"Success!" The Chief Distributor trilled, much to Chaya's confusion. She had been called in by the former just minutes ago and found him practically dancing upon his desk.
"Is something the matter, Chief?" Chaya asked, her voice guarded.
"Matter? Why I guess there is something the matter! Thanks to the efforts of you and your squad, I've gotten a promotion!"
Chaya's gaze darkened. "I see." Mooching off the work of others... typical. "Congratulations, I suppose. What's your new position?"
The Chief waved his hand. "Nothing as shiny as that, Captain. However, I've gotten more privileges assigned with my current position." He cleared his throat, as if realizing just how unprofessional he was being. "Anyway, now that we've got that settled... You've been relieved of your duty as the prisoner's guard."
"Oh. May I ask why?"
The Chief's naturally saggy face twitched slightly in indignation, but he answered anyway, "Lady Kafara has successfully apprehended her Vessel."
At that, Chaya's interest perked and she leaned forward in her chair. "Vessel?"
Almost immediately, the Chief Distributor paled. "Y-You...!" He smacked his jowls. "Son of a gun...! That was sensitive information... I wasn't suppose to reveal anything like that. I feel like I've spoiled everything now."
"It's fine, Chief," Chaya said, pretending to examine her nails. "But I advise you to tell me everything you know about this Vessel... Otherwise, I just might let it slip to Lady Kafara that you've been blabbing behind her back."
There was a loud bang as the Chief Distributor slammed his meaty fists on the table. "I am your superior, you arrogant little - "
"You've been drinking again," Chaya cut him off, noticing the bottle of foreign alcohol kept behind a stack of important looking papers. A cruel smile made its way onto her face. "What a disgrace... Wouldn't want the Lady to revoke those privileges, do we, Chief?"
When the Chief deflated, the saiyan knew she had won. "Good. Now tell me everything, Chief."
"Curiosity killed the saiyan," the Chief feebly warned.
"And satisfaction brought it back," Chaya countered without missing a beat. "The info, Chief."
Sighing, the Chief made himself comfortable in his chair. "I don't know as much as you think, child." He was starting to sound more like his sober self again. "But... you of all people should have guessed by now that my dark lady's only goal in her long-lived life is power. She has yearned for it since the day she was hatched. It is part of her nature."
Hatched? Now that's interesting. Her species looks more mammalian than anything else.
"For a while now, my Lady has been doing all that she can to gain more and more power," the Chief continued, visibly sweating. It was commonly said that Kafara had eyes and ears everywhere, and the Chief knew that his quarters were unlikely to be an exception. Chaya, however, believed in no such thing, and, as such, beckoned the alien to speak once more. "From what I've heard from her personally and from the Head Technician Niifa, Lady Kafara has been having them build an inter-universal transportation device. I don't know the details. But what I do know is that Niifa and her team had nearly completed the machinery when the Lady ordered them to put their project on halt and focus on something else."
"Which was?" Chaya pressed.
"I don't know. Mind you, this is rather recent, and I haven't spoken to the Head Technician since she received that new assignment. She's been working day and night on it, along with her team. If I have a penny for every time I heard Moblit complain - "
"Back on topic, Chief. I want to know about the Vessel."
"Right..." The Chief grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and started dabbing his perspiration away as if he were some fine lady. "The Vessel... First, I would need to explain how Lady Kafara... gains her power... I am one of the few she has entrusted this information with." His dabbing grew frantic. "And I'm giving it all away...! Because of some slip of the tongue...!"
Chaya smirked. I am having way too much fun holding this over his head. "Please do continue, Chief." Serves you right for taking the credit for my handiwork and drinking yourself to death. Hmm... It'd be interesting to know how she gains so much power in such a short amount of time. Every single day, her power level grows and grows. It's impossible even for a saiyan with an extreme zenkai boost to gain power so quickly!
The Chief leaned forward across his table. Chaya followed suit. Then he murmured, "My Lady is... unique. She... To put it into perspective, she is akin to a parasite."
"She latches onto someone and feeds off their power?"
