Moon's Blessing

Chapter 4

Scowling, Vegeta put his boot through the already dead alien’s head, ignoring the liquid that splattered up to sprinkle his gore-covered boots. He sneered and turned to Radditz. “Well it’s dead now.”

“Yes, my lord.” Radditz sighed and looked out over the wasteland that had once been a planet. Much of the planet’s destruction had been the Prince’s doing. He sometimes had to be reminded that a planet was worth more whole. Radditz inwardly winced at the memories of those ‘lessons’.

When he’d first started this ‘assignment’ he hadn’t thought it would be too hard. After all, he was basically going to be watching over the Prince, who was quite capable of handling himself, while he learned valuable Princely things.

He’d made his reassessment of his ‘assignment’ as soon as they’d had their first meeting with Zarbon. Zarbon had informed them in a bored tone that Frieza was much too busy to bother tutoring ‘monkeys’. He’d started to go on with their instructions, but obviously the insult had been too much for Nappa. It’d been a lot for all of them, and Radditz had been sure the Prince would attack, but he’d strangely hesitated.

Radditz knew why now. That had been the first of two times that day that Nappa had his ass kicked. The next was after Zarbon had informed them that any further acts of disobedience would result in the Prince being punished. Vegeta-ouji had kicked Nappa’s ass the second time.

So the ‘lessons’ had begun. They basically included any task that Zarbon regulated to them. At first it was all simple jobs that were expected, things like listening in on delegations and watching the forming of treaties. Very soon though, it changed to ‘hard labor’, until it had become solely purges.

Radditz stepped quickly out of the way as the Prince moved past him, knowing from experience that no matter how much room there was it was always safer to just move.

The longer they were here, the more he’d noticed the Prince change. At first it hadn’t been noticeable. Their initial purge they’d all assumed was a one-time deal. Surely Vegeta-ouji couldn’t learn anything by going planet to planet and destroying people and land.

But the purges had continued, and they had even become harder. Sometimes Nappa and he had to be dragged back to the pods and taken to a nearby planet for recuperation. Sometimes the Prince would even walk away bloodied or broken.

As Radditz fell in behind Vegeta on their way back to the pods, he remembered that it wasn’t all just on purges that the Prince had seemed to change.

Zarbon’s comments not only continued, but also worsened. His superior attitude and cutting remarks on their ‘performance’ had worn away at all of them. But Vegeta-ouji had received the brunt of the treatment, as Zarbon would sometimes punish him. On rare occasions Frieza saw to the punishments himself.

Radditz didn’t know what the punishments entailed, but the Prince came back from those meetings with a tight lip and a glare that could cut through the metal walls of their rooms. Nappa and Radditz both stayed clear of him during those times. The same couldn’t be said of their unfortunate shipmates.

The only release any of them got was from killing or maiming anyone who was weak physically and stupid enough to taunt them. It usually came from drunkenness, but sometimes the aliens were just ignorant.

All of these things had combined to make Vegeta a short-tempered and bitter young man. He stalked through the corridors of Frieza’s ship, practically daring someone to make a move against him.

And yet Radditz knew he was watching out for those stronger than he was. He was almost fanatical about keeping tabs on anyone who outweighed him in strength. Constantly checking his scouter, he would keep a record of their power and then whatever he was gaining in power himself, only daring to face them when he exceeded them.

He had been very adamant that Radditz and Nappa not reveal that their power grew after each injury. Radditz feared though that they were being watched as closely as Vegeta-ouji watched others. It would be noticed; it was only a matter of time.

Radditz stepped into his pod without preamble, watching Nappa and Vegeta-ouji confer in front of their pods. It was no secret that he wasn’t privy to everything that happened. Radditz really doubted, however, that Nappa was privy to everything. He didn’t have a brain cell to spare for extraneous tasks like comprehending what he was hearing.

Leaning back in his pod, Radditz prepared himself for their return to the ship. It had been an entire year, in Saiyan time at least. It was once again time for the mooning, and Radditz was more than ready for a break.

He was glad Saiyans didn’t believe in a place of punishment after death like some races, because if anything was worse than this place, he didn’t want to know about it.

