalrot laughed out loud at that. "We're not a gang. We're just a bunch of poor kids that hang around together. Minus your brother, that is. Your family has a lot more money than any of us," he said. Rayna stopped to consider that. "I don't know if my parents will let me," she said, after a moment.
"Don't worry about that for now. Do you have plans after school?" Kalrot responded. "Not really. My brother and I were going to hang out somewhere after school…" she said. "Then come with us after school. We're going to let you into our group," Kalrot responded. She was caught off guard by that. "Are you sure?" she asked. Kalrot nodded. "One hundred percent."
Taking that as an acceptable answer, Rayna decided to meet them in the courtyard after school. The day went by quickly, at least for her. She hadn't told him, but she'd developed a crush on Kalrot. She wasn't sure if she'd ever have the courage to confess it to him. She was snapped out of her thoughts by none other than Kalrot himself, who walked up beside her. "Hi," he said. "Hey," she responded. "Ready to go?" Kalrot asked. "Yeah," she said. "Then let's go meet the others by the gate. They're waiting for us," he said.
She nodded, following him over to the gate, where they met with Kalrot's friends. "Hey. The old man has a job for us," Spinak said. "He does?" Kalrot asked. "Yeah. Says he needs help transporting some stuff," Spinak responded. "Did he say where?" Kalrot asked. "No. Said we'd talk about the details when we get there," Spinak said. "Alright. Then let's go," Kalrot said. "What about me?" Rayna asked.
"Just come with us. This'll count as your initiation," Kalrot said. She nodded, and the others exchanged surprised looks. They knew better than to question him though. Once Kalrot had made up his mind about something, there was no way to change it. A short walk later, all seven Saiyan teens stood outside the planet's main bank.
They shuffled inside to meet the old man, who sat behind the counter. He eyed them all as they walked in, noting that he was glad to have them as willing security. "I see you've picked up a couple more," Celery said. "Yeah, we have. Can you allocate a couple more shares for them?" Kalrot asked. The old man thought for a moment, then answered. "Sure. Just make sure they do their jobs," he said. Kalrot nodded. "Now what's this job?"
"I need help transporting a load of credits to Dorma City," Celery said. "That's a two-day journey there and back! We can't miss that much school! I'm fairly sure the teachers already hate us!" Kalrot responded. "Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," Celery said. "Now are you going to do it or not?" he asked.
Kalrot nodded affirmatively. "Good. Then follow me out back. We have to load the transport," Celery said. Kalrot nodded, and he and the others followed him into the back. They saw dozens of crates of credit chips. "I need you to load them. They're too heavy for this old man to lift," Celery said. "Okay," Kalrot said, before turning to face the others. "You heard the old man. Start loading."
They nodded in unison and got to work helping him load the truck.
After a short time, they'd fully loaded the transport. The team then boarded the transport and set out for Dorma City with old man Celery.
The elderly Saiyan was still tougher than a lot of people, much more dangerous than he looked. According to what he'd told Kalrot, he'd once been an accomplished soldier. He was on a team that was tasked with keeping the colony secret, no matter what. Though now that the rest of the Saiyans were extinct, that was no longer a concern. Frieza wasn't concerned with territory this far out, and coming here would mean going through Hoarfrost's territory, and that would mean a fight- so they were protected on that front as well.
"Shit…" Kalrot said aloud, after a few minutes. "What?" Spinak asked, confused. "We forgot Lima," he responded. "Oh…now I get it…she'll be mad…" Spinak responded. "Lima?" Rayna asked, curious. "My sister. Forgot to tell her that we were leaving," Kalrot answered. "And why is that enough to make you swear out loud when you remember it?" Rayna asked. "Because her temper is off the charts. And she likes to fight," he responded.
Rayna then gained a thoughtful look on her face. "That's not good, is it?" she asked. "No. Not at all," Kalrot said, sighing. "Yeah. If we show up at school looking beat up, it's because she got mad and attacked us," Spinak added. Rayna chuckled at that visual. "How long will this trip take?" she asked.
"About two days both ways," Celery responded. "But that's too long for us to be gone…" Rayna said. "I've already taken the liberty of informing the school of which students are aiding me with this trip. So do not worry about that, or your parents," the old man said. Kalrot, who was co-piloting, was surprised.
"You know her parents?" he asked. Celery nodded. "They own the sole restaurant that's any good on this useless hellhole of a planet. They come into the bank to deposit and withdraw money all the time," he answered. "Eh. Fair," Kalrot said. Celery nodded, not bothering to look up. "What about your girlfriend?" he asked. "I… have no idea," Kalrot responded.
"You know, I forgot to tell her we were leaving," he added, not noticing Rayna seem to deflate for a moment or two. Celery chuckled. "Boy, you're in for a punishment when we get back," he said. "That's why I'm just going to avoid her for a few days," Kalrot responded. "Since when has that worked?" the old man asked. Kalrot had no response for that, remaining silent. Celery took that as a concession of defeat and proceeded to rub it in. "As I thought," he said in a ribbing tone. "Yeah, sure…poke at me…." Kalrot grumbled.
Spinak stepped into the cockpit area shortly thereafter. "You forgot to tell Amaria we were leaving," he said. "I know that," Kalrot answered. "That's what we were just speaking about," Celery said. "Oh really?" Spinak asked. "Unfortunately," Kalrot grumbled. "Heh. She's going to be so mad at you," Spinak said, laughing.
"Don't forget about our sister," Kalrot responded, quickly deflating his brother's laughter. "Shit…forgot about that…." Spinak responded. "Yeah. That's a conversation I don't want to have," Kalrot said. "You boys are a forgetful pair," Celery chuckled.
"Can it, old man!" both brothers said in unison, which only succeeded in making the old man laugh harder. "This conversation keeps getting worse all the time," Spinak lamented. "I agree. Feels like he's getting a little too much pleasure from our misfortune," Kalrot said. "You boys need some discipline in your routines," Celery said, not taking his eyes off of what he was doing. "We have discipline. Our memories aren't perfect, you know," Kalrot said, somewhat annoyed. "Don't know what to tell you then," Celery responded, chuckling, much to the brothers' chagrin.
