Warning: This chapter contains sex. Yes, that's right, SEX. If you feel uncomfortable with that subject or you are under legal age I suggest to don't read it. This chapter also contains attempted rape scenes, nothing graphic at all, but there is suggestion. If this is an uncomfortable issue for anyone please heed the warning. Also, there is implication of a relationship between one female and another, nothing remotely close to yuri (lesbian sex) but it is there and heed warning. I'm not writing this stuff for my health.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please write. Also thank you to all the people that took the time to write me about my previous chapters, it is much appreciated.

Floating in a sea of blissful unaware, the dreamer looked out into the void surrounding her. It had been a long time ago when she first dreamed this emptiness; it was the first time she saw the future and heard the words of the Fates. Images and memories, some her own, some from places she couldn’t possibly comprehend, flashed before her eyes. At first, the sounds, sights and feelings had terrified her, convincing her that her grief finally drove her over the edge. For nearly four days she fought off sleep, fearing that it would make her lose her mind. But sleep returned and so did the void and it called out and comforted her. Even now, after all terrible things Kayra had seen from the void, the blackness had actually become a welcomed part of her.

"Kaasan, do you have anything to show me?"

A dim yellow glow pulsated out from the midnight black as if answering her query. The pulsations continued, a slow steady beat thudding in the young girl’s ears. Closing her eyes, she smiled at the vibrations all around her, so calming and soothing. Opening her eyes, she drew back in mild shock as a pair of crystalline orbs stared into her deep green eyes. Movement from the darkness around her drew Kayra’s attention as the outline of a body came into view, that of a black panther circling around her. The dark beast soon stood in front of her, those moonlike eyes boring into her soul. Not knowing what demon possessed her, Kayra raised her hand and ran her fingers through the soft fur of the panther’s head. At that touch the same golden pulsating glow of the void enveloped the big cat and it changed into a golden lioness. Staring down at the hands that caused such a transformation, her eyes widened in shock at her appearance. Covered in thick green fur, she stared at her new paw and back to the lioness. The golden creature growled and sauntered towards Kayra. Green fur mixed with gold as the two cats rubbed necks, Kayra purring low in her throat, a similar soft purr vibrating from the lioness. A sense of oneness, of becoming whole swept over Kayra. The beating of the void grew louder and the yellow glow turned red. Surrounded in the walls of a giant heart, Kayra felt her new body change shape, and mix with that of the gold essence of her companion. The two souls united and merged, joining into one. The beating of the heart thundered through the joined form. The beat then turned into a scream as pain shot through the void. An icy cold feeling mixed with the pain, as if a sword had pierced the heart. A second wave of pain came as the golden essence was stabbed, the agony tenfold from the first, the link between the two entities compounding the emotions that coursed through them. Kayra’s body shook, she felt hot blood pour into her mouth, choking her. She reached out with all her power, both physical and ethereal, to the creature with whom she had joined souls. Relief grew in her as a tiny purr came to life across the link. Her relief turned to joy as the purr became stronger, the other part of herself coming back. She never saw the last sword coming as it ripped through the union, severing the link.

Kayra jumped up from her bed, breath catching in her throat as she tried to scream. Since her parents’ death two years ago she had had these dreams, these visions, but nothing that intense. There had always been some physical and emotional stress from it; experiencing the pains, fears, sorrows, and joys of others, but this was different. Everything was so real, every beat of the heart, every purr vibrated in her ears, the joys at the link, as if her soul had been completed. Then the unimaginable pain when the tie was cut. The loss made her almost scream out again, the emptiness almost too much to bear. Taking several deep breaths to lower her racing heart rate, Kayra tried to make sense of the dream.

Her mind went back to the previous day, back to the reading; the three of swords. It had always been a card to be wary of, as her experiences had taught her, but never had it been so real, so dangerous before. The end of the dream had been directly linked to the three of swords, the heart pierced by the three metal blades. If I’m dreaming about the Lady’s reading, and so vividly, I must play a part in her future, much more than I originally assumed. Her thoughts then went back to the golden lioness, whoever she was she had a role to play. Never had Kayra felt anything so intense; it still overwhelmed her. It wasn’t often you met someone who you moulded souls with. The new feeling swam through her head as she stared out the darkened window, the two moons barely visible as they neared the waning crescent stage of their cycle. It was said that when the Moons were gone from the night sky the forces of evil would rise. Thoughts of the dream were pushed aside as a shiver passed through her. One of her father’s idioms leapt to her mind at the thought of the coming darkness and what it would bring; "It never rains, it pours."

