The Ship - Stores

[King of Cunts]

“It was forbidden, on my planet, to engage an opponent in physical combat,” he explained, as they made their way through the ship to the stores, “it was thought that anchoring ourselves in the material world would set back our search for enlightenment. I still hold to the old ways, and use only my own internal energies to fight. Frieza has no such standards. He will use whatever is necessary to gain an advantage over us.”

It was one of the Ice Djinns’ greatest shames that there end had come at the hands of beings that were, according to their teachings, lower on the evolutionary scale. King Cold and his sons had forsaken the ways of enlightenment and destroyed their entire civilisation, and even with their mastery of energy abilities, they had not been able to defend themselves. Fraust defended their quest for higher learning as the correct path, even though it had meant their deaths. That they had been destroyed by the greed and corruption of others was not a failing on their part. His kin could at least go to their rest with their conscience clean.

“I am a scholar, not a warrior. My fighting experience is limited. But I will give my all to this fight. I cannot speak to Frieza’s abilities, save that he is ferocious, and that he conceals his power by assuming a weakened form, though even that form is formidable. In truth, I think we have only one hope to defeat Frieza. Though he is immortal, he is not indestructible. A powerful fighter could render him permanently immobile. But as for where we could find such a fighter, I do not know.”

The ship was filled with excellent combatants, but not one of them could hope to stand against Frieza. The closest possible was most likely the Saiyan Prince, but he was not ready. His kind found their peak in rage, but his anger was muted by a conflict of emotions he did not seem able to overcome. The other Saiyans were not in any shape to oppose the Immortal Lord, neither was he, nor Everion, as far as he could tell. At that time, they were all merely awaiting the moment of their execution.

“Perhaps we will come together and be able to defeat Frieza, if not individually, then as a group. It may be our only true hope. But as things are now, with our numbers divided, I do not see it as a distinct possibility.”

He said it as they walked through the door that would lead to the stores, and immediately realised the extent to which their group had not gelled. Two purple-skinned beings with flat, reptilian features were standing at the counter, physically threatening the quartermaster. They appeared strong, but appearances could have been deceiving. They certainly didn’t seem concerned by the arrival of Fraust and Everion.

“Best move on,” one said, his voice a savage hiss, “you’ve no business here.”

[redpyrocat]

She nodded, “That makes sense…I hope we are able to come together as a group soon. We might be the universe’s only hope. You‘re a scholar, so does that mean you are a teacher? Maybe you could help me….I don‘t understand much about other cultures, could you teach me some thin-”

Everion peaked around Fraust when he stopped, and saw that there were two purple strangers. She peaked out further around Fraust to get a better look at them, her eyes widened. What where they? The tip of her tail flicked up and down against the floor as her curiosity continued to build. She had never seen anyone who looked like this before. However, these two people were a little intimidating. They didn’t seem interested in casual interactions.

Keeping that in mind she calmed her breathing, stepped around Fraust. She was going to get some answers. After all, she will not be able to better herself as a fighter if she doesn’t understand how other people think and act. She swallowed the knot that was starting to build in her throat, there was only one way to find out. She stood in front of Fraust, her back to him, and looked at the two new strangers.

“Hi my name is Everion. What are your names? Where are you from? How tall are both of you? What are you? Why are you angry looking? Why can't we stay? Can I have some candy please?”

[King of Cunts]

It seemed that Everion’s questions had caught the thugs on the back foot. They were not prepared for a forthright response like hers. Perhaps they would have been better prepared for either intimidation or hostility, but her earnestness had put them off their guard. They exchanged a questioning glance, as though each were seeking the other’s opinion on the strange creature before them. Their next movement was what Fraust had expected from them.

They leapt, one at the Ice Djinn, one at his companion. The first struck nothing but air as Fraust backed away, hovering out of reach using his telekinesis. He concentrated, and a wave of force rushed into the oncoming ruffian, doing little more than stopping him dead. With a slight adjustment of his feet, he came on again in a headlong rush. These fighters were strong. It was simply a shame that they had chosen this ignoble path.

Still, he imagined for some it was a far better fate than the almost certain death that awaited them when their starship inevitably reached the final battle with Frieza.

