Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ In the Control Seat ❯ The Accused of All Saiyans ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

A/N: Thanks to bulmathebabe for helping me with this chapter with ideas!

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Slowly, deliberately the parade wended their way through the winding corkscrew path that was carved into the side of the crater like a spiral leading downwards. At the absolute bottom of the depression was a large green jungle. It spread up the bottom 2 thirds of the crater, while the higher elevations were covered in more sparse vegetation. All around them clustered the faces of more such creatures, their ruffled feathers raised in agitation. Tongues flickered out and sharp teeth were bared when they beheld Trunks and Pan's cage pass by their dwellings.

“There are hundreds of them,” Pan whispered to Trunks.

“Keep quiet, and follow my lead,” Trunks whispered. Pan mumbled, seeing the wall clanging down on Trunks emotions. His angular eyes narrowed under a furrowed brow, giving him the appearance of Vegeta's schooled expression of royal disdain.

“You're not helping us with that sour face, Trunks,” she whispered into his ear. “They already know that you're the heir apparent what's with the…”

“Pan, please, trust me,” Trunks hissed into her ear. “These creatures kidnapped us with no provocation. Just let me handle this!”

“Fine… have it your way, your HIGHNESS,” Pan huffed, turning her back on him. She folded her arms across her chest, and then tugged her T shirt down around herself to hide herself.

Loud piercing noises caused them to clamp hands over their ears. Now their course terminated on the ground floor of the huge crater, so the branches of tall trees mercifully blocked the sunlight. By now the causeway had broadened to twice its width. Other antigravity trucks levitated past, bearing passengers that took the time to jeer and hiss menacingly at them.

“Make way for the prisoners!” called Yetaxa from somewhere up front. Trunks suppressed a growl, seeing the beings lining the streets and hurling various objects towards them. Nuts and hard stones clanged against the bars, and Trunks darted around to glare back at them.

“Stop it!” he shouted. “Is that any way to treat a prisoner?”

“Knock it off!” Pan shrilled, sticking her tongue out at the leering faces. The young backed away, darting behind the legs of their parents.

Fortunately the crowds vanished when their parade drifted under a large archway, constructed from tightly fitting blocks of white stone. Carvings of various mythical draconian creatures resembling the feathered serpents snaked over the walls, overgrown with ivy and clinging vines. Lush pink and purple flowers shaped like trumpets grew at intervals from these. Once under the arch they entered into a large open courtyard, filled with dozens of fountains and groups of guards raising their mini crossbows in what seemed a salute. Their armor was formed from overlapping half circles of metal, resembling scales, forming shirts over their sinuous bodies. Arms and legs were clothed in bands of metal matching that of the armored plate mail.

Through two more archways they passed, finally entering a vast enclosed chamber. The height of the vaulted ceiling was at least a hundred feet, supported on massive pillars the diameter of ten feet each. Large holes were carved into the domed ceiling, allowing circles of light to shine in through what appeared to be glass covered skylights. Dazzling colors festooned the walls of the central space, the shape of a large oval. At one of the foci of the oval was a raised dais, on which sat two carved chairs. To the left of the dais was a set of benches surrounded by a low railing. Into this area filed robed Quetzelcoatls, their frills longer and more ornate than those of the others they had seen.

“All hail your Glories, the Father and Mother of us all!” chorused the six guards who accompanied Trunks and Pan's cage.

“All hail the Tribunal!” they repeated, spanning their arms wide and turning their entire bodies towards the box bearing three ranks of benches, remind Trunks of a jury box in an Earth courtroom. Now all of its occupants sat down, numbering fifteen in all. Thirty gold eyes glared angrily towards him, gleaming with hatred as they beheld Trunks. He suppressed the snarl in his own throat, not liking the sensation they evoked in him.

“Looks like their king and queen,” Pan whispered to Trunks.

Her mate grimly nodded, setting eyes on the two figures that rose in concert from their carved thrones. The male wore a D shaped headdress, decorated with a fan of alternating green and white feathers the length of Trunks forearm. It added at least two feet to his height. Around one shoulder and across his chest was bound a shimmering green robe, covering partly a gold and silver scale mail shirt that reached to the floor. His tails swished back and forth, decorated with twenty gold rings that jingled as they brushed the tiled top stair.

