Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Errant Exile ❯ Shadows and Doubts ( Chapter 9 )

Errant Exile

Chapter 8: "Shadows and Doubts"

Late day sunlight had been reflecting off the glass table for over an hour, but it didn't catch Khri's attention until it sparked off one of the chrome supports underneath. She rubbed the glare from her eyes and stood up for a long overdue, muscle-loosening stretch.

'...Tomorrow's weather forecast calls for thunderstorms if you're traveling north and west. Downtown shoppers in Satan City, however, will find sunny skies and mild temperatures...'

The television continued to drone in the background. Just a few hours had provided a wealth of information, some of it useful, most of it social and some just plain annoying, especially the nonstop advertisements. Every few minutes the volume would rise to announce a sale on aircars, bank loans, electronics, take away food deals and the latest shoe sales. Much to Khri's chagrin, clothing styles for females consisted mostly of very skimpy outfits that showed a lot of leg, breast, midriff or all of the above. Not good for a Leonid...I'm going to look very awkward in a sweater. In the space of a few hours she'd tapped into Earth's computer grids, ordered some clothing from a tall women's shop - hopefully to be delivered by tomorrow - sent her spare suit out for cleaning, sampled some of the food from the tray, and made a morning appointment with a local real estate broker. She had expected to get a telephone call from ChiChi, but as the hours passed Khri assumed that Piccolo either hadn't had time to give her number to Gohan, or Gohan had been too busy to call his mother. Either way she wasn't offended.

An afternoon spent with no interruptions had been most productive. She'd gone through all her messages - nothing from Eldest, but no surprise there - and smiled fondly at Sai's attempts at humor. 'The first thing Ahtai did was order a reformulation of the combat ration bars,' he'd written. 'Apparently he likes them as well as you do.' Khri laughed softly; she'd tried that already, many years ago. Green Commanders always called for 'new and improved' rations, and the new formulations always tasted more like cardboard than the old version.

Khri leaned back in her chair and stared hard at the holo display. Now, my friend, how do I tell you the story of my hardships in exile? 'I'm staying in a luxury hotel with trays of food delivered to my door and a big whirlpool bathtub, I'm about to see if I can outspend the Clan bank accounts and oh, by the way, did I mention I found Junior?' Her promise to Piccolo didn't extend to keeping the story from Sai. Not only had her Second had been there on that day, he was the culprit who'd suggested that Khri give a misbehaving "Junior" a swat on his rotten little behind! Disclosing most of what she'd discussed with Piccolo about Kaio interference was out of the question though, and it wasn't necessary. She glanced up at the gaudy wall clock, performed a quick time conversion in her head, and realized that Sai had just gone off duty. He should be in the officer's lounge on the Aughenai, but would he stick to his old routine now that he was acting Second to Ahtai? She used the stylus to open a secure channel and waited.

There was a brief burst of static, then a familiar face appeared, colored an artificial blue by the slimpad's small holo display. "Battle Commander? Khri, is that you?"

Grinning, Khri leaned back in her chair. "How are you, old friend?"

"Fine, but Commander, how are you? I keep getting all these covert requests from those who respect you, wanting to know if I've heard from you! Your replies don't give me enough information to satisfy them!"

Sai looked more tense than relieved. It wasn't an immediate cause for worry...or was it? "Sai, I'm just fine. I'm staying in a very nice hotel until I can find a house, which should be some time tomorrow. I've already met Son Goku and his wife, plus a handful of their friends. My landing was a little rough but so far my assignment has been progressing very well." I can tell him about Piccolo later. "Sai, how are things aboard the Aughenai? And have you heard from Home?"

There were dark circles under her Second's eyes that couldn't be blamed on poor transmission quality or distortion from the blue lighting. "Saying too much would be risky," he said quietly, jaw set. "I don't have any solid information, Battle Commander, but rumors from Home say things between our Clan and the Tigradi are heating up. Soshi in Surveillance tells me that there's been a major upheaval in the Council, and now rulings are leaning more in favor towards the Tigradi. So far our supply lines seem to be holding steady, but central depot is now under their control. We're watching for interference and I've got teams doing double checks on all incoming ordinance, but it still might not be enough."

