Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / 3 X 3 Eyes Fan Fiction / Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Outlaw Star Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ The Last Glimpse of Hope ❯ Arrival at Vegitasei and the Marking ( Chapter 1 )

1: Arrival at Vegitasei and the Marking

~*~*Belle*~*~

The cell was filthy, the stench of human waste and sweat assaulted my nose and I bit back the urge to vomit, but the Saiyans rarely fed us and even giving up bile could be the line between life or death. I had been worried for awhile that I was overweight, but now, I looked at my legs and body, I was thankful for that extra body fat…it probably saved my life when I was taken. I got up and looked around, most people were huddled together from the cold, but I noticed a few people laying on the floor. I walked over and knelt by them. I looked for a pulse or anything. They were dead.

"We've got five more," I said and I looked around, three people got up, another woman and two men.

"Let's get them by the door then," one man said and I nodded. All of us were alike, we had talked before during the long trip. The woman was Tanya, she was going to be a lawyer, she had stopped by the concert in the college center to meet her fiancé…he wasn't taken. The taller man was Michael, he was in his last internship at the local hospital and had stopped by the concert after his shift ended. The other man was Andy, he had been in medical school and enjoying the concert like I was. We had all been just slightly overweight, now we were survivors of the trip from the remains of Earth. Suddenly the door opened and we pulled back.

I managed to stay on my feet, but Tanya tripped over one of the bodies and landed against Michael and the two of them backed away quickly. I watched as everyone still alive got up and looked at the bright light coming from outside of the cell.

"Come!" the voice ordered and I was one of the first to exit the cell.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

The summoned power and determination had kept me more than enough sustained on the long journey I was unsure of what to expect and what to do any way, so far only sixteen of us out of a hundred and seventy had survived this far it showed that with the human condition there was conflict there had been so many lost due to escapes and the starvation, as the trip had neared it's end it was a terrible thing that only sixteen of us had survived in this large over crowded area, the smell of death and loss of hope had filled the room from the previous stench of filth.

When the cell door was opened and we were summoned I kept my head held high so they had taken me from where I was working earning my living to visit other countries, countries I would never see now. Still I was seeing a whole new world and every day seeing that we would be living in another world was a bit terrifying I had none of my friends, yet I'd made plenty on this trip and lost even more.

"Hey new bartender where do you think we're going?" One of them asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know but this is like in those movies I believe this the karma for the evils that the human races has done over the years." I replied.

It was strange to feel so chatty over a year long travel. But well what I feared also made me that much more curious in to the new life, or prison depending on how you looked at the situation.

I smiled walking down the hallway and looked at the other bartender. He was my work mate and I was glad we had been this far together and both survived he never let me forget he'd been working at the bar eighteen months longer than me so I was always the new bartender to him, never Jay, always new…

~*~*Raine*~*~

A blast of water hit me and I couldn't help but yell out. I was enjoying what little sleep I was allowed on the cold surface of the cell floors with only the warmth of my fellow prisoners to help me survive it. The next minute this blinding light hits me and we're all forced to our feet and shoved into what could best be described as a public shower.

"Remove your clothing," one the guards said who I had come to lovingly name 'Neanderthal'.

While everyone began stripping that instant, I stood with my arms folded. Granted we were malnourished, I was very proud and refused to be bossed around by these Neo-Nazis. The Neanderthal came up to me with a grunt, "Remove your clothing."

"Bite me, ape," I growled and the next thing I knew, I was a foot off the floor, this guy's hand clamped around my throat.

"REMOVE your clothing," he said again, before dropping me.

I fell to my side in a coughing fit before finally getting up and removing my filthy clothing begrudgingly. After adjusting to the water, I took a bar of soap that was handed to me and washed away all the funk and dirt that had gathered on my body over the long imprisonment in that cell. The dirt and grime rinsed away from my body to reveal smooth brown skin and long onyx hair that had developed into dreads over lack of a hair dresser. It felt so good to be clean again, but I had a sinking feeling that things were only going to go from bad to worse.

~*~*Belle*~*~

We exited the building and I looked up at the sky, it was a dusty copper-red and I felt my heart cry out in more pain. All around us were other doors opening up and other thin and malnourished people walking out. We marched to the center of the courtyard where there were shower like facilities.

"Bathe and dress in these!" a Saiyan ordered and the water began to spray and I watched as people began to strip. I didn't move and suddenly I was on the ground with a Saiyan's boot on the back of my neck pressing my face into the ground.

"Strip and bathe!" he snarled with a chuckled and I glared at him as he pulled off and walked around our group. I sighed as I tried to get up, I was in no shape to fight, maybe after a good meal and a good night's sleep, but not now, half-dead from hunger and exhaustion. I pulled off my disgusting clothes and sighed as the water hit my bare skin. Someone handed me soap and I washed my skin, scrubbing away a near year's worth of body odor and filth. My skin was a pale white and it seemed to glow in the dull orange sunlight. I was passed shampoo and I began to clean my hair, finding a comb in my hand and I began to pick out the snarls. It took forever but soon my hair and body were clean and smelling fresh.

"Get dressed quickly!" a voice cried out and I found a pile of clothing. There were loose pants with ankles that were elastic and strange tunic/robe-like shirts. All of us were dressed in these off-white robes and I sighed before I watched as we were herded out of the area through a huge set of doors.

