What happened at Getsar...
Kakarotto stayed out of view. Enveloped in darkness, he could see her perfectly. She didn't have her scouter so there was no way she would detect him if he stayed in the shadows. He watched her with fond eyes. He had been doing so for weeks now… She was beautiful… To him, she was nothing short of perfect. He made sure that at every possible opportunity, he could be where she was to watch her and learn more about her. So far, he knew her name, age, date of birth, place of birth and rank as a fighter. Those were enough details for him to want her even more. He also knew she was friends with the future queen of Vegeta-sei… Although she nor the future queen herself knew that… He knew all her favourite training areas and sometimes went to watch, staying hidden of course… Even though he knew all of this, she didn't even know who he was… But he had to bide his time, pick the perfect moment… and she would be his…
Ikra pulled the remainder of her armour on. She had been training at this spot for a good couple of hours now… It had been dark when she started but now, the morning light filled the skies. Still, she needed to train more… Ikra had been incredibly disappointed when she was defeated in the tournament held for female fighters on Vegeta-sei to determine their rank. Since then, Ikra had been in strict training for almost two years. The last year or so was spent away from Vegeta-sei, whether it be helping the saiya-jins in battles on other planets or just conquering planets by her own will. Unfortunately, this meant Ikra hadn't seen her best friend in ages. She kept in contact via her scouter with her friend's younger brother though. He was a member of the Elite army and thanks to him, Ikra was able to keep up with the saiya-jin army and go to battle with them, increasing her power and skill with every battle. Also, it meant she could make sure Velvet was okay… Ikra pulled on her second glove and attached her scouter to her left ear. As soon as she lifted a hand to activate it, she heard something in the bushes a bit away. Ikra frowned. This happened every time and quite frankly, she was getting freaked out. She wandered over slowly and looked among the bushes but as always, nothing presented itself as a moving object. Ikra sighed before taking off. From behind the tree a little way away, Kakarotto looked out and watched her go with a sigh of relief. She was getting too close…
Kakarotto took off in the opposite direction from that Ikra went. He went to go see her for the last time for a while… The Elite army was going to be needed a lot since there was a tall list of planets to be conquered. Kakarotto never refused to help out. He and Prince Vegeta were always there to battle and improve their skills. Kakarotto hurried to the site of his pod and got it before setting the co-ordinates for the next planet. Getsar.
Ikra sat outside her pod, leaning against it. She twirled a small flower between her fingers as she hummed to herself. It was this year that the gathering on the night of the full moon occurred on Vegeta-sei… In fact, it was later that month… And she didn't have a mate yet… Ikra sighed loudly. With all the travelling she'd done, she at least expected some sort of suitable male to cross her path just once… But so far, zilch… Every male who tried to hit on her was arrogant… She cursed the fact that they were the only ones who felt brave enough to approach her. Ikra was scared out of her train of thought with a yelp as her communicator on her scouter beeped loudly. After calming down and picking herself off the ground with a bit of a nervous laugh, Ikra pressed the side of her scouter and it crackled loudly.
"Ikra here…"
"Ikra? It's Zephyr! Get your ass over to Getsar-sei!"
"Getsar-sei? What for?"
"It's all out war… Apparently, these guys are pretty tough… Prince Vegeta and a dozen other men have been trying to defeat them for two days now…"
"Really? Wow! These getsarians sound quite impressive! Alright, I'm already there…" Ikra smirked as she pressed the button again. She got up and hurried into her pod before setting the co-ordinates. At last… a challenge…
Kakarotto pulled himself out of his pod and flew out of the sizeable crater his pod had made on impact. He flew a good few metres in the air and looked around. Obviously, the ongoing battle had passed by here since the land was barren and there were a few corpses scattered here and there; saiya-jins and getsarians alike. Kakarotto pressed a button on the side of his scouter and activated it. It only took a matter of seconds for it to pick up the location of the rest of the Elite army. Kakarotto was quick to start flying in that direction. It didn't take long to reach them. Kakarotto landed right in the centre of the gathered saiya-jins. They were camping out in a forest and were in the middle of a meal ; probably some unfortunate getsarian village residents… Kakarotto looked around as he heard his name being called. He smiled as he recognised the male who shouted on him. He walked over.
"Well, Kakarotto… you took your time getting here…" Vegeta teased with a smirk. Kakarotto simply laughed as he sat beside his friend.
"Sorry… Did I miss anything?"
"Nah… It's sorta like a time-out for a little while… But the battle will resume before long…"
Vegeta sighed contentedly as he tossed away the remainders from his meal.
