Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Being of Sound Mind and Body ❯ Only Hope ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.

Author's notes: Not really much to say. I'm only following a formula. Please enjoy.

Chapter 4: Only Hope

We destroyed a planet a while ago.

I used to get excited over destroying planets. Something about the rush of power-the big explosions-the bright flashes of light-the cries of the dying-warriors and civilians, nobility and peasants, women and children… It's all the same. They all die. And you're the cause. You get to be god and bring apocalypse. It's kind of funny when you see people begging for their god's help-whether it be male, female, or giant pink frog. There was once some sort of priest who asked me why I didn't have flaming breasts. Crazy stuff like that. Seems to unite the universe into one big ironic joke. Even in the infinite diversity with infinite combinations, people die.

But maybe I've seen too many deaths. I haven't enjoyed a planet purge in a long time. I put up a front for Prince Vegeta's sake, but I can't stand it anymore. The screams just don't do it for me. Over and over and over… thousands of planets… for nearly half a century…

It just gets boring!

That's how those years as general were like. Handling assignments, killing, being under constant pressure, fearing Frieza… it was boring. What used to be a common goal for the betterment of the Saiyan Empire-it was work. Chores. No fun.

My son was three, and already he had surpassed children three times his age, physically and mentally. Baen was not old enough to hold an official rank, but he was already receiving citations from King Vegeta himself. The boy was moved up the super elite. It was the king who appointed the boy as my assistant. I was glad to spend more time with my boy-more time than Okakra got with him-but I thought King Vegeta's interest in my boy was strange, since he was rather bitter about children at the time. I thought maybe he was simply interested in bringing up stronger warriors. After all, we WERE planning a rebellion.

Surprised, are you? You shouldn't be. You didn't think we'd (pardon the expression) keep our tails tucked between our legs for long? We were Saiyans. A Saiyan only serves his king, and the king serves no one. This indentured service to Frieza was an abomination, and it had to be stopped.

The options were limited. What do you do to a being that could destroy your entire race with a single shot and less thought? From what we'd seen from other races rebelling against us, not a whole lot. At least no overt frontal assaults. We'd just get laughed at and killed. We had to rely on strategy and deceit. Unfortunately, subtlety is not a typical Saiyan's strong suit. I believe I've illustrated the normal Saiyan mental capacities already. One of our few weaknesses as a race. Of course, anyone with any kind of position in Saiyan society must be very intelligent. We simply wanted to make that intelligence more widespread.

We milked the Kold Empire for all the resources it would give us-including education. The military schools became more advanced and competitive. To a small extent, we got Saiyan children to go along with purging teams, hoping that they could have the chance to learn from smarter fighters. And to get them away from Planet Vegeta. That was another aspect of our plan. We wanted to keep our race as spread-out as possible, so we couldn't be exterminated in a single shot. What can I say? Our hope was in our children.

Which was why the throne needed an heir!

King Vegeta had just lost his tenth wife. This time she died in childbirth along with the child. By now options were getting limited for him. Though it was no longer said aloud, the notion of the king being cursed remained firmly implanted in the minds of all Saiyans. Even I thought it was ridiculous. All we needed was one boy-hell, we would have settled for a girl. Anyone to bear the name Vegeta and carry on the family line. You know, for a while I thought King Vegeta was considering to adopt Baen and name him as his heir. Of course I wouldn't have objected. I would have gladly given up my son if it were for such a cause. But it just wouldn't have helped. He wasn't in the Vegeta bloodline. Every Saiyan has the ability to form a limited number of telepathic bonds, but only the royal bloodline had the ability to hold a telepathic bond with every Saiyan. That was where our loyalty came from. My son couldn't do that. It was foolish. But I just didn't understand the king's interest.

I found out soon enough.

I can't help but think about that planet we fried recently. It was unremarkable, downright depressing. The place was all in ruins, and the only standing structure I saw was a gladiatorial coliseum presided over by a foolish weakling king. If he'd have looked out in space once in a while instead of trashing his own planet, he would have known that he didn't stand a chance against us. But instead, he kept poisoning his own planet with no respect for its potential intrinsic price. Really, it was an eyesore. Beyond repair, with no use or value. I'm really glad Prince Vegeta blew it up. Really, I am. It's just that… I couldn't help but notice something.