He focused his energy into a solid punch of will, and the creature blocked it as he would a physical blow. The power flowed around his guard and hammed into his face, striking him on the lower jaw and between the eyes. One of his eye sockets began to weep purple blood and a cluster of pointed teeth fell from his mouth. He snarled and leapt again, and this time Fraust was too slow to repel him.

The reptile’s hands gripped Fraust’s shoulders, and the flat of his forehead slammed down on the top of the Ice Djinn’s dome-shaped cranium. It was enough to distract him from mounting a proper defence. He disdained to use a physical attack, particularly against such an unworthy opponent, but the enemy’s offence was overwhelming.

Fraust collapsed on his back, his levitation failing him. The lizard pinned him down, blowing bubbles of blood from the end of its flattened snout. Its arm reached back, the claws on its scaled hands bared for a killing blow.

[redpyrocat]

“Oh no you don’t!” Everion’s tail wrapped around the creatures neck from behind, and wrenched him off of Fraust.

She heaved him into the wall, and the creature groaned as he slid down to the floor. The creature’s companion grabbed Everion, lifting her off the ground and pinning her arms. Everion let out a startled scream, he chuckled, tightening his grip on her. She wriggled around trying to escape his grasp. The creature’s chuckle turned into outright laughter.

Growling, Everion slammed her feet onto his thighs, and pushed herself up so that the back of her head was level with his. She then slammed her head into his face. Her razor sharp spines drew blood. The creature roared and, in the process of grabbing his face, dropped Everion.

Once her feet hit the ground, her tail whipped around behind her, grabbed his ankles and pulling his feet out from beneath him. His arms flailing as he fell backwards, his head slams into the ground and he groans. Everion walked over to him, and sat down on his chest. She slapped him and wagged her finger at his face, “There was NO reason for that sort of behavior.”

The creature’s eyes fluttered open to look at her, before he passed out once more. She scowled at him, shaking her head. She never understood why some people acted like this. She turned her attention back to Fraust, he didn’t look to badly hurt. She got off the creature, pausing to check that the other creature was still out cold, and hurried back to Fraust, “Are you alright?”

[King of Cunts]

He pushed himself up, assessing his condition with his hands. His armour appeared undamaged, though his cloak had become dishevelled, almost exposing the hole over his heart. While he was sure that this woman was no threat to him, primarily because it simply did not appear to be in her nature, he was driven by habit to keep his weak point hidden. The less that knew of it, the better.

“I appear to be unharmed,” he said, rising to his feet. He only wished that could be the least of his problems.

This skirmish had brought home the fact that he was still in dire need of further training. These beings could not have been even a fraction of Frieza’s immense power, and yet they had overcome him so easily. Had it not been for Everion, he might have been killed. All because a centuries old taboo demanded that he not use his body as a weapon. But could any of them afford to be so reverent of traditions, when life itself was going to be extinguished? How much could they all give up without becoming too much like Frieza himself that defeating him no longer mattered?

He wondered how many of the others aboard the ship had been struck by such thoughts since joining the voyage.

The door to the stores opened, and Fraust looked up to see a familiar figure entering, flanked by two burly humanoids in what he recognised as Saiyan power armour. Shorter in stature than the Prince Vegeta, still sequestered on the main deck, Prince Tarble lacked all of his brother’s ordinarily commanding presence. He also lacked his brooding, antisocial nature, and was, all told, a sociable individual. He had brought the majority of the ship’s inhabitants on board through the sheer weight of his charisma and diplomacy, but that would ultimately count for naught when they finally faced Frieza.

“What have you been doing, Fraust?” he asked, taking in the strange picture in the storeroom.

“We came upon these thieves raiding the stores,” he explained.

“We were informed by the alarm. I see you took care of them though.”

“Actually, the credit for that should go to Everion here,” Fraust said, indicating his companion, “she defended both the stores and myself admirably.”

Tarble bowed to the she-alien. “A pleasure.”

“Why is the Captain of the ship attending to matters like this personally?”

“We don’t know when we might find an inhabited planet, or even a hospitable one, to restock our supplies again. What is here is vital to our survival. And, in truth, this space journey is intolerably boring. I needed some excitement.”

