#ziamond e'en

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (113/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[4 March, 233 Before Age.   Berqt IV.]

Ziamond E'en awoke to find himself clad once more in the familiar flesh he had worn all those centuries ago.  Before him stood the pathetic mortal woman who had freed him from the Crimson Crystal.  It had taken months for him to establish contact with this girl, to befriend her and earn her confidence and trust, to the point where she would do his bidding.  Now, she stood before him with her hands clasped affectionately over her heart, her head bowed in reverent devotion.  For her, this was the culmination of whatever fairytale romance fantasy she had imagined for them.

For Ziamond E'en, this was his chance to bring about the Black Renaissance, and to establish the Dark Kingdom upon this world.  His enemies had thwarted him in the past, but now he would unleash a reign of horror that would endure for eons.

There was the woman to consider first.  As he lifted her chin with his alabaster hands, as he gazed into her dark, lovelorn eyes, he decided that she might still be of some use to him at least until he had consolidate his power.  The mortals of this plane were no match for him, of course, but it would take time to bring them to heel, and a loyal servant would make the task easier, however incrementally.  She smiled warmly in answer to his arrogant sneer.

"You have done well," Ziamond said with an insincere charm.  "At last, we are together."

"I was so frightened, my prince," she said, tears streaming from her eyes.  "Not for my own sake, but for yours!  If the Saiyan invaders attacked this place, they might have destroyed the summoning circle before I could complete the ritual!  Oh, but now you're here, and they'll be no match for you."

Ziamond didn't know what 'Saiyans' were, but he was pleased to hear that fate had ordained a war to herald his triumphant return.  Perhaps these invaders would make decent soldiers for his legions.  If not, their bones could be stacked to fashion a decent enough footstool.

He looked away from the woman and reached out with his senses to locate the strongest powers on the planet.  The trouble with being so immensely powerful was that lesser beings were incapable of comprehending how outmatched they were.  Long ago, he had learned that if he bested a few of their strongest, it would break the spirits of the rest, simplifying matters greatly.

"I shall return shortly," he announced to the girl.  "Prepare a meal, and I shall inform you of-- Aah!"

His senses reeled from what he had just found.  It was like staring into the sun.  He had no idea that a ki source that great could exist.  What did this mean?  Could the girl have made some mistake in the ritual?  Was his restored body somehow incomplete?

"My prince, what--?" the girl tried to ask.  He vaguely noticed her reaching out to him, but before she could act, one of the walls of her lair exploded.  Two mortal creatures, a man and a woman, had crashed through.  Both were covered in blood.  Unlike the woman who had summoned him back into this world, they had furry tails.

"The Saiyans, I presume," Ziamond E'en said.  "Disgusting creatures, but perhaps I can find some use for them."  He raised his scepter, through which he could focus his incredible power.  "Ah, but these two are too badly injured to serve me.  Better to destroy them, so I can gauge the hardiness of the others."

With that, he fired a beam of energy at the pair.  To his surprise, their bodies still remained after his attack was completed.  He had hurt them, but they still lived.    And one of them began to move...

"What sorcery is this?" Ziamond E'en asked.  Before he could try again, a third Saiyan smashed into the room, this time coming through the ceiling.  The girl trembled with fear, and Ziamond suppressed a sudden impulse to protect her.  Could he have actually developed feelings for this pathetic creature?   There would be time to address that later, after he had subjugated the planet.

This Saiyan was different from the others.  Clad in yellow and black, she had the look of a savage berserker, but there was something more.  Her hair glowed like molten iron, but beside that, there was something about her that gave even Ziamond E'en pause.    In one fluid motion, she had crashed into the room and killed the others with a pair of energy beams from her palm.  With a snarl, she sniffed at the air, and when she finally did acknowledge Ziamond E'en, there was no fear in her green eyes.    No, her expression was something resembling concern.

"Take the girl and get away from here," she warned Ziamond E'en.  "It isn't safe."