"So… Where were you anyway?"
"I was a little busy…"
"Checking up on your 'chick', eh?" Vegeta asked in a voice filled with amusement as he rubbed his elbow into Kakarotto's ribs playfully. Kakarotto pulled away and rolled his eyes.
"Vegeta, how many times do I have to tell you…?"
"I know, I know…" Vegeta smirked. "You know I'm just teasing you… so how is she?"
"As beautiful as ever…" Kakarotto smiled, a dreamy look crossing his face. Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"Geez, Kakarotto… How can you have such feelings for her if you've never talked to her?!" Vegeta asked with a bit of disbelief. Kakarotto shook out of his mini trance and shrugged with a smile.
"I dunno… There's just something about her…"
"Well, you wouldn't catch me chasing some… female about like some love-sick maniac…" Vegeta snorted as he took a drink from a flask of water. A grin passed over Kakarotto's face as he watched him.
"Oh yeah? What about Velvet?" Kakarotto sniggered. Vegeta nearly choked on his water and Kakarotto burst out laughing.
"Kakarotto! Shut up!" Vegeta snarled loudly as he whacked his friend over the head. It didn't calm Kakarotto's laughter. In fact, it made it worse…
"Awww! Vegeta's getting all embarrassed about his girl!!"
"She's NOT my girl!!" Vegeta yelled, his cheeks flushing with colour. Kakarotto was completely hysterical by this time.
"Maybe not, but I know fine well you want her to be!"
"At least I'm not stalking the girl I want as my mate! Unlike SOME people!" Vegeta growled as he crossed his arms. Kakarotto calmed down a bit.
"Ouch! Trying to hit me below the belt now…" He smirked. Vegeta simply turned away with another growl.
"You deserved it…"
"Oh come on, Vegeta! I'm just playing around... Why don't you just admit it? You really do like Vel-" Kakarotto was cut off as Vegeta clamped his hand over his mouth as he spotted another familiar figure sitting down a little way away. Vegeta took his hand away and snarled.
"Baka! Don't you know who that is?" Vegeta hissed as he nodded over to the figure. Kakarotto looked over and blinked a few times.
"Um… Your evil twin?" He asked with a bit of amusement. Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"Oh, haha… Seriously… That's Velvet-chan's brother…"
"Velvet-chan?! Did I hear you right?! Velvet-chan! Oh, I like that!" Kakarotto laughed. Vegeta's face flushed with colour as he stuttered to try and correct his slip-up, making Kakarotto laugh even more…
Ikra landed a few feet away from the crater she had just flown out of. She programmed her current co-ordinates into her scouter so she would remember where to find her pod when the battle was over. After that, Ikra pressed the intercom button.
"Zephyr? Hey Zephyr!"
"Yeah?" Came the crackling reply.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Use your scouter!" Zephyr whined. Ikra snarled.
"Don't start! Just tell me where you are!" Ikra yelled. She could practically see Zephyr cowering.
"Um… Co-ordinates… D36-12… It's a forest…"
"A forest? Why the hell are you in a forest?"
"We're having a break… We do need to eat, y'know…"
"Don't act smart…" Ikra growled. "Look, I'll be there as soon as I can… If the battle is gonna begin, contact me again…"
"Sure thing… I doubt it though… Don't worry, you'll be here in plenty time to kick some ass…"
"Thanks, Zephyr…" Ikra couldn't help but smile. She pressed the button again before entering the co-ordinates Zephyr had told her and taking off.
"So when are you gonna make your move?" Vegeta asked as he dodged a punch to the face. Kakarotto shrugged.
"I'm not sure…"
"Let's rest for a moment…" Vegeta suggested as he tried to catch his breath. Kakarotto nodded and sat down before flopping back onto the grass. Vegeta sat beside him.
"I'm weary already… And I haven't even started battle yet…"
"Yeah well… Maybe you should train more instead of eyeing up some girl… You're putting on weight!" Vegeta laughed as he rubbed a fist into Kakarotto's stomach. Kakarotto squirmed out of his reach and smiled.
"Hey… I'm not neglecting training at all… Maybe your eyes are going bad on ya!" Kakarotto joked. Vegeta just smiled.
"Nah… I'm sure of it.. You're getting chubby!" Vegeta teased with a laugh. Kakarotto growled and punched out at him. Vegeta dodged it and laughed more.
"Can we give up these jokes?"
"Alright…" Vegeta smiled. "And you didn't answer me…"
"Huh?"