Next to him his mate the Queen wore a triangular headdress bearing blue and purple feathers clustered at the top point and at the bottom angles. Her garb consisted of a dress of silver scale mail that touched the floor, and her long cloak was fastened at the shoulders. Just under the skirt peeked her tail, its tip twitching spasmodically when the Queen's gold eyes focused on the incoming cage.

The King opened his mouth, teeth gleaming the color of jade as he said, “I receive your greeting leader Yetaxa. Your herald has delivered his report, and we have been prepared. Bring the accused forward!”

“The accused?” Trunks suddenly laughed. “I demand to know what I'm charged with!”

“Silence!” Yetaxa hissed, waving her arm. Energy batons crackled and Trunks snapped his mouth shut. He stood up in the cage and then turned his eyes to the King and Queen.

“You will be silent, ape,” shouted Yetaxa. “And bow to the King and Queen!”

“Your majesty,” Pan said, inclining her head.

“You are the authority on this world?” Trunks asked, inclining his head. “I repeat, what are we charged with?”

“Silence! You will be given the time to answer for your crimes in due time!” Yetaxa snapped.

“Wait, he doesn't know your laws!” Pan yelled, jumping between Trunks and the energy batons that threateningly crackled.

“Ignorance of the law is no excuse!” shouted the nearest tribunal, Logetaxeic who rose from the box.

“Order, order in the King's presence!” The King shouted, scraping his tail back and forth across the top step of the dais. The resulting sound was a deafening rattle that caused the occupants of the chamber to shut up immediately.

“Your Glory, the apeling's mate does have a point,” piped in one voice to the side, named Mychex. “The accused should hear of the way in which we judge prisoners and the guilty.”

“So be it. You, there, you are Prince of the Saiyans, are you not?” said the Queen loudly, gesticulating toward Trunks.

“Who wishes to know?” Trunks asked calmly. Next to him, Pan winced at how deadly cold his blue eyes regarded the golden ones filled with loathing. Already more citizens were filing into the chamber, sittng down in the vast rows of seats positioned there.

Braxis held aloft a silver scroll, and unrolled it. He pointed to Trunks and said, “We know your identity, confirmed by tests of your blood. Your genes are the same as Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans! You cannot deny evidence of your ignoble linage! Even though it is diluted by the genes of a much more passive species!”

“You see, there is no hiding it,” the King said. “Confirm your identity!”

“All right. I am Trunks Vegeta Briefs,” Trunks said, standing to his full height as he strode to the front of the cage. “Inhabitant of the planet Chikyuu and president of Capsule Corps.”

“What of the female's identity?” asked the Queen, her eyes darting towards Pan with disgust.

“She is but a Third Class. Her bloodline is hardly royal, and is diluted by other genetics. She's a hybrid and far weaker and not of much consequence,” Braxis said.

“Hey, I'll show you weak! You take that back!” Pan yelled indignantly. Trunks cringed, shaking his head.

“Bring the ape Prince out of the cage so he may be seen and heard by all,” the King said, gesturing. Two guards slid back the cage door, and then tugged on the long leash around Trunks neck. Another snapped a pair of bands on his wrists, binding them behind him. A shove from behind and Trunks marched proudly up to the front steps of the dais. On his left and his right were two gold and silver armored guards they had seen in the inner courtyards. They brandished tall spears which crackled with energy on their tips.

“Trunks!” Pan shouted.

“The female will be silent!” Yetaxa shouted.

“Pan, be quiet!” Trunks shushed her as he turned his head to glare at her.

“Dammit,” Pan cursed, as the cage door was shut on her. Her hands fisted and she clapped her mouth shut, staring at Trunks. Angrily she grabbed the bars and clung to them. A thick choking perfume assaulted both their nostrils, filling the air with a heavy pong that caused Pan to feel dizzy.