Khri blanched. "It's that bad? That might be why I haven't heard from Eldest. If he's busy dealing with this mess, he doesn't have time to deal with my petty problems and complaints."

"Oh yes he does."

She blinked. "What?"

Sai's grin was bitter. "As soon as you've settled into permanent housing, a tech team will be coming down to set up a computer. A big one. The orders come from Eldest himself."

Khri crossed her arms, keeping her face still even though she could feel the blood leaving her cheeks. "A big computer. Why would Eldest order such a thing installed here, of all places, and not tell me?" The itch on the back of her neck flared up suddenly. Was Eldest depending on Sai to tell her in secret rather than send a note himself? "I don't know whether to be curious, worried or both. What's the processor ability and memory capacity on that thing?"

Sai shook his head. "I don't know yet. All I know is that the tech team has been working on it nonstop since you left the Aughenai, and under very tight security. Apparently they got the orders before I did."

Sai's resources were good, sometimes too good. That he hadn't known about it bothered Khri intensely. "Does Ahtai know about this?"

"I can't be sure. He's been preoccupied with trying to learn the protocols as well as you knew them. He'd be better off developing his own systems, but he hasn't given me the freedom to tell him that. As for the crew, everyone's nerves are on edge. I'm sure the tension from Home is adding to the stress; even the Fleet Commander seems affected by it. If Commander Ahtai knows about the tech team's project he hasn't given any hints to me."

Khri gave her head a little shake. "The timing is all wrong, Sai. First I'm exiled here and given cryptic orders, and now Clan tensions are coming to an all-time high. What's the status on the Telkarri? Any uprisings?"

"There's some good news I can report," he said. "It looks like we've finally got them contained to their home system. There are a couple of outposts left on the outskirts of the sector - which is where the ship you brought down came from - and we should have those completely wiped out within days. The Council is considering a final assault on their home system to put an end to the threat. The Heroni Clan will get that assignment if its approved."

"Heroni? That Clan is so small they're barely genetically solvent! Do they have the resources to do it?"

Sai thought for a moment. "If they play it smart, yes. We could finally be rid of the Telkarri." His scowl got deeper. "But sending you to Earth is not my idea of playing it smart."

If the ever-patient Sai was this twitchy, Khri could only imagine the tension the rest of the Aughenai crew had to be feeling. She did agree with Sai that now was not a good time for the ship to be breaking in a new Battle Commander. "Sai, Ahtai knows you're acting as my eyes and ears on the Aughenai, doesn't he?"

"I've been open with him, Battle Commander, but he's gracious enough not to ask too much."

Khri ground her teeth together. The last thing she wanted to do was put Sai in an uncomfortable situation so she decided to change tactics and see if she could cheer him up a little. A half-grin crept its way onto her face. "Sai, I've found Junior." The grin became a whole one when Sai's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged.

"Commander? Khri, are you joking...no, strike that. How did you find him so quickly? How is he?"

"To be honest he found me, apparently by complete accident. Let's just say that little rotter has changed. A lot. He recognized me right away, but there's no possible way I could have identified him under the circumstances. He's...ahem....grown." Khri felt her cheeks start to burn. What was this? Just because Piccolo could probably turn every female head on the Aughenai doesn't give me an excuse! She was glad that Sai's own holo display gave her visage the same, sickly blue color hers did. "I'll tell you the entire story soon " She glanced back at the clock. "Sai, I need to break off. Its nothing urgent; the sun is about to set so I'll lose transmission quality. You can reach me by missive if you need to. Check?"

Sai inclined his head respectfully. "Check, Battle Commander. Good luck, and please stay in touch."

"Good night, old friend."

Khri let the blue image dissolve, then powered down the slimpad. Rays of sunlight faded from the glass table, abruptly darkening the room, but outside the windows the city began to glow on its own. After another long stretch she walked through the living area and stepped out onto the balcony. She leaned on the railing and took in the view.