"About when you're gonna make a move on this Ikra chick…"
"Hey! Do you mind not referring to her as that?!" Kakarotto snarled. Vegeta raised his hands in defence.
"Whoa! Sorry… Okay, when are you planning on making a move on Ikra?"
"I dunno… She doesn't even know who I am…" Kakarotto sighed. Vegeta frowned.
"Then make her know! Speak to her or something…"
"Easy for you to say… It's not you who has to do it…"
"Hey, Velvet-chan knows I want her as my mate… Plain and simple…"
"Velvet-chan again, eh?"
"Oh give it up!" Vegeta groaned. Kakarotto smiled.
"Fine…"
"Kakarotto, what would you do if she appeared here… right now?"
"I have no idea…" Kakarotto mused before grinning. "Probably walk on over and introduce myself… Casually, of course…"
"Of course…" Vegeta grinned. "What would you say to her?"
"I dunno… What do you think?" Kakarotto asked as he looked up at his friend. He instantly regretted asking as a grin crossed Vegeta's face.
"Hmmm… Maybe something like… 'Hey babe, fancy meeting later tonight for a bit of fun'? something like that… I can imagine you doing that!" Vegeta laughed. Kakarotto rolled his eyes.
"You're so… cheesy…"
"Cheesy?!" Vegeta looked shocked but grinned anyway. "I don't know what you mean…"
"Oh yeah, right! You say that to any girl and you'll come back with a handprint on your cheek!"
"Or maybe my ass…" Vegeta smirked. Kakarotto burst out laughing. Vegeta also joined in the laughter. They both shut up immediately as they heard someone land just a little way off. Both sat upright and watched as the bushes parted and a figure entered the area they were training in, their form shrouded in the darkness that the trees provided. Kakarotto's jaw hit the ground as the figure walked into a strip of light, revealing her features. Vegeta simply smirked.
"Well… what are the odds…?"
"Prince Vegeta?" Ikra asked with a bit of confusion. Vegeta stood up, a smirk still on his face. He looked down at Kakarotto, who seemed to have frozen completely in shock. Vegeta gave him a bit of a kick to try and wake him. When there was no response, Vegeta simply rolled his eyes and walked over to Ikra.
"Ikra-san, am I right?"
"Yes, Vegeta-san…" Ikra bowed deeply, causing Vegeta to smile a bit.
"Don't bother yourself, Ikra-san… only me and Kakarotto are here so you don't have to be so formal…" He said simply. Ikra looked up at him with a bit of confusion. Prince Vegeta was known as someone who enjoyed the respect his place in society rightly deserved… Still, she decided not to question him.
"Uh… I came here because I heard there was a battle…" Ikra told him, trying to ignore the fact that the other male was staring at her in disbelief.
"Your sources are indeed reliable… But the getsarians fled to try and regroup… It gives us time for a break…" Vegeta said almost conversationally. Ikra smiled.
"Yeah… Where are the other Elites?" Ikra asked. Vegeta motioned behind him.
"In that direction somewhere… Maybe you should join them…"
"Um, yeah… I think I will… thanks, Vegeta-san…" Ikra smiled again before walking off in the direction he had pointed. Vegeta watched her go before smiling and turning back to Kakarotto, who had truly achieved a look of something lifeless. Vegeta walked over and knocked on his head a few times. Kakarotto blinked before looking up at him.
"Tell me that didn't just happen…"
"It did… Ikra just walked up to us… Looks like she'll be joining us in battle…" Vegeta smirked as he turned to look at were she had exited from. He raised his eyebrows. "I gotta hand it to you, Kakarotto… She's quite a looker… I knew quite a bit about her but I've not seen her in ages… You picked quite a cutie…" Vegeta smiled. Kakarotto stood up beside him before smiling dreamily.
"Life… is definitely being kind to me…"
"Yeah… He was just kinda staring blankly at me though…" Ikra said quietly. Zephyr raised an eyebrow.
"Kakarotto-san? Hmm… Weird… Even weirder that Vegeta was so… nice to you…" Zephyr said in disbelief. Ikra nodded.
"Yeah, I thought that too…" Ikra frowned a little. "I dunno… Maybe he knows I'm friends with Velvet or something… so how is your sister?" Ikra asked, he frown fading. Zephyr smiled.
"She's fine… although she won't stop training… She's determined to beat the prince at the gathering... She still a couple of weeks left but she's going crazy with her training… She finally mastered 'Cosmic flare'…"
"Really? Wow… Cool!" Ikra laughed a bit. "She's been trying to master that for ages…"
"Yeah, well she finally managed… Nearly ridding me of my tail in the process…" Zephyr groaned. Ikra laughed again.