"You will wait here till you are taken to be sold!" a large Saiyan growled and all of us stood there.

"Eat!" another Saiyan ordered and slowly we entered a line to get a small meal a piece of foul looking meat and a lump of rock hard bread. I ate mine slowly and looked at the guards everywhere, there had to be a hundred thousand humans in the area. I dusted my hands off and looked around before shaking my head to turn and see a Saiyan standing over me. He looked down on me and smiled before grabbing me by the neck, lifting me up, and carrying me out of the holding area.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

If you've ever seen that movie Starship Troopers and the unisex shower scene that was our clean up, except it wasn't as lavish. There was soap on a rope so that was good for the men's part anyway. I'd always heard stories about dropping the soap in men's showers in prison and this was going to be a form of prison I knew that.

Once out we were given a change of clothes still I grabbed my denim jacket and cargo jeans from the dirty pile they looked at me.

I changed back in to them I didn't' care for the itch of dirt, but if my gut instinct was right it was best to dress down and filthy perhaps no one would pay attention to the 'dirty one' and I'd be rejected somewhere.

"New clothes and you pick old ones?" My work mate looked at me.

"Yeah denim can't beat denim." I nodded.

"Jay you're a freak." One of the girls remarked.

"I'm a freak, I'm abnormal, I'm an artist, I'm a witch, tease me if you want, but I'd rather be the dirty one from across the ditch." I winked and grinned. "Than be the clean one whose fate is decided by the actions she takes."

"Stop rhyming!!!" Another growled in annoyance.

"Through here." A Saiyan guard remarked and we walked in to a somewhat lame mess hall where we were given something that looked like innards for food, I walked straight past the innards to the green stuff I'd rather eat green than the innards that was for sure.

"Her happy go lucky is so infectious." My work mate smiled. "She's made the trip to our dooms an amusing one that's for sure."

"Jay!" A voice called out and I looked round watching one of the sixteen of us suddenly fall to the floor and I raced up to the fallen and skidded across the floor and up to his side and scooped the young thirteen year old girl up in to my arms.

"Amy…" I whispered and looked at her. "You were so close sweetie."

She looked up at me with amber eyes and blinked. "I can't…" She breathed.

"Hey, it's okay rest now."

"No, don't she'll die." One of the guards growled.

Amy let out a sigh, before her eyes closed and I check her vitals listening and feeling as the last inch of her life faded away.

"It's okay Amy your free now." I whispered and gave her one last hug pushing the blonde locks off from her face.

"Oiy, we got another one dropped dead!" There was a holler.

"Man, Hyroom is gunna get a lota shit for this. One hundred and seventy slaves and only fifteen survive."

"I heard there were ones worst off."

The discussion didn't go un-noticed and my work mate pulled me back and to a table. "Eat Jay."

I stared at him namely in shock, it was the first time in eighteen months he'd called me Jay. I just nodded as we sat down to eat.

~*~*Raine*~*~

The new clothing we were handed was no better than the ones we started off in. I was given a pair of over-sized gray slacks and a shirt that resembled a tunic. I didn't like how ill-fitting it was, so I tied it in the back. I had starved so much that my stomach was actually as flat as I wanted it to be. And they say "be careful what you wish for". As we were herded in, I smelled the stench of what these monkeys called 'food'. As I sat at my table, I greedily dug into what was given to me. You're starved long enough and even the most disgusting piece of food can taste appealing. As I ate, I could hear muttering not too far from me. Two Neanderthals were standing up against a wall, watching me with interest.

"She has the appetite and manners of a Saiiyan," one muttered with humor.

These apes actually found it funny that I nearly starved to death! Okay I'll admit I wasn't in the best shape back on Earth, but it ended up helping me when my "baby fat" ended up keeping me alive while in the cell. The cave men could laugh while I ate. It wouldn't hurt me in any way. That's when the other muttered something I couldn't hear and suddenly started coming up to me. My heart raced as I stopped eating and glared at him. It had become a defense mechanism of mine to inch away and growl at anything that came too close that wasn't human. He grabbed me by my biceps and pulled me up from my seat. The other humans in the cell weren't kidding when they talked of the strength of these aliens. The other one stood up and yelled for everyone to get up from their seats and follow them out. I growled as I was put down and shoved back into the group. Guess he thought I couldn't move my own two legs.

~*~*Belle*~*~

I gripped the Saiyan's wrist as he carried me down a corridor, I was trying not to struggle too much, during the first days of our captivity I had seen far too many men and women killed, their throats crushed and their necks broken. This was the first Saiyan to touch me and I could feel the steel cord-like muscles under his skin and I knew if I tried to fight right now, I'd be crushed like a soda can.

"Now for lot three-twenty nine, this is from Pumki's slave ship," a voice called out and I was dropped on some sort of stage and the Saiyan backed away. I turned to see a huge outdoor auditorium filled with Saiyans and a few other creatures. I froze as I looked at all the creatures. It was like staring at a tank full of man-eating sharks and knowing that I was about to take the plunge. "A lovely female, tough enough to survive Pumki's procedures and still lovely to look at. She is of prime breeding age for this species and perfect for home keeping or food preparation. We will start the bid at 4,500." I watched as several glowing lights go up. I bit my lip as I watched the price rise.

"10,000!"

"15,000!"

"20,000!"

"25,000!"

"35,000!"