Convincing herself that the present must be taken care of before the future can be dealt with, she slipped out of bed and got ready for the task at hand. Yesterday she had scoured the palace gardens for herbs, beeswax, anything she could use. This morning, before most of the house woke up, she wished to search the surrounding wilderness for those items she had been unable to collect already. Dressing in her normal green wool clothes and black cloak, she sheathed her father’s sword by her side and grabbed her list of supplies.

~~~~~

The soft slapping of rushing water over rock mixed with the gentle wail of the wind through the full trees, filling the forest with sound. Kayra stopped in her work and sat by the trunk of a sturdy maple, admiring the natural symphony as a chorus of birds and beasts joined in. Her hand absently drifted over to the various satchels around her waist and she opened several of them to examine her haul. In the two hours since she had awaken she had scoured the meadows surrounding the village, looking for flowers and herbs. Her nose breathed in the delicate scents of the yellow cinquefoil and Adder’s Tongue, along with her newest acquisition, the green flower of the Hellebore plant. Her trek for supplies had led her ever closer to the Le Fort cliffs; she desperately needed more Dragon’s Blood for her divination spells, especially when she had so many questions about the future. In this moment of calm, she tried to banish all the visions, omens, questions from her mind; the weight of her responsibility becoming a milestone around her neck.

She sighed loudly and relaxed again, fighting to find the energy to get up and continue. Retying the bundle about her sword belt, she drew her cloak around her shoulders, still delaying the inevitable. The warm morning sun fell on her face, blinking in and out at the movement of the leaves. Running a hand over brow, she wiped away a faint trail of sweat from her earlier activities. Though it had been cool before the sun had risen, she now regretted the cloak around her shoulders and the sword at her side. Old habit had made her put them on, her mother’s cloak and her father’s sword, the last possessions she had of them. Finally finding the energy, Kayra stood and stretched before journeying deeper into the woods. The swishing of her cloak against her legs more joined with the sounds of the forest; her senses tuned to any signs of approaching danger. Continuing stealthily through the woods, she stopped and she found the source of another item on her list, a groove of strong oak trees. Bending down to pick up a handful of acorns from the littered ground, she only slightly regarded the marked silence of the birds. Undoing the ties of her cloak and scabbard, she began grabbing at the low branches as hand holds to begin her ascent up the tree. Reaching for a young branch to rip off, her concentration was broken by a snapped twig and a voice that boomed over the now silent wood.

"What do we have here? Well, aren’t you a pretty little wench; bet a slaver would pay top dollar for a young girl like you."

The Sun chose that time to hide behind a slowly building cloud bank, shadowing the land, making it harder to see in the normally shaded woods. Searching for the origin of the voice, her eyes fell on a fat, hairy man, his plain clothes discoloured with greasy sweat. Mentally flailing herself for having left her sword on the ground, she jumped from the tree and made a mad rush for the sword. Before she knew it, the man was on her, slamming her painfully into one of the trees, and pinning her shoulders.

"You little bitch, thought you could get away from me, huh?" He shifted his hands from her shoulders to Kayra’s neck and chest. Seeing the sadistic look in the man’s grey eyes, she spit in his face and screamed out in a shaker voice than she would have liked, "Don’t you touch me, you filth. I’m a Bruha, and if you do anything to me, I’ll curse you ‘til your grave."

"A Bruha! That crap is nothing more than old wives’ tales, but no one is going to buy a witch slave. Guess I’m just going to have to get what I want out of you right now." The man’s hand squeezed her breast, leaving no doubt in either of their minds what he planned to do. With no other option open to her, Kayra screamed for help. Her last hope was quickly silenced as the hand around her throat closed off her supply of air.

"Stupid slut; we’re in the middle of no where, no one can hear you scream. Trust me though, you will be screaming." Kayra flailed her limbs at her captor, hoping to stop his assault long enough to come up with a plan, or at least stop his hand on her throat. She won a moment’s reprieve as her shin connected with his groin. The man shouted out in pain and raised his arm to strike the girl. Closing her eyes in preparation for the coming pain, she heard the man emit a choking growl. When the blow did not immediately come, Kayra cautiously opened her eyes and stared at the now silent man holding her, a scream erupted from her now free throat. The once lustful eyes had rolled to the back of the man’s head as a thin trail of blood poured from the side of his month. Slipping out of the disgusting grasp, Kayra’s breath caught in her throat as the man fell face first to the ground, the hilt of a throwing knife protruding from his sweaty back. Her sense finally returning to her, Kayra grabbed for her sword and searched the trees for the source of the knife.

"That’s gratitude for you. I happen along a young foolish girl who is about to get raped, save her life and she draws a sword on me. Now, what would a Bruha need a sword, especially since it seems she doesn’t even know how to use it? What’s the matter, little Bruha warrior, are you scared of something."

Kayra tensed her sword arm, preparing for an attack. A cold wind blew through the trees of the darkened forest, the roar obscuring any sounds her new attacker might have made.

"Where are you? Show yourself, coward." she yelled out, fear evident in her voice. A light chuckle followed as a reply.

"I certainly hope you’re a better Bruha than a warrior. You couldn’t even injure that lumbering ox, how do you expect to deal with his killer?" The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, as if the speaker was a vulture circling a hapless animal, waiting to attack.

"I was taught by my father, Trousse of An Ceitean, a warrior in the royal house of An Ceitean. I travelled by myself from the Northern Woods to Modulus, with only this sword at my side."

"Did I hit a nerve, kid? Unfortunately, your lineage is of no interest to me. I must say, though, your father mustn’t have been that great a warrior; I’ve never heard of him myself. He didn’t train his daughter very well either," the voice stopped echoing through the groove and Kayra tensed further as she felt a light breeze on the back of her neck. "Or she would have known that I was right behind her." the voice barely whispered. The now quiet wood was suddenly filled with a scream that erupted from Kayra’s mouth. Whipping around to face the voice, her feet tripping over the exposed roots of an oak tree. Falling awkwardly on her back, Kayra opened her eyes to finally she her tormentor. Before her stood a shadowy figure, the person’s entire body hidden underneath the folds of a black cloak.

"What are you going to do me? If you kill me, I swear my curse will haunt you every moment of your existence." Knowing she could no longer keep the fear out of her voice, Kayra tried to reason with this attacker as she had the last. Another amused reply followed her ‘plea for mercy’, the prone girl finally noticing the high pitch of her assailant’s laugh.

"My dear child, not that I’m not a tempter of fate but I don’t think I would attack a Bruha, and such a powerful one at that." The female’s voice filled with amusement at this utterance. "Besides, why would I attack someone I just saved; be rather a waste of time and energy."

"So you mean you won’t harm me?"

"Apart from obviously scaring you to death, I personally don’t wish you any harm, far from it. I was in a Good Samaritan mood so I decided to help you, and now, in the spirit of good will, and I will send you on your way. Hopefully you will take my advice and go back to where ever it is you reside; these woods are filled with bandits, and I doubt you will find two guardian angels today." With that her dark angel bowed to Kayra. When she again stood upright, the girl allowed her hood to fall back a little from her face, revealing two glowing orbs, like two moonstones gazing out at Kayra. A thousand thoughts flew through the Bruha’s head at once and they all were silenced as a bright flash lit up the now grey sky and a crash shook the ground. Gazing back to the cloaked figure, she now found herself alone. Kayra remained on her back for several minutes, sitting silently as the heavens opened up and what her father used to call the ‘tears of the angels’ cry over the land. Finally gathering some sense into her muddled mind, she walked towards her discarded cloak, lying relatively dry under the cover of one of the oaks. Her mind swam in thoughts of the shadow girl and eyes like the moons, saviours and betrayal as she unconsciously reattached her scabbard and covered herself with her cloak. Thanking whatever foresight made her put her cloak on before she left that morning; she rushed as thunder reverberated in her head. She ran out of the forest towards Modulus, trying to work out her dreams, the reading, the Saiyajin, her shadow saviour, the Mistress, and how she fit into this huge nonsensical equation.

~~~~~

"Statis activation in sixty-two minutes, Lieutenant Kakarott." A female voice echoed through the pod as a pair of dark, cold black eyes stared out into the equally dark cold black universe. Kakarott had rarely been in outer space and of those times he had gone into statis before he had reached the outer atmosphere of the planet he was leaving. Space, the vast emptiness, had never interested him as it had his father and yet, he now looked out. Part of him feared Rehsce’s story of the gas cloud, which he would be entering soon. No matter what happened he wanted his wits about him. Whatever was out there did something to the Prince and that fear still played in him, though he would never admit it to himself.

Kami, what was he doing here in the middle of nothing, chasing after a blimp on a computer to a planet that no one knew existed. Vegita was a partner in arms, he still remembered the oath of loyalty he swore to ‘the Future King’. He had said the oath to anger Nappa as much as anything else, but there was still a truth in his words, proof of it in the fact that he was out in the unknown looking for the lost Prince.

"Now entering ion cloud 19G31, statis activation in thirty-seven minutes." That feminine voice stated again. The pod’s occupant stared out into the interstellar gas which now enveloped him. The once light dotted black was now yellow, illuminated by a supergiant millions of kilometres away. Oddly, looking into that yellow light reminded him of home, the deep yellow light like that of the sky when the orange clouds filled the skies over Vegitasei. I wonder how many times my father has seen a sight like this, Kakarott thought. Bardock spent more time in space than he did on Vegitasei. And now here he was, staring into space like the man who sired him, son of a purging squad leader, like the now dead Rehcse. The bite of anger stung at him as he thought of the lumbering commander and his oh so delicate sense of hierarchy. Kakarott merely smirked, not of superiority but of realization. This suicide mission was definitely more about himself then it was about Vegita. It was exasperation at the thought of spending a whole year in the presence of Nappa with no allies that sent him running to the space deck. It had been anger at Vegitasei and its outdated hierarchy that made him set the co-ordinates for this mysterious spot which held the Prince. It was pride in his own abilities, which forced an oath from the captain to not reveal his or Vegita’s whereabouts until he contacted the ship again. Finally, it was anticipation of the unknown that overran his fear as he realised the stupid thing he had just done. In a small way, Kakarott started to understand his father and the other man’s need to return to this void. As beautiful as Vegitasei could be at times, it was the need to escape the oppressive nature of life there that drove his father and now himself. No matter what he did or how powerful he could become, Kakarott knew he could never escape his blood, the mark of third class. Bitter irony washed over him as he accessed his situation. Here he was, running from everything his father was to become more like him.