"Same old Velvet… Say… Why isn't she here right now?"
"Ah, something about not being able to leave the planet… that way she won't go and have any… flings… or something…" Zephyr shrugged. Ikra smirked.
"Knowing her, I'm not surprised they wanna keep an eye on her… but that must suck having to stay on Vegeta-sei…"
"Yeah… This is my last battle then I'm going home to help her train… Of course, she doesn't know that…"
"Aww… how sweet of you!" Ikra laughed as she ruffled Zephyr's hair. Zephyr whined and fixed his hair.
"Ikra! Geez… What is it with girls and doing that to me?!"
"You know we love ya really!" Ikra laughed as she pulled him into a headlock. Zephyr whined again as she messed up his already messy hair.
"Ikra!! Stop it!!"
"Go talk to her!" Vegeta said firmly. Kakarotto shook his head frantically.
"No chance!"
"Why the hell not?!"
"I just… I…" Kakarotto looked over at her as she talked with Zephyr. He sighed. Vegeta rolled his eyes and reached down for Kakarotto's tail before yanking a single hair out of it. Kakarotto yelped loudly and turned on Vegeta. He stopped as he heard a loud proclamation of;
"Well! If it isn't Ikra!!!" Kakarotto and Vegeta turned to see Ikra being confronted by a tall, blue haired saiya-jin female. Vegeta's jaw dropped.
"It's Sheikh! What is SHE doing here?!"
"Sheikh?" Kakarotto asked with a bit of confusion. Vegeta folded his arms as he watched the female saiya-jin with a devilish grin.
"That seductive little vixen is the second strongest female on Vegeta-sei…"
"Really? Her!?!" Kakarotto asked in surprise. Vegeta nodded.
"Yep… Velvet-chan was the only one able to beat her… Ikra was defeated by her sister, Violet, during the tournament…"
"I didn't think Ikra would have gone down at fifth like she did…" Kakarotto sighed. Vegeta nodded.
"You're not the only one… But Ikra had been injured before the battle… It was a wonder she made it past tenth place with three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder blade… But she did… Ikra's definitely no pushover… But then again, neither is Sheikh."
"Why is Sheikh bothering Ikra?"
"Well, Sheikh may be gorgeous to look at, but she's a vengeful and spiteful bitch… Ikra was the one who defeated and killed Violet, Sheikh's younger sister… I guess it's revenge or something… Sheikh hates every female on our planet simply because she sees them a some sort of threat… She absolutely detests Velvet but that's not a patch on the hatred she feels for Ikra…"
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be getting in our way…" Sheikh smirked. Ikra looked at her with complete and utter disinterest.
"Don't bother me, Sheikh… I have no intentions of challenging you…"
"Glad to see you know your place…" Sheikh spat. "But you're not getting away that easily…" she sneered. Ikra glared up at her before standing up to stare Sheikh right in the face.
"Is that so? Are you saying you want to challenge me right here and now when we're supposed to be preparing for battle just so you can try and show off? My, you really ARE a selfish bitch…" Ikra smirked. There was an uproar as Ikra suddenly went skidding along the ground a few feet away and everyone turned to see Sheikh standing upright from her punch. Ikra wiped her lip and smirked.
"Wanna say that again, you low life?" Sheikh snarled. Ikra stood up and laughed.
"That almost hurt… Maybe your sister was the weak one in the family.
"How DARE you mention her, you bitch…" Sheikh stalked over to Ikra so that their noses were almost touching. Sheikh was a little bit shorter so Ikra pleasured in looking down at her. Sheikh snorted. "You're not even worth my time…" Sheikh turned and stormed off. Ikra simply smirked.
"Baka…" She smiled to herself.
Vegeta and Kakarotto watched as Sheikh headed their way. Kakarotto looked back over at Ikra, who had rejoined Zephyr. Vegeta folded his arms as Sheikh walked right up to them, a smirk on her face.
"Well… Look who it is… Sorry you had to see that, Vegeta-san…"
"I didn't think you were so weak as to apologise, Sheikh… You're getting soft…" Vegeta sniggered. Sheikh rolled her eyes, her smirk fading to a simple smile.
"Oh Vegeta… such a comedian… And would this be Kakarotto?" She asked. Kakarotto looked at her and felt his stomach flutter. From a distance, she was cute but up close… She was nothing short of breathtaking… Sheikh smiled up at him as Vegeta spoke up.
"Kakarotto, this is Sheikh… as you know…" Vegeta said by way of formal introduction. Sheikh smiled.