Ziamond E'en leveled his scepter at her and prepared to fire another blast.  "Safe?  Pfah! Know your place, woman," he scoffed.  "Your petty conflict means nothing to me.  Behold, for the hour of the Dark Kingdom is at hand, whence I--"

"Oh, you're here to cause trouble," Luffa said.   "Fine."

And then she grabbed him by the arm and yanked him off his feet.  He heard the girl below cry out for him, but she was so far away from him now.  In a flash the Saiyan woman had carried him high into the air, where she met another Saiyan, one of her enemies.

If there had been time to consider it, Ziamond E'en might have speculated that she was going to request an alliance of some kind.  Instead, she simply swung his body at her enemy, using him like a makeshift club.

This continued for some time, during which Ziamond E'en became acutely aware of just how helpless he truly was in this conflict.  The Saiyan woman was the immense ki he had sensed before.  It was no bluff or illusion.  Her enemies weren't as strong, but they still dwarfed his own power, to the point where he was only fit to be used as a blunt object in their fight.

Not indefinitely, of course.  After several minutes of being manhandled this way, Ziamond E'en lost consciousness, and when his body was too badly broken, the Saiyan woman tossed him aside and left him for dead.

Months later, the girl who had summoned him would find her beloved and painstakingly restore his body, at least to the point where could speak again.  On that day, Ziamond E'en would only beg her to send him back to his own dimension... where it was safe.

*******

[4 March, 233 Before Age.   Despye.] 

"Where is she?"

Xibuyas had arrived at Luffa's star-yacht to find Luffa herself absent.  Instead, a large arachnoid creature had met him at the spacedock and insisted that he submit to a physical before anything else.  

"The Berqt System, if I recall correctly," Dr. Topsas replied.   Xibuyas found the alien thoroughly revolting.  His hands somewhat resembled those of a humanoid, except there were eight of them, constantly moving and handling medical devices.   His eight eyes and fuzzy pedipalps seemed to indicate something about his mood, but his expressions were too alien for Xibuyas to decipher, and the young Saiyan was too disgusted to try.  

"It was she who insisted on working with me," he said indignantly.    "I knew this was a mistake.   If Princess Seltiss had not bade me to cooperate with her, I would have--"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you have some very colorful threat prepared for such a scenario," Topsas muttered.   He was taking Xibuyas's blood pressure with two hands, examining his eyes with a third, and recording notes with a fourth.   "However, the fact remains that you are here, and Luffa is not.   And yet, you find yourself cooperating in spite of your better judgment, correct?   That is why you're submitting to this examination, isn't it?"

"Have a care, doctor," Xibuyas growled.  "Your precious Luffa isn't here to protect you."

"Young man, I promise you that I am showing you all the respect I give to every overwrought teenage mammal that has passed through my care.   All I ask in return is that you kindly hold still.   The genetic scanner is such a touchy device."

"Don't tell me," Xibuyas grumbled.  "That freak told you to scan me, so that you could 'prove' that she's my mother."

"Not at all," Topsas replied.  "This is part of a standard check for diseases.   There are so many alien species, and a genetic scan helps sort out which features are normal and which are signs of illness.  Though if you're curious, I suppose I could run a comparison--"

"Don't trouble yourself," Xibuyas snarled.  "She's not my mother, because she's not a real Saiyan.  It will take more than lies from her crew to convince me otherwise."

"Crew?" Topsas asked.   "My dear boy, you make it sound as though I should be cleaning the decks.   I'm a medical doctor.   Renowned in some circles, not that anyone around here seems to care about that.   No, I have no interest in convincing you of anything.   What use is evidence and the scientific method against the raging hormones of an adolescent vertebrate?"

Xibuyas might have lost his patience then and there, until Topsas suddenly turned to address a blinking light on one of the sickbay computers.   "Oh dear," he said in a very concerned tone.

"What is it?" Xibuyas demanded.  