His self-evaluation ended as the shriek of a siren went off in the pod, causing Kakarott to wince in pain. Gazing down at the controls, he was shocked at the read outs, power output down forty percent, navigational control down, communication link not responding. His vision was filled with red as a gas giant came into view through the clouds. The pod shook wildly, the normal smooth flight disturbed by the immense pull of the star’s gravity. Using what little knowledge he had weaned from his father, he did everything he could to stop the pod’s descent into the fiery star. Yet, before he could move, another light flashed before his eyes. Never in his life did Kakarott think he would believe a slave but before him had appeared one of those ‘breaks in the space-time whosawhatit’. The blue swirling entity pulled him into its centre, its pull stronger than that of the star. His fear sprang up new and stronger than before as he smelt the suspended animation vapours flood the pod. The blue light surrounded him began to fade as unconsciousness descended upon him. All he could see was black.

~~~~~

"Love, Honour, and Devotion to you, oh merciful one." Mata stated as she knelt in the centre of the room, her head upturned to watch the other occupant of the room. The blue haired woman had moved from her throne to stare out the window when Mata’s presence had been ‘announced’ and the hall cleared. Clear yellow eyes regarded the woman with interest, noticing the tense set of her shoulders, her elbows locked as she grasped at the windowsill.

"Two visits in three days? I wasn’t expecting you for another month at least; Gero must be getting desperate. More news of the assassins?" Bulma’s voice took on a harsh, icy tone that matched the reflection Mata saw from the darkened window. The rain beat down upon the land, while a strong wind howled through the trees on the north side of the palace. Still watching the Mistress’ back, Mata’s thoughts suddenly went back to the girl in the forest and what had become of her. She had followed the girl ever since the child had started collecting those weeds. She never understood why but something drew her to that girl, it was as if she had known her her whole life. She was debating whether to reveal herself when the bandit forced her hand. Even now she could still remember the look of fear in those deep green eyes and the unexpected need to protect that girl.

"No, Mistress, my message is about nothing so secretive. I’ve been privy to information that tells me that Okazaki has joined forces with another house, the house of Enleo, the warlord. Enleo fears the alliance between you and Bushi house and has enlisted Gero to build weapons for him so he can challenge both of you. The Scourge of the Fates has come upon you."

"Any word or indication of when they will strike?"

A shakiness entered the once icy harsh tone, Mata could only imagine the fright that must have plagued this woman at such news. Enleo was a monster, it was thought by some that he drank the blood of his enemies to gain their power. Rumour and innuendo aside, the warlord’s record was a gruesome one. He didn’t take over villages; he massacred them, slaughtering the residents like they were cattle. He was even more brutal with his treatment of women, taking personal delight in torturing them, destroying them in mind, body, and spirit.

"There is no word on when they will strike, the alliance was forged only last night but I doubt Enleo would wait long for long. He seemed very adamant about destroying the daughters of the Owl and the Wolf."

"Was any reason given for the alliance; was there any other party involved or present?"

"No one else was present, the assassins have not returned to the house since Gero’s conference with them. Both parties were very adamant about keeping the meeting secret, I doubt even their advisors don’t know that it has happened yet."

"Then, if you are the knower of all things, why has Enleo and Gero joined forces?" At this Bulma’s hands loosen their death grip on the sill and wound around herself, one around her waist, the other grazing her neck.

"I do not claim to the know the thoughts of others, but I am not without my resources. I have heard from other informants that Enleo has been experiencing revolts within his borders, the territories once occupied by the Wolf. He would probably believe that the girl must be the head of the rebellions, or at least the inspiration. She stands as at the head of a resistance against his rule, just for the fact that she is a woman who did not bend to his will, as, in a way, are you. Resistance is like an animal, if you cut off its head, the body dies."

Mata stared in awe as she witnessed the once solemn reflection from the window smile, as if a near promise of death was a blessed occurrence. She watched as the Mistress’ hand began to rub her neck, touching only one point at the base. As if reflecting the lightened mood in the room, the howling wind began to die down to a low croon and the sheets of rain turned to mere shower upon the land.

"I don’t think you realise your own powers, Mata of Ar. I have a person who resides in my house, possessing powers quite similar to your own. You and her would probably find each other very interesting." Bulma finally turned to face the other woman, hoping to clear up some other matters that were burning in her mind, mainly dealing with her dream. Her blue eyes widened in shock at the empty room. Sighing, Bulma continued rubbing the marks that the Saiyajin boy left on her neck from the night before; she didn’t even feel him biting her. She smiled again at the thought of him, not just of the memory of his body but of the challenge that he offered her in Kaissa. She must play it with him again sometime, and now she knew a favour she would ask of him if she won.

Taking two fingers, she covered the little puncture marks that marred her once smooth neck. She was tempted to call Kayra again and ask for more of that healing salve for the wound. Bulma humpfed to herself at the thought of how her little Saiyajin Prince would take the removal of these marks, probably just do it again. Bulma walked through the hall, towards the closed door to call for her entourage to come in again. She knew she would have to cover the wounds again, she couldn’t allow her people to see such marks as these on her person. One digit continued rubbing the wound; she almost hated to cover the mark or get it healed this time. What trickery has this creature put over me; everytime she touched the mark it reminded me of him, a feeling of peace and happiness washed over her at the thought of him. The feeling died when a knock on the door shattered her meditations and brought her back to reality. She rushed to quickly refastened the high neck of her collar and bid the company to enter. Ideas, plans, and concerns flew through her head as she assessed her situation. ChiChi must be informed of this threat, they had to decide what they would do to, what preparations they would have to made; time would not be on their side for this one. She would also have to get in touch with Sar’in and Thak, see what discoveries they had made about Vegita’s ship, and anything else they might have discovered about these Saiyajins. They are a dangerous race; one in particular was very dangerous. What power do you weld, Saiyajin, what spell have you woven with your marks? Why can’t I get you out of my mind?

"Dazu, get me the communication link, I have an argent message for Bushi house. And send for Yamcha to come as well, he should be here for this."

~~~~~

From the moment Yamcha was sent for to the time the sun went down Bulma did not have a rest. A threat unlike any that had come before had descended upon Modulus; and her in particular but she wouldn’t fail, she would not let that monster destroy her father’s dream again.

After the summons were issued, Bulma contacted Sar’in at Bushi house and broke the news to everyone. With the announcement a floodgate of questions broke from both ChiChi and her own attendants. When, where, why who and how filled Bulma’s ears as the barrage began. She could have kicked herself for not forcing Mata to stay and provide the answers to these inevitable curiosities, or at least answer all of her questions.

Revealing everything she knew, though not the source of the information, all parties knew that action must be taken but even that was filled with chaos. Suggestions ranged from abandoning Modulus and running to storming Enleo’s castle while he was off guard. Bulma sighed again as the noise of a hundred and one conversations loaded her brain, making it impossible to think. So far every plan that had been devised had been born out of desperation, for Enleo’s ruthlessness was known far and wide; that he joined with Gero showed that he was willing to go to any lengths to destroy an enemy. Looking over to Dazu, she caught his eye, a silent plea to him to try to keep the sudden madness at bay. Before the tall man could reply a voice broke through the deafening crowd.

"Mistress, where did you get this information, how do we know it is reliable?"

Spying the source of the outcry, her eyes met a pair of dark angular black eyes, a look of both questioning concern and anger mixed in those dark depths. Bulma hesitated, she knew what Yamcha thought of Mata and could only imagine what ChiChi would make of an assassin in the employ of an ally; she was one to overreact to possible threats.

"A slave, once loyal to my father, overheard the conversation and felt it was her duty, even after all these years, to protect someone she once swore an oath to." Bulma tried to make her words as convincing as her face showed but deep down she knew that Yamcha did not believe her. Only Dazu, Yamcha and herself had been present when the deal was made and at that time Yamcha made his opinions clear about what he thought of the assassin. He had always felt that she could not protect herself or lead a house of slaves, that she needed him to do it. It was this possessiveness which had prompted her to relieve him of his duty as pleasure slave, deciding instead to reward his loyalty with the position of head guard.

"Silence, slave; do you question your Mistress? If we are to keep this conversation, Mistress Bulma, we will do it one on one. As loyal as you might be to our alliance, this matter is still very grave and I would rather it be discussed beyond the glare of questioning eyes." ChiChi said, her projected eyes boring into the anger guard.

"Aye, that is a good idea. All of you, you are dismissed to your posts," Bulma yelled out to her guards and advisors. "Do not inform the others of this news until a plan of action has been reached between us. Go train and inspect our food stores, security systems, anything else that might be of consequence in the upcoming trial." The blue-haired woman nodded to her chief aide that he was included in this mass exodus as well and sighed as the hall was once again empty.