Trunks noticed the source of the scent was a brazier burning to the right of the thrones. Coals glowed and crackled, producing a thin pink smoke that dissipated into the air. Several green robed Quetzecoatles tossed the petals of one of the species of flower he had seen on the way in, producing more of the sickly sweet incense that assaulted their enhanced sense of smell. He could taste it on the roof of his mouth it was so strong. His eyes watered and he coughed deeply.

“You admit freely you are the current Prince of All Saiyans? The son of the one called Prince Vegeta of Vegetasei?” asked the Queen, her gold eyes glaring at him as she stepped down to the second from the top step.

“I am. What crime am I accused of?” Trunks asked.

“The crime is genocide,” said Braxis firmly.

“Is that so? What proof have you of this crime?” Trunks said levelly, his face cold and clear of emotion. He raised his head aristocratically, and glared at Braxis with the full force of a regal stare that chilled Pan's blood. It was identical to his father's.

“He hasn't done anything wrong!” Pan yelled.

“The female will be silent!” Braxis barked.

“Hey!” Pan snarled. “He's innocent! He hasn't killed anyone!”

“Pan, be silent!” Trunks barked. She bit her lip, sitting on her knees and growling. Blood spurted from the raw patch in the side of her cheek that she chewed on.

“That is quite a charge,” Trunks said. “What has the deeds of the Saiyan to do with me and my companion? We have killed no one except in self defense. Our mission is peaceful and exploratory.”

“Even so, your blood is tainted with the guilt of your forebears. That is guilt by association!” Braxis stabbed the air near Trunks with a gold tipped finger.

“If you speak of my father, he is Vegeta, and he was the Prince of all Saiyans. But why presume guilt when there is no evidence presented?” Trunks asked.

“The charge is genocide, Prince of all Saiyans. You father is accused of the destruction of many worlds, and must answer for the decimation of our race!” said the Queen.

“But he is the one you find fault with. Why am I to blame?” Trunks shook his head.

“You are here. He is not. Therefore you must answer for his deeds!” said Braxis passionately, his tongue flickering over his lips.

The King added, “How do you plead? If you admit your guilt, your sentence may be lessened.”

“How can I be accused when I don't know your laws? How can I acknowledge the authority of a court I know nothing of! I'm an inhabitant of Chikyuu! Vegeta is my father, but I and my companion are innocent of the crimes of which you speak!” Trunks answered.

“Is that how you plead?” shouted one of the judges, Logetaxeic. “How can you deny that your sire killed countless in the name of Freeza? Have you no shame for his actions?

“I have no part in this,” Trunks answered firmly. “I demand to know why I'm charged with a crime I did not commit! What are the laws that say I'm guilty?”

“All your kind is guilty, Saiyan!” Tocas shouted from the audience.

“Silence!” the King shouted, scraping his tail once more across the tiles for emphasis. Pan gritted her teeth again.

“Your kind is guilty Saiyan. And since you landed on our world, we demand that you pay for the crimes of your sire,” said the head Tribunal, named Braxis.

“Our laws dictate that a son can answer for the crimes of his father,” said the Queen firmly, pointing a slender finger at Trunks. “You cannot deny that your sire lives while countless have died!”

“Maybe so,” Trunks answered calmly, as he glared at all of the assembly. “I'm aware of the crimes you speak of. But my father and my people were merely the tools that the murderer Freeza used to accomplish the mission…”

“So you ADMIT guilt!” laughed Braxis.

“Order, order!” shouted the King.

“You admit guilt then?” asked the Queen, looking triumphantly at Trunks.

“I admit to nothing,” Trunks said with a harsh laugh. “Except that the Saiyans were slaves to The Tsurujin. But Since that time my father and what remains of my kind have saved countless lives with our powers. There are hardly any Saiyan left, they were all slain by Freeza as payment for their service. So they are a dead race. Your vengeance has been meted out by fate!”

“Poor argument! This is why we demand that you bear the burden of their crimes, Prince of all Saiyans. You who were fool enough to come here must answer for justice. There must be a reckoning!” the Queen said firmly.

“Maybe so, but how can you designate yourself judge and jury over other races? What makes you the authority to judge me? When you yourselves survived the purging of your world!” asked Trunks smugly.