"The genetic readings are distorted in places," Topsas said.   He pointed at a display, which Xibuyas found just as inscrutable as the doctor.    "Here, here, and here.  Luffa told me you were enhanced by alchemical means as a child, and that's known to have a masking effect on these types of scans.   Of course it could just mean the scanner is malfunctioning.   Nonetheless, there's a strong match between your genes and Luffa's."

"I don't believe it," Xibuyas insisted.  

"Neither do I," Topsas said.   He picked up the scanner and made a noise that sounded like someone clicking his tongue, though Xibuyas wasn't sure Topsas had a tongue.   "Malfunctioning, indeed.  It's not even that old.   Dreadful business, getting these scanners repaired.  I'll have to contact the manufacturer, and they'll make me wait days just to tell me to send it in for maintenance."

"Why did Luffa leave so suddenly?" Xibuyas asked.  "What's so important on Berqt?"

"Oh, that," Topsas said idly.  He appeared to be much more interested in writing down the serial number on the back of his scanner.    "Our resident fortune teller could explain that better than I.   I understand she foresaw an attack on Berqt, and Luffa decided to commandeer a Federation cruiser to head it off."

"Fortune teller?" Xibuyas asked with an incredulous sneer.

*******

Xibuyas found Dotz on the observation deck.  The ship was originally a civilian pleasure craft, and this section was covered with the same transparent material used for the windows.  Here, passengers could relax in lounge chairs and enjoy a panoramic view of  outer space.  But Dotz did neither.  She sat on a cushion taken from one of the sofas and placed on the deck.  Around her lay several cards, strings of beads, and a small sphere made of glass.

"Xibuyas," she said before he could open his mouth to speak.  "I've almost got your fortune ready."

"What are you babbling about?" he asked.  "What fortune?"

She looked up at him for the first time since he entered.  "Oh, that's right," she said.  "You haven't asked for it yet.  Sorry."

"I have no interest in your games... woman.  I came here to find out when Luffa will return from Berqt," he said.  That overgrown insect told me you would know."

"That's the trouble," Dotz said. "I can't see anything definite where Luffa's concerned.  Uh, well, I can get some general idea from reading other people's futures, but it's tricky."

"That's absurd," he said.

"I know," Dotz said.  "Until I met Luffa, I didn't have anywhere near this level of psychic ability.  Now I can see further and more precisely than ever, but I still have this blind spot where your mother is concerned."

"She is not my mother," Xibuyas said with a scowl.

"Oh, she's not?" Dotz said.  "Sorry about that.  They told me you--"

"The  forget what they said, and listen to me.  I'm a true Saiyan, you decrepit fossil," Xibuyas said.  "The strongest Saiyan alive, bred and trained by the Saiyan King, Rehval III."

"Oh, then you're stronger than Luffa?" Dotz asked.  He might have taken this question as a defiance, except her expression was too innocent for that.  Dotz was middle-aged, hardly frail, but to a sixteen-year-old the lines on her face and the silver in her hair and the way she kept her purple shawl wrapped around her shoulders left a general impression of naive weakness.  He was accustomed to being angry, but with someone as meek as Dotz, it seemed like a waste of that emotion.

"She's not a Saiyan, so she doesn't count," he said firmly, after taking a moment to compose himself.  "But I will surpass her, and sooner than anyone thinks."

"I see.  Well, that would line up with the visions I've been having," she said.

"What visions?" Xibuyas asked.

"The ones you asked me for," she said.  "Wait, right, that hasn't happened yet.  I'm sorry, I know that sounds very manipulative, like I'm trying to bait you into asking.  That's not what I'm trying to do."

"Enough of your games.  Tell me what you've seen about me," Xibuyas said.

Dotz took a deep breath before answering.  "It's not completely clear.  I see you on the battlefield, a severed head, a swarm of locusts.  The head smiles at you, even though it's breathed its last breath.    The beast who stands against you... like the color of Camelian greenberries.  It cannot be beaten, not by a Super Saiyan.  But the child can triumph where the parent has failed.  Kah.  May.  Hah.  May... Over and over, the sound of the battle.  The son prevails.  Only... you're not the son, are you?  The boy I saw was younger, at least I think so."