Visits to many worlds over the years had taught Khri one thing; from a distance, nearly every industrialized city looked like every other one regardless of the technology level. Lights from neighboring skyscrapers winked in and out, angry honks from aircars drifted up from the streets below, and the air had a familiar tang of dust, restaurant exhaust and other smells she never could identify. The stars were always obscured by light pollution, even more so if the planet had a moon. Tonight Earth's moon was full, adding its silver light to the neon glow of Satan City.

An unexpected twinge of homesickness made Khri close her eyes. The Leonid High Clan enclave was always a welcome sight, especially if all her older siblings were off on their own errands, minding their own business rather than trying to dictate hers. She remembered the nights she spent walking alone in the gardens under the light of Home's six moons, listening to the chirps and hums of night creatures and breathing in the scents of rich plant life. She opened her eyes and returned to the present, pushing aside the dull ache that tried to tighten her throat. It had been years since she'd been Home and it could be many more before she could return, so it was pointless to feel sentimental about it now. Khri left the railing and was headed back inside when she felt it.

Something shoved at her latent blackfire shielding.

Diacha immediately in her hand, Khri crouched low amid the potted plants. She looked up to see if anyone was was lurking on the penthouse roof, since getting to the balcony by scaling the hotel's glass windows without being seen was a near impossibility. She'd been at the table working all afternoon, had admitted no one, and there was no way for anyone to conceal themselves in the phony little garden when the concierge had given her the tour. Khri held her breath and waited to see if it would happen again. The shove had been deliberate and completely unlike the one that had brushed against her shield late last night. That touch had been gentle and inquisitive, but it had been assertive enough to partially wake her. She'd completely forgotten about it until now and hissed a curse at herself for the mistake. Was the same person the cause?

Khri stood back up and looked over the city again. If an enemy was perched outside one of the neighboring skyscrapers she was now an open target. She probed carefully with a well-practiced light touch, searching for any sense of threatening blackfire or the sudden raising of a secondary, intentional shield. Holding her breath, hearing nothing but the sounds of city night life, Khri left herself open but felt nothing aimed in her direction. Snorting in disgust at either an imaginary assailant or a real coward, she marched back into the penthouse.

It was only after she'd closed the drapes that she put away her diacha.

The real estate broker, Tia, hadn't exaggerated when she'd described the house to Khri.

"This one has been vacant for nearly three months now," the older woman remarked as she brought her spacious aircar to a stop in the circular driveway. "I've shown it once before, and I can assure you the house and property are being well maintained by a caretaker. It's a gorgeous house and the beach front view is spectacular, but I'm afraid the remote location has made potential buyers scarce."

Early morning sunshine trickling down through the trees that nearly concealed the front of the house formed a lattice of light on the cobblestone walkway. Khri followed Tia up the front steps, taking in the tropical scents from nearby flowers and the fresh ocean air. At first she had been reluctant to consider such a large house but found herself intrigued after Tia had read the description to her over the phone. She waited patiently as the agent entered the codes on the lock, then followed her through the double oak doors.

The large foyer, decorated in green tile and trimmed out with warm, varnished woods, set the tone for the entire house. The kitchen was freshly painted, had lots of cabinet space and the most ominous looking refrigerator Khri had ever seen. All of the bedrooms had polished wooden floors and great views, especially the three which faced the ocean. The master bedroom had its own set of glass doors out to a private patio, and the attached bathroom was spacious and outfitted with a big, jetted tub. She was pleased to find an office off to one side of the house and large workout room attached to the garage. Just the thing to combat rich Earth food! Her favorite place, though, had to be the living room. It was spacious but comforting at the same time, and the fireplace could provide extra heat if she wanted. A huge bank of tall windows and glass doors overlooked the stone patio that stepped into a small, grassy yard. Mature trees provided a natural tunnel that led down to the visible sandy beach.

"There are several pieces of furniture that stay with the house," Tia explained, her high heels clicking on the wooden floor in the hall. "The small sofa, chair and matching ottoman in the living room, a floor lamp, the bureau in the small bedroom, and the table and chairs in the dining room. They were designed to match this house, and the owners felt they didn't match the decor in their new home."

