Paragus paid no heed to the kicking and screaming of the native he was charged with. He came onboard growled at all warriors who looked like they would saying something to him or about him. Kept his aura kindled and walked over to this rather spaces yet barren room one wall of which was made entirely of see through material. Growling something to someone in the same language Bulma had heard Cumba use earlier and after a brief pause dumped her on her backside on the floor and stalked of. Just as he reached the door he called back. 'Saiyains don't often take prisoners.' He informed her. 'When we do intend to take slaves from a planet we are about to purge or conquer we usually bring prison ships with us. Your kind was judged to weak to be worth anything as slaves. Obviously plans have changed.' He paused. Bulma was beginning to wonder why she was being told this when Paragus continued, 'No door on this ship can be locked save the doors of Lord Cumba's personal chambers. But if I were you I would not venture out of this area. All other area onboard is at or over ten g's. You are smart enough to figure out what will happen to you if you venture out this door.' So saying he marched smartly away. Leaving Bulma to contemplate his words and her fate.

Walking over to her clear glass window she looked out onto her beautiful blue planet. Wondering intensely where her friends were. What horrible fate had befallen her parents? What horrible fate awaited her? Tears began to well up in her eyes as all sorts of horrible pictures pressed themselves in her mind. Breaking into body raking sobs Bulma curled into a tight protective ball on the floor.

Just below her window the blue planet beginning to get pot marked with explosions as the Saiyain warriors began to move systematically in their quest to purge earth of all its warriors. Not to mention all their defenses, pitiful as they were compared to the might of the awesome Saiyain empire.

Hurling his brother's worthless ass in to the infirmary and into a tank, Radditz turned his attention to his hybrid nephew. The doctor and medical technicians there could not decide whether to use Saiyain specs of wait for some human specs to be developed. Radditz listened for a moment slightly bored as the argument proceeded before losing his patience and barking out, 'Just use the bloody Saiyain Specs, if the hybrid isn't more Saiyain than human than he is not worth keeping alive.'

The doctor and some of the medics would have challenged him due to no other reason than that they were all Saiyains and Saiyains love scuffles. But they unfortunately then remembered that the reason that they were in the medical profession was because by Saiyain standards they were too weak to do anything else. As such they yielded to Radditz thou rather grudgingly.

Gohan too thus promptly ended up in a tank next to his father. Satisfied that he had discharged his duties properly Radditz headed back to the planet surface, back to the action. With a feral gleam in his eyes and anticipation welling up inside of him he almost did not remember to give the medics Lord Cumba's orders. Thankfully it came to him just as he reached the infirmary door, 'By the way Lord Cumba has ordered that they not be let out of the artificial coma till we reach Vegitasei.' At this several of the medics protested and protested rather audibly, 'That is Lord Cumba's orders. Take it up with him.' So saying he turned his back on them.

The medics exchanged long glances and several telepathic comments among themselves. But in the end none could be found who was willing to risk his neck to try and remind Lord Cumba that with these two taking up long term residence in two of the tanks they only had one left for use by injured warriors. They just hoped that on their way back no planet with warriors who could actually land Saiyains in tanks crossed their path or more importantly crossed their path and was either unclaimed or rebellious. They knew all too well that when forced to wait for tanks time warriors often distracted themselves from the pain by blowing up medics. Remembrance of the latter fact was no doubt what was fueling that disturbing gleam of anticipation in Radditz's eyes when he ventured a glance in their direction as he informed them of lord Cumba's decision.

The world's most sophisticated weapons system did nothing more than cause the Saiyain slight heat burns that were more of a nuisance than a hindrance. Some of Earth's KI wielding warriors had better success. They lasted a minute. But soon the Saiyains destroyed them all. Like a disease without cure they infected earth. Over coming it's defenses, taking it over. Yamcha, Tein, Chaouzu, Yajarobi are all killed by them. With Piccolo Kami had ceased to exists. Without even knowing it the Saiyain's had killed two birds with one stone.

While the other Saiyains engaged in disturbingly satisfying killing Cumba devoted his time to extracting from the natives with means that fell either into the category of either cruel and unusual or ingenious and seducing all information he thought it was worth getting. Cumba found his work strangely satisfying as well. Slowly a picture of the natives, their customs, their secrets, their desires, their strengths and their weakness began to form in his mind. He was intrigued by inherent naivete of the species. Even the most vicious, the most tortured of them seem naïve compared to the deadly bad of Saiyain warriors he led. But perhaps the information he most enjoyed getting was the information about the new rather gorgeous scientific slave. He had rather unexpectedly stumbled across her parents. They were more than helpful, once he provided them with sufficient encouragement. He smirked at the idea of using them against her. Smirk soon vanished as her image floated into his mind.