"Well, Lady of Modulus, since you called this meeting, do you have any plans or ideas for dealing with this new menace? I know of Enleo and his tactics, as does all of Gaia, but this Gero is a new enemy, or at least he is to me." The Lady Bushi asked, trying the attention back to the most serious matter at hand.

"Gero is a genius, Lady ChiChi, a rival to the original Modulus and its original owner. His main field of expertise is non-mechanical; chemistry, biology, but that does not mean he is not a danger to us. His knowledge of mechanics is small compared with my own but he can still create weaponry. He is a ruthless man, with tentacles long reaching; Enleo could not have picked a more suitable ally in personality and brutality."

"What of his fighting ability, does he have any warriors or allies that we should worry about?"

"No, after the feud in the house of An Ceitean, various minor warlords and feudal lords came into the region and took over anything of value, Okazaki’s scribe house with it. Gero was forced to flee for his life when his crimes were eventually revealed, no one wanting to ally themselves this so untrustworthy and pathetic a creature. He is not a warrior, nor a strategist, and only has hired goons to do his dirty work. It is his technical knowledge which is his only benefit to Enleo."

"Enleo is a egotistical bastard, he will attack out right, thinking only of his might and reputation to help him, but he is an impressive strategist. He will more than likely attack Modulus first, knowing that it is not a strong offensive power and that it is Bushi’s major source of weaponry, probably using any technical advances this Gero might create for him there to test them out. After Modulus is defeated, he will move on to Bushi, destroying the forests and crops around the area. Whether he will order a direct challenge or simply attack, I could not say. He has used this tactic before with allied houses, attack the weaker when he knows the stronger cannot retaliate. I will spare as many troops as I can to your cause but I fear a break in my house will be used as an open invitation to attack both houses and be the ruin of us all. He knows that if our forces are divided, we will surely fall. I may be able to persuade the rebels to attack within his borders when he moves out, that at the least would divide his forces and lessen the brunt of the attack. I could meet him before he reaches Modulus and attack while he is off guard, but there is always a chance he could get wind of the attack and go for Bushi instead." The dark haired Amazonian furrowed her brow and began to pace back and forth across the screen of the communicator, her anxiety visible in those mahogany brown eyes. Bulma’s blue eyes softened in concern as she watched her tense counterpart. Enleo was as much a fear to ChiChi as Gero was to her; I wonder if she has ever had nightmares as well. The woman of Bulma’s consideration began to mumble, forgetting the other ‘occupant’ of the room. Bulma smiled at the obvious action; ChiChi was a warrior, technology was not her forte, just like it was not her little Saiyajin’s. The memory of her newest acquisition caused her to widen her smile a bit more as she looked again upon the scene in front of her. She had known ChiChi only a few years but in some ways they were like sisters. That unusually bond has strengthened even more that they were now threatened by their worst fears. And yet, here was ChiChi, pacing around trying to think of a way to save the day, like an older sister.

"I think you have forgotten something in your grand equation." Bulma finally spoke out as she watched ChiChi suddenly remember her presence. "You seem to think that Modulus is defenceless against attack. When I built the security system for Modulus it was against both stealth and siege tactics. While I might not have the exact power that you have, I am not without defence. You wished to have Enleo’s forces spilt, why not have them into thirds instead of half. If you attack him as he attacks Modulus his forces will be greatly divided trying to fight a war on three fronts, possibly more if his rival warlords get wind of the attack." A mischievous tone entered the blue-haired woman’s voice as she put her case before the other woman. The mischievous look was returned with relish when ChiChi smiled and nodded to Bulma, hope playing in her eyes.

"You would also not be without weaponry, or at least the capability for it. Sar’in and Thak are two of my best technicians; if there is something you need to build, they can do it for you."

"You are wise beyond your years, oh Lady of Modulus."

"As are you, Mistress of Bushi. Shall we discuss further strategy?"

~~~~~

After two hours of tactical theory and four of security and supply checks, nothing but a hot bath and a long peaceful night was on Bulma’s mind, well maybe satisfying night might be a better way to describe it. She had left her little Saiyajin Prince to learn his manners today, or at least learn his duties in the house. She might have to give him another massage to make amends to ‘his majesty’. Walking into the bathing chamber, she completely ignored the other figure behind her as they also entered the chamber, hiding in the obscuring shadows of the dimly lit room. Graceful fingers slipped the soft violet gown off her small shoulders and allowed the silken material to pool at her feet. Walking out of it, the blue-haired beauty gingerly stepped into the streaming water, sighing as the warmth drove away her aches and cares. Bulma swam through the heated water, stopping at the side to pick up a lump of soap and began to build a lather in her hands.

"I remember when I used to do that for you, wash you that is, after we made love. Does that tailed freak not satisfy your needs? I was willingly to give you everything, Bulma; you and I would have become one. With the two of us running this house it would have been unstoppable, isn’t that what you said your brother always wanted. Now, you spend your nights in the company of a creature that is hardly a man at all, a thing that wounds you."

A hard strained tone entered the normally soothing voice as the bathing woman turned to face her former lover. "You are under the impression that I actually cared about my brother’s plans, it was him who destroyed me the first time. You are not my master, and you will never be. I am my own master and I make my own life and choose my own pleasure slaves. I gave you your freedom, Yamcha, for your services to me but there was no love between us. I suggest you leave before I call out for the guards and have you removed from my presence."

The darkened figure merely ignored the commands and began to walk towards the edge of the pool and knelt down beside the edge. As if in his own world, he stared down at her, his eyes travelling over areas he once knew intimately well as his hand reached out and grabbed her soft cheek.

"You forget yourself, pet, the guards are under my leadership; do you really think that they will rush to your aide? Besides, how can you say that you had no feelings for me, do you forget this?" With that his free hand plunged into the water and began to stroke one of Bulma’s full breasts. Shock overcame him as he met a cold icy stare in those deep blue eyes instead of the half-lidded passionate look he had received so many years before.

"You forget yourself, ‘Master’, the guards follow your commands because it is I who gave you your position; their loyalty is to me. Don’t be a fool, Yamcha, your services are needed in the coming months and I can ill-afford to lose any warriors but if you dare touch me in such a manner again, you will find yourself marched through your own torture chamber." With that she removed the exploring hand from her breast and pushed it away from her person. "Do not confuse love with sex; how I deal with my own slaves is my own business, it is not for you to pass judgement on."

"Your guards are not here now, only you and I; who could stop me from taking you as I wish?" His rejected hand grasped hold of her neck, pressing down into the bite marks on her pale skin. "You allow this alien freak to mark you but you will not allow me the position I once held, one that we both enjoyed." Bulma mentally smiled to herself, in all the times when panic should override her, she felt a remarkable sense of calm. If I could make our little Saiyajin Prince bend to my will I can certainly deal with a man such as Yamcha.

"Men, you are all alike, thinking you can mark and claim me. I am my own person, Yamcha; my father knew it, Gero knew it and so do you. You more than anyone else should realise what would happen to you if you tried anything with me. Forget the security measures; the alarms, the monitors, the traps, when it is discovered that you have even taken one step too close to me, MY men will be upon you. And when they find you, I will handle your punishment myself." The very forcefulness in her tone made the guardsman release her. Walking towards the shallow end of the heated pool, her eyes never leaving those overwhelmed dark ones. Turning, she walked up the large stone steps, standing before her ‘attacker’ with her arms folded over her chest, uncaring of her naked state. Yamcha could not hide the pain of her ‘betrayal’ from his face; before him was not the simple girl who he had easily possessed all those years ago but a beautiful woman, strong and proud and definitely not his.

"I will bother you no longer, Mistress." He said as he bowed low to her and left the room. Letting out a soft sigh that she didn’t even realise she was holding in, Bulma grabbed a towel from one of the piles along the bathing chamber walls. Wrapping the thirsty terrycloth towel around her wet body, she absently rubbed the mark on her neck. Her fear of just moments ago faded as thoughts of Vegita entered her mind. Ignoring the rest of her bath, she would need another before the night was out, she dried herself off, slipped a bathing robe over her body, and made her way to her bedchamber.