"Can we stop having this conversation?" Spinak asked. The old man nodded. "Yes. Clearly the two of you are uncomfortable," he said. "Thank you," Kalrot said, taking the words right out of his brother's mouth. "Go sit down, son. We're approaching Loma Town. We'll land and refuel there," Celery said. Spinak nodded and walked out of the cockpit area, heading off to sit with the others in the cargo bay.
Present day, Arbol…
"So what happened then?" Pyrus asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Not much happened in Loma Town. Standard stop to refuel on a three-day flight," Kalrot said. "We remember that very differently," Rayna said.
"What? Literally nothing of note happened that day," Kalrot responded. "Don't you remember the incident with the hoverbike gang?" Rayna asked. "Yes. But that lasted all of two minutes," Kalrot said. Cornalia swallowed what he'd been drinking and spoke up. "That isn't even remotely what happened," he said. "Thank you! At least someone remembers!" Rayna said. "Whatever. You tell it then," Kalrot said.
Cornalia nodded. "Anyone else need to say something before I start?" he asked. "Yeah. When did this happen?" Amaria asked. "Literally the day he joined our group," Kalrot said. "You weren't there because I forgot to tell you," he added. "Oh, right. I remember now. I was mad at you when you got back," she said. Kalrot nodded.
"Yep. Had to deal with you and my sister at the same time," he said, chuckling. "Is that all?" Cornalia asked. "Yeah," Kalrot answered. "Without further ado, here goes nothing," Cornalia said, beginning the story anew.
Ten Years Ago, Orgustal…
The ship touched down in Loma Town, and the group on board prepared to exit. "You come with me," Celery said, gesturing to Kalrot. The younger Saiyan nodded and stood up. "Be careful, son. There are rumors of bandits around here," Celery said. "They won't be any trouble for us," Kalrot responded, somewhat arrogantly.
Celery sighed; having thought he'd trained that particular trait out of him. Kalrot's father had been that way, and it was partially what ended up getting him killed. If he hadn't let his arrogance get the best of him, he wouldn't have challenged that Arcadian commander and died. And his wife wouldn't have died trying to save him…which would've meant that their three children would've had their parents.
An unpleasant situation all around, really. "You know, kid, you're just like your father. Arrogant to a fault. What happens when you come across someone better than you? Tougher than you?" Celery asked. Kalrot stopped, unable to respond at all, just giving the old man a shocked look. "Just what I thought. No response. Eventually that overconfidence is going to get you hurt, or worse, killed," he said.
"What gives you the right to say that, old man?" Kalrot demanded, his anger flaring. "Do you really know what happened to your father?" Celery asked. "He was a hero. Fought the Arcadians off, but died in the process," Kalrot answered.
"Of course. You only know the official story," Celery replied. "What do you mean 'the official story'? That's not what really happened?" Kalrot asked. "Yes. I didn't know when a good time would be to tell you, so I'd been avoiding it," Celery said, sighing. "What do you mean? What haven't you told me?" Kalrot asked. "It's time I told you the truth," Celery said. "Should I call Spinak in here?" Kalrot asked.
"No. He found out all this by accident some time ago. We agreed that telling you might lead to you doing something rash, so we didn't tell you," Celery answered. Kalrot sighed. "I understand. He was always the more adjusted one. Can we get it over with, then?" he asked. Celery nodded. "There's not much reason to delay it now, so here goes," he said.
"Your father challenged that Arcadian raider not because he was trying to fight them off for the good of the colony, or the planet. He did it because that raider insulted his pride. In an arrogant rage, he challenged him. And it went poorly. The man was much, much stronger than your father," Celery said.
"And then what happened?" Kalrot asked. "The Arcadian and his men began brutally beating him. Your mother led a posse to intervene but failed. She was the town sheriff, you know. Anyway, the Arcadians killed your father, your mother, and most of the posse, leaving only three men alive to tell the tale," Celery said. "What happened afterward? Why'd they leave survivors?" Kalrot asked.
"Who knows. They just up and left with their loot after that," Celery responded. "How do you know all of this?" Kalrot asked. "I was one of those three men," Celery said. Kalrot was caught off guard by this. "Really?" he asked. Celery nodded.
"Yes. I was effectively second in command of that group. Everyone in the colony knew that I was once a soldier. Even being older, my skills were still sharp. So naturally, they asked me to join them and help bail out your father. But the Arcadians were stronger than we thought, and most of us died. Me, a man named Fortimus, and a third, a woman named Loma, were the only survivors," he said.
"So how did my brother find out?" Kalrot asked. "He walked in on me and Fortimus discussing it over a drink one night," Celery answered. "Where are they now?" Kalrot asked. "Fortimus is retired now, doesn't do much of anything. As far as I know, he relies on his children for everything. I occasionally meet him for a drink every now and then. And Loma is the sheriff in Goldar City," Celery answered.
"I understand why you didn't tell me. I can't say that you were wrong, which is what really bothers me," Kalrot said. "Don't worry about it," Celery responded. Kalrot nodded quietly, not saying anything. "That's really rough. I'm sorry," Cornalia said, interrupting.
Kalrot spun on his heel and turned to face him. "How long have you been there?" he asked. "The whole time. I came up here to see if we were ready to go and noticed you and the old man talking. Didn't want to interrupt," Cornalia responded. "Just don't tell anyone what you heard, alright?" Kalrot said, his eyes almost tearing up. "Are you alright?" Cornalia asked. Kalrot nodded, albeit unconvincingly. "Yeah. I just need some time to think. You go tell Spinak that we're ready to move," he said.
"Alright. Will you meet up with us later?" Cornalia asked. "Yeah. Just go," Kalrot said. Cornalia nodded and walked away. "How are you doing?" Celery asked, stepping up beside him. "I'm not sure, honestly," Kalrot said. "Go clear your head for a bit. This won't take us that long," Celery responded. Kalrot exhaled and nodded, before walking away. Celery retreated into his thoughts as Kalrot departed the bridge. "I wish I hadn't had to tell him that while we were on the road," he mused.
Elsewhere...
Kalrot walked right out past the others, not saying a single word. He stepped outside and took a deep breath. He'd always thought that there'd been more to the story of how his parents died- but the full truth was even more awful than he'd expected. And right now, he really didn't want to think about it, though he really had no choice in the matter.