Fraust smiled to himself. For all his timidity, Tarble truly was a Saiyan after all.

[redpyrocat]

Everion’s shoulders relaxed, and smiled. Despite the smile, her brow furrowed with concern. She knew that she could help him if he was injured, but Bulma had said that they did not have any herbs on this ship. Even though she clearly didn’t think they were necessary, Everion still would feel better if they had some. She didn’t understand most of the things in that infirmary, and she really was starting to wish she did.

Hearing the doors open, she snapped out of her thoughts. Everion blinked and looked over at the strangers that came into the room. A Saiyan man that appeared to be shorter than Vegeta, was followed by two large humanoids. He looked a lot like Vegeta, Everion wondered if they were related. Curiosity was starting to take it’s hold on her once more. Walked up to him, noticing that he appear to be less brooding, and seemed to be a rather sociable person.

As the two men spoke, her head bounced between the two of them, listening intently. The tip of her tail tapped the floor, her intrigue building. However, she going to be good and keep her questions to herself. By the end of their conversation she thought she was going to explode. She NEEDED to know who exactly was this man. Fraust mentioned that he was the captain, she remembered seeing him briefly when she first came onto the ship, but what else was there about this man that she didn’t know?

Finally she couldn’t take it any more. Wide eyed, Everion inhaled deeply.

““You‘re the captain? Where are we going? Are there any plans for how we are going to fight Frieza? Do you think we have enough fighters aboard? What are the major concerns, other than Frieza’s immortality? Is it possible for us to get some herbs for me to grow in a green house to help towards healing? I am a healer as well as a fighter.”

As she spoke, she leaned into Tarble’s face. All the commotion had finally woken Mo up. He yawned, and stuck his head out if her spines. He rubbed his large green eyes clean and stared at Tarble. He let out a loud, drawn out croak…then promptly leaped into Tarble’s hair. His back legs flailed, smacking Tarble several times in the forehead, as he struggled to get into the forest of hair. He finally disappeared, and Tarble’s hair fluffed and ruffled as he settled himself in.

Everion’s mouth fell open, and her face turned a vibrant shade of red. Without thinking her hands flew into Tarble’s hair, and she pulled Mo out. Mo let out a noise that sounded very similar to a shriek.

“Shhh, Mo!!! I am SO sorry!!!! He doesn’t normally do this!”

[King of Cunts]

Fraust watched the interaction between their host and Everion play out with thinly veiled amusement. It was strange to see a member of the galaxy’s fiercest warrior caste - a crown prince, no less - so apparently petrified by a tiny amphibian. But terrified he was. His body went rigid, as though he thought the tiny animal might poison him, or burrow into his brain through his skull. Fraust was already aware that this was unlikely. Very few frogs were even aggressive, let alone dangerous to humanoids in any way.

“Yes,” Tarble said, once the creature had been removed from his hair, and Everion’s ministrations had left him with a peculiar parting at the middle of his spiky crown, “yes, I am the Captain here, so to speak.”

He cleared his throat, trying to assert a more business-like demeanour. The questions that Everion had asked required a serious and measured answer. She didn’t seem like the type to panic, but she did seem like the type who might make an incautious comment to an individual who might. They wanted to avert a potentially catastrophic drop in morale aboard the ship. Even so, Fraust felt it was necessary to be candid. Everion had shown a propensity for solemnity when the need arose.

“You can trust her, Tarble. Tell her what you told me.”

“If you can vouch for her, then I don’t see why not,” the Saiyan said, with a nod. He cleared his throat, ruminating on which of the questions he had been posed with to answer first. “At current, our course is set for the nearest inhabitable planet. We don’t know of any space-faring races present, but there may be beings there for us to recruit. We will also need to take on valuable supplies. I daresay you could find your herbs there. We could certainly spare quarters for you, if you wished to start a greenhouse. An extra supply of oxygen-producing flora would be preferable. As for Frieza, at current he is on the other side of the known galaxy, looking into rumours that he will eventually learn were false. When he returns, and it will be soon, he will be enraged. We hope to have a more detailed plan before he arrives. Aside from the obvious concern of his immortality, we will have to contend with his army. And the Ginyu force comes first and foremost on that list.”