~~~~~

"Yesterday I was informed that the threat we have been preparing long and hard for has made steps to bring about our demise. The ‘Scourge of the Fates’ has assembled a new ally with the express purpose of destroying both myself and the Lady of Modulus. Most of you have followed me for many years, some since the murder of my parents, and it is your loyalty that has created this house. I would be lying if I thought this was going to be an easy fight, or that our victory would be assured. The Lady Bulma and I have discussed all of our options and have agreed that whatever action is taken we will do what is in the best interest of both of us and our people. I am telling you all this now to give you a way out because when the battle starts, there will be no backing down. I need only those who will brave everything, who will fight to the death if need be. Any of you who do not wish that, have families or loved one, that cannot promise me one hundred percent loyalty, I give you your leave to go. Make your decision now."

ChiChi looked around the massive hall as she heard her words echo through the room. Before her stood her entire house, nearly one thousand soldiers who had joined her cause, most the ‘lucky’ victims of Enleo’s barbarism. Two thousand eyes had watched her as she made her speech and her peace with those under her, the sense of respect and complete trust never wavering in any of those eyes. An unknown sense of guilt filled her as she looked into those eyes. Is this what her father felt like when he faced his soldiers before this battle, seeing all these trusty eyes and not knowing how many he would see after it was over? The silence was now stretching out for over a minute and even in that huge crowded hall no one moved and no one spoke. A reluctant smile spread across ChiChi’s lips at the still room.

"Will you fight?" She yelled out into the room. The cry of agreement from one thousand mouths enveloped her voice, drowning it out in a sea of shouts that shook the very floor of the palace. ChiChi ordered the hall emptied; it was a time of crisis and everything had to be checked, food and water supplies, weaponry, medicines and bandaging. The area surrounding the palace would also be surveyed, the natural defences of the cliffs was as much an ally as Modulus. Her people were divided into groups and sent on their tasks, no question of desertion in any of them. Now all that remained in her presence was her second in command, Kreden, and the two technical slaves of Bulma’s. The two were present during her speech and even in the crowded room they still stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs with their white and blue garb. Since the treaty between the two houses, ChiChi had seen nothing but undying devotion in the eyes of Bulma’s ambassadors and these two had been no different. It was strange now to look into the grey and brown eyes now, once so filled with fear at the sight of her and thoughts of her reputation, now reflecting shock and respect for what they had seen unfold before them today. Turning her attention to the two visitors, she began formulating how she could use these two in her plans.

"I trust that you agree with Mistress Bulma’s and I’s decision?"

"Aye, Lady Bushi; we will be in contact with the Mistress shortly to find out if we have a new assignment due to this alliance." The grey eyed one; Thak she believed his name was, replied to her, his voice hinting at the emotions that plainly danced in his eyes.

"Actually, you have been reassigned, at least in part. You two were part of the negotiations and it had been decided that you would serve under me during the conflict, producing defence systems. Can I expect an oath of fealty?" The two men turned to each other and nodded in agreement. Looking at the woman in front of them, they dropped to one knee and swore devotion to the Lady ChiChi until both Mistress found that their need was over.

"Now, that being the case, I wish to tell me what is that thing you are working on, is it some type of new weapon system?"

"No, Mistress. It is a transport device from outer space, from a race of beings known as Saiyajins. As far as our research has gone the craft is mainly used for transport; we’ve discovered communications and projection equipment, along with statis and learning capabilities."

ChiChi’s mind nearly glazed over at this explanation, she could understand how most of Bulma’s little gizmos worked but anything more than punch this or flip that went beyond her greater understanding. Oh well, she knew she hadn’t heard the phrase ‘military capabilities’ so that prompted her next question.

"So, these space creatures, they come in peace?"

"We are not sure. There was only one of them and it was too badly injured to tell us much of anything. It is now restrained back at Modulus, the Mistress using it for further study."

I think I’m going to have to cut my questions soon, this is almost becoming too weird, ChiChi mentally exclaimed. Deciding to put off her myriad of questions to the woman who could give her the best answers, her mind came back to the task at hand. Walking over to a large paper covered table off to the side of her throne, she beckoned them to follow her.

"The cliffs around Bushi will provide us with a natural defence already but there are still weak points here, here and here." She said, pointing to a relief map of the area. "The fortress will be able to handle an assault but we do not have the defence capabilities that Modulus has, or the weapon systems that Bulma would have set up. My hope it to cut off these vulnerable points around Bushi, something that can stop large forces but would go undetected by the enemy unless they are fired upon. Enleo has several options open to him and he knows it, but if I can close off Bushi to his attack, I can centre my forces around Modulus. I think some kind of pulse cannon or …"

~~~~~

The clang of sword against sword rung through the practice room as a pair of deep set blue eyes assessed the warriors before her. In a house of nine hundred slaves she had but two hundred trained soldiers but, as Dazu had often told her, she had nine hundred bodyguards, willing to risk their lives for her safety. Her brother, always the cold realist, had even said that a peasant guarding his home was more powerful than two mercenary fighters were. Give a man a reason to fight and he will do anything to protect it. Though she did not have the manual resources that ChiChi had, her guards were some of the best trained in the region, and with the technology they had at their disposal, they were a force to be reckoned with, even against Enleo’s forces.

Walking across the ped-way that spanned the length of the training room, her eyes stopped on one pair in particular. Two men, slashing at each other with what could be construed as swords. It was the first field test of a new invention of hers, a ki sword. The white energy glowed and crackled along the sword’s metal length as the combatants struck out at one another. She had been studying the nature and uses of ki energy since she had gained control of this house, continuing the work her father had begun. The collar had originally been his idea, a device to tap into and heighten a power everyone possessed but only a few had been able to perfect. It had been Gero’s contribution that had adapted the device for suppression as well as the expression of ki. Never had she a use for his knowledge until the Saiyajin had shown up at her door. Her little Saiyajin had provided her much over the past few weeks, not the least of which had been information. What a boon to her research to have a being with so much ki energy, such a powerful life-force, the ki swords had been a result.

Her mind dismissed the pure science of what was unfolding before her and concentrated on the rapid motions of one man in particular. Yamcha had always been a good fighter. At first he had been her bodyguard before she had taken his as a pleasure slave. Once he had been all she ever needed, yet last night, his touch felt like nothing at all. Even as she watched his well-built form weave in and out of attacks, her imagination was replacing his body with that of another, whose touch she had welcomed and delighted in the night before. It was easy to tell Vegita had been a warrior in his past life and a mighty one too. His strongly wrought muscles screamed of the strength he must contain in his compact frame and his ki was beyond anything she had ever seen. Even looking past the physical differences between the two males, their personalities clashed as well. Yamcha had taken his position as her lover with great joy but soon saw her youth as a means of control and the way that she gave into his caresses as a statement of her love for him. When she needed a protector, he gave her an admirer and possessor. When Vegita and her were in the same room, sparks couldn’t help by fly between them, both barbed words and sexual energy. Her too hard young life had destroyed the romantic child she had once been. The craving for passion, the challenge of him was what spurred her on, she had relished the competition he was to her and he had yet to disappoint in any category.

Bulma’s side vision caught a halt in the fighting around her and gradually the attention of the company shifted over to their blue-haired Mistress. Blinking herself back to a sense of reality, she stared down at the assembled warriors, proceeding with the announcement that had sent her world spinning only one day earlier.

"As I’m sure you have all heard before, we have a new threat upon us now, more serious than any we have faced before. The house of Okazaki has formed an unholy alliance with the warlord Enleo against Bushi and Modulus. Darkness is coming upon us and we must fight. While I know that you are the best troops in all of Gaia, as I have seen in this practice, we of this house are few in number and would likely be crushed in a full out assault. But we are not alone in this conflict; we have both the backing on Bushi and to a lesser extent, the enemies of Enleo. We also must remember that our power is in out brains, not our brawn, and as such we will use that to our advantage. While further plans will be discussed with your captain and ranking officers, I want it to be known that our position is decoy, to divert troops from attacking Bushi. Whatever happens, we must fight to maintain Modulus and the technology we possess; if it were to fall into Gero and Enleo’s hands, no one on Gaia would be safe."

Nodding of understanding and acceptance of their almost ensured death, Bulma guiltily smiled. Her people were loyal to her onto death, even when death is facing them right in the face. What if this was a fool’s venture, if this plan didn’t work; the lives she was endangering, the families she would be destroying. Not that they would be saved if she gave up, better to delay the inevitable as long as she could then throw all of them to the wolves now. Praying that this scheme would work, she beckoned to her officers to join her in the throne room, exact tactics had to be planned.

