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Chapter 1
By : Timaelan
Category: Missing Data > Missing Data
Views: 123 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10
Gohan woke up in a jerk. He had an instant backlash at the sight of Pepper leaning over him. Her features were drowned in the shadows and he could only make out the curves of her lips and the glow of her dark orbs. He frowned in puzzlement as he remembered falling asleep in the wild after his hunt with Trunks.
"Lord Commander, it's time now," the gentle voice of the female whispered.
He propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed his head in an attempt to clear his mind. He'd just had a terrible nightmare and even though he couldn't remember a single detail of it, he could still feel his heart beating at a crazy pace. "It's still night. What's going on?" he groaned.
"Kenam's nights are long, Lord Gohan. Anyway, the Prince asked me to come wake you up. Lord Chard's back with the prisoner and His Highness wants us to join them at the camp.
Gohan sat up and pressed his face into his palms with a yawn. "How comes the Prince didn't wake me up by himself?"
"I met him on his way back to the camp and told him about Lord Chard's return. He wanted to go see him as soon as possible, so he sent me back to you to wake you up. I had a hard time locating you in that damn jungle though," Pepper explained.
Gohan considered the blood staining his hands and arms. The hunt had felt great. Gohan hadn't felt so free in a long time and he'd enjoyed it. Yet, it had left him filthy with blood and mud and he needed a good wash before going back to his military life. "What did Lord Chard say?" he asked with a sigh of weariness as he stood up.
Pepper was kneeling on the ground. She watched him step out of the shelter of the canopy and head to a brook flowing nearby. The rain had eventually stopped by the time she found her Commander, leaving the soil slightly steaming in the heat of the night. "He didn't say much. He showed up with the prisoner and asked for food and an audience with the Prince. We figured out His Highness and you were both gone and some of us went to search you around," she eventually replied.
Gohan hissed at the coolness of the water when he dipped his forearms in the stream. He ignored the unpleasant feeling and rubbed his skin clean. The moonlight was weak and he had to wash himself blind. He realized his top was dirty as well, but his jacket would cover the filth and made him more or less presentable anyway.
"I'm worried about Lord Chard," Pepper resumed when he turned back to her.
"Again," Gohan mumbled as he grabbed his jacket and belt on the ground.
"He looks… disturbed," Pepper added.
"Huh. Sleep deprived. Starving. On the edge. I know him, he often turns somehow disturbed during a mission," Gohan replied absently while buckling his belt and slipping in his jacket.
"I'd say… it's more than that," Pepper insisted shyly.
Gohan looked down at her. A hint of unease was dancing in her orbs. He remembered his talk with Trunks the night before. She claimed that the men were acting in an unusual way, but she seemed to be untouched by whatever affected them. That didn't make sense. He considered the fact that she might serve the Saiyan Flame's scheming in a way or another. "I'd like to see that with my own eyes if you don't mind," he concluded dryly.
She had a nod and he rocketed to the sky without bothering about her following him. He could sense her in his wake though. Her energy was flickering. It was unstable and weak. He knew it to be the result of pregnancy, her body and mind having less stamina at disposal to fuel her ki. He still wondered why she was so persistent on staying in the open while endangering herself, her baby and her companions if a fight was to take place.
There were hardly any light on in the camp. The place was quiet as if everyone was still asleep. Except for some forms lurking in the shadows, it was deserted. As soons as he touched the ground, Gohan walked straight to the barrack where the prisoners were kept. He was in a hurry to meet the odd natives that had given them such a hard time.
At the entrance of the building, the desk where the goalkeeper was supposed to be on duty was empty. Gohan felt annoyed at the sight as the soldier wasn't meant to leave the jail unguarded. Hoping to find him inspecting the cells, Gohan hybrid pushed open the double doors leading to the secured area, but the goalkeeper was still nowhere to be seen. Instead of him, Chard was sitting in front an open door, midway in the narrow corridor running along the cells.
The Second looked up at his Commander and stood up at once in order to salute him. "Lord Commander," he mumbled.