The Chief hissed at her. "Be quiet! And to answer your inquiry, no, not quite. But you're close. Lady Kafara has the ability to gain an individual's power and memories by... sucking their blood. It could be a mere drop or the whole body could be sucked dry. Either way, the unfortunate's abilities will be passed onto her." His voice grew hoarse. "And... There are rumors that she may be a skinshifter. Either that, or her appearance changes every so slightly each time she gains a new ability. From what I've seen, it's likely the latter."
"And the Vessel?"
"My Lady seeks a body which is capable of godly power. She plans to suck it dry and add that power to her own. I don't know anything else... I swear!"
But Chaya only nodded. "You've given me more information than I expected." She cocked her head, her eyes saddening ever so slightly. "Try to be quiet about it."
The Chief let out a bitter laugh. "What other choice do I have? At least let me have one last drink." Without waiting for an answer, he chugged down the rest of his moonshine before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I hate you, you demon beast. You brought this upon me."
"You brought it upon yourself, you fool. People like you always get your comeuppance. Like I said, try to be quiet about it."
"No problem, you cranky bitch..." His words grew slurred and uncouth. "I hate you. I hate youu..." He moaned and grasped his inflated head between his sausage-like fingers. "Youu..." The Chief chuckled dryly. "I should make it loud just to spite you. But... taking one's own life always is a quiet affair, isn't it? And right after a promotion too..."
Chaya got up from her seat in front of the Chief's table and let herself out. "Too bad. Make sure you're dead by tonight. Otherwise, she'll come after you and make your death ten times worse. We both know that."
"And you? What will she do to you?"
"... Don't worry about me. I'm just curious. She knows I'm loyal to her no matter what. She'll be forced to promote me to keep me close."
"All this from a bloody fucking promotion?! You insolent whore! The devil's whore!"
Chaya simply gave him a wicked grin, his insults bouncing off her like a weak chi blast on klangite. "It's been nice knowing you, Chief."
xXx
It was not hard to seek the demon out for Caulifla. The witch had conveniently docked her gigantic ship on Sadala just days ago. Strangely enough, Caulifla could detect absolutely no life occupying the ship - either Kafara was the only occupant and had somehow managed to mask her power level or the ship was fitted with chi blocking devices. Frankly, Caulifla opted in favor for the latter.
Miraculously, she had traveled halfway across the planet with no one going after her. Not Kale, not Cabba; not even Goku had followed her. Now, she stood beneath where the ship was anchored, her sharp features sliding in and out of view as the ship's shadow moved back and forth, wondering how long it'd be before her cadre would come rushing to her rescue only to find her either dead or bound to Kafara.
Something moved and Caulifla lashed out - the closest being found himself falling backward into shrubbery as Caulifla's finger beam pierced his heart, ensuring no chance of survival. She raised her eyebrow as she regarded the armed soldiers surrounding her. Their power levels were pathetic. "So this is my welcoming committee, huh?"
An alien with several antennae, the only one not wearing a helmet, lifted his ray gun at her. "H-halt! We've been ordered to bring you before Our Lady...!"
"Figures." Her energy flared before stabilizing. When the guards closed in on her she shifted her weight, making them halt in alarm. "What are you doing?"
One of them held out a metal band. "We... We were ordered to apprehend you properly. You'll need to wear this before we enter the ship."
Caulifla scowled at him. "And where is the head honcho, huh? It's insulting really... To have bugs like you arrest me. You could at least do it right, you know. I am fully capable of wiping out all of your forces."
"She's bluffing!" Someone blurted, cocking his gun. "Don't be discouraged...!"
They can't sense power level, Caulifla realized. Though she was keeping hers suppressed, it was still higher than all of theirs by leaps and bounds, despite the soldiers' chi signatures being a little... hazy. An even fiercer scowl decorated her face. It was a mockery, sending these low level soldiers to apprehend her. Kafara could have at least sent people of higher caliber - a force that could at the very least detect chi!
One guard, who was still young by the sounds of his unbroken voice, panicked and fired something at Caulifla. "Sc-screw this! Hyaaahh!"
"Wesson, no!"
"Sh-shut up, Rallo!" He kept on firing until the machinery overheated and burned his hands. "G-gyahh!"