"45,000!"

"65,000!"

"75,000!"

"90,000!"

"100,000!"

"200,000!"

"500,000!" I felt my eyes bulge at that, maybe the monetary value was lower here, but even if it was like the Japanese yen then it was still a large monetary value to me.

"1,000,000." I stared and I knew that was a lot of money and I probably didn't want to face the one who spent so much on me.

"1,500,000," I saw a creature who was not Saiyan, it was dressed in strange armor and had dreadlocks. Its muscular body when not under the silver armor, was covered in what looked like large fishnet stockings.

"Dedachi!" one of the Saiyans snarled. "Why do you want to take a female like that?! 2,000,000!" The armored warriors face mask turned to the Saiyan.

"Nappa!" it pressed several buttons on its arm and a computerized voice spoke. "We hunted this species when the Saiyans still lived in trees. We want to build a population on one of our moons and she is prime breeding. 3,000,000!" Suddenly another Saiyan blasted the armored warrior and I blinked in fear.

"2,500,000," the Saiyan next to the armored warrior's killer called and Nappa smirked as he looked at the two.

"Fine, I'll concede this one to you, Kakarot," the one called Nappa growled.

"I hear 2,500,000, is this the final bid?" the auctioneer cried out and I looked at him. There was silence and he smiled. "2,500,000 going to Kakarot and Raditz of the Royal Elites. Would you like a leash, sirs, or would you prefer to just add her to collection you're making?"

"Put her with the others," Kakarot said as the Saiyan who brought me here grabbed me again.

"Very well," the Saiyan holding me said and I bit back the urge to fight. I was lifted up and dragged away like I weighed nothing.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

Since Amy's death they decided not to force me to wear the auction clothes and let Hyroom get trashed for being 'lenient' on those he captured.

I stood there and looked at the vast Saiyans and other aliens amongst them. I kept my head held high.

"Okay this is the ring leader of Hyroom's slave ship, she's kept the spirits of the slaves up high but I'm sure someone out there can give her a reality check." The bidder remarked.

I raised a brow at him. They were speaking in a strange language and I guessed they'd had rebellion attitudes form previous slaves who understood them. I fiddled with my silver chain necklace and it wasn't' a small chain necklace the chain hoops were half the size of my pinky finger.

I watched as little red lights hot up and the bidding began I looked round curiously my eyes settling on a flame haired fellow who looked so regal, he made no attempt even the man at his side looked bored. I grinned what better way to then mess with them was to confuse them, let them know I wasn't some little trinket.

"15,500!!" The bidding stopped.

"Oh I should tell you all I can't cook, and I don't clean, I can do laundry and sweep floors oh and I'm prone to sleeping in." I called out.

A Saiyan stalked on to the scene and hovered over me. "And I bruise easily and scar really bad." I added lamely.

"Any good traits before you make us loose our profit?" He snapped.

"I'm a witch and can cast spells, and I hex you to a life of karma."

I saw the flame haired regal one suddenly smiled and he elbowed the man to his right.

He pushed a button and a little red dot flashed.

"16,000!"

"Zorn, people, Zorn has made a bid in honor of His majesty."

I blinked. "Majesty…" I looked over. 'A king is bidding on me?' I thought.

"What's your name kid you've made the King bid?" The Saiyan asked.

"They call me Jay." I replied. "So what now?" I asked.

"If anyone else dares to bid against the King, they'll get sent to the next dimension, it's over." The saiyan explained.

"Bidding ends, slave goes with King Vegeta and Zorn."

"Wooohooo!!" I cheered.

The Saiyan frowned at me. "You don't know what you're getting yourself in to."

~*~*Raine*~*~

I had to struggle to keep in step with the Neanderthal that dragged me down a long hallway towards who-knew-where. Before I knew it, I was plopped down on a stage.

"Ever heard of handling with care?" I grumbled at the guy and he merely grunted before stepping slightly away from me.

"Ah!" I winced as more blinding lights hit me. This was annoying the first time. I shielded my eyes with my arm to save my sight.

"From lot four-fifty-six, a lovely young female from Cabba's camp. An ample-bodied human female, ready for breeding and as you can see, would make lovely sport at night," a voice chuckled from somewhere I couldn't tell. I wanted to cuss out the bastard who as referring to me in such a way, and wanted to yell the same to all the people laughing from his comment.

When my sight cleared, I realized that a whole crap-load of Neanderthals and other freaks were ogling me like some piece of meat or merchandise.

"She'd make the perfect cooking slave and could actually hold her own in the fields if needed," the voice said, earning some "ohh"s from the audience.

"We will start the bidding at 20,000."

"20,000!"

"30,000!"

"40,000!"

"65,000!"

This surprised the crowd and all heads turned onto the person who called out the number. It seemed it wasn't the number that surprised them, but rather the person who called it out. He was a tall dark tan-skinned man with a wild main of hair that stretched out in all sorts of directions like a peacock. It was the only way I could describe his hair. Just looking at it made me wanna throw a slab of detangler on it.

"Doesn't he have enough slaves already?" someone murmured in the audience.

"We have 65,000! Anyone care to challenge that?" the voice asked. But judging by the looks of the people in the audience, I had a feeling that these people feared this one particular Neanderthal and no one would be challenging his bid.