He sighed. Unfortunately, the plan as it stood was not a good one, primarily because it lacked its key player.

“Our plan was that our strongest fighter would be able to match Frieza in battle while the rest of us battled Frieza’s minions. Unfortunately, the strongest among us is my brother, and he is not in any condition to help us.”

[redpyrocat]

Everion noticed that Tarble had stiffen up when Mo had dived into his hair. She blinked, was he allergic to frogs? Pushing this question to the back of her mind, she listened intently, absorbing all the information. Everion smiled, she could have a greenhouse. She was already making her checklist.

“Thank you! I really appreciate you giving me the space for the greenhouse…How long do you think it will take for Vegeta to be ready to fight? I mean, he doesn‘t seem like he will be of much use right now.”

She was surprised that Vegeta was their most important fighter…and, in all honesty, that worried her. He didn’t seem to be the most mentally stable person aboard. She tilted her head slightly, Ginyu Force? She had never heard of them…

“Also, who is the Ginyu Force? What do they do? Do they have special abilities? Are they really that much of a threat?”

Everion blinked, now realized she was in Tarble’s face again. She blushed slightly, and took a step back. She was learning that this was considered usual behavior, and it made most people uncomfortable. Everion cleared her throat. She really need to stop doing that…

“S-sorry…I don’t know very much about foreign cultures, and what is socially acceptable.”

[King of Cunts]

Tarble sighed, having recovered himself after his close brush with the amphibian. Perhaps he’d mistaken it for something poisonous. “Vegeta’s problem is not a physical one, but a mental one. Frieza has broken him, shattered his pride as a warrior, though I suspect the damage may go even deeper than that.”

“He is a troubled man, that one,” Fraust noted. And that troubled soul caused trouble for them all. Their hopes were bound up in Vegeta. He was, by far, the remaining Saiyan closest to transcending the barrier that had held many of their kind below Frieza for so many decades. If he could not overcome his frailty, he would be unable to help them.

“The Ginyu Force are Frieza’s enforcers,” Tarble said. It was clear from the tension in his voice that he didn’t care to even talk about them. Fraust had never encountered them himself, though he had heard that their loyalty verged on the fanatical. And in the employ of Frieza, that was not a good thing. “To the best of our knowledge, Vegeta was able to kill two of them on Namek before it was destroyed and he was captured. That still leaves three. And I imagine that Captain Ginyu will be handpicking replacements for them. We can expect them to be at full strength when we encounter them.”

Fraust nodded. That seemed a reasonable assumption, since the Ginyus only ever operated as a quintet. It was something to do with how they introduced themselves, or some other such nonsense. But as ridiculous as he was aware they sometimes seemed, they were also just as dangerous. “As I understand it, they were chosen not only for their devotion, but because they enjoy their work. They derive almost as much pleasure from sadism as Frieza himself, even if they are not as powerful as he is. If Vegeta is to focus his energies on Frieza, it will be up to us to tackle the Ginyus.”

“For what it’s worth,” their Captain said, as Everion stepped back from within his personal space, “I think you’re doing an admirable job at fitting in amongst the other races. Given the choice between thievery and social impropriety, I would rather the latter.”

[redpyrocat]

Everion listens to him, her eyes sharply focused on Tarble’s face. She watches his expression darken as he explains the Ginyu Force to her, and her stomach knots up. It was a nerve-racking thought that these fighters were so strong and their greatest chance is in the middle of a mental break-down. As he finishes his explanation, she nods. Her brow furrows when Fraust speaks up. As he explains a little more about the Ginyu Force, her brow furrows even more. If there was going to be five of them, all of whom enjoy causing pain, this is going to be harder than she had thought. Everion crosses her arms and frowns, deep in thought.

“I just hope Vegeta can snap himself out of this soon, we really could use his help…It sounds like we will want to get the Ginyu Force out of the way before going after Frieza himself.”

She looks at both Fraust and Tarble, looking mildly concerned.

“What about Gohan? Do you think we will be able to get him ready in time? I can tell he doesn’t have a lot of experience fighting. I’m worried he might not be able to do well in battle because of his own emotions. I remember my first time, that was bad enough…but this will be so much harder on him.”