In a flash, Caulifla was up in their faces and ripping off their helmets. Two young faces stared back at her. "What?" Caulifla all but snarled, picking them both up before throwing them to the ground. "Children? They sent fucking children?!"
By now, all the other guards were moving in toward her, their goal of apprehending her thrown out the window in favor of a full on assault. With an invisible chi blast, Caulifla sent their helmets flying off. All of them were adults. Without any hesitation, she launched a massive attack at them disintegrating all of them in one blow. When the smoke faded, they were little more than space dust. Smoothly, Caulifla turned back to Rallo and Wesson.
"She killed them," Wesson was babbling, trembling violently, a dark stain appearing on the front of his pants. "S-she killed all of them... Even the new Commandant!"
"Shut up!" Rallo screamed, hysterical as his bladder also loosened. "Shut up!"
Caulifla looked down at them without a trace of pity in her eyes. "Who are you?"
"Uhh?!"
Growling, Caulifla squatted so that she was at their level. She would have to be gentler. "You're aligned with the Empire..." She eyed the emblem printed on their chest armor. "I can tell that much. But what are kids like you doing in an army circuit of all things?" They haven't even hit puberty yet... They can't possibly be trainees! ... Right?
"W-we're part of Squad 7 and 8," Rallo stammered out, being the first to recover. "Well... we were until you... uh-uhh..." He swallowed. "W-we a-are trainees of the 375th Training Corps... Th-this was our second time out on the field f-for experience...!" He bowed his head. "We haven't graduated yet! I-I swear! Don't kill us!"
"364th."
"H-huh?!" Wesson blurted, whimpering when Caulifla turned her gaze to him.
"I was part of the 364th Training Corps," Caulifla enunciated slowly. She frowned in displeasure. "Looks like the quality dropped. Answer me this: Why can't I feel your chi signatures too well? It's all distorted, you know?"
Rallo pulled up his sleeve with one quivering hand and showed her the same metal band that they had planned to make her wear wrapped around his wrist. "Ch-chi suppressors..." He smacked his lips to rid himself of the dryness in his mouth. "Uhh-um, I'm not really sure how it works... But, ah, it's like... Controls our energy. Let's us release it w-when we n-need it... I don't know..."
"You and your big mouth."
Caulifla choked in surprise as something cold fastened around her neck, spikes digging into certain places, inches away from all her important arteries before shirking back into tiny recesses. Instantly, she felt her power disappear. She'd let her guard down. She'd let her guard down and now she'd be put down by whatever had caught her. But how?! I never even sensed her coming... Then she recalled the explanation Rallo had given her just moments ago.
"Don't bother," the voice, low and feminine, drawled, Caulifla desperately trying to tip her head back to identify the stranger. "The needles inside the collar have spiked you with a powerful paralyzing drug." They forced Caulifla to kneel in front of the terrified trainees, who were staring wide-eyed at whoever stood over the weakened saiyan. "I gotta say... I was expecting something more from the Vessel. Rallo!"
The boy jumped. "Y-yes, Captain?"
"You talk too much... Go back into the ship and clean yourselves up." Her voice grew gentler. "Please, you two... I don't want anymore kids getting hurt."
Soft spot for children. Caulifla tucked that bit of information away as her mind grew fuzzy, the drug coursing through her body. She tried to smile, as if the action would help her accept the fate that she had chosen for herself. What is she going to do to me? Vessel? What...? Against her will, Caulifla's eyelids drooped sleepily. "It's all for you..."
That female voice sounded again, this time closer than Caulifla would have liked. "Hey. Hey, what are you saying, Vessel? It's not time for last words yet, you know." She kicked Caulifla in the side.
"...Rutah..." God fucking damn it, I wish you died that night so we could both be safe. I wish I could hate you. But that's impossible and I'm a liar when I say I want you dead.
xXx
"Rutah?" The name rolled off Chaya's tongue. "That's a saiyan name..."
"Penny for your thoughts, Captain?" Leycee said, holding up Caulifla's limp body with the little skill he had with telekinesis. He was tense, and not just from the energy he was exerting just by floating Caulifla alongside them. He knew that he was treading on thin ice here. Around him, all his squadmates stiffened, as if sensing the tension.