Before the 'announcer' could ask the guy to come up and claim me, he had already jumped from his spot in the middle of the audience and right in the middle of the stage. Completely caught off guard, I lost my footing and fell onto my butt, earning a few snickers from the audience, and a smug look from my 'buyer'. I knew these Saiiyans were strong, but I wasn't going to be anyone's property without a fight. So I ran.

~*~*Belle*~*~

I stood with a group of slaves, most were wearing different colors, but the main design of the robes were the same. There were four men dressed in dark navy, two women and three men in maroon, seven men and three women in gold, three women in black, and three men and four women in green. I stood on the opposite side of the 'courtyard' we were being kept in. My eyes moved over the faces of the other people, they looked like they were in shock and I wondered if I wasn't, then again I wasn't staring blankly at things, I was analyzing everything. I smirked, I always had to know my surrounding in normal life and now in this weird, surreal environment I was just the same. I shook my head and looked around the area again. There were no hiding spaces and there was a barred gate that a single guard stood in front of, moving only to allow more people in. I didn't talk to them as they huddled together like scared sheep. I believed firmly in the saying "A person is smart, people are dumb panicky animals."

"Alright, time to go," the Saiyan guard growled as the two who had bid on me entered, Kakarot and Raditz, they looked at each other before nodding.

"Not a bad lot," Raditz chuckled as he looked at us and pulled out a chain with collars attached to it as well as what looked like handcuffs attached to the collars. I stayed in the back of the group as the two began to place the collars around each person's neck and then put their wrists in the handcuffs. Everyone was going willingly, most whimpering and I wondered if I wasn't lucky to be in the ship I was.

"Kakarot, I hope you enjoyed paying so much for this female," Raditz chuckled as he looked at me and I froze, his black eyes telling me I hadn't gone unnoticed. I didn't break eye contact as he approached me and grabbed my chin. "Father is going to have your head for overpaying for this one. I can already tell she's going to be more trouble than she was worth, and that will be an understatement."

"He'll be glad that I pulled her away from Nappa, besides, when King Vegeta came to dinner he blasted one of the serving-caretaker wenches, this one has a pretty face and could easily carry what we need to the table," the one called Kakarot said as he approached me the end of the chain attached to all the collars in his hand. "Put her on the chain and let's go, we still have to get them dressed and marked."

"Fine," Raditz growled as he reached for me and I glared at him before pulling back. "Damn it wench!" he grabbed me by the neck faster than I could see and I gasped for air as he held me up by the throat and clasped the collar around my neck.

"See, you put those ideas in her head," Kakarot chuckled as my wrists were quickly cuffed and I gasped for air as I was dropped, I was in front of all the others. "Come along now." Kakarot pulled on the chain and yanked me forward. I followed behind him, the rest following without feeling the jerks and tugs from Kakarot pulling the chain.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

I walked alongside Zorn, Vegeta walking ahead, the chains round my wrists and I looked at them they were as big as the chain necklace I wore.

"I'm Zorn and that is King Vegeta, you will address him as royalty."

"Really? A real real reaaaaal king, I've never meet one before, you would think I would living under a commonwealth but noooooo, then again the Queen was more prone to visits. Still no one ever traveled as far down as I lived, except cypress Hill and Bone Thugs 'n' harmony… but that doesn't count."

The arrival at the palace made me gap. "Holy shit!! This is your pad? How phat… no how chronic!"

Vegeta looked over at me. "Nice to see you're impressed, perhaps it will shut you up."

"Right… quiet… will do." I nodded.

Zorn led me in to the throne room where Vegeta took his place on the throne. "What can you do apart form raise the spirits of your people?"

"My people?" I asked.

"The human race I heard the way you spoke, you defied them yet they didn't lay a hand on you, I'm impressed of course I won't be as lenient."

"Well people need laughter, I make them laugh, I make them smile, it's what I'm good at, plus I'm a bartender, we serve drinks so people get so sloshed they get turfed out on their asses while we still hold the cash they spent on the drinks."

"Bartender?" Zorn looked baffled.

"Drinks, you know the ones, like wine, beers, spirit, I make drinks, and I mix drinks. I was trained in the know how on how to successful have the right combination of wine with certain meats or food, but apart form that I'm namely an artist, I draw, I try to paint."

Vegeta looked at me. "Fine since you caught my attention with you little humour filled outburst, you will be my personal caretaker, and will also help in the choosing of meals and drinks for special occasions."

"Really?" I asked. "Cool, I'm up for that. Does that get travel pay?"

~*~*Raine*~*~

"This is my home," Turles said as he carried me inside. I did have to admit, he had a beautiful home…that I'd probably be cleaning.

I had tried running from him back at the auctioning, but like they're strength, these apes had speed too and in no time he had me slung over his shoulder and was carrying my off to his house. It turned out that he lived in the palace of his people. One of the "Elite guard". Like that REALLY held any importance to me. It only meant that I'd probably be catering to a snob.

"I already have slaves and servants that cook and clean for me. You will work as my caretaker," he said as he walked me through the halls of his home, me seeing so many other aliens and humans in the same predicament as myself.

'Caretaker?' I wondered.

"You will bathe me, groom me, and dress me when you're not exhausted," he said with a grin that unnerved me.

We finally came to a dimly lit room that looked like a torture chamber. My stomach did flip-flops as I tried to run away, or at least get out of his grip. But he was so damned strong I couldn't budge! He laughed, "Fight all you like, little one. Your fate is inevitable, you'll get that sooner or later."