Khri loved the house. It's a security nightmare with all that open glass facing the ocean, but I think that can be resolved. I'll have to check with the techs on the Aughenai to see what they can do to make this place less vulnerable. She folded her arms and purposefully towered over Tia. "I will pay the seller's asking price in a direct credit transfer to an account of their choice. If you can finalize the paperwork by tonight, I will also add a percentage point to your commission."

The broker stared at her in surprise. Hands trembling, she immediately began digging through her purse for her phone.

Several hours later Khri was back at the Satan City Continental Hotel, repacking her now bulging knapsack to include the new clothes that had arrived earlier that day. She still wore her undress blacks and insulated jacket, not wanting to spare the time to change.

One of the things she'd obtained at the front desk was a map that included not just Satan City, but the surrounding countryside for several hundred miles. She circled the general location of the house, refolded the map and placed it inside a large envelope, also obtained from the concierge. She added a picture of the house with the street address on the back, then wrote a quick note to Piccolo saying, "this is my new home. Please don't be a stranger. Khri." She inked his name on the outside of the envelope and stuck it to the outside of the balcony doors with tape. I just hope he sees this before the either the hotel staff or the next guests do! She grabbed a bottle of water and a piece of fruit from the most recent food tray, shouldered her knapsack and left the penthouse for the final time. By the time she had checked out and praised the smarmy little concierge for excellent service during her stay, her cab had arrived. Khri settled into the back seat, gave the driver her new address, and closed her eyes for a long nap.

The cost of the place had been staggering, not including the additional percentage Khri had bribed the real estate agent with to close the sale quickly. It was worth every zeni just to feel the metal key warming in her pocket next to her diacha. The first of the evening's crickets chirped in the bushes as she opened the front doors - her front doors - and stepped into her foyer. Eldest is going to have a seizure when he sees what I spent, she mused, not feeling the least bit guilty. She had quickly fulfilled the parameters of her assignment to this point, and the office on side of the house would comfortably house any computer the tech team brought down. Unfortunately, she couldn't bribe the utility companies, so the telephone wouldn't be connected for a few days. I hope Piccolo got the note and map I left for him. I'd hate for him to have to resort to going inside the hotel to ask the concierge for my forwarding address!

Khri walked into the kitchen and set her grocery bags and knapsack down on the counter. The grocer in the nearby village had more than hinted he'd be happy to provide her with home delivery whenever she wanted it. The news that the big house on the ocean had been purchased had raced through the tiny town like wildfire. The grocer added that his son ran a small restaurant that also delivered, was a great chef, and would also be happy to open an account for her. Khri let him help her pick out an assortment of foodstuffs and offered to carry them to her waiting cab. Included in her purchases was a six-pack of bottled water, which would require her to open the refrigerator if she wanted them cold.

Why am I so intimidated by a damned appliance? Khri wondered, staring up at the stainless steel behemoth that dominated the kitchen. She pulled open the door and was surprised to find it wasn't empty; several dark brown bottles of liquid had been stuffed in the back on the top shelf. She left it there for now, promising to satisfy her curiosity later. The freezer housed a hopper full of stale ice which she emptied in the sink, and the ice maker went back to work. Most of her purchases consisted of frozen meals she could heat in the microwave. Sai had banished her from the kitchen in her quarters on the Aughenai. "Safety reasons," he'd said, after the one time she'd tried to make dinner was a total disaster and she'd set off the smoke sensors. She stocked the refrigerator, took a bottle of cold tea for herself and walked back to the living room.

The only problem left was the lack of furniture. The custom pieces the previous owners had left with the house hadn't included a bed, but she could sleep on the sofa for a while if she curled up tight and didn't mind her feet dangling off the end. A large, wooden chair with leather upholstery and a matching footstool sat in front of the fireplace but faced the windows, a tall lamp loomed in a dark corner, and a massive oak table with matching chairs sat in the dining room. Khri stood for a moment in front of the glass doors, staring out into the evening sky. Stars winked to life above the horizon as the last rays of sunlight turned the white capped waves a glowing dark violet. She sighed in contentment and took a long drink of tea. The house had several critical security flaws, but the spacious feel and the view of the ocean were worth the risk. She raised the bottle to her lips again and froze.

