Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Raditz, the Firstborn Son ❯ Tension Near it's Limit ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3:

TensionnearitsLimit:

 

 

Freiza spat over his shoulder as he descended onto the courtyard of Vegetasei's royal palace. King Vegeta also looked up in equal disgust as he looked up at Freiza's spaceship, which currently hovered high in the skies over the palace. A tiny, almost identical replica of the king himself stood at his father's feet. He took a glace at his father's face and judging by the stern expression written upon it, he took a step back and hid behind his father's flowing red cape. Freiza landed on the ground with a soft “tap” and glared at King Vegeta, who answered with his own icy stare. “Prince Freiza” he spat as if the words were poison. “Why have you chosen to grace us with your presence?”

 

Freiza's frown turned into a self-satisfied smirk as he looked up into Vegeta's eyes. “Why lord Vegeta, I only came to see with my own eyes how your kingdom is doing. After all, your race is the crown jewel of my father's vast empire.” With that comment, he turned his back on the king, with his arms folded behind him. “Why he treasures you monkeys so, I haven't a clue” He whispered under his breath.

 

The king sneered at Freiza's attempt to hide that last comment, for his sharp Saiyan hearing allowed him to pick up every single word. “Come now, spare me the formalities” King Vegeta barked. “What is the true reason for your coming here?”

 

Freiza heaved heavily and turned once more to face the king. “It has come to my attention how rapidly your soldiers are growing in strength” Freiza said. “I'd like to see for myself how much they've developed. I propose a contest between your soldiers and mine as a chance to see their performance.”

 

King Vegeta snarled at that remark. “We are a proud warrior race, not toys for your sick amusement!” he barked at the smaller alien. “I refuse to allow ANY of my soldiers involve themselves in your petty contest!”

 

With a snort, King Vegeta turned his back on Freiza, only to come face to face with Freiza once more. “You know, it is a shame how this once mighty race of warriors has fallen to sheer cowardice” Freiza taunted. “Perhaps the fact that my father choosing to favor you monkeys has made you soft and comfortable, unaware that their once revered image is now nothing more than a joke!”

 

King Vegeta growled deeply at that insult. “How dare he insult our proud race right before my very eyes, right on these sacred palace grounds!” the King screamed inwardly. Freiza grinned to himself, having achieved drawing forth the reaction that the King of all Saiyans was displaying. All of a sudden, much to Freiza's displeasure, the king regained his dignified, proud and almost haughty composure, looking down on Freiza with scorn.

 

“If you want to experience the power of elite Saiyan power” King Vegeta smirked, “then you shall see 3 moons from now, only on one condition!”

 

Freiza raised both arms in exasperation. “As if it really mattered what proposition you make, no stipulation you conjure up can save your petty race from humiliation!”

 

“Oh really?” King Vegeta sneered, raising a single eyebrow above the other. “If that's what you think, make our match on the night of Vegetasei's third full moon. I'm sure what we `conjure up' will be enough to keep you all awestruck!” As he turned his back towards Freiza, he could see the little Tsurian loosing his composure as he did, and licked his lips at the sight of it. “Oh yes, and would you mind moving your flying tin can? The stench of incompetence being exuded from that thing is beginning to sicken me!”

 

With that final note the king waved his hand and swept his cape, chuckling as he stalked away from a very angry Freiza. Without another word the Tsurian lifted into the air, and boarded his battle cruiser that was suspended over the royal palace of Vegetasei. “Laugh now while you can, you cocky bastard” Freiza thought to himself as his ship lifted off into its usual watchful orbit from above. “Someday, you will pay for your disrespect…as will your entire pitiful race!”

 

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Bardock lay in an animal skin equivalent of a bed, staring up into the brown cement ceiling. He hadn't bothered to move from that spot after hearing of the distressing news brought on him by Lieutenant Bakli. Celrazi sat on the edge of the bed with some gruel, made from some native herbs and spices that would normally send her mate into a maddened feeding frenzy. Celrazi eyed her mate with scorn, as if looking at a whole new person whom she had never met before. Her tail lashed about as if irritated, and her breathing came out in low growls.