The way he saw it, he had two options: either mope about it and do nothing, or try to get over it. And he damn sure wasn't going to mope around. If he knew one thing for sure, that was it. He just needed some time to process it, and he needed to be alone for that. Perhaps Amaria would let him talk to her later? After she had gotten over him forgetting to tell her that he was going off to help the old man with an errand, that is.
His quiet musings were interrupted by Spinak, who walked out to see what he was doing. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Nothing," Kalrot answered, dodging the question. "You're refusing to look me in the eye. Something is most definitely wrong," Spinak replied, not letting his brother off the hook.
Kalrot sighed, before responding with another non-answer. "None of your business," he said. Spinak rolled his eyes and cut right to the chase. "The old man told you what really happened to our parents, didn't he?" he asked. A shocked Kalrot looked up at his brother. "How?" he asked, in utter disbelief. "Figured it out when you walked through the ship utterly silent. I reacted the same way when I first heard it," Spinak answered.
"How'd you deal with it?" Kalrot asked. "Well, I had to go off somewhere and process it for a while. Then I decided that I wouldn't let it control me," Spinak answered. "Right. I need to go and clear my head. You can take the others and go get the fuel," Kalrot answered. "Right. Take your time," Spinak said.
Kalrot took a deep breath, accepting his brother's advice. "One question, though: does Lima know?" he asked. Spinak shook his head. "No. The truth would crush her. I have absolutely no idea how we're gonna tell her."
Kalrot nodded and flew away, heading out of the city. Spinak stood and watched as his brother did so, sighing to himself. "I hoped he'd find out in a better way than I did…." Spinak thought, shaking his head. With that, he rounded on his heel and headed back inside. "Where did Kalrot go off to?" Rutaba asked as he entered. "He needs some alone time," Spinak answered. "Why?" Rayna asked, curiously. "Personal stuff. I don't think he trusts you enough to tell you that. No offense," Spinak answered. "None taken. I understand completely," the girl said.
Spinak nodded. "Alright. I'm in charge for now. So we're gonna get this situation taken care of," he said. "Then who's going into town to get the fuel?" Yasa asked. "You and Cornalia are coming with me to get the fuel," Spinak responded.
"Parsel and Kallot are to remain here aboard the ship, and I think the old man needs Rutaba and Rayna for something," he said. Yasa nodded as Celery walked into the room. "Let's get going," he said. "Did you figure out the teams?" Celery asked. "Yeah," Spinak answered.
"Good. We have work to do," he said. "I'm sending Rutaba and his sister with you," Spinak responded. Celery nodded. "The siblings, hmm? I wanted to get to know the girl a bit better," he replied. Spinak nodded before speaking up again. "Cornalia and Yasa are coming with me, and Kallot and Parsel are staying to guard the ship," he said.
Spinak nodded before speaking up again. "Cornalia and Yasa are coming with me, and Kallot and Parsel are staying to guard the ship," he said. "A clearly thought-out plan of action. Good," Celery responded. "Then if everyone has their job, then let's go," Celery said. The others nodded affirmatively and did so.
Elsewhere, Kalrot sat atop a rock formation, thinking about what he'd learned. "Dad made a stupid mistake…and mom died trying to save him…why does that not surprise me?" he thought. "Maybe because it reminds me of…well…me? Or because I remember mom fussing at dad for doing stupid stuff all the time?" he mused. He sighed, knowing that his mother meant well-she'd loved his father more than most everything apart from him and his siblings.
Back in town, Spinak, Cornalia and Yasa walked into the nearby fuel station to buy more fuel for their ship. "Can I help you?" the clerk asked. "Yes. We need to buy some fuel," Spinak answered. "Alright. Which landing pad are you on?" the clerk asked.
"Five," Spinak said. "Okay. The team will come by shortly to fuel your ship. You can pay them when they arrive," the clerk said. Spinak nodded and led the others outside. "That was easy," Yasa said. "Yeah. Usually is," Spinak responded. "Are we heading back to the ship then?" Cornalia asked. "Yeah," Spinak answered.
Cornalia nodded, only for them to hear a boom nearby. "What was that?" Yasa asked, covering her ears, which were ringing from the sudden loud noise. "Who knows. But I'm going to find out!" Cornalia shouted, rushing off to investigate. "Guess we're doing this," Spinak said, sighing. "Yep…" Yasa responded, sounding similarly annoyed.
Nonetheless, they took off after Cornalia, intending to both make sure he wouldn't get hurt and satisfy their own curiosity as to what caused that explosion that they'd heard. A few moments later, they came across a group of thugs boarding hoverbikes as Cornalia confronted them. They stood in the street in front of a small bank, which now had a hole in the wall.
Clearly, these guys had broken in and were attempting to rob the place. "Stop right there!" Cornalia demanded. "Or what?" one of the thugs asked. "I'll make you!" Cornalia responded. The thug laughed. "Really. You think you can take us?" he asked. Cornalia nodded, assuming his stance.
Before the thug could even react, he found Cornalia's fist in his face, sending him flying back. Cornalia smirked as a couple more of them charged towards him and met the same fate. Another fired a ki blast at him, which he deflected, resulting in one of their bikes being destroyed.
"Hey! No blowing up our rides!" said thug complained. "That was all you!" Cornalia responded, rushing over, and kicking him down the street. "Let's join in!" Yasa said, rushing over to aid Cornalia. Spinak sighed and followed her, embroiling himself in the fisticuffs.
On the other side of town, Celery entered a small shop, accompanied by the two Saiyan siblings. "Why are we here?" Rutaba asked. "You'll see," he said. "See what?" Rayna asked, intrigued. "Something special. I didn't come all this way for nothing," he said, walking over to the counter. The clerk arrived a few seconds later. "How can I help you?" he asked. "I'm here to pick up an order," Celery answered.
The clerk nodded. "Name?" he asked. "Should be under Celery," the old man answered. The clerk nodded and checked his list. "Ah. Yes, I see it. Give me a moment," he answered, before turning and heading into the back room. A short while later, he returned, carrying a small object wrapped in a cloth.
"Here you are," the clerk said, sitting it on the counter. Celery smiled and unwrapped it, revealing a small bracelet with a light blue stone in it. "What's that?" Rayna asked. "A gift for my granddaughter. Her birthday is coming up soon," Celery answered, wrapping it back up. "It's exquisite. Mr. Aron says it's some of his best work," the clerk said, smiling. "It most definitely is," Celery agreed. "It will be thirty credits," the clerk said.