I gasped as he picked me up and placed me on top of some kind of gray table. By merely placing one hand on my back he had me immobilized!

"Let me go! Stop!" I spoke for the first time to him. He continued to chuckle as I saw him pull something metal and rod-like out of the corner of my eye. I panted and struggled and tried to move from his grip with all my might. I didn't know what he was doing, but knew with all my heart that it wasn't good. Out of nowhere I felt a burning, searing pain on my shoulder blade and I couldn't help but scream as loudly as my vocal cords would allow. The burning soon left, but the 'after pain' still remained as fought with all my might not to cry in front of him. He branded me! The son of a bitch actually branded me!

"There, now no one will lay a hand on you, save me," he said before I felt him slip something metal around my neck. It was a gold choker with some kind of crest on the center. Another sign of ownership. The mark hurt so much. He grabbed my arms and flipped me over so I could face him. If it weren't for his strength, I would've socked that shit-eating grin off of his face. He then pulled me off of the table and dragged me out of the room as I grit my teeth through the pain of the mark.

"I'm placing you in the slave barracks for now. I will summon for you tonight when I return and then tomorrow you will learn of your duties. If you do not adjust within three days, your punishment will begin," he said with a smirk. I bet he was hoping I'd step out of line so he'd have an excuse to hear me scream.

We reached a tall wooden door, which he opened and pulled me in. Pointing to one of the bunks at the end of the room, he pointed at the bottom one, "You will sleep there when I have no need for you. Get adjusted with your first bed."

Then he slammed the door shut and one question running over and over in my head.

What did he mean by "first" bed?

~*~*Belle*~*~

We walked down strange streets, filled with Saiyans and a few other aliens. There were several like the armored warrior, many green ones that stared at us funny, and many that I wouldn't be able to describe in a million years. Huge domed buildings surrounded us and we approached a gigantic building in the center of the strange city. I stopped to stare and Kakarot nearly pulled me off my feet as he yanked the chain.

"Come along now," he chuckled with Raditz and I glared before I followed. They headed up the main steps to a huge door at the entrance of the building. Two guards stood there and looked at us.

"I see the sons of Bardock did well in their errand to purchase slaves," one guard chuckled and part of me demanded that I yell at them and tell them all off. However, I knew how it was, I was weak, I was tired, and I was in no condition to fight aliens who had me in chains and a collar. I followed Kakarot down a long hallway, there were paintings and art everywhere. I felt part of myself crying out to explore and see everything, but I knew I better just walk the straight and narrow at the time.

"So do we show them to father first?" Kakarot asked.

"I think so, then he can decide what to do with them before assigning them to a position and marking them," Raditz said and Kakarot jerked the chain to the right and we moved down countless hallways and corridors. Finally they came to a normal sized door and it opened to the side with a quiet hiss and I looked to see a huge lab filled with aliens in lab coats, very few were Saiyans. One Saiyan looked just like Kakarot, only a scar ran down his left cheek.

"Ah, Kakarot, Raditz, I see you bought the slaves," he said as he approached, removing his plastic gloves as he clapped his sons on their shoulders.

"Yes, but we got into a little competition with Nappa over one," Kakarot chuckled as Bardock moved up and down the line, stopping and looking at his sons.

"Really now? Did you win?" he asked and Raditz nodded and caught my chin in his large hand.

"This one, Kakarot fancied her as did Nappa," Raditz chuckled and Bardock approached me. He looked into my eyes and opened my mouth to look at my teeth as I fought. "Personally I think she's going to be trouble." Bardock nodded and chuckled.

"I think you're right, Raditz, but she's very lovely, I suppose she's to replace the serving-caretaker wench King Vegeta blasted," he said and smiled before nodding. "So you want my opinion on where they should go?" Both sons nodded and I bit my tongue to keep from yelling. "I agree the one you won from Nappa would do well as the serving wench, but all the other females go on cleaning crew. The four tallest males go to the gardening staff while the rest are to supply the building maintenance crew." Kakarot and Raditz nodded before they looked at each other.

"We'll take care of it, Father," Kakarot said and then tugged on the chain. I growled without meaning to and the three Saiyans looked at me in shock.

"Have something you'd like to say?" Bardock asked as he lifted my chin up. I could hear the person behind me whimper and try to pull back. I felt my lip twitch and a slight snarl graced my face before I locked eyes with him.

"Nothing that would matter to the likes of you," I spat, knowing deep down that I was risking death. Bardock laughed as he looked at his sons.

"Quite a spirit in this one, it's been a while since I've had one talk back," he chuckled before grabbing me by the throat and holding me up, I gasped for air, glaring daggers at him. "We'll have to train her, but you boys have plenty of free time for that between now and your next mission." Raditz and Kakarot chuckled before I was dropped and I coughed a few times before standing straight again. My eyes on the ground, but still glaring.

"We'll get them marked and then head to the rooms," Raditz said before Bardock stopped him.

