A/N: Ack, finally. I'm sorry if this is not so top quality. Since another chapter was in demand over on Fanfiction.net I slaved over this and, well... just read it, I guess. This story is (obviously) cross-posted on Fanfiction.net (caught up and everything), so if you prefer that site over Wattpad, then go over there and read.
Thanks for supporting this story.
Also, I would like to state that "The First day" by The Rock Diamond is now what I consider the 'official' theme song of this fic. Give it a listen if you want
xXx
Raidashi yawned, having worked long into the night on multiple assignments given to her by the Commander of the Sadala Defense Forces as well as having started on investigating the things Cabba had left her.
How bothersome... that shrimp is lucky that I like him. Annoying bastard.
There was not much to report on the ashes on the kettle. But if the encyclopedia stored inside her brain was correct, they were reminiscent of the remnants of fire spells that had once been used by an ancient vampiric race in North Galaxy. The only way to confirm her loose theory was to do some DNA testing, something that she wasn't really in the mood to do. Not when all she wanted to do was take a bloody nap.
Lethargically, she grabbed a pencil and started to scrawl down all the notes she had on the ashes so far, including a reminder to test the sample tomorrow when there was actually sunlight and she was not on her last legs.
Then, absurdly bored, she folded her notes into a paper airplane and tossed it across her office. It landed in a dusty old corner and she groaned, unwilling to get off her ass and fetch the damn thing.
Enough thinking. I need some sleep.
Yeesh, she was so tired that she was starting to see green.
Raidashi blinked. The walls of her dark room were tinged with that same green. She rubbed her eyes.
What the hell? Am I hallucinating or something?
A gentle footfall reached her ears and she stiffened. Ever so slowly, she swivelled around in her chair.
A menacing visage grinned back at her.
"Hello, Raidashi. Remember me?"
What?! Who the hell is this?!
The glowing female warrior, her hair jutting out in all sorts of directions, smirked. "I thought not. Let this be a reminder for you..." She lifted her hand, a green energy ball forming in her palm.
"No!" Raidashi shrieked, standing up and pressing herself against her desk. "Don't kill me! You can't!"
"Oh? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you, worm."
"B-because I'm the backbone of the defense force! Without me, they are nothing!"
The energy dissipated and the muscly she-ra simpered. "Oh my... that would be a shame..." The energy reformed in her hand twice as fast as before. "Bye, bye!"
Raidashi's dying screams faded away as she was obliterated.
xXx
"Careful, careful!" Niifa snapped, gripping the scalpel with a considerable amount of strength. "She may be saiyan but her organs are fine and delicate! Which includes her brain."
"Sorry," Muto apologized, uncharacteristically serious as he split the patient's skull open with a sharp, whirring blade.
"Stimulating sensory calmness needed to attain form..."
"Who's holding the destruction chi?"
"I am, Squad Leader."
"Hand it over."
"FUCK! Her heart is beating irregularly!"
"Stop the procedure immediately and administer an appropriate dose of medicine!"
xXx
"Haah!" Goku punched the air with a mighty force, the high gravity levels of the room pushing down on him. He smirked. So this is how Vegeta feels...
"Um, excuse me..."
Wiping the sweat of his forehead with a rough towel, Goku turned to face a terrified-looking servant that was reminiscent of a pterodactyl.
"You've been here for almost four hours," the servant said, gulping. "There are other trainees that need to use this facility."
"Oh, okay." Goku marched over to the controls and turned off the gravity, holding an apologetic arm up to the servant. "Sorry for taking so long." He grinned. "Phew, I'm beat. Time for a snack."
"Uhh, yes... Would you like me to fetch some food for you...?"
"Nah, I'm good. I know where all the good grub is."
"If you say so, sir."
As Goku made his way down to the kitchens, where he was sure the faeries would welcome him with open arms (and exasperated sighs), a hooded figure brushed past him in the hallway.
Being cloaked, their appearance was wholly unimpressive, but Goku could have sworn that their power was familiar. Frowning contemplatively, he turned back and called out to them, "Hey!"
The figure halted in their tracks, their head tilting slightly. "Yes?" The voice was rough and female.
Weird... I could have sworn that I know her. But, thanks to the strange bands pretty much everyone on the ship wore, the person's power level was undeniably warped in one way or another. Goku didn't waste any time cutting to the chase. "Have I seen you someplace before?"
"Yes," the female drawled. "That's why I don't go there anymore. If you're trying to flirt, just give it up."
Goku shook his head. "You just seem familiar, that's all." But I just can't put my finger on it...
"Tch. Whatever. Is that all you wanted to say to me? My boss is expecting me, Son Goku."
He blinked. 'You know my name?"
She snorted. "Who doesn't? You and that pretty boy Bijou are this week's talk." Without waiting for a reply, she stalked off, her cloak flapping behind her, revealing a set of muscular calves.