There is such a thing as being too beautiful. The King had a taste for alien women. The Prince would never to be caught dead anywhere near the harem. But the King, if at any point the King thought the Bulma's value as a scientific slave exceed her value as a pleasure slave she would end up in the harem so fast that her head was likely to spin. His stomach muscles clenched at the thought of her or any other woman Saiyain or alien to catch the fancy of the king and end up in the harem. He knew he would do anything to stop a woman from ending up in a harem, it was the only time he was willing to defy the King. But he knew he would, like he had so many times before. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to the task at hand. Planets, after all, did not conquer themselves in the name of the Saiyain Empire.

How long had it been? She didn't know. She must have passed out from crying so much. She felt warm and comfortable. Her eyes fluttered open. A view of white light striking past at great speed. 'No.' she screamed as she jumped out of the bed and headed for the window. 'No.' she whispered again as she slid down to the floor.

'So you are finally awake.' Came a caustic voice from behind her. 'That's good I was hoping to go over certain protocols with you before we reached Vegitasei.' He added sarcastically.

Bulma whirled around to come face to face with Cumba. 'What…what have you done to earth?' she demanded, her voice shaking with fear and anger.

Cumba fixed her with cool gaze, 'Nothing much. Just turned it into a military outpost. Most of your people are still intact. But that is more than I can say for you "boyfriend".' He said maliciously.

Bulma started, 'My boyfriend, what the hell do you know about my boyfriend?'

'Everything your mother knew.' Answered Cumba a touch of malice still in his voice. 'She is surprisingly susceptible to torture and he was surprisingly susceptible to blowing up.'

'No.' she screamed. Knowing it was invain he still lunged at him. Cumba caught both her fragile wrists and pinned them behind her. Holding them there with one hand he tilted her face so her eyes met his and spoke calmly, 'You have fire little one. Be careful that your inner fire does not land you into an outer hell.' He whispered to her, 'Your parents are well. They will remain that way as long as you cooperate with us on Vegitasei and your father cooperates with us on Earth. I have no fear of your father not cooperating with us. He seemed to be willing to do anything to keep his people alive and I think you are willing to do anything to keep your parents alive. Am I right?' he demanded. Bulma nodded weakly. 'Good. You can start by helping us complete all the upgrades your father designed for the propulsion system.' So saying he let go of her. Unable to gain her balance Bulma landed on the floor on her backside.

Rubbing her wrists one after another Bulma slowly got to her feet and for the first time noticed the improvements that had gone on in her cell. The once barren cell now consisted of a large capsule bed, a capsule desk on which stood a earth computer and another that she supposed to be a Saiyain model. In one corner lay a large pile of cloths, her cloths, packed no doubt by her mother given how many striped shirts there were. Walking over to the computers Bulma tapped away the screen saver from the earth computer to see that detailed plans for the propulsion system upgrade had been place on screen for her. They seemed too detailed to be the work of a day. 'How long was I out for?' she wondered mostly to herself.

'About a week.' Answered Cumba, 'But it was sort of our fault. Your room contained a high level of carbon monoxide when you were first placed here. It was not enough to kill you but it did keep you asleep for awhile. Than we had to use give you those drippy things and I am sure they made you even worse.'

So that's where the needle marks on her arms came from. 'If you hadn't given them to me I would have died of malnutrition and dehydration.' She said quietly.

'That's what your father said. But still it did take you a long time to wake up.' He said.

'So it did.' Whispered Bulma. Perhaps she didn't wake up sooner because she didn't want too.

There were not many people on Vegitasei that the King would express open loathing of but the spiky haired man that was now kneeling before him certainly one of his most hated subjects. There was something hidden about Bardock that made the King absolutely loathe the sight of the Squad Commander. 'What the hell do you want warrior?' demanded the king.

'Nothing more than what is my due, sire.' Answered Bardock evenly.

'And what exactly is your due?' wondered the King.

Bardock raised his eyes to meet that of the king. 'My grandson.'

'What of your grandson?' asked the King, 'He is a freak of nature who is being brought here only as a curiosity.'

'If he is only a freak of nature than, sire, you will not object to me taking charge of him once he gets to Vegitasei.' Replied Bardock.