"Not the spirited one, I want to mark her myself for that little outburst. Leave her in the study," Bardock said and the two chuckled more. I glared at him as I was pulled out of the lab.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

"Don't touch a thing till you know what's inside it, don't push me I'll fight it, never gonna give it never gonna give it up nooo, ooh, if you can't catch a wave, then your never gonna ride it, you can't come uninvited, never gonna give it never gonna give it up, you can't take me I'm free…" I sung as I readied myself for the dinner serving, I had successful offered suggestion and listened to Vegeta as he explained to me what was on the menu and I got a free taste of the beverages and food so I could make a carefully educated decision on what wine or spirits would be best to match what part of the meal, of course I also mentions the useful bartending tip of rotating stock out with the old first, other wise the stuff would go off.

I placed the dress on and looked at it and blinked at the diving halter top neckline, of course I had my tattoos exposed and wondered how they'd react to them, the dress of course was black, I had insisted on black for the sole purpose that it made me look even skinner, but in a way it was my own personal tribute to my planet Black being the color of mourning, unlike white which was wedding and I wasn't Hindu so the white mourning could have been interpreted wrongly by the other humans that I might encounter and first impressions always lasted.

"A word of advice kiddo, no singing the freedom songs." A slave girl commented angrily a she walked past and I did up the back of my dress, the back was even lower than the front and I frowned. "What no bra, damnit I'm gunna sag…"

She shot me an awful glare and I just glared back at her. "Never gonna give it never gonna give it up, you can't take me I'm free…" I stuck my tongue out at her and was elbowed in to straightening up by another slave as some Saiyan guards walked past with their own personal slaves.

"Whose that one?" A Saiyan asked.

"King Vegeta's new one, word has it she's a witch…"

"A witch huh, I can see now why he'd pick her."

I blinked as they walked past, was that the real reason he picked me? He wanted me to use magick against people, I'd have to straighten that out later.

~*~*Raine*~*~

Night soon came. I could sense it while half-asleep. Being in a somewhat-cushioned bed was such a relief to the hard cold floors of the cell I had been in for so long. That's when the door suddenly opened and light poured in. This was the THIRD time someone had tried to blind me! I quickly pulled my blanket over my head; tired and exhausted from my trip and from adjusting to this hellhole I was now imprisoned in.

"Wake up. The master has summoned you to his room," a figure said, bathed in the light of the hallway.

Groaning, I sat up and forced myself out of bed. What now? What more could he want me to do? He already bought me like a piece of meat and branded me like cattle. I thought he said I wasn't working until tomorrow.

I had shortly arrived at his room, still in the gray ill-fitting rags I had been given. The monkey's bedroom was as lavish as his home. Hilton-lavish. As I looked around, I absently rubbed my bare feet against the plush wine red carpeting and walked over to the ceiling-to-floor window at the other end of the room. Curtains covered it and pulling them back, I got a view of the most beautiful garden I had ever laid eyes on. I frowned. It reminded me of Earth and what I'd never get to see or experience again.

"You're here," a voice said, causing me to jump. I glared and turned around to see Turles standing at the now-locked door with a smirk. I sighed, trying to calm my nerves as he approached me.

"As my personal caretaker, you will tend to all my personal needs…" he said as he gently brushed past me to close the curtains. I felt the hair on my neck stand on end.

"That includes bathing me, grooming me, dressing me-" he began, but being the angry and defiant girl I was, I interrupted, "I believe we already covered this. Why am I here?"

He grinned in such a way that made me take a step back.

"They told me you were defiant. Apparently they haven't broken your spirit yet," he said, still smiling and now stepping closer my way.

I backed away, "I come from a race of people who don't push over easily. Darn those pesky spirits for being so hard to break."

He chuckled, "You're funny."

Before I could blink, he shoved me onto his large bed. My heart started racing when it finally occurred to me. The locked door, the drawn curtains, being called into his bedroom, my "second bed". On instinct I made a scramble to get off, but I soon found myself on my back on his bed, with him on his hands and knees looming over me.

"As my caretaker, you end to all of my personal needs. ALL of them," he said in a lower voice. I hadn't been this scared since the attack.

"Tonight is your first lesson," he said as he leaned closer towards my face.

He gave that chilling grin again, "Let's begin, shall we?"

~*~*Belle*~*~

I was the last slave left and I was still in a collar but it was free from the chain. Kakarot lead me down more hallways until he came to a door and it opened to reveal a parlor like area, there were stairs leading up to another level on either side of the main entrance. I was led through the parlor to a door next to a huge panel of windows the revealed a massive garden.

"Now, Pretty one, you're going to stay here and wait for our father," Raditz said and I saw the room was filled with books and suddenly I noticed that Kakarot was pulling a chain from a cabinet out and he smiled at me.

"Now, we can attach this to your collar, allowing you hands to move, or we can attach this to your collar and keep your wrist secure," Kakarot said as he flew into the air, attaching one end of the chain to the ceiling and the other to my collar.

"Better leave her secured, Father's going to mark her," Raditz said and Kakarot nodded before he grabbed my wrists and freed them from the collar before attaching them to the chain up above my head.

"Now stay put," Kakarot chuckled and the two of them headed out, closing the door behind me. I couldn't hold it back. I screamed in rage.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

I entered the throne room and Vegeta was sitting there I gave a bow. "Um you called… majesty…" I felt repulsed by having to address him so formally.

"Are you a true witch or were you just trying to scare the other bidders off?" He asked his voice serious.

"Two more years and I would have been so for ten years." I stated with a nod.

"What are your powers then? We might have to make sure you don't try any funny business, yet you seem to willingly do as you're told." He didn't show signs of being baffled by it.