"My… it seems that it is true that handsome men hang out with other handsome men… Why haven't you introduced us before?" Sheikh asked Vegeta. Vegeta smiled.
"You didn't ask…" He answered simply. Sheikh laughed a bit, making Kakarotto's stomach flutter again. He had no idea what it was, but something about this woman was so incredibly enticing… It made his legs feel like Jell-O… He looked over at Vegeta, who seemed perfectly relaxed in her presence… Despite his referral to her as a 'seductive little vixen'…
"He's quite the silent type, isn't he?" Sheikh said to Vegeta, who laughed.
"Not likely! Maybe he's just speechless in the presence of such a creature as yourself…" Vegeta smirked as he bowed deeply. Sheikh's cheeks reddened a little.
"Vegeta… you're such a sweet-talker…"
"I try…" Vegeta laughed as he stood up straight again. Sheikh smiled again.
"Well, I must take my leave for now… but I look forward to battling side-by-side with you both when the getsarians get their act together…"
"The pleasure is all ours…" Vegeta smiled. Sheikh shook her head as she walked closer to him before grabbing his chin and pulling his head down to whisper into his ear.
"No… It's all mine…" She purred. Kakarotto saw Vegeta take a sharp breath in as Sheikh let him go and stalked off. The two males looked at each other before breathing a sigh of relief.
"That woman is too much…" Vegeta said with a sigh. Kakarotto nodded, a bit relieved that he wasn't the only one affected by her charm. He just hoped she didn't mean anything by the handsome comment…
"Prince Vegeta… The getsarians have come out of hiding…"
"Excellent!" Vegeta smirked as he stood up. "Go tell everyone else… Tell them to suit up and prepare for an all-out battle!"
"Yes, Vegeta-san…" The saiya-jin bowed before hurrying off to carry out Vegeta's command. Kakarotto also stood up before cracking his knuckles.
"Alright! At last, a fight! I was beginning to think I'd came here just for a day out!"
"Haha! I can tell you're eager… You're already going arrogant on me!"
"Huh?" Kakarotto looked over at Vegeta before smirked. "Yeah… I guess I am…" He agreed with a laugh. Vegeta also laughed.
"All right then, let's go find those walking corpses…"
The Elites flew through the air, homing in on their target. There were thirty saiya-jins in total, Prince Vegeta included. Only three females and the rest males. It was the largest group of Elites ever used on such a small planet. Each saiya-jin wore their armour and scouters, their tails wrapped firmly around their waists. Vegeta was at the head of the group, Kakarotto at one side and Sheikh on the other. It didn't take long for Vegeta's scouter to detect the getsarians. With a smirk, he changed course and headed straight for the ground, landing in the middle of the huge field they were in. Vegeta stood up tall with his arms crossed across his chest as the rest of the Elites landed around him. Vegeta looked around.
"Kakarotto… Do you see them?"
"No… My scouter isn't picking them up either…"
"We know they're here though…" Sheikh said quietly as she stood beside Vegeta. There was a cry of pain and everyone turned to the owner of the cry. His leg had been blasted open by a powerful ki blast. Before anyone could attend to him, the entire army was surrounded by literally thousands of getsarian warriors. Vegeta smirked before launching himself into battle enthusiastically. The rest if the saiya-jins followed suit and an all-out brawl began.
Ikra dodged a ki blast before firing one back at a few getsarians. Zephyr skidded to a halt beside her before turning quickly and blasting all those behind him. Ikra smirked.
"Let's wipe a few of them out quickly…" She suggested. Zephyr nodded with a smirk. The two stood back to back and powered up. With a yell, their power exploded and vaporised all within a few feet.
"We have to be careful not to hit our own men… There's saiya-jins and getsarians everywhere!"
"Well, let's start getting serious about this…" Ikra snarled. She charged at one soldier, knocking him to the ground before spinning round to kick another in the jaw. Zephyr dashed the other way and flung himself into battle again. Ikra rammed the palm of her hand into one soldier's forehead, shattering his skull with the impact. She snarled as she was grabbed from behind in a vice grip whilst another proceeded to punch her in the face. Ikra yelled as her power flung the two off her. She dived at the one who had grabbed her and began punching him repeatedly. She was kicked hard in the side by a female soldier. Ikra scowled at the woman before driving her fist into her stomach. The woman took it easily before attacking Ikra full out. Ikra managed to block or avoid every attack that came her way. She cursed as another three soldiers jumped into help. Luckily, Ikra was on of the fastest saiya-jins on Vegeta-sei and managed to avoid the majority of the blows. Knowing that she couldn't hold them off for long, Ikra struck out at one. The others took immediate advantage, driving her to the ground as she was struck repeatedly. Ikra gritted her teeth as she was struck from all sides. She closed her eyes in pain as she was punched right in the shoulder. The attacks stopped with a few screams of pain. Ikra opened her eyes to see Kakarotto standing over her, his hand extended towards her. Ikra took it and he pulled her to his feet. With a smile and a nod of thanks, Ikra moved off to battle more soldiers. Kakarotto watched her with a sigh before his expression hardened and he went back to battle.