* * *

Turles grunted as he caught a heavy pack, grimacing at the grinning man who had thrown it at him. “I know you didn’t have this much when you left….”

“Oh, I brought back a few alien heads for you.”

The pack was quickly dropped and Turles sighed in exasperation. “In that case you can carry it.”

“Is this how you greet me after I’ve been gone for a whole year?”

Turles turned to walk into the kitchen and fix himself a drink. “What, did you expect me to throw my arms around you and kiss you?”

“Hey, I’m still newly arrived. We can do that one.”

Turles watched with wide eyes as Bardock continued on his task as if he hadn’t said anything. He was certain now that the other Saiyan was flirting with him. Bardock had been assigned to purges not long after Vegeta-ouji and Radditz had left. After a while, he’d been assigned commander of his own team. So Turles hadn’t gotten to see him a lot.

When he did come home for leave though he’d slowly and subtly thrown this or that comment toward Turles. It had taken him a while to catch on, but now he was certain he was being flirted with. And the timing couldn’t have been any worse….

In fact, as he walked behind Bardock into the kitchen, the pack forgotten on the entryway, he knew Bardock could smell it.

Turning with his drink in his hand, Bardock raised a brow at Turles. “Lot been going on since I’ve been gone?”

Turles gritted his teeth. “You can stop that. I know about it and I know you know about it.”

Bardock chuckled and drained his glass. “Know about it, eh? Does anyone else know about it?”

Shaking his head, Turles moved past Bardock to the sink, glad when the other moved so he didn’t have to brush up against him. “I haven’t been out.”

There was a brief pause before Bardock spoke up behind him. “Not everyone is like Radditz. There are some who would help you….”

“I wouldn’t— I know…. I’m just….”

“When the mooning begins, you’ll seek someone. It’s best if it’s someone you trust.”

Turles turned then, looking at Bardock who was seated at the kitchen table. “You…I mean…you’ve been…hinting….”

“Only hinting?” Bardock grinned. “I must be losing my touch.”

Turles couldn’t help relaxing a little bit. He knew Bardock. And he was right. He wasn’t Radditz “So…you’re….”

“Yeah.” Bardock grinned. “I won’t lie. I’d love to start now. But I’m patient. I’ll keep everyone off you and…we’ll get acquainted.”

Turles nodded and moved to the table, sitting across from Bardock. He drummed his fingers on the table and looked over at him. Bardock’s face was set seriously, the smile encouraging. “Um…why…are you doing this?”

“Truthfully?” Bardock’s smirk was as genuine and unsubtle as his words. “I’ve always been attracted to you. Well, maybe not when you were a cub, but you’ve well grown out of that.”

Turles took a drink of his water and only then realized how dry his throat was. “Attracted to…me?”

Bardock chuckled and nodded. “Oh don’t look so shocked. You are an attractive Saiyajin. My son may be a brusque and blunt barbarian but he was right to see what’s there. A lot have seen what’s there….”

Turles sat his cup down and moved it in his hands, around and around as he stared into it. “Vegeta ouji-sama will be back….”

Bardock nodded, his expression changing to a serious one. “I’ve heard…rumors about our prince.”

“We all have. They say he’s turned into—”

“But that doesn’t mean we should repeat those rumors.”

Turles swallowed back what he had been going to say. Instead he stared into his cup again with a furrowed brow.

“We are Saiyajin, Turles, and the Prince is the best of us. We have survived worse.”

“It isn’t over yet.”

It was Bardock that paused then. Slowly he nodded. “After the mooning I have another purge…. A purge to a planet named Kanassa. Lord Frieza seems to be having problems with the population….” He trailed off, looking at the other Saiyajin.

Turles, having noticed he’d stopped, looked up. “…Yes?”

Sighing, Bardock stood and moved slightly behind Turles. “You’ve been hearing things….” He leaned in then, whispering lightly in his ear. “There are things that cannot be said aloud…and you are young yet…soon, very soon, I will let you see why I’m not so worried about it.”

He resumed speaking in a normal voice, leaning back. “We should go to the palace. I can get you close enough to see the Prince’s landing….”

Turles turned his head, raising a brow and smirking at Bardock. “Don’t you have to be there anyways, for your son?”

Bardock grinned at Turles. “Oh yeah…knew I was forgetting something….”