"Then what?" Xibuyas asked.  "If Luffa fails, then she dies by my hand, yes?"

Dotz reached for one of the cards beside her knees, and flipped it over.  Then another, and another.

"Times, times, and half a time," she said as she pointed at the first card.  "Purple to green, then orange.  Then... pink?   Consumed?   The orange again.     A great scholar?"

"What are you talking about?" Xibuyas asked, but Dotz took his hand instead of answering.

"It doesn't make any sense," Dotz said.  "I see different paths.  A scholar, a warrior, a martyr?  A world destroyed, then restored, then destroyed.  I can't tell if Luffa's there or not.  I can't even be sure if it's you, but it has to be, somehow.  I shouldn't be seeing other people's fortunes through your own reading.   What's wrong with this...?"

She reached out for his hand, and curiosity had compelled  Xibuyas to give it to her.    Her skin was rough and her grip feeble as she traced her fingers along the lines of his palm.  Soon enough, his frustration finally won out, and he yanked his arm away.  

"As long as I can surpass her, that's all that matters," he said.  "Whatever comes after, all of your riddles, they mean nothing."

"Yes, but if there's multiple outcomes, then my predictions can't--"

"I only want to know where she is," Xibuyas said.  "And if your 'gift' isn't enough to see that clearly, then find me the next Federation world to be targeted by the Jindan cult.  You would be sending Luffa there next, right?"

"Well, that's how we've been doing it so far, but I don't think--"

"No one asked you to think, seer!"  Xibuyas  snapped.  "I only want results.  If Luffa won't go to the site of the next attack, then I'll go alone and handle it myself.  Anything would be better than waiting here."

"All right," Dotz said.  "But, um, it'll take some time.  These tactical predictions are complicated.  You'll need a fairly precise date and time, or the information's useless."

"Don't bother me with details," Xibuyas said.  "Just get started."

"I will," Dotz said.  "Just, be careful, okay?"

"Of what?"  Xibuyas scoffed.   The very idea of this pathetic creature giving him warnings was laughable.

"Zatte," Dotz said.  "You can't avoid her forever."

"I'm not avoiding--" Xibuyas began to protest, and then one of the doors opened.  It was meters away from them, but the silence of the deck and the a acoustics of the domed ceiling magnified the quiet hiss of the door.  When  Xibuyas turned, he found a woman standing in the doorway.

"There you are," Zatte said.  "I've been looking all over for you.   You remember me, right?   I'm Zatte, Luffa's wife."

"Yes, I know," the boy said coldly.  "The blue woman.   You called yourself my stepmother."

"Right," Zatte said.    "I know that's kind of a touchy subject with you, but you have to understand that you mean a lot to Luffa and that means that you're important to me as well, even if--"

"What do you want from me, alien?" Xibuyas snarled.  

"Tactical review," Zatte said.   She pointed her thumb over her shoulder.   "Luffa asked me to look over the reports from the fleet and see if I can find any room for improvement.   I figured you could give me a hand.   And even if you can't, I could use the company."

"I didn't come here to socialize," Xibuyas said.

"Then we can sit quietly and eat the sandwiches I made," Zatte said.   "You are hungry after the long trip to get here, right?   I know Saiyans that well, at least."

"Fine," Xibuyas said.  

"Great," Zatte said.  She leaned inside the doorway and waved to Dotz.   "Sorry for bothering you Dotz, we'll get out of your hair now, okay?"

"Oh, it's quite all right," Dotz said.   "It was a pleasure meeting you, young man.   You've given me a lot to think about."

Xibuyas doubted this very much, as he considered this entire trip to be a waste of time, but he saw no point in arguing.  At least if he went with the blue one, he would have something to eat while he waited.