Celery nodded and handed over the money, taking the bracelet, which was rather ornate.
"I hope your granddaughter likes it," the clerk said. Celery nodded. "She'll love it," he said, turning to leave. The clerk smiled and walked away to work on something else as the three left the shop. "What are we doing now?" Rayna asked. "Heading back to meet up with the others," Celery answered.
"They're on the other side of town, so we'd better get going," Rayna said. Celery nodded. "Just try to keep up," he said, powering up. To the shock of the siblings, he then flew away at top speed. After sharing a surprised look, they took off after him, not intending to get left behind. "If he could fly, then why did he insist we walk here the first time?" Rayna asked, confused. "Who knows. The old man is just like this," Rutaba answered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
Rutaba chuckled. "I mean that he acts like this pretty much all the time. I think he thinks it's funny," he answered. "Ah. I get it now," Rayna responded, a look of realization dawning on her face. Rutaba nodded once more. "Yeah, but it's not. Let's kick it up a notch before he completely leaves us in the dust," he said. "Right. Let's," Rayna said. With that, the siblings sped up to follow the old man, quickly catching up.
Back where the others were, a crowd had gathered to watch the brawl going in the street as the police desperately tried to contain the situation. Cornalia smirked as he kicked a thug across the street, watching as Yasa did the same to another. "This is why I wanted her so bad.." he thought.
That train of thought went nowhere as Spinak quickly tossed another thug his way whilst nailing another one with his free hand. Smiling, he bashed said thug into the ground with ease. The clash continued like this for a few more minutes, and the young Saiyans celebrated their victory.
"Hah! We showed them!" Cornalia gloated. "We sure did!" Yasa added, surveying the area, which was covered in the bodies of unconscious thugs. An unfamiliar voice spoke up shortly thereafter. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," it said. The three youths spun around to face the source of it, laying eyes on a tall, muscular alien flanked by four more thugs.
"Who are you?" Cornalia demanded. The alien in question chuckled and dropped the large bags that he was carrying. "My name's Goh. And this here is my gang," he said. "So, you're responsible for this?" Cornalia asked. "Yes. And I don't take too kindly to you kids roughing up my men," Goh responded, annoyed. "You think you're tough?" Cornalia snarled.
Goh nodded. "Yep. You three are pushovers. Nothing compared to me," he said. "You want to test that assumption?" Cornalia snapped back. "Why not. Bring it on, kid!" Goh said, assuming a battle stance.
Cornalia smirked and charged, attempting an attack. Goh simply threw out a punch, faster than Cornalia could even see, sending him crumpling to the ground. Incensed, Yasa charged, only to meet the same fate as Goh stared down Spinak, who assumed a defensive stance. "You're going down, kid," Goh said, approaching him. "We'll see about that," another voice said, cutting in.
Both Spinak and Goh looked up, seeing Celery floating there. "Who are you?" Goh asked. "Someone who isn't going to let you get away with this," he said, landing on the ground in front of him. "Celery! What are you going to do?" Spinak asked. "Teach this punk a lesson. Here, hold this," Celery answered, pressing the bracelet into his hands. "What's this?" he asked. "Never mind that, just hold onto it for me," Celery said. Spinak nodded and stepped aside as the old man took up his stance.
"What are you going to do, old man?" Goh snarled, annoyed. "I'm going to teach you some manners," Celery responded. Goh rolled his eyes and rushed forward, throwing a punch. To his surprise, the old man dodged with ease, looking like little more than a blur when he moved. "Wha-?" Goh started, in shock. The rest of that thought was soon cut off by the old Saiyan's fist impacting his face. Chuckling, Celery threw another one, striking Goh in the chest. The alien stumbled back after that, gasping for air.
Smiling, Celery rushed in, pummeling the alien with a series of quick and ruthless blows. Spinak was left stunned, and he was sure that his friends would be too, if they weren't currently lying unconscious in the dirt. "Who knew that the old man could fight like that?" he thought, continuing to watch the ensuing beatdown. Goh stumbled back, wiping blood from his mouth, glaring at Celery the whole time. "I've got to thank you. I haven't had a workout like this in ages," the old Saiyan said.
This only infuriated Goh, who attempted a sweeping kick. Celery responded by leaping over it and nailing him right in the face with a powerful haymaker. The alien crumpled to the ground, seemingly defeated. "Drop the money and leave. I won't ask you again," Celery said, taking on a serious tone that Spinak had never seen him use before.
Goh struggled to his feet and promptly refused. "I don't take orders from you, old man!" he snarled, rushing forward. Celery took a deep breath and then threw another punch, knocking him backwards. "I thought you were tough?" he taunted. Goh got back up and rushed towards the old man, his pride wounded.
Celery smiled and assumed a defensive stance, almost as if he were taunting Goh for his failed efforts. Like he wasn't even going to fight back. That infuriated Goh even more, and he became even more determined to win.
Elsewhere, Rayna and Rutaba made it back to the other side of the city. "Darn…the old man flies so fast…" Rutaba panted, nearly out of breath (and ki) from flying for so fast so long. "I agree…" Rayna said, sounding equally exhausted. "Where did he go, anyway?" Rutaba wondered. Rayna shrugged. "I don't know. Probably back at the ship. Or checking on the others," she said. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's go look for him," Rutaba responded. Rayna nodded. With that, the siblings took off once more.
Back where the fight was going on…
Celery continued to embarrass Goh, blocking everything he threw at him with extreme ease. Goh became increasingly frustrated at his inability to defeat one old man, and became increasingly sloppy, something that Celery was all too willing to capitalize on and punish him for. The Saiyan relentlessly stuck him through every weak spot or sloppy guard that he could find, further roughing up Goh, who failed to do anything of note in return. Celery once more gave Goh an ultimatum.
"Give up. Now, before anyone else has to get hurt," he said. "Never!" Goh shouted, launching into another attack run. Celery sighed, noting that he was going to have to embarrass him, yet again.
Rutaba and Rayna arrived in the area not long after, stopping their flight to catch their breath. "We're almost…back….to the ship…." Rutaba panted. "I told you not to go so fast…" Rayna said, admonishing her brother. Rutaba opened his mouth to respond but was promptly cut off by his sister. "Hey, look! There's something going on down there! Let's go check it out!" she said. Rutaba simply nodded and followed his sister down, where they promptly noticed the fight that was currently going on, without an end in sight.
