Chapter 17

 

They were sparring. Or he thought they were sparring. At some point, everything began to feel...uncomfortable. It was a good thing the man in black and green showed up, because it distracted his brother from the game. Youkan was glad as he held his hands over his bruised face, his broken nose. Sparring hurt, he knew, but this...this hurt more than sparring usually did. A lot more.

His brother was spitting out contemptuous, half-amused phrases that Youkan didn't really understand apart from knowing they were impressive. They were the sort of thing Mom said to warriors who didn't perform as they should, only these words were spoken with a far more dangerous edge. He could look through his still-functioning scouter and see that the man shouldn't be arguing with his brother. They weren't even close in power. His brother was informing the intruder of that, beginning to be haughty, the way Father was when someone overstepped bounds. But the man in green and black held his ground. So he lay terrified between their feet, trying not to sniffle, trying to be brave.

"My lord, I would let you have your fun with any other brat," the warrior said. "Not one of my chieftain's offspring."

"I am the chieftain's eldest offspring," spat his brother, losing all patience. "I am the eldest son of two chieftains, Radditz. This offal—" he aimed a kick at Youkan, but Radditz reached down with a big hand and jerked him away, jarring broken bones that were trying to knit even while saving him from new injuries, "—is not standing between me and the Southern tribes. None of them are," he added with a vicious smirk. Youkan crowded back against Radditz's legs.

The low-class warrior straddled the boy. "My lord, after what happened with Lord Shiruko Chieftain Nira issued a standing order that anyone who saw you on the Eastern Continent was to immediately announce it. I issued a general broadcast as soon as I realized who you were. I'm sure she's on her way here now. Who knows else may be coming?"

"You're bluffing," stated his brother after a frozen, angry pause.

Radditz shrugged, grinned in a very unpleasant manner. "Take the chance if you like, my lord. But according to my scouter, a couple of very big powers are heading this way. There are more Elites than Chieftain Nira on the Eastern Continent. Do you really want to face off against someone who isn't affiliated with Nira's tribe? The son of two chieftains," he added on a smirking taunt, "would make a fine feather in some young Elite's cap. My lord."

"I can handle some over-ranked peasant," snapped the other, but Youkan was picking up the blips now on his own scouter and, by the altered, braced stance, so was his brother. One of them was Mom. Youkan hung his head, ashamed. He had been beaten, which was bad enough, but now he needed to be rescued on top of it. Perhaps he deserved whatever his brother did to him.

A nearby sonic boom announced at least one arrival. "I will deal with you another time," his brother promised harshly as he turned toward the newcomers. Youkan wasn't sure if the threat was meant for him or Radditz.

Youkan did not recognize the first person who landed, although it was clear that Radditz did. "Just can't resist a fight, can you?" the warrior queried in amusement. "This one is no match for you, Mother."

The woman said, coolly, "He would do well to remember that and get the hell away from you."

There was a short burst of laughter from his brother. "You've always had a problem remembering your place, Riiki," he said in open mockery. "Why are you even here? I know the Southern tribes have disowned you. I can't believe any tribe on the Eastern Continent would acknowledge you."

"And you're always picking uneven battles," said Riiki with scant respect. "Not the path of a true warrior, lordling. You must get that underhanded streak from your mother."

"Lord Shiruko as an oozuru was close to even," remarked Radditz as Youkan's eldest brother bristled and snarled at the woman.

"Oozuru or not, he was two years old and had not yet started his warrior's training. You could have taken him down."

Radditz chuckled. Youkan's brother appeared on the verge of violent (and, Youkan thought, suicidal) action when there was another dull boom nearby. Mother fell from the sky, landing in a ground-buckling glow of energy. Mom, Youkan thought to her, but her mind was closed off. He leaned against Radditz's leg, again trying not to sniffle. He had disgraced himself so badly that Mom wouldn't even talk to him.

He was dimly aware of the other newcomer, but that warrior landed just behind Riiki and was obscured from view.