*******

Like almost everything else on the star-yacht, the conference room was a gawdy exercise in adding luxury to the mundane.   The chairs were upholstered with an overpriced leather, the tabletop was polished to the point where it almost doubled as a mirror, and the overhead light fixture was enormous to the point of self-parody.   There was even a Camelian harpsichord in the corner, apparently just in case someone wanted live music during a business meeting.   The plush conditions of the ship were completely lost on the Saiyan warriors and Dorlun survivalists who had lived here for the past few years.   Zatte simply needed room to work, and an interactive display she could use to plot courses and compare star charts.  

"It's definitely looking better," Zatte said as she stared at a map of Federation space.   "Once Luffa gets back from Berqt, she might actually have a chance to rest up a bit, now that Seltiss and her army have joined the fight."

Xibuyas said nothing, and simply slouched deeper into his chair.  He neither knew nor cared why the conference room was so overdecorated, or why Zatte was so determined to have his company.  

"I know it's awkward," she said, turning to look back at him, "but I really want to thank you for helping us out.   I was worried that Luffa might run herself ragged fighting all these cultists, but with you on our side... well, I really appreciate you being here, Xibuyas."

"Bah!" Xibuyas spat.   "Don't hand me that!   I haven't even done anything!  And I wouldn't want your gratitude in any case."

"Right," Zatte said.  "I guess I should be saving that kind of talk for Seltiss.  Your girlfriend's quite the diplomat, from what I've seen."

"What?!" Xibuyas blurted out.  "That's not--!  What--?"

She wasn't the first person to suggest that he and Seltiss were romantically involved.    Luffa herself had used the "g" word a few days ago, when she requested him to come to this ship.   Xibuyas never cared for the insinuation, but at least he knew that his enemies were only using it to goad him.     What threw him off this time was how Zatte had said it.    It was so conversational, like she just assumed it was an established fact.  

"Oh, come on," Zatte said with a smile.   "There's something between you two, right?   It's kind of cute how you kids try to hide it.   She acts all hip and cool, and you're playing the stolid warrior around her."

This was enough to make him sit up straight, at the very least.   "You don't know anything about us," he seethed.   It was nowhere near a denial, but it was the best response he could muster.

"I don't get her pink hair dye, though," Zatte said.  "I always thought Saiyans took a lot of pride in having jet black hair, but Luffa told me some of you have it colored as a fashion statement.  I mean, sure, but why pink?   Is she trying to look older?"

"Older?" Xibuyas asked.

"Oh, wait," Zatte said.  She ran her hand through her own red hair as she spoke.   "I forget that sometimes.   Pink hair is a sign of old age in my species.   It probably doesn't mean the same thing when a Saiyan has it.   It's probably just her favorite color."

"Why are we talking about hair?" Xibuyas grumbled.  

"Because you won't tell me about your love life," Zatte said.   "Sorry, I never had a stepson before.   Maybe I'm not supposed to pry like this."

"You don't have a stepson," Xibuyas insisted.   "Luffa is not my mother."

"Yeah, well she doesn't think so," Zatte said.   "And I gotta live with her, so whose side do you think I'd take in this?"

"What difference does it make?" Xibuyas muttered.   "She isn't here, so there's no point in supporting her lies."

"Kid, from what I hear, the closest thing you had to a parent was King Rehval, and he left you to die.  Now, maybe you're right, and it is all a big trick, but I can't just assume that.   I married somebody who's pretty sure she's your mom.   So I have an obligation here.   Or maybe I don't.  Look, if you had someone taking care of you, then I guess I could leave this alone, but right now, Luffa and I are all you've got.   I have to do something."

"I can take care of myself!" Xibuyas said.  

"Yeah, that's what I thought when I was sixteen," Zatte said.  "And you've probably done okay, but you shouldn't have to.   When my parents died, I had friends and relatives to look after me, and I helped look after the kids who lost their parents.   It's something I'm grateful for, and I don't want you to go without it."

"Well I'm not grateful for it," Xibuyas said.  