Gohan acknowledged him with a nod and stepped cautiously to the cell Chard seemed to be guarding. A strange little creature was sitting in a bench inside. The alien reminded Gohan of the elves drawn in his fairy tales' book when he was a kid. He was so frail and small that the bench looked oversized with his feet dangling above the ground. The bright white of his hair framing his face would hardly compete with the pallor of his complexion, enhancing the strange crimson of his incredibly wide and shining orbs. The creature's eyes locked on Gohan and blinked. His long thin hands were clasped in his laps in a patient stance. For some reason, the visual contact made Gohan awkward.
Chard had left the door of the cell wide open as if locking it had been unnecessary.
"This is their leader," the Saiyan's voice commented. "He doesn't speak, but otherwise he is very compliant."
The creature was actually behaving utterly submissive and Gohan couldn't help but notice that his skin didn't bear a single bruise, something unheard for one of Chard's prisoners. The Second in Command tended to be a brutal winner even to the weakest opponents. Even so, something in the creature made Gohan nervous.
"Is that the reason why you didn't even lock the door of his cell? Where's the goalkeeper anyway? And what are you doing here? Keeping him company?" Gohan growled in annoyance as he pushed the door closed.
As soon as the lock slammed shut, an awful howl echoed in a nearby cell. The soldier they had caught attacking Pepper the day before had woken up and was back to his crazy acting. "Where the fuck is the goalkeeper?" Gohan roared in frustration.
"He left to look for you and the Prince," Pepper's voice stated calmly behind his back.
Gohan had been oblivious of her presence. He turned around and found her standing at the end of the corridor. She hadn't dared step inside without her Commander's invitation, but she'd stayed around nevertheless. "Look for us? Just when he's supposed to welcome a new guest? Huff, perfect timing," Gohan grunted in growing irritation.
He was caught off guard by the sudden silence of the poor berserk a few cell further. Glancing over his shoulder, he was greeted by the sight of Chard's head poking out of the soldier's cell with a satisfied grin. "I had him shut the fuck off," the Second claimed.
Gohan frowned. Things were somehow getting out of control and he disliked the situation. "I never commanded you to.”
Chard shrugged and exited the cell. "He was pissing you anyway," he stated.
For the first time, Gohan took a closer look at Chard. His eyes were bloodshot. He was a total mess covered with dirt and caked blood and his forehead bore an untreated wound. Gohan knew his Second in Command was the type to overdo things. He'd been in the open for days, hunting down uncatchable preys in a hostile Jungle. He needed rest to regain his composure. The Hybrid sighed to repress his bubbling annoyance. "Chard, go get some rest. Ask the doctor to tend your injury and for God's sake, wash yourself. And most of all, stop attacking people without order. Where's the Prince now?"
Chard's eyebrows arched at the question. "Huh. Forgot to tell you. We had a message from the men in charge of gathering the surviving natives. They got a bunch of them and needed back up to bring them back to the ship. His Highness left with a squad to join them. He said you have to go meet him on his way."
Gohan gaped. "What? In the middle of the night? Couldn't this at least wait for the sunrise?"
Chard shrugged. "He was in a damn hurry. Everyone wants to be done here, it seems."
Gohan gritted his teeth. They were all driving him nut. Trunks was definitely a restless prick. He could have waited for him before rushing away. "Okay. I'll be on my way. Chard, you become the highest ranked here, so you're in charge. Boost the scientists for the last plotting and pack off as soon as possible. We'll meet at the ship when we're done."
The Saiyan's lips stretched into a wide beam. "Your wishes are my commands, my Lord."
"Moron," Gohan cursed under his breath as he headed back to the exit of the prison. "Officer Pepper, we need to talk," he growled at the female as he walked by her.
She followed him meekly out and to his private barrack.
"Take me with you," she said as they reached the place.
The hybrid repressed his urge to roll his eyes. "No. You're pregnant. Up from now, you'll stay apart and safe from any possible fight."
"This camp isn't safe," she insisted.
He lost his nerves at that and before he knew it, he slammed her back to the wall. "Stop discussing my orders," he uttered threateningly.
She looked up at him in shock, but nodded nevertheless.