Ikra backed up as she dodged the attacks of a getsarian. It was obviously an Elite judging by his fighting skills. She cried out as she received a ki blast in the face, blinding her temporarily. Ikra grabbed onto the getsarian's shoulder as she fell back over some sort of bush. The alien let out a yelp as it and Ikra fell, tumbling down a steep hill. When they landed, Ikra managed to pin the soldier and punch through his skull. She stood up and brushed the dirt off herself before looking around. She didn't know where she was but it would be easy enough to fly back up… Ikra gasped as she noticed something out of place in the forest; a huge spaceship. Ikra walked over to it and called back up for another saiya-jin. She was surprised to see Kakarotto look over the slope.
"Ikra-san! What are you doing? The war's still on!"
"I know that! Just come here quickly!" She yelled back. Kakarotto looked around before leaping over the hedge and sliding down the slope. He jumped at the bottom and landed on his feet before walking over.
"Holy… what IS that?"
"Some sort of ship… Do you think we should check it out inside?"
"Probably… Let's go…" Kakarotto grabbed Ikra's hand and pulled her towards the ship. Kakarotto kept running right up to the door before drawing back his free hand and ramming his fist into the ship, blowing the door completely open. Ikra shielded her eyes as shrapnel flew everywhere as they ran inside. They stopped in the large hallway they had ran into.
"Geez, Kakarotto… You didn't have to blow the wall apart…" Ikra smirked. Kakarotto scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.
"I didn't think it would be that easy to open…"
"Well, we're in now so let's look around…"
"Split up?"
"Sure… I'll take this way… If you see anything, contact me through the scouter…" Ikra told him as she tapped her scouter, which was still intact. Kakarotto nodded.
"Okay… See ya later!" He waved as he turned and bolted down the corridor. Ikra watched him with a smile before running in the other direction.
Kakarotto slid to a halt as he came upon a massive door, reaching up to the ceiling. He looked up at it in awe.
"Whoa… Now that is one hell of a door…" He smirked as he drew back his fist. He punched the door and cried out in pain as he drew his fist back and cradled it gingerly, blowing on it to cool it down. "Geez! What the hell is that thing made of?! Poor hand.." He winced as he flexed his fingers. He tapped the door with his other hand before knocking it. It clanged loudly and the sound echoed through the corridor. Kakarotto looked up and saw a large metal hoop that served as a handle. He smiled and flew up before taking hold of it. With his foot resting on the wall, he pulled as hard as he could. The door creaked and screeched before opening a little. Kakarotto moved to the space and pushed it open so he could get through. When he went inside, it was pitch black and he could see an inch in front of him. Kakarotto concentrated some of his energy into a small ball in his hand to provide light. His mouth fell open as he looked around; a torture room. Kakarotto gulped as he eyed some of the weapons. "Oh whoa… I wouldn't like to be brought in here by though getsarian lunatics…" He trailed off as he saw a large, metal table with a body on it. Kakarotto wrinkled his nose and walked over to it. He recognised the alien. "A yardrat-sei-jin…" He whispered as he wiped some of the blood from it's face to make sure. He yelped as it's eyes slowly opened. A strangled gasp escaped it's throat.
"A… saiya… jin…" It said hoarsely. Kakarotto could tell that the creature was close to death.
"It's look like you weren't exactly a favourite around here…" Kakarotto said quietly as he looked the creature up and down. It's clothes were torn which showed the harsh treatment the alien had been through. Blood soaked the remainder of it's clothes and every inch of it's skin showed some sort of cut or burn. Kakarotto winced just looking at it.
"Are… the saiya-jins… battling… the… getsarians…?"
"Yes… As we speak in fact…"
"I hope… you… kill each… and every… one of… them…" The yardrat-sei-jin coughed up some blood and spat it to the side. Kakarotto frowned.
"What did you do wrong to receive the treatment you did?"
"We… have a… special attack… that they… wanted… I was… the one… they captured…"
"Oh? What attack was that?"