There was movement outside.

A repetitive popping noise gave her a less than a second in warning. Khri dropped the tea, spun around and made a dive for the floor, throwing her arm over her face. The earsplitting sound of shattering glass and the staccato of a projectile weapon being fired was almost enough to distract her from the intense pain searing through her left side. Keeping her head down, Khri managed to crawl behind the chair. The movement came at a price; it ground the shards of glass peppering her body deeper into her wounds. Her breathing came in small huffs as she reached into her jacket for her diacha; both her hand and weapon came away covered with blood. Khri buried her face in her arms when the assassin began firing another round. Bullets struck the heavy chair, shredding the upholstery but not passing through the thick wood. When the shooting stopped for a moment Khri reached down and probed her ribcage, ignoring the pain and blood to focus on locating the damage. Four shattered ribs...some organ damage...internal bleeding...at least four bullets...three in my kidney, the other my lung...dammit!

Using the lull, however brief it might be, Khri gritted her teeth and forced herself to concentrate. Slowly, carefully, she mentally coaxed the largest broken blood vessel to seal itself and managed to stop the worst internal bleeding. The bullets in her kidney would have to come out and would do more damage on the way, but she was glad her would-be assassin hadn't used exploding shells. The one lodged in her lung was making breathing increasingly difficult and would have to come out now! Taking as deep a breath as the pain would allow, Khri focused on the lump of cooling metal buried in her chest. Fangs bared in agony she guided the bullet out, feeling a fresh gush of blood between her fingers. It traveled slowly between shards of shattered bone, finally exiting out the same wound. Khri tossed it aside, distantly hearing it tinkle as it hit the broken glass on the floor, and hurried to knit shut the torn vessels and repair the worst of the damaged bone. Time...time...how much time...before he comes looking for me...and makes sure I'm dead? Panting, Khri clenched her slippery hand into a fist. She knew she needed to wait until the last possible minute to power up a blackfire blast, but her weakening body wouldn't be able to summon enough power for a lethal one if she waited much longer. Then she noticed a slight burning at the base of her skull. Her lifesign implant was going off! The sudden blood loss must have triggered it, not to mention the unexpected intrusion of metal into her body. How long the strike team would take to land she couldn't guess, but until they did she was on her own. Why hadn't the bastard come for her yet? Cut glass bit deeper as she struggled to her knees, one hand pressed against her still oozing side, the other clutched tightly around her diacha.

"Khri!"

Through the haze of pain and blood loss she thought she heard a familiar voice. She tensed and waited, diacha still dark. "Khri, where are you?" the voice roared again, this time nearer. Footsteps crunched over the broken glass covering the floor.

"Pih...Piccolo? Down...here."

Khri blinked as a sharp green face appeared in front of her. Piccolo's eyes were huge and round, and she didn't need to interpret his expression to know how bad she looked. He reached for her but pulled his hands back at the last moment. "Khri? I've got to get you to Dende...you need help!"

"No...I'll be...all right," she gasped. Dende? Who's Dende? "It's...not that bad. A team...from my ship...is on its way.." She had to pause; the effort of talking had started fresh bleeding in her lung. "I need...you to do...something..."

"What? Dammit, Khri, is there an inch of you that's not bleeding? You need to see Dende now!"

"Quiet!" Khri knew she was baring fang but didn't care. She used his shocked silence to seal up the newest rupture, suppressing the urge to cough. Frustration was warring with a deep, seething anger and she lowered her head, her voice a liquid-filled growl. "If you...want to help...go find...the son of a bitch...that shot me. I want him...alive."

AN: I tried to move this chapter along as fast as I could without glossing over details that will be important later. As to the description of Khri's house, think Frank Lloyd Wright!