"Sure, you have your pride," Zatte said.  "And you're a sullen teenager.   Gotta be all moody and put up those emotional barriers so you can look cool in front of your girlfriend.   I get it.  You don't have to like me.   Just understand that I can't walk away."

They sat in silence for a while after that.    Occasionally, Zatte would turn to look at him, as though making sure he was still there, or perhaps hoping that he would ask about what she was doing, or offer to help.   When the ship's service droid, PB-2, entered the room to clean it, Zatte had to tell it to leave the uneaten sandwiches alone.  

It wasn't that Xibuyas wasn't hungry.    He was simply too frustrated to think about food.   As much as he adored Seltiss, he resented her order for him to come to this place.   He had been raised to believe himself to be very important, and it irritated him to be sent to a nearly empty pleasure craft, devoid of any action or glory.   He disliked the company, and he especially despised the way they all acted so familiar with him.     It was bad enough that Luffa kept pretending to be his mother, but now this blue-skinned weakling wanted to do the same thing.   Desperately, he longed for some way to take back control of the situation, instead of just sitting here like a child waiting for a nanny to finish an errand.  

When he finally spoke up, Zatte was visibly startled by the sound of his voice.

"Tell me something," Xibuyas said.  

"Sure.   What's on your mind?" Zatte replied.

"What do you claim to know of my father?"

She took a deep breath before answering.    He liked that.   If she wanted to talk so badly, then she could be the one on the defensive.

"His name was Kandai," she finally said.    "Years ago, he and Luffa were part of a Saiyan mercenary group led by Luffa's father," Zatte said.  "My colony contracted them to defend us from invaders."

"Were they successful?"

"No, they weren't," Zatte said.    "Your grandfather sold us out to the enemy, and your dad went along with it.    I lost my right eye when the colony was overrun.    I didn't like your dad much before then.   I was jealous of his marriage to Luffa, but it turned out he was a real creep all along."

"You told me before that I resembled him," Xibuyas said.   "Do you think me a 'creep' as well?"

"Maybe," Zatte said.   "I'm still trying to figure that one out."

"That doesn't sound very stepmotherly of you," Xibuyas said.  

"I guess not," she said.   "I'm new at this.    I was sort of hoping you'd cut me some slack."

"Many Saiyans look alike, without having any close relation," Xibuyas said.   "Do you really believe that Luffa is my mother?" Xibuyas asked.  

"I believe her," Zatte said.   "She thinks you're her son, so that means you are, at least as far as I'm concerned.    And you're a lot like her, so that plays into it."

She set aside her work and went to pour a cup of tea from the carafe.    Xibuyas didn't move, but his eyes tracked her as she walked around the table.

"Do you want me to be her son," Xibuyas asked.  

"You don't ask easy ones do you?" Zatte sighed.  

"No, I don't," he said.    

"The truth is that I don't want her to be hurt because of you," she said.    "It was bad enough before, when we thought you were terminated in the womb.    Then it turns out King Rehval managed to keep you alive, and he raised you to be his personal enforcer.   Then we thought you vanished on Pflaume, and we didn't think we'd ever see you again.   And now you're back.  I don't know if that's a good thing for Luffa or not.     To be honest, I'm not sure how she'd take it if it turned out you weren't her son after all.    I think it's rough on her no matter what."

"What scenario would you prefer?"  he asked.  

"I guess if you were a little kid again," Zatte said.   "Luffa could raise you the way she wanted, and you could grow up with your mother.    I'm not sure how much help I'd be in that case, but I'd like to think I'd be a part of your life."

"And all it would take is the erasure of the life I've lived so far, wouldn't it?" Xibuyas said bitterly.

"Look, I didn't mean--"

"It never occurred to you to ask if I wanted to be part of your family," Xibuyas said.   "By your own account, my grandfather was a cheat, and my father a coward."

"That's not exactly--"

"And my 'mother'?   A failure," he went on.  "You'd have me believe that the so-called 'Super Saiyan' couldn't even keep her own brat inside her long enough to give birth to him.   Are there any other wonderful relatives you've forgotten to mention?"  