“That is irrelevant!” shouted Logetaxeic.

“It's VERY relevant!” Trunks shouted loudly. “Why did YOU survive the purging when thousands died? You accuse ME when it seems that you have rebuilt your race anew and gone on living!”

“Don't try to derail the argument, fool,” the Queen snapped. “We survived your murderous kind and lived to build anew!”

“But you built anew when others died. You could have used your powers to fight the Saiyans. If you have the power to subdue me and my companion you could have stopped the Saiyan yourself!” Trunks laughed harshly.

“You are out of order, ape spawn!” cried Braxis. “You know nothing of what we faced!”

“Liar, blasphemer!” shouted Tocas.

“Silence, order in the court!” the King ordered. Angry roars and whistles were again silenced.

“You accuse US, Prince?” the Queen shook her head and seethed in fury. “How dare you judge us? We protect ourselves from your kind now, but did not have the means then!”

“And that is my point exactly!” Trunks shouted back. “Where did you get your current technology from? Did you develop it yourself or did you take it from other races!”

“Lies, all lies!” echoed more protesting voices.

“Such accusations are also irrelevant,” the King grunted.

“You achieve nothing with such blasphemous accusations Prince,” The queen answered icily. “You do nothing but further prove the heartlessness of your species.”

“Even so,” Trunks said calmly. “You are alive and the others of your world are dead. The Saiyans purged the worlds of all life. So why did you survive? The only explanation is that you RAN AWAY and left the others of your kind to suffer death. So you are all cowards!”

“Bastard!” shouted Yetaxa, slapping her tail across Trunks jaw. “How DARE you!”

“Slander! Liar!!!” chorused more voices.

“Enough!” the King again roared.

Trunks spat aside blood and staggered to his feet. “By Saiyan law you are cowards! You left your people to your fate! So how can YOU judge me?”

“The opinions of a bloodthirsty ape such as you mean nothing to us,” the Queen said bitterly. “And you have sealed your fate by your words.”

“Says the ruler of a race who will not listen to reason,” Trunks answered. “I demand an appeal to a higher authority!”

“There is no higher authority, creature,” the Queen said. “Return him to his cage. We will reconvene in an hour!”

Trunks growled in frustration, as he was manhandled and tossed between the guards. Kicked and pushed he was maneuvered back into the cage. Pan rushed forwards to break his fall as a boot was planted in his backside and propelled the young Prince forwards. Catching him around the waist Pan managed to stop him from spilling face first into the straw bedding.

“You had best reconsider your defiant words,” the King said impassively at Trunks. “When we reconvene you may be given a chance to recant what you've said. But continue to anger the tribunal at your peril!”

“I've nothing more to say now,” Trunks answered firmly.

“How can you expect such uncivilized beasts to see reason?” asked the Queen.

“Hey, who are you calling a beast?” Pan asked, glaring at them defiantly through the bars of his cage. “You call this civilized!”

“Tell your mate to be silent! Her screeching is giving the Queen a headache!” the King waved at her.

“Now LOOK here! I may not be his bloodline but I'm sure as heck not a pushover!” Pan shrilled.

“Pan, be quiet, please!” Trunks urged, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and tugging her back from the bars of the cage door.

“You and your mate will be allowed to stay together as long as you behave. But try and escape and you'll suffer even a worse fate,” the King said calmly.

“Oh I'm not going anywhere, trust me,” Trunks responded.

“We can't go anywhere with these collars on!” Pan snapped. Their next comments were drowned out by the loud roar from the discontented people gathered in the central throne chamber.

“Take them to the zoological gardens for now!” the Queen commanded. Metallic drink containers, ceramic food bowls and other items were chucked towards the cage as it levitated away. Trunks and Pan grasped the bars in their hands, scarcely able to restrain from rattling them in frustration. Enhanced Saiyan hearing could just about discern the king's next words.

“Good idea. It was all we could do to stop them from lynching the beasts,” The King agreed.

“I would have said let the crowd have them. But justice must be upheld. He is guilty till proven innocent and he has just signed his warrant of punishment with those words!” the Queen snorted.