Riiki gave a bare duck of the chin in the direction of Mother, not close to a nod, nowhere near a bow. Mother's anger seemed to swarm into a barely-contained black rage, although her voice was even. "You are not needed here, woman."

"He is?"

Youkan could not see the other Saiyan, blocked both by his hiding place behind Radditz' calf and the other's position behind the big female warrior, but he could see that his mother went coldly calm very quickly. "He is my warrior. And you," Mother added with a sharp sting of anger in her voice, "are my heir. What the hell is the matter with you?"

His brother folded his arms and replied, "I don't plan on settling for some obscure prefecture on this soft continent. Pick another heir while you still have a selection to choose from, Mother."

Mother glowered, but "You need to look in mirrors more often," responded Riiki, cryptically. "You have that Eastern stamp about you."

"Riiki," murmured a reproachful voice from the unseen warrior.

"Stay out of this, you slut," growled Nira at the same time.

The other woman appeared ready to back off, but her eyes narrowed at Mother's insult. "Tell the brat," Riiki said. "Otherwise he'll kill all your offspring, for something he cannot have. Tell him why he'll never be Miso's heir."

"Riiki," said the warrior standing behind her again, more sharply this time.

"And they say it's Southerners that can't see in front of their noses." Riiki's voice was pure malice. She stepped to the side, although Youkan couldn't see why from his perspective. There was a physical shock that ran through the man standing over him; across from him, Youkan's elder brother gave a visible start. They were both staring at something that their big bodies blocked him from seeing. Then Radditz swung around, the shock in his eyes being overtaken by scorn and smoldering anger. He took two big steps away and lifted off the ground before the aura kindled and he raced away, leaving a trailing stream of ki energy.

He shouldn't just walk away from Mother like that, thought Youkan, as shocked by the warrior's sudden breach of respect as anything else that had happened in the last half-hour, not even realizing that there was now no-one between him and his brother. He was still more surprised when his mother did not attempt to stop her warrior or even acknowledge his departure.

Which left the other adults, all of whom appeared frozen. His brother was standing stock still with his mouth hanging open to his chest, pure disbelief written large across his features. Mother was so furious (and so—something else, something Youkan didn't understand at all) that the anger was coming off her in waves. Finally, Riiki spoke again. "Eh," she said on a scornful mummer, "maybe you don't need to tell him, after all. Maybe he's figured it out for himself. How stunningly clever of him. He must get that from his father."

Mother spun around at that, one sparking hand flung out, but Riiki disdainfully slapped the ki sphere away. There was a dull, distant explosion that shook the ground. Youkan hid his face in his arms, desperately wishing this would all just stop. "Fool," said Riiki, not even pretending to be respectful now, "did you think that would even singe me?"

The other voice spoke sternly. "Riiki. You may not battle my chieftain."

"Oh, I wouldn't call it a battle, Bardock. More like an execution." Youkan peeked through his fingers. Riiki raised a fist with two fingers extended, but there was a sudden movement from the man he still couldn't see well. Riiki froze, shock plain across her face.

Mother said, savagely, "Are you surprised, woman? The first oaths he ever swore were to his chieftain, 'Captain.' That would be me, now. Unlike some of us, Bardock is no oathbreaker. Maybe you could kill him before he ripped off your tail. Want to try?"

"Stand down, Riiki," said the other voice, softly. "There's no point to this."

"I will not yield!" the other woman hissed. Her eyes narrowed to angry slits. "But I will leave," she said. "After all, I have what I want. Don't I?" The ki aura around her began to shimmer. She said over her shoulder, impersonally, "Let go, or I swear by all of Kami's great warriors I will find the strength to drag you."

No sooner did the man step away than Riiki took off, her speed far beyond anything Youkan ever witnessed before. He only caught a brief glimpse of the man who had stopped her. The man looked toward Mother. "Go away," she hissed through closed lips. The man bowed his head and took off.

Mother turned, and without a hitch in the motion viciously slapped his brother. "You forget your place," she spat. "How dare you attack another of my brats!?"