"The… Shukdan… Idou…"
"Shukdan Idou?! You can't be serious…"
"Yes… It is… very valuable…" The yardrat-sei-jin smirked a bit. Kakarotto watched as the creature reached up for him and grabbed his arm. Despite it's condition, it's grip was like a vice but Kakarotto remained still. He gasped as the alien screamed and his body was shaken violently. They both began to glow with an eerie blue light and Kakarotto fell to the ground, winded. He gasped deeply.
"What did you do to me?!" Kakarotto gasped, his eyes wide as he looked up at the creature. It smiled.
"You… have the power… to use… Shukdan Idou…"
"What?! How does it work?"
"Raise… two fingers… to your… forehead… and use… your… senses to…" The creature trailed off as it's eyes fell shut and it's body went limp. Kakarotto stood up and looked down at the yardrat-sei-jin, a solemn expression on his face. He looked down at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them.
"Shukdan Idou… I might as well try it…" He said quietly. Kakarotto raised two fingers to his forehead and tried to concentrate. His head began to ache and he was suddenly aware of everyone's presence around him. He let his hand drop as he fell to his knee, gripping his head in confusion. "What the hell is this?! I feel as though… Ugh…" Kakarotto reached a hand up to his scouter as everything started to go black. He banged the intercom as he blacked out completely.
Ikra continued walking along the corridor. She hadn't found a thing. Suddenly, her scouter bleeped loudly and began crackling. She reached up and pressed the intercom.
"Kakarotto? Hey Kakarotto! Are you there?!" Ikra scowled. She gaped as she heard a thud through her scouter. "He's injured! Dammit!" Ikra pressed the map button on her scouter and a digital map of the ship appeared on the eye piece. A dotted line ran through the corridors of the map and stopped at a red, flashing dot. Ikra looked around and using the map, ran in the direction of Kakarotto.
"Where they hell is Kakarotto!" Vegeta yelled as he killed yet another getsarian. Another saiya-jin called over.
"Last I saw, he was headed in that direction!" The saiya-jin pointed in the direction of the hedge Ikra had fallen over. Sheikh ran over to Vegeta.
"Stay here and keep fighting! I'll go find him…" She told Vegeta firmly before running off. Vegeta watched her with a scowl before going back to battle. Sheikh ran over to the hedge and leapt over it. She slid down the slope and landed gracefully at the bottom. As she spotted the ship, she pressed the map button on her scouter. Sure enough, Kakarotto was inside. Sheikh scowled as she realised Ikra was also inside. They were both approaching her slowly. Sheikh shut her scouter off and ran inside through the giant hole in the doorway. She didn't have to go far until she found them. Ikra was carrying Kakarotto on her back with his arms draped over her shoulders. He was unconscious.
"Sheikh?" Ikra asked in disbelief. Sheikh ran over.
"What the hell happened to him?"
"I don't know. We split up to search the space and then my intercom went off. He must have managed to press it before he blacked out…"
"Where did you find him?"
"In some torture room… Lying on the ground beside a metal table with a yardrat-sei-jin on it… I don't know what happened really…"
"Let's get him out of here…" Sheikh suggested. Ikra nodded and the two hurried out.
Ikra set him down gently. Sheikh knelt down beside her.
"Geez… Not a single injury… What could have done this?"
"I have no idea… but maybe one of us should keep an eye on him…"
"You're right… well… Have fun in battle!"
"What?! I'm not going!"
"Why not?"
"Because I want to make sure he's okay since I'm the one who brought him here!"
"Oh for god's sake…"
"Well you're supposedly the stronger warrior so you should go help…" Ikra snapped. Sheikh growled a little.
"Fine.. If anything goes wrong, contact me immediately… Got it?"
"You're not my boss… Just fuck off…" Ikra snarled. Sheikh got up and snarled back before turning and taking off to return to battle. Ikra smirked as she watched her go before turning back to Kakarotto, her expression softening. She detached his scouter and set it down beside her. Ikra smiled as she ran her fingers through his bangs, hoping he'd wake up soon…
"Well, let's get back to battle.." Kakarotto smiled as attached his scouter. Ikra nodded. The two took off and headed back for the battle. It was still going on and the number of getsarian corpses was overwhelming. Vegeta was still; fighting full out, thoroughly enjoying himself. Kakarotto landed beside him as did Ikra.
"So you finally woke up, you lazy bastard!" Vegeta laughed. Kakarotto smirked.
"And I'm not late for the party either… Now let's finish this once and for all…"
"Now you're talking my language…" Vegeta smirked.