~~~~~

"Now that we have covered the proper etiquette for the serving of wine with a meal, let us continue on with variations for visiting dignitaries. It is important, especially of someone in ‘your position’ to remain at the side of the Mistress at all times and to kneel in tower at a 45° angle from the back of her chair. As you are the exclusive of the Mistress right now, I suppose we can skip over the proper procedure for attending to female dignitaries; it’s best that way anyway, they all seem to have their own rules. Now, what they really need is a universal set of serving rules, in the slave trade particularly it would help. I remember this one master I had …" The short, bald headed slave Vegita had encountered on his first day of servitude continued to rant and rave on about wine, proper stances and the correct manner as to how to serve fish. Vegita’s eyes glazed over for the fifth time that day, retreating into himself. The woman truly was a genius, she had found the most brutal method of torture anyone could possibly ever devise, remembering rules of etiquette, and had put him through nearly three full days of it. Did the slaves on Vegitasei possibly have this much garbage to remember? Either that woman knew of his arrival or she thought up this insanity during the day; no one could have created this junk unless it was for the purpose of destroying a person’s sanity with it. If he had to listen to it any more he knew he would surely go mad, he might actually start following it.

Still ignoring his new tutor, Vegita leaned back into a more comfortable position, the chains around his wrists and ankles jingling in reply. Three days he had been placed in this room and made to sit through countless hours of this. At first, the constant reminder that he was a slave and that his ‘Mistress’ had deemed it necessary that he be trained had made him attack his first ‘teacher’ and was eventually knocked out by one of the guards. When he awoke, he found that they shackled him and merely continued on with their torture. Finally able to tune them out, his mind went back to more interesting pursuits. His mind worked tirelessly on trying to figure out how he had landed on this Kami-forsaken planet that he had never even heard of it. Oh well, another question for the little wench the next time we play that silly game of hers. Odd it seemed to him, he missed playing that game with her, in her own way she was a challenge to him, if nothing more than intellectually. When she had not arrived on the first day, not even to see how well her new method of driving him mad was doing, an unknown feeling descended upon the Prince. He couldn’t possibly miss that creature, though she was the most interesting thing he had found on this planet. He missed their battles of wills, the verbal sparring that they had so frequently engaged in, as well as their frequent couplings. In his weaker moments, he would often think of her body, and what he would do to her, or have her do to him when he was freed. At his lowest point, he actually feared the warning of that weakling human, that she would become an addiction to him, that his need would out weigh anything and that she would ignore him. His fears thankfully vanished that night when he was called to her chamber, her desire for him as fierce as his was for her. They had spent the whole night like that, caressing each others’ bodies, stroking, nipping, kissing, biting, contact never breaking between them. Finally, he collapsed on top of her, the pair spent and panting; their cries of pleasure having died down to the sound of their shared breath. His last vision was of her soft blue eyes closing as sleep swept over them.

The next day, during a too highly enthusiastic lecture about the folding of napkins, he received a visitor, a taller man named Dazu. He must have been of a higher rank in the house as the moronic slave bowed low in respect to the man when his presence was known. Bidding the lower slave on some chore, he slowly walked up to the Prince and stared him over, as if assessing him for some task. Angered at the thought of being judged by these pathetic humans, he growled in his throat, wishing away the infernal chains that hampered the movement of his limbs. Stopping to stare the Saiyajin right in the eye, revealing the purpose of his visit.

"So, you are the new pleasure slave; you are not the first."

"I’ve gathered as much by the tirades of that scared freak in the torture chamber."

"I see you’ve met the ‘Master’, he was the first and the most dangerous of all of us."

"Us? I would assume that you as well?"

"A long time ago, it ended much better for me than for Yamcha, I only long for her, he is obsessed with her."

"Why are you even bothering to tell me this? Why are you even here, human?"

"Do you really want to continue hearing about napkins and the correct colour for table clothes on Wednesdays?" Seeing the look of sheer panic on the Saiyajin’s face he continued. "I am here to warn you about Yamcha, he is dangerous, even more dangerous than he looks. He has seen the marks you have left on the Mistress, the way she calls for you, the passion that she shows you than he can never have. He would kill you for it."

"Simple human, do you even know who you are talking to? I am Prince Vegita of the Saiyajins, the most feared race of warriors in the universe. It is said that I will be the next legendary Super Saiyajin, the greatest and most powerful warrior of all time. You tell me I should fear the spurned lover of some weakling woman; when I am free I should kill you for such an insult."

"Weakling woman, he fool yourself, Prince. She built that collar, she has control of you, more control than even you will admit but I can see it in your eyes when I mentioned her. Remember, you are not the first but you have done something that none of us could have done; you have marked her, in more ways than one. I am assuming it is some kind of claiming mark on your planet. But I am not just here to exchange pleasantries with a new slave, you are obviously a mighty warrior, or at least you think you are, has the Mistress obtained an oath of loyalty from you?"

At the sarcastic comeback to his speech about the Super Saiyajin, Vegita grit his teeth, wondering where he should hit first to cause this insolent human the most pain in the shortest amount of time. Pulling against the chains on his arms he felt the collar drain at his energy all the more;damn that wench and her machines. Staring up into the creature’s questioning eyes,he decided to use the only true weapon he had left to save his pride, his wit.

"Loyalty; the ‘Mistress’ has obtained nothing from me, not my loyalty, desire, or my undying devotion. Such emotions are for the weak, those that are actually dictated to by some lusty bitch. I ‘claim’ her only so that I may use her later, when I am freed of this pathetic collar I will use her as my personal pet. Trust me when I say I will be free and you will understand what a Super Saiyajin is."

Looking the Saiyajin Prince up and down once more, Dazu stared him straight in the eyes, nodded and left, beckoning to the first slave to finish with his instructions. Vegita could only block out the inanity by thinking about what Dazu had said to him, wondering why his taunts had not had the same effect as when they were directed at the ‘Master’. Thoughts of what the former pleasure slave brought his mind back to one of his favourite topics to his mind, the little human,and what he would do to her when he was free.

That night, Dazu’s questions came back to him as the two lovers wrestled amongst the sheets. The weak creature pinned him to the bed, her legs straddling his thighs while her arms pinned down his at the elbow. Staring down at him with those bottomless blue eyes, he felt himself drowning in her again as he had once before, this time the sensation stronger. Lowering herself so that her breast brushed against his hard chest, her soft lips kissed and caressed his neck until he was growling at her torments. Removing her attention from his neck, she moved up to his face, kissing every inch of his jaw, his cheek, his eyelids and finally fully on the mouth. Breaking the passionate kiss, she whispered a breathless question to him, obviously trying to take advantage of the half-drunken state she had put him in.

"What kind of warriors are the Saiyajins?"