"Well I can invoke the power of the Megami and Kami, if need be, which depending n which deities will depend on the strengths I will gain, for example, I could call upon Brigid and become a warrior or I could call upon Hathor and become motherly." I explained. "Or Hathor's other half and wipe out an entire race." I added softer.

He then glared at me, "The power to kill huh? Zorn the ki dampeners."

"What?" I turned round only in time to get a necklace clamped round my neck and my silver one removed and I looked at the gold and looked over at Vegeta as he held up a remote.

"This is from our science department, it works wonders if I even sense you getting stronger this little jolt will zap you and give you a reminder on who is in charge."

I blinked in shock. 'Paranoid…' I thought and just nodded. "Fine by me, can I get matching bracelets too?"

Zorn snickered and Vegeta growled in annoyance and stormed up to me. "You think this is funny?"

"He was the one laughing not me!!" I pointed at Zorn. "My dad was a jeweler, he always bought me matching sets." I exclaimed.

Vegeta looked at me. "Your humor amuses me, but if I'm not in the mood for it, you will pay dearly."

"Right." I nodded. "Can I go now?" I asked and lowered my head.

"You're dismissed."

I bowed before leaving once outside letting out a sigh of relief. "Man scary scary fellow. Best behavior girl, your mission is simple behave and find some one whose not gunna go grrrr at you for being yourself."

~*~*Belle*~*~

I had been chained up for at least two hours but it felt like forever, my fingers were numb from the cuffs and the upright position my arms were in. The door opened and I sneered at Bardock as he entered his study and looked at me.

"I see you are still in a good disposition," he chuckled. "Now speak to me if you understand what I'm saying." I glared at him and he smiled as he approached me. "If you don't speak, I'll have your voice box removed and find a nice large male that I think should breed."

"Go to Hell, you monster!" I spat and he laughed as he grabbed my chin and stood looking me in the eye.

"Now, first things first, my son bought you because we need a serving-caretaker wench," he began. "That means you will serve us food and take care of us, helping us dress, bathe, neaten our sleeping chambers, anything we order you to do. Do you understand?" I glared at him before jerking at my chains, he smiled slightly as he wrapped his fingers around my throat and began to choke me. I gasped for air and he pulled me close so that his lips brushed against my cheek as he spoke. "You will answer and not avoid my questions or I will kill you where you stand." I felt pure, icy cold terror run down my spine before I nodded. He let go and looked at me before I nodded again.

"I…I understand," I coughed. "But…one of…of your sons…he said there were cleaning crews." He looked at me and smiled, it disturbed me.

"Yes, the cleaning crews are made up of individual slaves from the families of the Elites, they clean the common areas for the family, take care of detailed cleaning in the bedrooms, and tend to the hallways and common areas of the palace. The serving-caretakers are in charge of keeping the individual bedrooms and bathrooms neat so the cleaning crews don't have to waste time. I'm glad you are clever enough to understand that," he said as he began walking around me in a slow circle. "Since you understood that you will understand this, you will address me as Lord Bardock or Master Bardock and my sons as Lord Kakarot and Lord Raditz, or Master Kakarot and Master Raditz. You will only address us by these titles, if you don't, you will be punished. Understood?" I looked down at the floor.

"Yes," I whispered and he stopped.

"Yes, what?" he growled and I quickly jerked my head up.

"Yes, Lord Bardock," I said and he smiled as he walked in front of me again.

"Good," he chuckled. "We also hold many of the meetings of the Elites here, you will be expected to know the various members and call them by Lord, save for King Vegeta, he is 'Your Royal Highness', 'Your Majesty', or 'My Lordship, King Vegeta'. If you ever forget, you will die." I gulped as I looked at him. "Understood?"

"Y-y-y-yes, L-l-lord Bardock," I stuttered as I felt my whole body grow cold.

"Good girl," he said. "For the most part, how you spend your free time is up to you, the cooking is done by a staff made from the cleaning crew, so you need not worry about that. They will bring you your meals. You will learn our writing system and if possible our native language. You will perform your duties as quickly as possible. Any questions?"

"Yes, Lord Bardock," I said, afraid to question him. He smiled as he stood in front of me.

"What is it then?" he asked.

"Am I expected to…to take care of and serve all three of you…" I stared and his eyes narrow. "I mean, serve Lord Kakarot, Lord Raditz, and yourself, Lord Bardock?" He smirked.

"No, for now you are to serve Kakarot his meals, but both Raditz and Kakarot will be yours to care-take. We have three other caretakers, sadly two are nearing the end of their usefulness and can only serve meals, they are not fast enough to take care of two young males anymore. You will be allowed to adjust for three days, after that you will be punished for any and all mistakes," he said and he moved behind me. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Bardock," the words were hard to spit out, I was too tired to fight, too weak to resist, and too numb to move.

"Good, then just one more thing to do," he said and suddenly he ripped the back of my robes off and I cried out. "You will be branded with the mark of a caretaker, it will be the first position you've held as a slave, but will not be your last."

"What are you doing?!" I screamed as I recognized the word 'branded'. I was hit upside the head and I was stunned until a horrible red-hot pain hit me at the top of my left shoulder-blade. I began to scream in agony as the pain dug in deeper, the skin hissing before it burned off completely. I cried out again and again in agony until the pain finally stopped and I began to cry out of relief.