Spinak immediately noticed them. "Hey guys, get over here!" he said, quietly, so as to not draw the attention of the thugs. "Why?" Rayna asked. Spinak rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter why. Just do it," he said. Rayna began to say something else but was interrupted by her brother grabbing her arm and darting over to where Spinak was to watch the fight.
Celery continued to dominate the fight, backing Goh into a corner. "You leave me no choice but to finish you!" Celery said, preparing to end the fight with a leaping kick. However, before the attack could connect, the old man seized up and fell to the ground. "Ack! My back…" he groaned. Goh seized the chance as Celery struggled to his feet, nailing him in the face. The old man crumpled back, now lying flat on his back. "Get rid of the kids while I finish the old man!" he called to his thugs.
They nodded and prepared to do so, only to be taken out faster than they could react by a barely visible blur. "What?" Goh said, catching that out of the corner of his eye. He found himself struck by the same force, sending him backwards. The others were left just as dumbfounded. Soon after, said blur revealed himself as Kalrot. "I leave for a little while, and you guys run into trouble…shame," he snarked.
"Help me up, will you?" Celery asked. Kalrot nodded and helped the old man to his feet. Goh, enraged at being attacked and then ignored, charged back over. "Fight me, coward!" he demanded. Kalrot rolled his eyes and passed the old man off to Spinak. "Hold him up for me, will you?" he said. "Oh, by the way, where are Yasa and Cornalia?"
"Over there," Spinak said, pointing them out. Now awake, Cornalia stood there, cradling an injured Yasa in his arms. "What happened?" Kalrot asked. "Him," Celery said, pointing to Goh. "And that's why you fought him? Because they couldn't win?" Kalrot asked. "Yes," Celery responded. "He looks roughed up. How is he not beaten by now?" Kalrot inquired. "You see, I was about to finish him with a kick that I used to like to do as a fight-ender, but threw out my back doing it," Celery responded.
Kalrot smiled a bit. "Really, now? Then leave him to me," he said. Celery nodded as the younger Saiyan turned to face Goh, who looked clearly angered at being ignored. Powering up, Kalrot rushed into the fray, matching Goh blow for blow. Catching him off guard, the Saiyan unleashed a barrage of blows, followed by kicking Goh into the ground. "He's not moving so fast now," Rayna observed. "That's because he was putting most of his ki into speed earlier," Celery said. "That's possible?" Rayna asked. Celery nodded.
"Yep. I taught him that trick," he said. "Huh," Rayna responded. Celery smiled a bit at that before returning his attention to the fight. Kalrot continued to match Goh blow for blow, but seemed to be slowly losing ground, despite the fact that his opponent was exhausted. "I don't think he can win without his special move…" Celery observed.
"Special move?" Rayna asked, confused. "A move he created himself…a concentrated beam of ki. Much more powerful than the standard ki wave…" Celery responded. Rayna looked shocked at that. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, but got no response from the old man, who continued to silently observe the fight.
Kalrot gained the upper hand, kicking Goh in his exposed chin, striking right through his guard. The alien went reeling backwards as Kalrot raised his hand and began gathering his ki. "I don't really want to use this in the middle of town, but I have no choice…." he thought. Goh got to his feet just in time to see the bright blue orb of ki that had formed in the younger Saiyan's palm. His eyes got wide, and he attempted to charge Kalrot, who simply smirked
"Sure, make it easy to hit you," he mused.
"LIGHT CANNON!" he shouted, unleashing the beam, which quickly engulfed the thug leader, obliterating him and most of his gang in one shot. When the smoke cleared, there was a small crater in the road, and all of the thugs, their bikes, and a good chunk of the surrounding area were gone. "That's exactly what I was trying to avoid…" Kalrot muttered, surveying the damage. "You had no choice," Celery said, approaching him. "I guess. He was trying to kill us all," Kalrot responded. "Still, I think it would be a good idea for us to leave now," Celery said. "I agree," Kalrot replied.
Celery shook his head, and they turned back to the others, who were still in shock at seeing the attack. Or Rutaba and Rayna were, anyway. Spinak had already seen it. Cornalia and Yasa came over a few seconds later. "That was amazing! How'd you do that?" Cornalia asked. "A lot of training. And before you ask, I'm too tired to demonstrate it again," Kalrot responded. Cornalia nodded. "It was still cool," he said. "I remember seeing it the first time he used it," Yasa said.
Kalrot chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of obliterated several mountains and half a forest the first time," he said. "It was hilarious. Most of us had no reaction, and then your sister freaked out because her treehouse was in that part of the forest," Yasa replied, chuckling. "That was a good thing… that treehouse was unsafe," Kalrot said, laughing.
"Oh, trust me, I know. You have no idea how many times she dragged me out there while you took Amaria out," Yasa responded. "She took us out there all the time," Kalrot said whilst Spinak looked like he was hyperventilating just thinking about it.
"If you're done reminiscing, we should go," Celery said. Kalrot nodded. "Right. Then let's go," he said.
Present Day, Arbol…
"So, what's with this tree house?" Pyrus asked, laughing. "That's what you got out of all that?" Cornalia asked. "No, it just seemed hilarious, like there was another story behind that," Pyrus responded. "You'll have to ask Kalrot about that one. That was before my time," Cornalia admitted. "I remember that thing…almost broke my ankle going up those ramshackle ladder rungs," Amaria said. "Yeah, that thing was genuinely unsafe…" Kalrot added.
"Now I really want to hear this story," Pyrus said, swallowing a swig of his drink. Kalrot nodded. "Alright. I'll give you the short version, since the bartender is staring at us like she wants us to leave already," he said.
Pyrus nodded, waiting for Kalrot's response. The Saiyan opened his mouth to answer, but found himself cut off by Zora. "I just realized something. What happened to Coriolis?" she asked, looking positively wasted as she finished off her third bottle of Pyronian whiskey.
"She stayed on the ship. Said she didn't want to drink anything right now," Kalrot responded, before realizing what she was drinking. "How are you still conscious?" he asked. "I have no idea, really…" Zora responded. Spinak put his arm around her before speaking up. "I drank some of it," he said. "You drank about half the first bottle…" Zora responded, before ordering a fourth from the bartender. Kalrot sighed. "This is going to be expensive…" he muttered.