"Yeesh, someone's moody."
Goku had nearly reached the kitchens when he ran right into the back of a familiar saiyan.
"Oh, sorry about that, buddy—" Goku cut himself off, smiling when he realized just who he had collided with. "Hey, Chaya! Are you going to the kitchens?"
Chaya nodded shortly, her lips pursed. "I am. Would it be wishful thinking to hope that you aren't doing the same?"
Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hehe... you know me so well."
She rolled her eyes but didn't complain as Goku sidled alongside her. "You're a saiyan. All you think about is food, sex and fighting."
"You're saiyan too," said Goku, not really liking how she grouped all saiyans into one category. "Do you think about those things as well?"
"... Not all the time," she admitted, flushing slightly. "But don't expect me to apologize. I wasn't raised like your typical saiyan. I've never even set foot on my homeworld before."
"Me neither," Goku said easily.
"Oh. You mentioned something about being raised on a planet called Earth, right?"
"Uh huh. I was sent there on a mission as a kid but I ended up being dropped on the head." He laughed. "I lost all my memories of the mission so I made myself at home instead."
Chaya sweatdropped. "It's really nothing to laugh about..." She cleared her throat. "I guess we're more alike than I first anticipated..." She crossed her arms and frowned. "Tell me, Goku, what are the saiyans like back at Sadala?"
They entered the kitchen, where they received a warm welcome. After making some idle small talk, Chaya and Goku sat opposite each other on the wooden table.
"I don't know many saiyans," Goku answered, "but I can talk about the ones that I do know. It's not all food, fighting and sex, you know. Each saiyan..." He faltered. "... Is different."
"Different? How so? Like in their personalities?"
"Yeah, I guess. They can be nice, mean, or somewhere in between." He chuckled at the rhyme before continuing, "There's Vegeta, first of all. He lives on Earth with me." He nearly revealed to her that he was a prince before choosing to omit that little fact. "He's kinda prickly but once you get to know him more, he's great." Well, as great as Vegeta could get anyway. "Don't tell him I said this, but he's a huge softie whenever Bulma's around."
"Bulma? Who is this Bulma?"
"Vegeta's wife—er, mate—and one of my best friends. Out of all of us, she's the only one that can match his fiery personality."
"She must be very strong," Chaya commented, thanking Gammy when she set down two bowls of delicious smelling stew in front of them. "To tame a saiyan."
"Ah, about that... she's human, so she's not strong at all. Well, physically, anyway."
"What?" Chaya raised an eyebrow. "And... this Vegeta... just lets her push him around when she doesn't have any strength to back it up? How unsaiyan like. Was he raised on Earth as well?"
"Saiyans like strong-willed mates," Goku said offhandedly. "And nah, he wasn't. But 'nuff about Vegeta." He's not even from this universe.
"Then who shall we talk about next?"
"Caulifla," Goku said immediately, remembering that Chaya held some sort of connection to Caulifla if the freshly scrawled picture in Parsley's diary was any indication.
Instantly, Chaya's gaze flattened. "Why? What's there to know about her? Don't tell me you're going to retell your love story or something—"
"You asked for it, so drop the attitude," Goku said evenly.
"I don't want to talk about Caulifla," Chaya said petulantly, folding her arms and turning her nose up at him.
Goku sweatdropped at her stubbornness. She's not going to change her mind anytime soon. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself then?"
"Huh? Why should I?"
"I told you about Vegeta and you know where I come from," Goku pointed out. "It's only fair."
"... Fine. Where do I begin?"
"Maybe from the beginning?" River snarked as he walked by with a pot of dishwater in his arms.
"Shut up, River, or I'll trip you."
"Ack! Okay, okay, I get it."
"There's not much to say about myself," Chaya admitted, propping her head on her hand. "I was born on Planet Sadala but raised on the ship. Lady Kafara... treated me with kindness when she was still Frost's lieutenant. I don't know why she got crueller as I grew older. I don't know if it's because of my past closeness with the lady... but sometimes, she shows me things."
"What kind of things?" Goku queried.
By now, pretty much everyone was listening in. They hadn't yet had the opportunity to hear Chaya talk about herself, surprisingly enough. The topic simply just never came up in any kind of conversation.
"Things that I shouldn't remember," Chaya answered, tapping her fingers on the wood of the tabletop. "Because I would have been way too young at the time she remember them. It makes me think... that she got close to me on purpose so she could fill my head with those memories. I don't know if they're real or fake, so don't ask. The Lady is a master manipulator."
"Wasn't going to." So Kafara can fabricate memories, huh?
"Anyway... those memories are probably the only things worth talking about."
Goku leaned forward in anticipation.
xXx
"Waaahh!" a young girl with spikes that defied gravity screamed, thrashing in the arms of Sadalan authorities. "Let me go! Big brother! Big brother, help me! Where are you?!"