'Take him.' Answered the King slightly bored, 'Why the hell should I care?'

'The brat, sire, has been pronounced to be powerful.' Pointed out Zorn the Captain of the King's guards.

The King scowled, 'I know what the third class off-world troops consider powerful Captain. It is rarely what we consider powerful. No doubt that chicken weakling elder son of yours Bardock was the one who filed the report.' Stated the King haughtily.

'It was Lord Cumba, sire.' Replied Bardock barely being able to conceal the gloat in his voice. The Kings face darkened. 'Which is why I believe that it would be worth the while of the Saiyain empire in general if the Brat is placed under my charge. I might still be able to turn him into a true Saiyain warrior.'

'As if you had such great success with the last one.' Mused the King.

A dark shadow fell across Bardock's face, 'I wouldn't know. He was sent off world without my permission.'

'I was referring to Radditze.' Replied the King coldly. Fixing Bardock with a blood chilling gaze he demanded, 'You have held that against the Saiyain bureaucracy almost three decades now. I am really beginning to get sick of it. You would have given your consent after all Kakarott was a pathetically weak infant.'

'It's not a question of what I would have said, it's that I was not given the opportunity to say it.' Bardock said coldly. 'After my years of faithful service to the throne both as an off-world trooper and a scientist I think I earned the right to at least have a say on the fate of my own son.'

The King narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He wanted so much to blow Bardock to oblivion but knew that he was worth more to him alive. 'And under which are you claiming your "due"? Are you wanting your grandson in exchange for your faithful service or your faithful grievance?' wondered the King.

'Whichever that will get me him.'

If it was possible the King's scowl darkened, 'Fine, once the brat gets here and I am satisfied with my examination of him, you can have him to do as you please.'

'Thank you, sire.' Bardock said sincerely. Bowing his head once more he backed out of the room.

It took her several days of hard work but she finally managed to finish all the upgrades to the propulsion system. Cumba made a point of staying with her the entire time she worked. The Saiyain ship was built in such a way that they could change the gravity setting on selected parts of the ship at will. Which meant that Bulma could safely work on the propulsion system but could not venture out to the rest of the ship. So why Cumba decided to waste his precious time guarding her was beyond her. Since most of the time he just meditated in one corner or other of the room.

The Saiyains had to deploy a large number of their warriors on earth. The ship was running on a skeleton crew. So Cumba's must have been needed elsewhere. As such his decision to stay with her was exceedingly confusing. But Bulma had neither time nor inclination to dwell on it too much. As long as Cumba left her alone, she didn't care that he was in the room and due to his silence she could almost forget he was there, almost. Finishing up the last bit of work she stood up slowly and faced him, 'I am done.'

Cumba opened his eyes and regarded her, 'How long before we reach Vegitasei?'

'A week.' She replied. Cumba nodded. Thinking that this was as good a time as any to bring the point up she asked, 'What are you going to do with Son-kun?'

For a moment Cumba was confused as to what she was referring but it came to him soon, 'Kakarott is none of your concern any more. Just know that he is safe for now, as is his son.' So saying Cumba powered up and motioned her to step closer to him. She complied and waited for him to bring up a KI shield instead his arms went around her. Bulma gasped and tried to fight out of it. But Cumba held her firm. 'Did I ever get around to discuss the protocols of behavior that will be required of you?' he asked in a soft whisper.

'Let go of me.' Was all she said.

'I thought not.' He said still in that low voice, 'Keep your mouth shut and do as you are told, specially around the King and the Prince. If you have to lose your disturbingly short temper little one lose it around the Prince for he will only kill you but it the King catches a glint of the fire that is inside of you he will screw it out of you literally.' He said as he drew his lips close to her ear, 'If you are lucky than the King will only take you for one night. Crush you to death with his lovemaking. But if your are unlucky he will decide that you are worthy of a place in the royal harem.' He placed his hands on her stomach, by this time Bulma had gone shook still, 'He will have your ovaries ripped out and your brain reduced to nothing but those functions that he deems you need to give him pleasure.' Suddenly he withdrew completely from Bulma's touch. 'Trust me you don't want that.' Bulma turned to face him. Whatever expression he might have had on his face when he was telling her this had been long wiped clear. Tapping his finger to the side of the scouter he spoke into it, 'Paragus come and retrieve the girl.' Nothing was said and no moves made by either while they waited for Paragus.

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