He let go of her and entered his barrack. As he flicked the switch on, he figured out why there were hardly any lights on in the camp. "Fucking power cut again, great," he sighed. He turned on a small emergency lamp and walked straight to his closet to get fresh clothes.
Pepper had shyly followed him in, but she stood cautiously in the entrance hall away from him.
"You won't be allowed to leave the camp and go wandering in the jungle any longer, but I want you to have your fellows scientists hurry up to finish their crap. The quicker, the better. This planet is getting on everyone's nerves, including mine," Gohan carried on while stripping off his jacket and dirty top.
He turned to her to gauge her reaction. She had been silent all along as he'd uttered his orders, but he could see hesitation in her eyes as if she doubted the sense of his commands. He frowned in annoyance. Maybe Trunks had been right. Gohan had been too compromising with her. Her pregnancy had caused his soft side to take the upper hand. "Got it?" he snapped.
She stood to attention at last. "Yes, Lord Commander."
"Then, go get me some food for the trip," he added with a satisfied nod.
When he was dressed up in a clean uniform, he put on his armor and exited his barrack. He bumped into Pepper coming back with a bag of food. "There you go… I… huh… there was no one in the kitchen, so…"
"All right. Now just do as you're told for once," Gohan mumbled by snatching the bag out of her grip. Then, he flew off at high speed, unwilling to linger on her worried face.
Trunks had to be at worst an hour ahead of him. Yet, Gohan was in no urge to catch up with him. If anything, he was mad at the younger male for leaving him behind the way he'd done. Although he was aware that the Prince was growing impatient to return to Vegitasei, there had been no point into rushing to get the last natives. According to Chard, they were all under control, only waiting for their last trip to the Saiyan ship. A few hours would no longer make a difference.
Trunks' acting had been a disregard for Gohan's rank, but the older Hybrid had to admit that it also hurt him for more personal reasons. He was developing an inappropriate care for the Prince. He wasn't supposed to. He definitely needed to take some hindsight on their relationship. Nothing good would come out of it if Gohan grew infatuated with him.
The loneliness of his flight happened to be a blessing allowing Gohan to think straight again though. As he slowly went back to a cooler head, he considered things in a less dramatic angle. As a matter of fact, he was just nearing his own limit. Goten's likely death was a blow harder than he'd cared to admit so far. His brother had been gone for months and Gohan had repressed his distraught all the way long. He'd done it as a support for his mother and also because it had been the expected behavior of a Saiyan officer, especially when said officer was Bardock's grandson. Then, as Goten's official death had been declared, Gohan still had no time to indulge in grief and hopelessness for he had to deal with Trunks' situation on Kenam. To top it all, the mission had turned into a total mess with the Saiyan Flame lurking around and the natives being surprisingly good at hiding. Yet, all this concerns would soon be behind him. He just had to pick up the prisoners and bring them back to the ship and it would all be over. Back to Vegitasei, he would have private time to sort things out and clear his mind of any thoughts about the Prince. He just needed to hold on a bit.
After a couple hours, the horizon got tinged with a pink halo. Little by little, the pink blur turned into an orange and yellow light devouring the purple shades of the night sky and opening up the way for a dazzling disc of fire. The white sun of Kenam took its time to rise entirely across the skyline. Gohan watched the sight in awe, but when daylight was complete at last, he realized for the first time that he couldn't sense any Saiyan aura nearby and he grew concerned.
Kenam was a strange place disturbing the perception of ki. It was as if the planet was having its own energy drowning all the smaller ones belonging to any living being. Yet, even so, Gohan should have at least spotted Trunks' bright aura, and he wondered if he hadn't gone the wrong direction.
He brought his height closer to the ground and scrutinized the landscape, cursing himself for not checking his destination before leaving the camp. He'd memorized the rough plan the scouts had pieced up as a map of Kenam though and he knew there had to be a huge volcano somewhere. According to the reports, it was the place where Chard and his men had found the natives and in all logic it would be where Gohan would join Trunks, but he had also counted on the Prince's ki to guide him.