"In other words, let's get on with it," he said. Pyrus nodded, listening intently. "So, when we were teenagers, my sister had a rather elaborate and rickety treehouse built between two large trees. It was honestly rather impressive if you ignored the fact that the floor looked like it would crumble if you so much as looked at it wrong," Kalrot began. "So this thing was pretty much a deathtrap?" Pyrus asked.
"Exactly. To this day, we have zero idea how she did it, just that she somehow managed to build it. She expanded an old, abandoned treehouse that was in one of them. There were several long limbs coming out from both trees that had grown together a bit, sort of resembling a natural bridge. She used a bunch of rope and several piles of boards she'd somehow gotten a hold of, and built across, turning those limbs into an actual bridge, and built a large treehouse on the other side. She even enclosed her bridge!" Kalrot said.
"How'd it get destroyed?" Pyrus asked. "Well, I was practicing my Light Cannon for the first time, and it kind of got out of hand," Kalrot answered. "I destroyed three small mountains and about a fourth of the forest behind the old house we lived in."
"So you were unintentionally destructive?" Pyrus asked. Kalrot chuckled. "Yeah. You could put it that way," he said. "Yeah, she didn't talk to you for a week after that," Amaria said, chuckling. Kalrot laughed. "I remember that. I tried to apologize, but she wouldn't listen. She did eventually come around," he said. Amaria went to say something else but was promptly cut off by the bartender shouting. "Last call, guys!" she shouted. Kalrot nodded. "We don't need anything else!" he said, ignoring Zora's protests.
With that, Kalrot finally managed to get the others to get up and file outside. He sighed, relieved that he'd gotten them all out before one of them did something stupid. Then Amaria pointed out that there was another bar down the road a short ways if they wanted to have a little more fun. Kalrot sighed and shot her a glare. "What?" she asked.
"These idiots are trouble magnets…" he said, gesturing towards the others. Rayna, who was leaning against him, ignored that as Amaria considered her response. "It can't be that bad, can it?" she asked. Kalrot sighed. "Fine. But two hours is the absolute limit. Then we're going back to the ship," he responded. Amaria nodded and led the way, whilst Kalrot hoped that nothing would happen that he'd regret later.
Three hours later….
An absolutely fuming Kalrot dragged them all outside and forced them back to the ship whilst Amaria offered a weak apology and slinked away to head home. They all separated once they got back, heading to their respective quarters to lay down for the night. Considering everything that went down, Kalrot felt that he'd managed to contain both the property damage and his temper pretty well. Sometimes those went hand-in-hand, though, and he knew it.
The others were going to get an absolute reaming in the morning, and he wasn't going to hold a single thing back.
There would be no minced words from him. The next morning couldn't come fast enough for him. He wandered into his and Rayna's quarters, reasoning that he shouldn't leave her there alone for too long, considering how absolutely wasted she was. It disgusted him, really. But he had to deal with it.
The next morning came, eventually, after an excruciatingly long night. Kalrot awoke first, sliding out of bed. "Time to get ready…" he sighed, walking away from the bed.
Across the ship, Aria awakened in an unfamiliar bed. Her first act was to place her hand on her head, which hurt rather badly. "What did I do last night?" she wondered aloud, realizing that she wasn't in her room a few seconds later. "Where am I?" she thought as she sat up. She quickly realized that she was not, in fact, alone, as she initially thought, hearing someone else stretch, then yawn, before stirring.
Rutaba clutched his head in his hands, wondering how he'd managed to actually get back to his bed. Or get his clothes off, for that matter, judging by the massive hangover that he was now dealing with. Clearly, he'd had fun last night. Perhaps a little too much. "Damn…I had entirely too much to drink last night…" he thought.
He sat up shortly thereafter, realizing that Aria was sitting there next to him. He then quickly realized that her indignant glare was aimed at him. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I could ask you the same question," she snapped, sounding somewhat annoyed.
"This is my room, for one," Rutaba answered. Aria considered this for a moment, before realizing that she was naked. She snapped up the bed sheet and covered herself before posing her next question. "Did we…you know…?" she inquired, not quite able to find her words. "I…uh…? Don't know. Maybe?" Rutaba answered, not reassuring her in the slightest. "Where are my clothes, then?" Aria asked. "I have zero idea," Rutaba shrugged. "I don't even know where mine are."
There were a few moments of silence as she took that in. "What are we doing then?" she demanded. "Making out?" Rutaba suggested, half-jokingly. She shot him a glare that shut that down very quickly. "I don't know. What do you remember?" he asked. "Not much. Last night is a blur," she answered.
"Same here. Last thing I remember was getting punched in the face in some kind of bar brawl, and then Kalrot herding us all back to the ship with a murderous look in his eye," Rutaba said. Aria laughed at that a bit. "Can we find our clothes now?" she asked, a bit embarrassed. Rutaba nodded, realizing that this was equally embarrassing for himself. For some reason, all he could imagine was his mother's disappointment at him most likely drunkenly sleeping with a woman who wasn't even his girlfriend.
He slipped out of bed, further embarrassing Aria, who covered her eyes as he did so. "I'm slipping into the bathroom," he said, slipping through the adjoined door on the side of the cabin. To Aria's chagrin, there was an immediate call of "found our clothes!" Not only had they slept together, but they'd also apparently showered together as well? She was never going to live this down.
Elsewhere, Rayna awoke, noting her husband sitting in the corner, already fully dressed. "What happened last night?" she asked, catching the annoyed look in his eye. "Something stupid happened," Kalrot said, holding back annoyance through his teeth. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, sitting up. "You. Did. Something. Incredibly. Stupid." he seethed, not even able to form a coherent sentence, uttering each word one at a time. "What? Rayna asked, dreading the consequences. She knew her husband well enough to know that when he got like this, something had really set him off. Usually something breathtakingly stupid.
"Aw, hell… just lay it on me," Rayna said, after a few tense, awkward moments. Kalrot took a deep breath before responding, letting her know that there was about to be an angry rant. And possibly some admonishment in there, somewhere.
"I don't even know where to start!" he snapped. "That bad?" she asked. He nodded. "That bad," he replied. Rayna considered her next words very carefully. "So what the hell happened last night, baby?" she asked, hoping to placate him. "Don't you 'baby' me," he said, clearly annoyed.