"You—" said his brother, shadings in the single word beyond Youkan's youthful comprehension. Then he crossed his arms. "One of us is out of place," he replied, and there was something in his voice that made the boy think of broken things.

Mother slapped him again. "Get out of here," she ordered. "You do not come near either of your brothers again, do you hear me? Do you hear me? Do you hear—?"

_________________________________________________________

He was dreaming. Wasn't he?

"Do you hear me?"

His eyes creaked open.

"Easy," said a voice that had been part of his dream. (Hadn't it?) "I got here as quickly as I could. That was a nasty knock you took."

He started to speak, then coughed and choked. Bardock grabbed him by a shoulder, rolled him over, patted his shoulder and rubbed his back while he vomited. Easy, Youkan. That's a reaction to the stasis gases. They weren't sure what to do with you, so they locked you down for a bit. Used stuff that Saiyans don't like much, I'm afraid.

Youkan blinked — something was wrong, Bardock shouldn't be making mind contact with him, shouldn't be able to make mind contact with him unless he allowed it — but leaned back as the other warrior adjusted linens and cleaned up. "You were never any good at picking up after yourself, brat," he noted, caustically amused.

Cautiously, Youkan levered himself to his elbows, carefully sitting up when his stomach stayed calm this time. The warrior was tossing bunched-up cloth down a disposal shoot, his back to him. Youkan looked at wide shoulder guards covered by a white cape. Only the nobility and the King's Guard wore capes. Even Zarbon stopped wearing his once his position in the Saiyan government became official. What was Bardock thinking?

The warrior turned to him again. One thick dark brow went up. "I'd watch it with the sudden movements if I were you, little brother."

Youkan stared. Gears in his brain turned in painful, drug-hazed slow motion. This was not exactly Bardock's face he was staring at. Had he never noticed the resemblance in the vids, in his blurred childhood memories? But then, we all look alike...don't we?" Talles," he whispered, finally. "Is it you?"

"Ah, so you do remember. You were so young when I left, I wasn't sure. But not everything, eh? Otherwise you'd recall that I prefer the Southern pronunciation."

The Southern—? That would be Taurus, I think. "You're back."

"Back? Look again, little brother."

Youkan glanced around the room, his gaze and thoughts slowly becoming more focused. There were unfamiliar designs and characters here and there, metallics and ceramics that one was unlikely to find on Vejiitasei, a gentle bowing to one wall that indicated it was part of a curving structure. Vejiitasei's buildings tended to be squared off. "Where am I?" Youkan demanded, his voice gaining strength. "What happened to the squad? Where's Kimchee?"

"Kimchee?" queried Taurus. "If you mean that wild-looking creature with the red highlights in her hair, she's in a tank. Is she your pet, little brother? I thought about keeping her for myself. It's been decades since I've seen a Saiyan female. Mind you, there's someone here who might claw her eyes out. Or not. Always hard to tell what one of that gender might do; they are naturally promiscuous themselves. Might be fun to throw them together and watch—"

"She's my wife, baka," snapped Youkan.

"I retract everything I just said," responded Taurus, smoothly. "'Baka.' Ah, being called names does make me nostalgic for home. It was just you and the tainted female, little brother. And a lot of smashed up debris in the asteroid field, I'm told, enough to comprise two or three Saiyan squads. You must have been heading someplace in a hurry, to risk such a tricky maneuver outside of your own territory."

Asteroids? Territory? "I don't remember any asteroid field..." said Youkan, slowly.

"You were knocked on the head. It's a wonder you remember me."

Youkan reached out to Kimchee, got a faint echo, and felt much of the gathering tension in his body ease. "Where are we?" he demanded again.

"An outpost on the border of my master's principality in the Emporium, brat."

Emporium?! "Oh, no," groaned Youkan. "Don't tell me... your master is — ?"

"Yes," said Taurus. "Freeza. Which violates all sorts of treaties, doesn't it?"