"You've got a great-grandmother somewhere," Zatte said.  "She's kind of a jerk, but--"

"And then there's you," Xibuyas grumbled.   "Luffa's pet alien who worships the ground she walks on.    It's revolting how much you flirt with her, the way you bend over backwards to be whatever it is you think she wants you to be.   Look at you.   Poring over tactical reports like a good little lackey.    You even wear those exotic clothes, parading around the ship like a bar wench even when she isn't around to see it."

Zatte glanced down at the grey tee she wore, and the red flannel pants that extended to her calves, then she looked back at Xibuyas in confusion.  

"You're no warrior," Xibuyas said, leaping to his feet.  "The fact that Luffa keeps you around only proves her unworthiness to call herself a Saiyan."  

"If you think you're the first Saiyan to say that sort of thing to me, Xibuyas, you're wrong," Zatte said evenly.   "As far as I'm concerned, it only proves that Luffa really is better than all of you, and not just physically.    You could learn a lot from her, even if she wasn't your mother."

"She's not my mother!" Xibuyas shouted.   He took a step towards her, and she stepped back.

"Fine," Zatte said.    "Have it your way.    Can we just get back to work?"

He suddenly grabbed her by the arms and shoved her up against the wall.    

"My work," he said, "is becoming everything your little tin goddess is not.    That means strength without failure, victory without compromise.    While Luffa wanders off to pursue some forgotten ideal, I'll be ruling the Saiyan race, giving them a true hero for inspiration."

"You had to pin me to the wall to tell me that, kid?" Zatte asked.    

"I was just wondering," Xibuyas went on.    "If I killed you right now, what do think Luffa would say to that?  Would she avenge your death, or would she refuse to take action against the son she missed so dearly?"

There was a brief pause, and he smiled, as though daring her to answer.   He expected her to show fear, but it never came.    

"What makes you think you could kill me?" Zatte asked.  

"You're a weakling," Xibuyas said.   "What else is there to say?"

"Yeah, but you haven't got the guts," Zatte said.   "You've got all that power and fancy talk, but you don't really know what you're doing with your life.  Without King Rehval or Seltiss telling you what to do, what are you, really?"

"Have a care, woman..." Xibuyas said.  

"We're only in the same room together because your girlfriend thought we should join forces," Zatte said.    "You kill me, maybe the whole alliance falls apart.    Luffa might give you a pass, but what about Seltiss?   Suddenly, she isn't sure she can depend on you anymore.    In one stroke, you go from being a valuable asset to a dangerous liability.   A wild dog that needs to be put down."

"You don't know her like I do--" Xibuyas sneered.

"I know about survival, kid," Zatte said.  "Your power is like a fire in the wilderness.   Useful for staying alive, but only if you can keep it under control.   Once people start getting burned, you stop being useful, and people start looking for ways to put you out.   Seltiss is no different.   You know she'd turn against you if you tried anything with me, and then what would you do?"

He had no answer for that.  

"As for Luffa," Zatte went on.    "I was a wild dog once.   I was infected with demonic magic, and I tried to spread it to her.    She managed to fix us both up, which is still kind of scary for me to think about.    I used to think  of the Black Water Mist as this absolute, unbreakable thing in my life, and she just came along and said 'nope'.   But I think if it had gone differently, and she had no way to make me normal again, she would have killed me in the end.   Quick and clean.   It'd be the only compassionate thing to do.   For either of us."

"You're lying," Xibuyas said.    

"She killed your grandfather," Zatte said.    "Sometimes, she has bad dreams about it, but she always comes back to the fact that she just couldn't let him live after what he'd done to her.   And your father?   Well, I killed him.    He tried to hurt the woman I loved.    I tell myself it was to save Luffa's life, that it wasn't for revenge, but honestly?   At times like these, I'm not so sure.    You really do remind me of Kandai, kid.   Especially now, like this."

"You killed him," Xibuyas said.   "And how did something as feeble as you manage that?"