"Now, you have been marked as a caretaker," Bardock said and something slipped around my neck and I realized it was some sort of choker necklace. My hair was lifted up and suddenly there was great heat on the back of my neck and I whimpered in fear of the burning hot pain again. This was uncomfortable heat, but it was tolerable. Bardock came back around and removed my collar and handcuffs. "That gold collar bears my family crest, no one will touch you without a blood feud, and I'm rather positive a slave female of low energy, such as yourself, could not invoke a blood feud. You will be sharing a barracks with the other server-caretakers. Follow me." I followed behind him, the agonizing pain in my shoulder was still there as we crossed the main parlor and went under the stairs. The door opened and Bardock indicated that I go in.

"The elder two use the two lower bunks, you and my serving-caretaker are on the two upper bunks," Bardock stated. "You will have this evening to heal, but tomorrow you will be assisting Raditz to prepare for his day and then Kakarot. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Bardock," I sobbed as I looked up at him and he nodded before closing the door, leaving me locked in darkness.

~*~*J'dee*~*~

I was shown the sleeping quarters by some of Vegeta's Saiyan gumby guards and pushed inside the door shut after me and I banged on the door angrily and kicked it. "Hey no shoving it's rude!!"

"You could always turn the handle." A voice offered.

I turned round and stared at a guy lying on a bunk bed on the top hands behind his head, he looked human like me and I raced up the ladder and jabbed him in the side.

"Hey that tickles!!" He exclaimed.

"You're human right?" I asked.

He blinked and looked at me and sat up and I looked at my reflection in his amber tinted sunglasses. "Ummm kind of I guess." He scratched his head. "I'm a plant." He sighed and flopped back down.

I jumped off the ladder leading up and walked up to the window. "So you're an alien too then huh?" I let myself fall up against the cool glass.

"Sorry to disappoint you." He looked over.

I finally hit the ground in a slump, I knew there were others out there, but this… this was… hard to deal with.

The reality sinking in as I looked up seeing him staring at me.

He blinked a couple of times and I tilted my head looking at him and then looked down, remember the diving neckline that put J'lo's scandalous green dress to shame, I wrapped my arm about myself and grabbed a coffee mug and threw it at him, hitting him in the forehead knocking him from the bunk. "PERVERT!!" I cried out.

"Hey ow… why'd you do that for?"

"You were looking!!" I complained.

"Well it's hard not to!!" He defended himself.

I let out a breath. "Sorry it's just been a long year for me."

He sat up and I grabbed a sheet and pulled it up and round me. I had forgotten about the hated dress, the dress to show that I was still human, the dress that I wore for little Amy.

"You look like you need to talk." He pointed out.

I nodded. "Would you listen?" I asked.

"Sure." He smiled but I could tell it was a sad smile, maybe he'd been through much more than me, after all he had been here obviously longer than me.

So I told him form the moment I was taken at work just doing my job, till the long hour trip till that moment, and I even mentioned Amy, Amy who unlike me was now free, Amy who I already missed and who I admired for being so strong and brave at her age.

Yet I never got his name and he never asked for mine.

~*~*Belle*~*~

The door opened and someone spoke in another language. I tried to turn and look but my shoulder screaming in pain and I whimpered as I lay on my side on one of the bunks.

"Ah, I see the new one as arrived," a voice chuckled and another made a noise of agreement.

"So, let's see you," a different voice said and I slowly sat up, whimpering more as I managed to climb down. I looked at the three aliens, one was a gold color with a reptilian countenance to her, another was short, thin and a lot like the aliens from Close Encounters, the last was a male, his hair was white and fell down his back, his beautiful golden eyes took me in.

"So, you are the newest serving-caretaker," he said as he looked at me, his human appearance was strangely soothing. "You are in pain, show me you mark." It was an order and I nodded as I turned, his hands fell on my shoulders as he looked. "Damn Saiyans. Get me some water, will you, we need to clean her up so that she can work tomorrow."

"Just use your little trick and heal her quickly," the first voice suggested and the man sighed.

"I don't know if it will work on this species," he growled and the two chuckled.

"She looks close enough like your kind," the second voice said. There was a slight growl and something wet pressed over my back and moved up over the agony spot. I whimpered as it passed over the burnt flesh and slowly the pain began to numb. The wetness passed over the spot many times before it was gone.

"Thank you," I whispered as I stood there, I looked up at the far wall and noticed a mirror. I approached it and turned, looking over my shoulder at my mark. It was in a strange language, but it was small and it was clear on my skin. I closed my eyes and began to sob.

"She's a new one," the first voice sighed.

"Poor thing, she was born free," the second agreed and I fell to my knees, hugging myself as I wept.

"She's not the only one," the male sighed and suddenly arms were wrapped around me. "I cannot offer you any words of comfort save for that you are among equals now. I know the pain of freedom being torn from my grasp too. I will help you in anyway I can, I swear it." I looked up into the golden eyes of this strange alien man and I wrapped my arms around him and began to weep.

I wept for Earth, I wept for my friends, I wept for my family, and I wept for my future. When I found I could not cry any more, I passed out. Warm arms lifted me into my bunk and covered me in a thin blanket before I was lost to the world of the conscious. The sights of Earth haunting my dreams, the blue skies, the vast oceans, and the dark, lush dirt; things I would not ever see again in all my days.