"That took way too long… but it was a hell of a lot of fun!" Vegeta smirked as he dusted himself off after dropping the leader of the Elites to the ground, his neck snapped in several places. Kakarotto walked over.
"What a mess… Total carnage all around… Kinda makes ya feel all fuzzy inside…" He laughed. Vegeta also laughed. The saiya-jin army had only suffered two deaths and three serious injuries. Apart from that, everyone was fine. Ikra walked over to Vegeta and Kakarotto.
"Is this the last battle before the gathering?"
"Yes… no one else can leave the planet until after then…" Vegeta told her. "Now, everyone should just head back to Vegeta-sei… Is everyone here?"
"Yep…" Kakarotto nodded. "Everyone has headed home… Except Sheikh and Crystal…"
"Crystal was here?" Ikra asked. "I didn't recognise her… Where is she?"
"Dead…" An icy voice spoke. The three turned to see Sheikh approaching them., Crystal's body hanging limply in her arms. Sheikh's expression was cold and hard as she walked right up to Vegeta, Kakarotto and Ikra. Vegeta took Crystal from Sheikh and looked down at her with a sigh.
"Crystal… How did she die?"
"I'm not sure… I found her whilst I was looking for my scouter…" Sheikh told them. Vegeta frowned.
"She was the third strongest female on the planet after Violet died… Do you honestly expect me to believe she was killed so easily?"
"Prince Vegeta, I can't convince you to something I did not witness…"
"Sheikh… I can see right through your lies… you didn't lose your scouter and Crystal was still alive by the end of the battle… I saw her…" Vegeta scowled as he looked down at crystal again. Of all the females on Vegeta-sei, Crystal was the closest to Vegeta since he had met her as a child. She was one year older than he was and was a good friend. And now…
"Sheikh, what did you do to her?" Ikra snarled as she looked down at the female in Vegeta's arms. Ikra knelt beside the body and pushed her golden hair from her eyes. She had died from a broken neck. Nothing else. She hadn't been beaten or hit since her face still showed all the beauty she had always possessed. Sheikh shrugged.
"Nothing she didn't deserve…"
"What?!" Ikra stood up and turned to Sheikh, scowling. Sheikh smirked coldly.
"She was annoying me…"
"Annoying you! You absolute bitch!" Ikra yelled. Sheikh gasped as Ikra struck her, her face twisting painfully to the side as Ikra's fist made contact. Vegeta tried to hide a smirk.
"How dare you!" Sheikh roared as she held her cheek in pain. Ikra smirked as she let her fist drop.
"Make a move… please?"
"Hmph… There's no point… It'll hurt more at the gathering when I defeat you for Kakarotto…"
"What?" Ikra's smirk faded and Sheikh's returned.
"I know you want Kakarotto as your mate as much as I do… Let's just see if you can't beat me for him…"
"You're on..." Ikra smirked. Sheikh lifted her head high and walked off. Kakarotto stood watching with his mouth open in disbelief.
"Now wait a minute…"
"Oh be quiet…" Ikra smiled. Kakarotto closed his mouth as Vegeta stepped forward.
"Let's just get home… I want to bury Crystal on her home planet…" He said sadly. Kakarotto and Ikra looked at each other before looking back at Vegeta.
"Let's go…" Ikra nodded.
Ikra couldn't stop smiling as she programmed the co-ordinates for Vegeta-sei into her pod. Soon, Kakarotto would be her mate… And Sheikh would be out of her way for good… Ikra also couldn't wait to get home again since she hadn't even seen Vegeta-sei for over a year… It also meant seeing her best friend again. Ikra laughed to herself as she pictured Velvet's face when she arrived home. Zephyr had left Getsar early to get home and help Velvet train but he had promised not to tell Velvet. Ikra relaxed as her pod took off and started heading for Vegeta-sei. She leant back and smiled again. Although she was upset about Crystal's death, something good came out of it. She was now third strongest on Vegeta-sei and it would soon be second strongest… Ikra drifted into a peaceful sleep with that thought and awoke when she landed on Vegeta-sei. She left her pod and smiled as she floated into the air. She looked around as she flew up to a cliff that over looked that landing site. She could see Vegeta and Kakarotto at their pods, attending to Crystal's body. Vegeta left with her in his arms and Kakarotto remained where he was. Ikra smiled down at him as she looked around again. She turned in the other direction and sighed as she looked out over her home planet.
"Home at last!" Ikra laughed happily. She raised a hand to her scouter. "Now.. to find Velvet…"