Chuckling, Turles rose. “Well you should have been there ten minutes ago.”

Bardock’s eyes widened and he looked outside. “Shit!” He rushed out the door, forgetting about his pack and tripping over it. Turles laughed as he stumbled and followed him at a more sedate pace, though when Bardock took to the air he matched his speed.

They landed just as the ship’s doors were opening, and Bardock was quick to grab Turles by the collar of his shirt and drag him toward the front. Everyone moved for Bardock, but more than a few gave Turles a considering look. He tried to ignore it.

Bardock released Turles as they neared the front and stood at attention with everyone else. Turles felt a little honored that he got to stand in the front row with all the other officers and high officials, but he was worried he would be sniffed out, hopefully not literally.

He watched as Radditz stepped out of the ship first, looking very obviously relieved. His eyes scanned the crowd, catching on Turles and surprisingly moving right past them. They stopped on Bardock, and the older man could tell immediately that he had to speak to his son alone.

Vegeta stepped out of the ship not long after, followed by Nappa. No one noticed the general’s presence for the appearance of the Prince. Every man noted that the prince had grown. While his height had not gone up all that much, his tone had. The prince now sported muscles that bulged from his spandex, even with the armor on.

But it was perhaps his expression that had changed the most. The gathered Saiyajins remembered that expression, mostly from times when the prince had been pissed off about something.

Bardock was close enough to see, however, that the lines that formed around his mouth and at the bridge of his nose were from excessive use of that expression…and the emotion with it.

That coupled with Radditz’s look had his concern turning to worry.

Glancing over at Bardock, Turles leaned over to ask him what was wrong, but kept quiet and turned back when the king spoke to his son.

“Welcome home, my son. It is an honor that you are back among us to celebrate the Mooning.”

Vegeta’s eyes settled on his father’s face, and he stood in front of him, arms crossed and face expressionless. Slowly a frown formed on his face and his eyes took on a steely tone that all but the king himself missed.

Without a word, he walked around the king and into the castle proper.

After only a moment’s silence the crowd broke into murmurings, all of them wondering what that had been about. It certainly wasn’t unprecedented for a prince to not speak to his father, the king, but usually such animosity was not shown in public. It certainly wasn’t shown during a welcoming ceremony before a mooning.

As the king returned to the castle, following his son and Nappa, who had hurriedly followed after Vegeta, the crowd dispersed.

Turles looked after the prince’s leaving with bewilderment.

Holding a grimace on his face, Radditz looked around and then moved toward his father.

Bardock was quick to grab both Turles and Radditz’s arms and jerk them into the air. Turles yelped in alarm and then flushed in embarrassment, pulling his arm away and flying on his own.

Looking between the two, Radditz’s lips thinned. He did manage to lean in a little toward Turles and sniff. There was no smirk, though, and that did not go unnoticed.

It wasn’t long before they had landed at their house, and Bardock was quick to usher them both inside. He closed and locked the door, not surprised at their silence.

Finally, there was a sigh from Radditz.

Bardock and Turles turned to Radditz, though one moved away and the other toward him. Turles moved back to a chair, sitting down in it and watching Radditz warily.

Radditz, however, seemed entirely focused on stretching out kinks in his arms and shoulders. His fingertips almost touched the ceiling.

Bardock stared at his son with an intensity that the other did not squirm at. “You’ve grown.”

There was a snort and Radditz moved toward the table. He noticed the other tense up and snorted again. “I’m not interested. I have more pressing concerns than some cub’s first heat.”

There was a protesting noise immediately cut off by Bardock’s upraised hand. “We need to talk.” His eyes crossed the room, looking at corners and walls until both of the younger men at the table thought he was paranoid.

“But not here.”

Radditz barked a laugh. “Where in the world could we talk that’s better than—”

“Later. For now you will prepare for the mooning. Turles and I are going to prepare too.”

“So you and the sub are going to—”

“That’s none of your business.”

Radditz rose and arched a brow. “Whatever, old man. Just a warning. Don’t get in Vegeta-ouji’s way. He’s not in the best of moods.”

Bardock turned to his own bedroom, speaking over his shoulder as he closed the door. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Only one of the men left in the room knew what he meant.