Gohan had flown over an endless sea of green forest so far and he could make out a mountain in the distance – maybe a volcano by the way – but he still couldn't perceive the slightest Saiyan aura. He tried to focus harder, but it felt like the natural energy of the Planet had grown stronger and it was shielding his senses.
A moist heat was rising in the air as the warmth of the sun was hitting the nature soaked by the rain and the smell of soil and life was getting suffocating, causing Gohan to go back to a higher flight.
He was nearing the mountain. It definitely looked like a volcano, but there was still no trace of Saiyans around. His eyes were carefully scanning the landscape, finding only green until something caught his attention. The vivid green was darkening at the foot of the mountain. As Gohan came closer, he realized a large area of the jungle had been burned to ashes. Except for some pieces of tree trunks erecting to the sky, everything had been devastated. From afar, the sight looked exactly like the result of a mighty ki blast and Gohan's heart skipped a beat.
He swooped down on the place and landed in the middle of the odd, black spot. Swirling around, he inspected the surroundings. The greenery was completely gone, the earth turned upside down and covered with burnt branches and pieces of boulders. Only a powerful ki's release could have ruined the landscape that way, and Gohan knew his men enough to understand that only Chard or Trunks could have been mighty enough to cause such desolation. Yet, it wasn't fresh enough to be Trunks, so it had to be Chard. Why? Why would the Second use such extreme strength to submit weaklings like Kenam's natives? Even though Chard could be somewhat hot headed, it didn't make sense.
Gohan wandered the place in puzzlement, rummaging the rubbles with his feet and hoping to find any hint at an explanation. He eventually spotted a black form on the ground and walked closer to it. He broke a cold sweat as he realized it was a corpse. Not only that, although it was mostly burnt, he recognized its Saiyan uniform. No death had been reported so far though.
His heart started beating at a crazy pace. He crouched down next to the body lying face down and rolled it slowly aside. He almost shrank away at the sight of what was still left of the face. Half of it was gone. An eye, a cheek and a part of the lips and chin were only a bloody pulp. Still, the most disturbing thing was the hole in the corpse's chest. Gohan let go of the dead soldier with a sigh. The man had definitely been killed by a ki blast.
Gohan stood up and backed away. He shut his eyes for an instant as he tried to pull himself together. Killed by a ki blast. Killed by another Saiyan. Killed by Chard? Gohan had recognized the body as one of his Second's men. And what about the other soldiers? Were they dead as well? If they weren't, where were they? Where was Trunks? Already gone with them, then? All this reeked of mutinery. And mutinery meant Saiyan Flame. And the Saiyan Flame's biggest plan was to murder their half-blood Prince. A strike of adrenalin hit Gohan's nerves at the thought.
He tried again to detect Saiyan kis nearby, focusing the hardest he could, but he still found none. The only energy he could sense was a weak flickering aura a few meters away. He looked around and heard a low mumble coming from a pile of burnt pieces of wood and fragments of rocks. He rushed to the spot and before he knew it, he was frantically clearing up the area with the hope of finding someone alive.
Underneath the rumbles, a skinny body eventually appears. It was only a native. The white skin was smeared with filth and a strange yellow liquid, but the wide red eyes let him know that the creature was still alive. Gohan wouldn't be able to say if it was a male or a female, but it was as tiny as Chard's prisoner. Life was dying out in its glimmering orbs as the poor thing looked up at the Saiyan Commander. A dull resignation was shining through its wounded features.
Gohan sighed. "Can you speak?" he asked halfheartedly, knowing perfectly that Kenam's natives didn't speak, or if they did, they surely didn't talk Saiyan.
However, the creature seemed to understand Gohan's question and lifted painfully an inviting hand. With only three fingers abnormally long, it was more like a claw actually. Gohan looked at it in hesitation. The small being was clearly trying to communicate. Or maybe, it was only seeking some comfort.
Gohan slowly grasped the weird hand. He was taken aback by the firm way his own hand was squeezed by the creature. Then, something flashed in his brain. It was like a lightening breaking through his whole body and blurring his vision with a blinding light. He jerked away and his mind closed off.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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Chapter 1	By : Timaelan Category: Missing Data > Missing Data Views: 123 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer:

Chapter 1