"Nothing," Chaya said shortly, briefly sparing Leycee a glance. "Any word on Cody's condition?"
"He's stable," Leycee told her, not bothering to elaborate. "The nurse shooed me away before I could ask about anything else."
"Damn, what did you do to him, Captain?" A zoorian taking the form of an anthropomorphic avian squawked, shaking her head. "I passed by the infirmary yesterday and all I could hear was dry retching."
"You know why already, Petra*," Chaya snapped, irritable. "His stomach didn't react well with the solution." She passed a hand through her hair. "Cody's a good kid. He deserves to know the beauty in the universe and I wanted to show him Xandonia's moon. It was a emotionally clouded decision, alright?"
Petra put her talons up in surrender. "Right."
"Why do you care so much, Petra?" Another member of Chaya's squad, a tarrok called Maku, wondered. "Is it because he's zoorian too?"
"Care? Of course not." Petra glanced at her teammate, her eyes carrying a flicker of annoyance. "He's part of the mammalian population. I'm part of the esteemed avians. I have no attachment to... Cody." It was not a kind emphasis she put on his name.
"Keep your beak shut, Petra," growled Chaya, making the avian flinch. "If you know what's good for you."
"Yes sir."
Chaya's squad walked down the ship's winding hallways confidently, as if they'd walked the same path hundreds of other times before - which they had. Their leader stopped.
"You're all dismissed. Tend to your own missions. I have something to attend to."
"Yes sir," all of them said woodenly, as if they were reciting something off a paper.
Once they dispersed, Chaya made her way down to the kitchens, pushing open the doors without hesitation and plopping down on the table.
"Yo," River said, holding a pot of steaming soup. "Wanna talk about it?"
"No."
He clicked his tongue. "'Kay."
xXx
The curtains blew in the wind ominously as Goku stared blankly at the empty bed. She was gone. But why? Why would she leave? And how did we not sense her? His head throbbed. There were too many unanswered questions for his liking and he was aware that he didn't have the mental capabilities to ponder about all of them. He could vaguely hear Cabba and Kale speaking downstairs through the thin walls.
"You didn't see her leave?" That was Cabba, sounding disbelieving.
"N-no! I-I didn't... I swear...!"
She's lying, some instinct inside Goku screamed. Every word she spoke was sending alarm bells off in his head. But what was wrong? Kale was just being Kale. More worried entered his heart and he curled his hands into fists.
"I didn't see her," Kale insisted, her voice more quiet this time. "I was asleep... I'm sorry, Cabba." She sounded like she was about to burst into loud hu-hu-hu tears. "P-please don't be mad... I... I don't want to fight..." A sniffle. "Please."
Her power level had disappeared off the planet as soon as he realized that she was gone. It was as if there had been a cloak around their own senses before it had finally been removed. And when that cloak was shed, Caulifla had vanished into the night without even a written note or message.
Come back, Goku pleaded silently. Where are you? It was as if a light in the dark universe had been turned off. Now all that remained were icy depths. His questioned changed. How do I find you? Do you want to be found? How are we going to stop Kafara if we're not here? We need you!
He frowned. That last thought didn't sit well with him. Downstairs, the voices started up again.
"Where's the boss?" Someone unfamiliar asked - likely one of Caulifla's gang members.
"Oh, A-Ayote," Goku heard Kale stammer out. "She, um... Had errands to run. She won't be back for a while..."
"A long while," Cabba added for good measure. "Don't expect her back soon."
Their combined answers seemed to satisfy the gang member. Ayote's stomping footsteps carried away into the distance and Kale and Cabba's voices grew hushed once more.
"I'll find you," Goku promised to the darkness in the room. A fire lit up in his eyes as the prospect of a challenging fight entered his mind. "Heh. They must have been pretty powerful... Kafara, I'll bet." But she left willingly. Goku knew that much. Mind control? Or... The sketch of the strange female saiyan Kafara had provided them with was recalled. Who is she? She means something to Caulifla, doesn't she? "We'll fight her together," Goku declared, a smirk growing on his face. "And she won't be able to stop us."