 

“What's your problem, woman?” Bardock queried tersely. “If you've got something to say then say it, you're beginning to get on my nerves!”

 

Celrazi stood from the bed, glaring at Bardock with utter contempt. “How dare you talk to me about getting on your nerves!” she barked. “Your firstborn whelp is somewhere out within this very galaxy, and you lay here depressed for some unknown reason!”

 

“He is a Saiyan child and a male one at that” Bardock commented. “We are born with the instinct of survival. If the whelp couldn't survive on his own and died, then he is weak and useless!”

 

Celrazi's long hair bristled at that statement. “You talk of pride, you spineless coward?” she hissed, clenching and unclenching her feminine yet powerful fists. “You have the courage to face hordes of powerful warriors with only a handful of low class Saiyans like yourself, but you haven't the courage to accept the fact that you miss your son!”

 

Bardock fazed out of view faster than Celrazi's eyes could follow. All of a sudden, her vision clouded, and she yelped in pain. She fell to her knees unable to move, and tears welled up in her eyes. Behind her a very indignant Bardock stood still, his hand firmly clutching her tail. “Listen to me, wench” he said coldly. “I have lost my firstborn son, but I'll be damned if I lose my pride! You are my mate, and you will treat me with the respect I deserve!”

Celrazi wept on the floor as her mate released his grip. Bardock looked down at her, suddenly swept by a powerful wave of guilt at what he had just done. Just at that moment, his scouter began to beep on the table upon which it had been set. “Dammit…I've forgotten I must accompany his majesty to a treaty signing on planet Gerdlak. I'll be back as soon as I can.”

 

As Bardock reached his hand out to Celrazi, she slapped his hand away. “Just go, Bardock” she said weakly. “I'll await your return.”

 

“Fine then” Bardock snarled, fixing his scouter upon his face. Giving one last glance at his mate who sat weakly on the floor, he stepped out of the barrack door and took to the air, surrounded by his flaming blue aura. Celrazi stood to her feet, wracked with pain and anger at Bardock's actions. She sat on the fur bed on which her mate sat, and closed her eyes. Thoughts of her firstborn child flowed through her mind, stranded on a planet without the means to get back. She knew very well that Saiyan children, either male or female were very capable of taking care of themselves even with the Re-educating emulation module enhancing their mental development, but eventually food and provisions would fail, leaving him to starve on a barren planet and die a shameful and lonely death instead of dying a glorious warrior's death in the heat of battle.

 

And Celrazi would be damned if she would let that happen.

 

Grabbing her armor and slipping her red armband around her upper arm and another one around her thigh, she suited up in her battle armor and flew off in the direction of central city.

 

 

*************************************

 

Raditz awoke from his slumber. He blinked his eyes at the bright sunlight, and gasped at the sights he took in. He was surrounded by a smoldering wasteland, barren and void of all life. Trying to stand, he yelped in pain as flames seemed to shoot through his muscles. He limped around in search of food, now strong enough to stand on his two feet instead of crawling. Months of these strange occurrences had taught the young Saiyan to search for nourishment after these strange sleeping spells.

 

“My...body feels…so heavy…” he thought aloud to himself. His mind, which had been enhanced by Saiyan Technology on the trip to Zunic, had begun to swim with thoughts on where to find some fruit which grew in the trees in the forest. Against the will of all the fibers in his body, he climbed upon a structure that looked as if it had been knocked over and at one point in time used to stand erect. Looking out into the distance he saw the forest he was accustomed to, lush with green and purple leaves lining the horizon.

 

A savory smell passed under his nose, which was picked up easily with his sensitive Saiyan sense of smell. Looking down, he spotted a limb that was charred black and still smoking. Hungrily, Raditz dropped down to his knees and devoured the limb, rending the flesh from the bone. When he had finished consuming it, he started back on his long journey back to the forest.