"Little girl, calm down!" one official said sharply, grimacing when she landed a punch to his face. "We have the situation under control."
"What happened to my mom and dad?!" she shrieked, continuing to fight. "Mommmy! Dadddy!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake." One of them slapped her in the face and she fell quiet, her entire body quaking.
"Shh, shh," one female official said, taking her into her arms and bouncing her up and down. "It's okay. We've got you now. You're safe."
Whimpering, the little girl buried her face into the crook of the other female's neck, her shivering growing increasingly violent. "B-big brother..."
"Is also safe," the woman lied, her brows knitting together.
"O-okay..." Her breath hitched. "O-okay..."
"She's in shock," said one saiyan. "Get her a dose of meds immediately."
"I'm on it."
The girl disappeared into the back of a truck.
Nearby, two female saiyans were having a hushed conversation. They too were dressed in a uniform, signifying their alliance with the Sadalan forces.
"Have you seen the bodies?"
"Y-yeah... how could a saiyan possibly do that to their own kind?" She shivered and her coworker patted her back sympathetically. "It was so gruesome. Especially the female's." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "She was pregnant."
"What?! Seriously? What happened to the baby?"
"Torn out of the womb," the female said curtly, passing her hand through her messy black locks. She tilted her head back to look up at the rising sun, the action accentuating the dark circles around and under her almond-shaped eyes.
"Oh my god... Is... it dead?"
"Dunno. We couldn't find the thing anywhere. The murderer probably took it and dumped it somewhere."
"Yeah..."
xXx
"Is that it?" Goku asked when she finished.
"Didn't say I was going to tell you everything," Chaya pointed out, looking slightly pale. She stood up. "I'm done here. Thanks for the food, Gammy."
"No problem, sugar cube. Where you going? You normally never leave us this early."
"I just have things to do. I'll see you tomorrow."
She exited through the double-doors, leaving Goku and company dumbfounded.
xXx
They were nearly there. They were so close to making her the ultimate life form and saving their own skins from Kafara's wrath.
But, dammit, Caulifla was still mortal and if they didn't take a break on their experiments now, she'd be dead within an hour. They shoved her, still unconscious and strapped to the operating table, into a preservation chamber.
They were cleaning up when a the doors opened. They froze before relaxing.
"Evening," Chaya greeted curtly as she stepped into the lab.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Niifa said snippishly. "You're so dirty, you filthy ape! Get out of here!"
"No. Not until I see the Wraith."
"Oh for god's sake, another fan?"
Chaya smirked cruelly. "Not exactly. Just let me see her and I'll be off to bed. Please," she added as an afterthought. "I'm not going to do anything to her. I value my life too, you know. But since I was directly involved in her capture, you might say that I have a certain... authority."
"You have absolutely zero authority," Niifa stated bluntly, peeling off her bloody arm-length gloves. As they snapped off, they made a sound that was far too wet for Chaya's comfort. "But I'm tired and I want a drink. Take a look if you want. She's in the glass chamber over there. Try to avoid touching anything, saiyan."
"Duly noted, zoorian."
As the scientists—technicians?—continued to pack up, Chaya glared through the glass as she laid her eyes on Caulifla's calm, smooth face, free of any anger or maliciousness.
How disgusting. That villains like her look like angels when robbed of their consciousness. She smiled wryly. Then again, who am I to talk? She lifted her arm and pressed her palm onto the glass.
Chaya had many regrets in her life. One of those many regrets was revisiting those ancient memories that Kafara had planted in her head before their grew apart.
How could I be so stupid? To fall to Son Goku's whims. He had made her comfortable before proceeding to extract that kind of sensitive information from her. Sure, it was just a personal thing but...
Her eyes gleamed.
Caulifla.
The screaming little girl flashed through her mind.
I remember who you are.
A pause.
I want to talk to you.
Another heartbeat passed by.
Sister.
She closed her eyes.
I am so fucking screwed.
xXx
A grin practically enveloped Kafara's entire bony face her latest puppet entered the room and bowed to her feet.
"Kale," Kafara said in lieu of greeting, crossing her legs. "You've finally come. Have you eliminated that annoying, interfering saiyan woman?"
"Yes, my lady."
"And that other one? Cabba, was it?"
"... Yes, my lady."
"Good. You've done very well, my dear. I shall call for you when I need you. Meanwhile, keep an eye on Son Goku. Do not let yourself be discovered."
"Yes, my lady."
"You're dismissed."
Kale bowed her head to Kafara one last time before shuffling away, pulling the hood of her cloak up as she did so. She was currently in a form somewhere between her base form and her beserker form, a form that could only be unlocked now that she had Kafara's claws hooked into her mind. The Dark Lady gave her a sort of calmness. The same sort of calmness needed to attain this in between form.
She smiled to herself, her eyes faraway.
Everything was going to plan.