I don't really remember their names. I'm not good with names anyhow, especially unimportant ones. But they were in love. Even a hardened cynical killer like me could see that. Only… he was in the cage, and she was with the king. A king who had taken another man's wife. And when they were reunited after the king's death, I almost hated to see the two die… Not enough to save them, of course. They were beyond saving. But it reminded me so much of…

I was 24. It was late one evening, and I was again in strategy session with King Vegeta. We were up late practically every night, though we would usually have Bardock or someone with us. Bardock had gone home early to work on a project (a way to make Saiyan's tails less vulnerable, actually. But I'll get deeper into that later). We were getting nowhere, and trying to wrap up the session, when the king once again asked me about my son. I said my customary summary of his progress. It had become routine. But then he asked me about my mate. And why I havn't had a second child. For a second I naively thought he was scolding me for not producing more strong warriors. It was my duty, since Okakra had already proven she could conceive and bear easily and well. That was still a problem for a lost of Saiyan women. So I was half-expecting a lecture when I told him that I hadn't lain with my mate in a while. You must realize that Saiyans are more open talking about sex. There's nothing unnatural about it, especially if it's with your mate. So a lecture about fulfilling husbandly duties from the king wouldn't have been out of place, especially since he was a decidedly older man. But the lecture never came. He actually seemed happy and interested.

I knew what he wanted then. He didn't have to tell me, though I knew he would give the order eventually. There was nothing I could do. The oath of loyalty to a king is stronger than the oath of loyalty to a mate.

I went home soon after, not sure what to feel. I despised Okakra. Couldn't stand to be around her. You'd think I'd be happy to be rid of her. She was a distraction anyway. I shouldn't have given her another thought. But she was my mate. She belonged to me-and no one else.

Okakra was there when I got home, reading a military tactics journal. Baen was already asleep at the other end of the house, and Okakra was already lying in bed, the only light was a lamp beside her, which highlighted her tan skin and black hair with an orange glow. I never truly realized what a beauty she was until that moment. There in bed, large black eyes following the words in front of her, not acknowledging me in the least.

I took her that night. It had been months, but the passion in the moment had not died. She, at first, resisted out of confusion. But she couldn't refuse me. I don't think she wanted to. I took her more than once, knowing that it would be the last time.

Afterwards we watched the sun come up over the rustic cliffs outside our window. We'd barely spoken a word all night. I think Okakra knew something was going to happen, and didn't want to spoil our night together. But the time had come. I informed her of my decision. I was going to give her to King Vegeta. Half of me expected anger from her at being treated like a commodity. The other half expected happiness at getting rid of me and moving up in rand. But all there was was quiet acceptance. She knew marriage was not love. It was duty.

The marriage of King Vegeta and Queen Okakra took place three days later. I had offered Okakra to the king voluntarily, signifying an immediate divorce. I think the king was glad that he hadn't been required to order this. I was certainly glad. I found more honor by volunteering. I played the role of the father in the ceremony, signifying my willingness. Okakra was the first to bear the title queen since King Vegeta's first wife-mostly because of the rank she already possessed.

Baen was not affected in rank. Once Queen Okakra married the king, all ties to me and our son were severed. Baen was already high in rank as a warrior, and he certainly couldn't become a prince. He was my son, and stayed that way. He no longer had a mother.

I rarely saw Queen Okakra ever again, even when I spent long hours with the king. I sometimes wondered how King Vegeta could produce an heir, since he never seemed to have a free moment. I didn't dwell on those thoughts for very long. For some reason that train of thought just made me ill.

Apparently, King Vegeta HAD found time, since the next time I saw Okakra eight months later she was very pregnant. That would explain the king's recent optimism. And Okakra looked-happy. Happier than any time she was married to me. I guess then I was glad that I had let her go.

I was a little worried, though. Taking into account King Vegeta's history of procreation, and the earliness of the pregnancy, it would have been a tragedy if the child had been mine. In fact, I was scared to death of that. I truly didn't know how King Vegeta would react. I was so afraid of being killed by Frieza, but could the king kill me in a rage? The day of the birth couldn't come soon enough. I think I was even more anxious than King Vegeta.

But the day of the birth did arrive, and I needn't have worried. I was present in the throne room at the time of the announcement. Queen Okakra had easily given birth to a healthy baby boy. When the child was taken before the king, I was finally able to breathe easy. The child was an exact replica of the king, so much it was uncanny. The only sounds from the throne room were the wails of the child and the pronouncement of the power readings.

We were in awe. Even the king was speechless. I was expecting a strong child, but this was ridiculous. His birth power reading was stronger than the king's present power reading. The king! The strongest Saiyan alive. And his son was stronger.

It was then I started to have hope. The boy was a miracle. His people's only hope-future savior. He would be the one to destroy Frieza-I just knew it. Everyone knew it. And if there was a Super Saiyan level, which I started to rethink my skepticism, he would be the one to reach it. I swore an oath, then and there, along with my required oath of allegiance, to always protect him. No matter what.

Prince Vegeta, if you are reading this, I still believe in you. I know what you've been through. I know you've been shown that you are weaker than many of the elite in Frieza's army. I know you've been put through every torture, both physical and mental. I know you no longer have a planet or a people to rule. I know you can never be the king. It looks difficult now. We have rebelled against Frieza, and my days are numbered. I know that. But I have utter faith in you. You will be the one to kill Frieza. And of all people, you are the only one who I believe can turn Super Saiyan. Don't give up when I'm gone. Fight with all your might. And you will be victorious.