The mention of his race brought his languid mind back to reality as he replied to her question with torments of his own.

"The Saiyajin are the greatest and most feared race of warriors in the universe." He stated as he moved up to kiss the front of her delicate throat. "The desire to fight is in a Saiyajin’s blood; it is their ultimate passion to find the strongest opponent that they possibly can and fight him to the death, even if it means their own." His kiss turned tongue, as he tasted her skin, moving down to the bite marks on her neck. "The greatest honour for a Saiyajin is to die in battle, but not before they see their enemy die at their hands. The need to fight is like the need to breathe, without it a Saiyajin dies." His searching mouth finally rested on the tiny puncture wounds he had left on her from before. Closing his lips over the marks, he began to lightly suck on her neck, causing a flood of moans and whimpers from the woman’s throat. Those soul possessing blue eyes slid shut at the sensation of his mouth and her hold on him weaken. Using the sudden loss of pressure on his limbs, his tail wrapped around his waist and he rolled over her until their positions were reversed, his mouth never leaving her neck. Her long shapely legs wound their way around his hips as her hands explored the terrain of his back and the texture of his hair. Stopping his teasing when he felt her arch her back, his hands shifted to her back, rubbing the spot where her tail would be if she were a Saiyajin.

"Why are you now so curious about Saiyajins, you and your servants? I thought all questions between us were asked when we played your game, have you decided that you no longer wish to play it with me, afraid of losing again?"

She opened her eyes to him, showing the concentration she was muster against the feeling of ecstasy that flowed through her. She gasped her answer as best she could.

"What is the matter, my Prince, do you miss playing against me? Or maybe it is the training that you do not enjoy? Soon we will play again. If you wish, you may ask me a question right now."

His mouth moved back up her ears, caressing the skin with his warm breath on the journey upwards. Nipping at her lobe, he whispered into her ear, "Mistress, what is your real name?" At that he entered her and heard her half-sobbed, half-screamed answer.

"Bulma!"

His meditation went back to her answer. Bulma, what an odd name, but at that time it was the most beautiful sound his ears had every taken in. When he reached his release, he had grunted her name, confident in the fact that she would not be able to hear over her screaming of his name. His tail unwound from his waist and the tip began to circle the floor as he let his mind wander.