She gulped, going dead silent as he stood up. "Cornalia started a bar fight, and the rest of you got drawn in," he seethed. "How is that my fault?" she asked. Kalrot took in a deep breath before responding to her. "Because you're supposed to be the level-headed one when I'm not there. I stepped into the bathroom for five minutes, and everything went to shit," he said, still seething with annoyance. Like a father punishing his errant children.
Rayna gulped once more before asking another question. "What did I do?" she asked. "What didn't you do?" he responded. Her mouth moved, but no words came out before he cut her off. "Before you ask, nothing like that happened," he said. "Then what did I do?" she asked. "You got in a drinking contest with Zora, of all people," he sighed. "And then got dragged into a bar fight. You were so sloshed that I had to literally carry you back to the ship. I've got no idea how the others walked back here. Let alone actually won that fight."
She stopped and considered that a minute. "Where are my clothes?" she asked. "In the bathroom. I had to help you get undressed, and then bathe you like you were a little kid," Kalrot answered. Rayna's face flushed red after that, her hand going up to touch her aching head. "Really?" she asked, embarrassed. Kalrot nodded. "Yep. But that's not the worst part. You threw up all over the bathroom floor. And once on the bedroom floor," he responded.
Rayna's embarrassment grew. "And you had to clean it up by yourself…" she said, trailing off.
"Yes. Had to do all of that before I went to bed so it wouldn't stink," he said. She studied his face, realizing that he looked tired. Like he barely slept. "How much sleep did you get?" she asked. He sighed. By my count…three hours? Maybe four…?" he said, the tiredness leaking into his voice.
No wonder he was so snappy. He was tired on top of being extremely upset about last night. "Why was that?" Rayna asked, concerned. "Because after I got you to bed, I had to shower. And do something about my clothes, because some of your puke got on me," he said, a hint of annoyance once more present in his tone. "I'm sorry," Rayna said. "Apology accepted. Now get dressed. We're going to assemble the others," Kalrot responded. Rayna nodded and moved to get up.
Elsewhere, Rutaba stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stared at himself in the mirror, looking over his black eye. Clearly, he'd gotten hit harder than he'd thought. He turned and walked out of the bathroom, noting Aria still covering herself with his bed sheet. "You could leave, you know," he said. "Not when my clothes are still in your bathroom!" she snapped. "You know, that's a good point," he responded, walking over to a locker in the corner of the room.
"What's in there?" she asked. "My regular clothes. You know, stuff that isn't armor," he said. "Huh. Didn't peg you guys for wearing civvies," she said. "Yeah, well, we do. On occasion." he responded. "Such as now, where my clothes smell like whatever booze we drank last night," he added, opening the locker. "You can go into the bathroom and get dressed. I won't look at you," he said. "If you say so," she said, releasing her iron grip on the bed sheet.
"I promise," he responded, rifling through the locker for some clothing.
She slowly slid out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, quickly closing the door and locking it behind her. Sighing, he pulled out a plain tunic and a pair of pants, carrying them over to the bed. He dropped his towel and threw his pants on. Just then, he heard a knock on the door. He looked up. "Just a minute!" he called. "Alright. Just hurry up. Kalrot's called an assembly on the crew deck. Probably to yell at us for last night," the person outside the door, who Rutaba was now certain was Spinak after hearing the voice, said.
Rutaba took a deep breath and tossed his tunic on. Slipping his boots on, Rutaba walked over and opened the door, seeing Spinak standing there. "Who were you talking to?" he asked. "How long were you there?" Rutaba asked, seeming embarrassed. "Long enough," Spinak said. "No one. There's no one here other than me," Rutaba replied, unconvincingly attempting to cover up his situation.
"Stop playing coy. Magnus said that Aria's room was empty last night when he did his security check before bed," Spinak responded. "Well, shit…he figured it out…" Rutaba thought, considering his next words carefully. "We may have staggered in here drunk last night…and possibly had sex. Can't remember much, and my head feels like I got whacked with something heavy," Rutaba said. Spinak sniggered a little bit. "Don't you say a word!" Rutaba demanded.
"Relax. I won't say a word," Spinak said. "Promise?" Rutaba asked. "Promise," Spinak answered. "Good. Then let us never speak of this again," Rutaba said. Spinak nodded. Just then, Aria stepped out of the bathroom, clothed once more. She then noticed Spinak standing there and glared at him. Spinak rolled his eyes, his expression changing to a 'here we go again' look.
Kalrot stood in the common area, awaiting the others' arrival. He paced back and forth as Rayna watched him intently. "What's wrong?" she asked. "I'm annoyed that the others aren't here yet so I can chew them out for last night's idiocy," he responded. "You know, perhaps you shouldn't yell at them?" she said. "Yeah, no. Yelling is the only way to drill it into their thick skulls. Still might throw Cornalia and my brother in the brig for suggesting all of that in the first place…" he grumbled.
His wife simply shot him a questioning glare. "What?" he asked, annoyed. "That doesn't seem…extreme to you?" she asked. He sighed and considered that for a moment. "Maybe…" he conceded.
Twenty minutes later…
The entirety of Kalrot's team and Comet Squadron were now assembled in the common area, watching as Kalrot stood there staring at them, clutching Rayna's hand tightly. Clearly, he was stressed out about this. "So... who's gonna get blown up on?" Rutaba asked.
Kalrot glared right at him as soon as he opened his mouth. Rutaba sheepishly shut it, but Kalrot was not pacified. "You. Guys. Are. Idiots." he seethed, back to being too angry to even speak in complete sentences. "Last. Night. Was. Unacceptable. Behavior."
He stopped and took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "Any questions?" he managed, clearly barely holding it back in. The members of Comet Squadron sat aside quietly, not knowing what to do as Kalrot raged.
Cornalia dared to speak up, having a sliver of an idea as to what this was about. "This is about that barfight, right?" he asked. Kalrot turned his glare towards him. "Yes. That is exactly what this is about," he seethed, gripping his wife's hand tighter and taking another breath, trying to prevent exploding on them. "That guy started it, not me," Cornalia said, sheepishly trying to defend himself. "REALLY? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING WITH? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Kalrot demanded, having let go of Rayna's hand entirely.