"I turned invisible and snuck up behind him.    Shot him with a plasma rifle.    I don't think he suffered much.    I can't make any promises with you, though.    I don't want to hurt you, kid, but you may not leave me much choice."

"Don't make me laugh," he scoffed.      

"All right," Zatte said.    

Suddenly, he winced with pain, and released Zatte's left arm to clutch at his cheek.    When he removed his hand, a purple bruise began to appear on his face.    

"You felt that one, huh?" Zatte asked.  

"What did you just do?" he demanded.      He wanted that question to sound furious, but he could hear a touch of fear in his voice, despite his best efforts.

"I burst a blood vessel in your face," Zatte explained.    "I can manipulate different kinds of energy, including heat.    It took me a while to learn how to fine-tune it, but I can focus enough heat in a certain spot in your body.    Now that may not seem very powerful, but think about what would happen if I did that inside your brain."

"You're bluffing!" he shouted.  

"No, I'm not," she said.  "I can't make this work at a distance, so it's not a trick I use much, but fortunately you got all nice and close.   And maybe you're quick enough to kill me before I can pull it off.   I wouldn't put it past you.   But I don't need much time, so if you're going to make a move, don't hesitate."

"I... won't let you..." Xibuyas stammered.     He wanted to say something defiant, but he didn't understand her bluff well enough to call it, at least not with any conviction.   For all he knew, her power would work even with a broken neck.    And there was Seltiss to think about.   As much as he loathed this woman and her smug, blue face, was it worth displeasing Seltiss just to sate his own wrath?    

"See, I don't want to kill you, kid," Zatte said.   "But I'll do whatever it takes to stay alive.   You might be angry enough to kill me, but you're not so sure you'd survive the fallout."

How did she know?   It was so infuriating to hear her echo his own thoughts like this.   Slowly, he loosened his grip on her, and backed away.  

"Smart boy," Zatte said.   "Now, why don't I show you to your quarters, and you can wait there until Luffa shows up, okay?"

He pursed his lips and frowned, but he lowered his head, unsure of how else to proceed.   "Very well," he said.    

*******

[6 March, 233 Before Age.  Despye.]

Luffa returned two days later.   After a long consultation with Dr. Topsas, she found Zatte in her quarters.  

"Finally!    You were taking so long in there, I was starting to think Topsas had confined you to sickbay," Zatte said as she picked up Luffa by the waist and swung her around.  

"Nah, he just missed me while I was gone," Luffa said.   She put her arms around Zatte's neck and grinned affectionately.   "And I had to talk to him about Katem, make sure he's healthy enough for whatever comes next."

"You're not leaving again already, are you?" Zatte asked.  

"That depends on what Dotz has to say," Luffa said.   "But I figured I can talk to her in the morning.   I've kept you waiting long enough.    Any trouble while I was out?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Zatte said.  

Luffa glanced over to nothing in particular as she reached out with her ki senses.   "Well, the boy's still alive, so I guess he didn't misbehave too much.    I was half-worried you might have to do that hematoma attack on him."

"So was I, but I managed to settle him down."  

"Good girl," Luffa said.    "See, you're better at this parenting stuff than you thought.   All those years putting up with that crazy wife of yours turned out to be good practice."  

"I don't think it's such a great idea for you to take him along on your next sortie," Zatte said.   She lowered Luffa onto the bed and lay down beside her.    "Even if he didn't hate your guts, he's got a lot on his mind, and none of it's going to help him stay focused in a war zone."

"You're probably right, but I can't back out now, not when I've missed so much of his life already," Luffa said.   "Look at you, wearing the tee-shirt and the flannel pants?     You must have missed me more than I thought."    

"I'm serious, Luffa," Zatte said.    "He'll get himself killed out there if he isn't careful.    And he might just take you with him."

"I've got no choice, Zattie," Luffa said.    She kissed her, then made a savage smile as she glanced back to whichever direction she sensed him in.     "And neither does he."

NEXT: The Secret Ingredient