"And always remember to state the oath after every act is performed. Saiyajin, are you listening to me? Jeez, you would think a Prince would have this stuff memorised already. Now, when clearing of a table or a platter, you must always…"

~~~~~

Sunshine streamed through the huge windows which looked over the plains and forests of the area, all hers. Looking back over the table to her opponent, she smiled at this newer possession of hers. Vegita had endured three days of slave training with little to no rebellion, I guess he deserves a break. Thinking over the planning, preparations, scouting reports, and checking supplies the last thing she needed was to spend more time locked in a room with Yamcha and the chief guards. The way those black eyes travelled over made her fear what thoughts were behind them. Besides, she had neglected her little Prince, missing their frequent clashing of wills.

Moving her Rider into position to take one of his quars, she surveyed the board as if surveying a war. All forty pieces still remained, neither side claiming a victory or a defeat. In truth she had been looking forward to this match-up again, he would not be making a fool of her again. She had a task for him and she needed his oath of loyalty, might as well win it then anything. As obstinate as Vegita could be, he still had his pride and honour; she had gathered that from his talk of Saiyajins two nights ago. If she won a favour from him, he would have to keep his word; she hoped the pride of his honour outweighed his ego. Waiting for his move, she pounced on his unguarded quar. Gazing up into his angered eyes, she asked him the question that had been playing in her mind since he had asked her.

"Why did you need to know my name?"

"Isn’t it only fair, you know my name; why shouldn’t I know yours? Besides, when I am freed it will be easier to know what the guards should call you when I want your presence."

"You do not need to know such information. Do you think because you have spent the last week in my bed that you have the privilege of calling me by name? You will refer to me as Mistress at all times, is that understood?"

"Have you just asked me a new question, ‘Mistress’, and out of turn too? If you continue like this I shall never allow you the pleasure of playing Shueisha with me when I am freed."

"Well, if all Saiyajins have the same navigation and mechanical skills you do, I guess I will have to get ready for them."

Biting back his rage at the way she mocked him, the message behind her sarcasm struck him. What if the ship couldn’t find him, or worse yet, what if they believed him dead. It had been such a long time since he’d left the ship, since he was separated from the purging squad; all that time and there had been no message or signal to indicate that he was fine or alive at all. Had it been anyone else, he would have left them to their own devices, if they couldn’t take care of themselves they didn’t deserve to be called a Saiyajin warrior, would it be different for him. No, he was the Prince and the next king of Vegitasei; they would not abandon the heir to the throne. His mind still a hundred miles away, he moved a piece into play, the game before him second in his mind. The brief lapse in his concentration proved to be fatal as the woman stole yet another of his pieces.

"This will be a question of confirmation; when I win this game, you will grant whatever request I have for you, correct?"

"I think you have confused yourself if you think that you will win against me. If such, on such an occasion this happens, what makes you think that I will grant you anything you wish?"

"My, my, how the tables have turned. Did you not once say that you took all challenges equally and yet here you are going back on your word, where is your honour?"

Bulma almost wanted to laugh out loud at the dagger’s look he was giving her now; she had obvious hit a soft spot. Well, no point in aggravating a wound, especially when she needed his loyalty.

"Fickle, are we then? Once you said that you wished only for the challenge that I could give you, am I too difficult an opponent for you that you believe you need to ask a favour from?’

"Do not forget yourself, Saiyajin. I am the Mistress of this house, I control the collar and I am the only one who can release you. I request only your word of loyalty for I have a special task for you."

Accepting her answer, and knowing that he had not yet won the privilege to ask a question, his eyes skimmed over the board. She had taken a different approach this time; building up a better defence than the last time and taking very strategic attacks against his pieces. Impressive but not invincible, she would provide him with a challenge worthy of his skills. Deciding to concentrate an attack at her weakest position he shifted his Builder to attack both her Scribe and Tharlarion. Moving her Scribe, she allowed him to take her piece, knowing that she could easily strike her back.

"Now, what is the cause of this sudden interest in Saiyajins, and what do you need an oath of loyalty for?"

"You are over stepping your boundaries, asking two questions."

"Not if they have the same answer."

"I can not have an interest in another race, not even one from the same planet as I am from?"

"I guess you can, but why both you are your servants have the same interest is what fascinates me."

"What, who has been asking you questions?"

"I see I have sparked your curiosity again. I will offer you a trade, to answer my two questions and I will answer your one. You know I will just have you answer all my questions eventually, at least now you will get something in return."

"Alright." Bulma’s curiosity getting the better of her. "An old enemy of mine has made a pact with an ally’s enemy. The two forces together are more than enough to topple both me and my ally, any advantage that we possess could mean the difference between life and death for the people of this house. Besides, when the fighting starts, I want to ensure that you will not help the enemy and if necessary, assist my forces. Now, who has asked you about the Saiyajins?"

Vegita merely smirked at the unexpected news, so the little wench wasn’t master over all she surveyed. What was more, she had just asked him for his help, it was why she had asked if he would grant her a favour. Maybe he should join with this enemy of hers when they attack, they would surely release him if he promised to help them. Looking over at the woman’s enraged look his smirk deepened. Anger had made her eyes sparkle and her cheeks flushed. It had cost her a lot in pride to even relieve that and he would certainly use it to his advantage.

"I believe he was named Dazu. I’m sure if you have any questions about his motives you could ask him. Quite a hold you have over your pleasure slaves, well most of them anyway."

Ignoring his comments and making a mental note to confront Dazu later, she captured his piece and the right to ask another question. Thinking of gaoling him by asking what he thought of etiquette training, she decided relieving the tension in the room would be the best option; she still needed his oath and now that she has shown him her trump card she didn’t need him angrier.

"What is Vegitasei like?"

"That is rather a large question, would you like to narrow it down?"

"How did you become Prince?"

"I was born of the King and a female of royal birth in the birthing chamber. After I was tested worthy, I was given my name and the title of heir to the throne."

Biting her tongue about asking what ‘testing’ meant, she waited for another opportunity to learn more about this strange barbaric planet. Vegita propped his chin on his hand and looked thoughtfully at the board, his eyes full of plans and strategies. It was the first time she had ever seen him like this, a look of pure concentration and determination on his face. It fascinated her; maybe there was more behind this man than the façade he always put out to her. The only true unguarded moments she had ever seen him in was when they made love and only on rare occasions. She almost wished she didn’t need this pretence to ask him questions, to pick his brain. He had truly enthralled her, since the day he had entered the palace entrance and acted as if he owned the whole planet. Well, I guess he does own a planet already, and has the power to easily take over this one. Maybe he was the evil Kayra had spoken off, though he himself was not evil, an odd comforting feeling telling her so. Besides, he was the King in her spread, he had to be, the description so perfectly matched him, a creature of will. He would bring evil with him but he was not evil. She would have to ask Kayra about her dream, maybe she knew what the doll creature was.

"Your move." Vegita stated in that hard deep voice of his.

Even though he was down two pieces he was still a force to be reckoned with. Moving her piece to defend against his last strike, she waited for his counter move. Gasping at her stupidity, she watched helplessly as one of her quars fell.

"Who are these enemies you speak of? I wish to know you I will be dealing with in the future." He mentally chuckled at the expression on her face, let her figure out his meaning, whether he means to help or harm her. He might as well learn who her enemies are, considering they may soon become his allies.

"The two men are Gero, a slaver, and Enleo, the most brutal warlord in the region. He has been known to burn entire villages to death if they rebel against him. He does not conquer an area, he decimates it. I guess the two of you are very much alike."

"Yet, one evil is okay because it graces your bed every night?" Vegita lightly laughed at her reaction, enjoying the look of anger and the effects that anger took on her face.

Bulma re-assessed her position, his victory over her was a small one and he still didn’t see the blunt of her attack, it would only be a matter of time. Deciding that everything was in place. she began her full attack, as her Tharlarion swept across the board and took down his Scribe.

"What is this ‘testing’ you talked of earlier?"

"For a race of barbarian, the Saiyajins certainly do fascinate you, ‘Mistress’."

Well, one in particular did, she thought. "That was not the answer, ‘Prince’; now tell me, what is ‘testing’? I would have thought you would have taken any chance to brag about your exploits."

"Testing is when the child of the King is tested to see if it is worthy. When the trainers feel the brat is ready it is presented to the King and made to fight ten guards at once. If he cannot kill all of the guards in twenty minutes he is deemed inappropriate. If he is struck or injured during the fight, he is killed by the King."

"How can you possibly expect a child to do something like that? Kill ten full grown warriors in so short a time and if he is struck to be killed, it’s awful."

"It is a test of strength and determination. When I am the King, I will have to make the decisions to send out thousands of troops to kill millions of creatures. Ten lives, even if they are Saiyajin lives are insignificant when taken in the grander scheme. The King must be the best warrior on the planet, if the heir cannot complete that simple task by the time he are ten, he will never be King and must be eliminated. You forget, woman; it is the greatest honour for a Saiyajin to die in battle against a stronger opponent."

What kind of a life he must have had? What kind of hardships must he have faced? An unheard of concern welled up inside Bulma as she took in his words and pondered the life that he had left behind. If the heir is so important, why is it that he was sent on purging missions? Every question she seemed to ask him produced a whole new set of curiosities. Waiting for his counter move she struck again, this time taking his Initiate and leaving his Home Stone vulnerable in two places.

"How did you do, on your testing I mean?"

Vegita’s head straightened from its slightly slumped position and looked down into those eyes which had seemed to captivate him the more he looked into them.

"They were all dead in ten minutes." He stated, a princely arrogance thick in his voice. Maybe she was testing him as a warrior, to see if he was worthy. He was the greatest warrior of his line; he could protect her from any mere human. Wondering what madness had just invaded him to make he think such a thing, he moved his Tharlarion to block her assault on his Home Stone. Positioning her Rider, she looked up at him again, a question obviously on her mind.

"You never answered my question."

"And which one was that?" Vegita said as he moved quar to counter her Rider.

"Whether you would grant me the favour."

"I will grant it when you capture my Home Stone." He stated, his fingers gripping the top of his Tarnsmen, ready to strike at her Scribe and threaten her Home Stone.

"Fine," she said, taking her Initiate and sweeping it past his defences to strike at his Home Stone. You have been defeat. Now, I wish for you to swear an oath of loyalty to me."

Dumb-struck that he could lose anything, and to a weak human female no less, he did as she asked; more to uphold his honour than out of true loyalty. Getting down on one knee in front of her, he vowed his loyalty to the house of Modulus and its Mistress until the day he was given his leave. After he had said those words he added in Saigyno a vow to repay her treatment of him when he was granted his leave.

Standing after he had finished his peace, he noticed that the sun had neared the horizon as the sky slowly slipped into darkness. He turned around to see the lithe creature walking towards him, the movements of her legs and hips plainly silhouetted in the thin gown she wore and making his mind think about what was underneath. His hand shot out to capture her chin and bring her eyes to his.

"What idea to you have in your head for me? Why did you want me to take that oath?"

The warmth of his hand comforted her, making her forget the death and blood that stained them.

"You will find out your fate tomorrow, ‘oh mighty Prince’. If you have no objections, you will follow me to …" The words died on her lips as he covered her mouth with his own, his free hand surrounding her waist. Leaning into him, she kissed him back until her lungs ached for air. Breaking the contact between them, she panted heavily to fill her empty lungs. His hands returned to her body, removing her clothes and stroking her skin. The woman merely groaned in reply and her hands moved over his unclad back to tease his tail. Lowering his willing burden to the floor, the two re-discovered each other’s lips with a vengeance. They never did make it back to Bulma’s chamber.

~~~~~

ChiChi stared out into the blackened night, admiring the stars that shone high above. Her mother had once taught her about the stars, showing her how to use the constellations to find her way in the dark. All these years and the night still wasn’t any brighter. It was coming up to the new Moons soon, one or two days at the most. Terrible things had always seemed to happen when the twin Moons went black, a time of evil they called it and though she was never one for superstition, the night of pure darkness still scared her.

"Might I ask what is keeping you up so late, or maybe what has made you rise so early, Mistress?"

The voice was a new one in her house but had soon become familiar to her through the recent days and nights. Turning her head to the sound of the voice, her sharp brown eyes picking up that bright white even in the darkened hall.

"Just thinking and watching the stars. I guess I’m just a little shocked at the story of an alien, an actual being from outer space. I still remember when I watched the stars with my mother, I just don’t want to let her down."

Sar’in held his shock at the strong woman’s emotional words. In the six days since he had arrived at ChiChi’s house he had heard only two emotions come from the woman, anger and more anger. The quiet contemplation and obvious sadness of her words now surprised him. He had slowly become loyal to the brown haired woman in his days in her house and began to worry about her safety as much as he had his own Mistress.

"I used to watch the stars too, when I was a little boy, before my parents died and I was sold. My older sister used to tell me they were the glint off of angels’ haloes. It might be silly but I still can’t help but think that when look out on a night like this. Look, a shooting star!" Sar’in’s eyes caught the quick stream of light as it passed across the sky and yet, as the seconds passed it seemed to get closer and closer as well as larger and larger.

"Do you think it’s a comet, or maybe a meteor?" ChiChi asked, her eyes never leaving the object as it hurdled towards the ground, coming closer and closer to the house.

"What ever it is, it’s going to land soon and close."

A second later the object vanished from their view and a huge shock-wave went through the house.

* * * * *

Table of Contents
Chapter 3
Chapter 5