Cornalia let out a nervous gulp, now regretting his previous choice of words. He looked to Rayna for help, but she simply ignored him. Kalrot fumed, still seething at Cornalia's pathetic attempt to deflect the blame. "You could've walked away. YOU COULD'VE WALKED AWAY!" he snapped. At this point, Rayna pitied him, placing her hand on Kalrot's shoulder. He moved to look at her, taking a deep breath and turning to face the others once more. "You could have walked away and not started anything," he repeated, calmer.
To his surprise, Cornalia admitted defeat, completely and utterly, deciding to concede. "Maybe I handled that wrong," he whispered, staring at the floor the entire time. "What was that?" Kalrot asked, a hint of annoyance entering his tone.
"Maybe I handled that wrong," Cornalia repeated, louder this time. "Good. You understand," Kalrot said. "As for the rest of you, don't think you're getting off," he added. "I'd just like to point out that I was passed out on the bar when this all went down," Spinak said, throwing the others under the bus to save his own skin. Kalrot sighed, knowing that was true, having seen it himself. "Yeah, I know. You let Zora talk you into a drinking contest…" he said.
Spinak nodded smugly, having escaped getting yelled at by his brother. The others shot him dirty looks for this, but he did not seem to care. "But as for the rest of you, you morons are in trouble!" Kalrot snapped, raising his voice once more. "First of all, Rutaba, you had to get dragged into Cornalia's mess, huh?" he asked.
Rutaba considered his words carefully, having seen what happened when Cornalia gave a wrong answer. "Why does my sister get a pass?" he asked. To his surprise, Kalrot didn't snap at him for that. "She already got hers this morning. Now, answer the question," he said.
"The guy's buddy got in on it, so I stepped in," Rutaba replied. "And what happened then?" Kalrot asked. This time Zora spoke up. "More of them got involved. And so the rest of us got involved," she said. Kalrot sighed, resigned to this situation.
"I'd have been fine with it if that were the end of it. But you let it escalate to the point where nearly everyone in that bar was brawling," he said, sounding remarkably calm for someone that was just reaming them out for this.
Parsel opened his mouth, as if he were going to say something, but decided against it. "I saw that, Parsel!" Kalrot snapped, turning his attention toward him. "I didn't do anything!" Parsel said, nervously. "You opened your mouth. That's something," Kalrot answered, turning back towards the others.
"And I really expected more out of you, Pyrus," Kalrot sighed, facepalming. "In my defense, I hadn't had anything to drink. Then my friends got in trouble," the Pyronian said, feebly attempting to defend himself. "Yeah, at the second bar that is. You drank your fair share at the first one," Kalrot said. Pyrus simply looked away, having no response to that. "Does anyone else have anything to say for themselves?" Kalrot asked, glancing across the room.
"Yeah. I'd like to say that it wasn't our fault. Mom took a punch to the face, so we hopped in," Beet said. Kalrot sighed and facepalmed. "Forgot that you two were here…." He mumbled. "You two get a pass since you'd never been in that kind of situation before…"
The others looked at him, all having a 'that's not fair' look on their faces. He simply glared at them, cowing the entire group. He spoke up once more. "Now, to our policy on uninvited guests…" he said, causing Rutaba's face to grow red.
"How'd you know about that?" he asked. "Because, you forget. I'm the only one that wasn't drunk out of my mind last night," Kalrot answered. "Know about what?" Spinak asked, feigning interest in the juicy secret that Kalrot was about to reveal, despite already knowing about it. Though, considering that it was just to mess with Rutaba, he figured that it didn't really matter all that much. So he immediately put on a grin, barely containing his amusement. Rutaba shot him a nasty look, but he pointedly ignored it.
Aria's face was starting to get red as well, though no one seemed to notice that, being focused on whatever Kalrot was about to reveal. "Rutaba's little…escapade with Aria last night," he said, at last. At that, everyone burst out laughing, including Kalrot. Rutaba and Aria both looked incredibly embarrassed, staring at each other.
"Did they really?" Cornalia asked, barely containing his laughter. Kalrot nodded. "Yep. Saw them staggering up the stairs towards the crew quarters last night. Rutaba didn't even have enough forethought to not lead them to his quarters. I suspected it last night, but when I checked the security recordings this morning, I saw them enter his room," he said. "That's great! He's never gonna live this down," Cornalia said, laughing once more.
Once everyone had quit laughing, Kalrot dismissed the meeting and prepared for takeoff. They could use the fun distraction after getting screamed at.
"Where'd that Coriolis girl go?" Kalrot asked as he settled into the pilot's chair. "She went into the city. Said she wanted to figure out what she was going to do with her freedom," Rayna answered, preparing to fire up the engines. Just then, the proximity alarms tripped. "What was that?" Kalrot asked. "Something tripped the proximity alarms," Rayna answered. "Duh. I meant 'do we know what tripped them?'" Kalrot replied. "No. We don't have any cameras down there, remember?" she said, shooting him a glare.
"Fine. I'll go check it out. Stay here," Kalrot sighed, standing up. Rayna nodded. "Be careful," she added. It was then Kalrot's turn to nod. "I will," he said, strolling into the elevator and leaving the bridge. Kalrot strolled across the hangar upon exiting the elevator, heading to check out whatever had tripped the alarms.
Elsewhere, aboard an Arcadian flagship…
Hoarfrost stood on the bridge of his ship, stewing over the failure of his subordinates in defending Arcturus Spire. The very thought of such an assault enraged him, and he very much wished to kill the one responsible.
But, seeing as he had no way of knowing where the particularly infuriating Saiyan had gone, he had to settle for punishing Warden Arcturus for his colossal failure.
A failure so large that there could only be one penalty: death.
And so, he was en route to the Arcturus system. The fool would get his punishment soon enough, and then Hoarfrost could get to tracking down that stupid, anger inducing Saiyan pest. And kill him, too. Perhaps that would provide a healing salve for the black eye the Empire had sustained from the prison's destruction.
And there we are! Chapter 10!
Mostly devoted to a flashback, but moves the story along a little bit as well. I'm still not entirely sure of whether or not there will be more flashback chapters or not, though. I'm gonna try and get the next one up soon, but no promises! I'm not done with Chapter 12, so 11 would be the last one for a while if I go ahead and post it, so it could be a bit. Or I might just change my mind and put it up anyway , who knows.
-Signing off as usual!
-Robbtastic01.