Vegeta\'s Romance

discailmer: don\'t own dragon ball z


For three days Vegeta spoke to no one. He couldn\'t bring himself to shed a single tear for Stephanie. Nappa knew better than to approach Vegeta. Raditz, realizing what he has done is not sure if he\'s proud for hurting Vegeta, or stupid for provoking Vegeta\'s wrath (You be the judge). And Freiza, well he\'s all too amused at the situation, though he respects Vegeta enough to leave him alone. Soon, the bumbling fools that make up the Ginyu Force found their way back to their own ship. The handful of known surviving Saiyans has been reduced further. All this time, with every fiber of his being, in every waking moment, Vegeta tried to destroy the memory of Stephanie. The pangs of loss are too much to handle. Guilt on his shoulders, for not being able to protect his mate.

And yet a Saiyan should protect themselves. That was one of the things he took for granted about Stephanie; She was strong enough to take care of herself. He didn\'t realize that she would be picked off like that. But more importantly, he promised her that he would protect her. He felt he was too obvious about his feelings and he gave her a false sense of security. Maybe he shouldn\'t have intervened. Maybe mates shouldn\'t love each other. Vegeta\'s ideals were shattered and confused. When Stephanie was with him, he knew what to do, even if it went against his supposed nature or guidelines. His mind wandered in those three days to thoughts of his mother and father. When Vegeta was young, his father killed his mother. Soon after, King Vegeta was killed by Freiza. What is the good of family and these haunting memories? Attachment is useless, and it only brings more grief and suffering. Was Stephanie with a child when she was taken away from him? Did Vegeta lose not only a mate, but a family? All he can do to prevent himself from falling apart is shut it all out. The resolve that we know Vegeta for will force him to survive anything. In waking hours and sleepless nights, he finds the best way to suppress his thoughts is constantly training.

The expected happens in under a week. Vegeta reverted himself to completely evil. Whatever feelings of love and responsibility he had became buried in the back of his mind, suppressed into submission. His strength and pride, things he has always had with him, sustain him. The sheer depravity in him makes him fearsome. His aura is bright when he enters a room, he appeared almost healthier than he did before. His mind is sharper, now not dulled by the burden of being subjective. His lust for battle became ten fold. It is what he lives for. When Freiza is satisfied with Vegeta\'s emotional recovery, he dispatched the Saiyans in their spacepods. From then on they fended completely for themselves. With the female gone, Freiza feels it is less important to supervise them. The Saiyan males are very strong now, especially Vegeta, and very efficient on their own. The three never mentioned Stephanie. It was unlikely that they even think about her. But Raditz still fears Vegeta. In a few years time he was to separate from the group in search of his brother \'Kakarott\', who was sent to a distant planet called \'Earth\'. Nappa and Raditz became partners in combat. They carried out the repetitive task of annihilating alien species. And being Saiyans, they never grew tired of it.

Stephanie woke slowly, immobile, out of place. And before long the urgency of her previous situation came back to her. Stephanie\'s mind quickly switched to fight mode. The first thing that hit her mind was Vegeta went after Freiza!! I have to help him!

Ki shot from Stephanie hastily as she powered up; and her eyes opened just in time to see that she\'s inside of a Rejuvenation Tank. It shattered from the force of her energy and fluid spilled all over the floor. Stephanie collapsed, unable to stand on her legs. The pain in them returned full force. Stephanie bagan to panic and looked around. She was in a room on some ship, alone. There were a few other tanks in the room. There was no sign of Vegeta, Freiza, anyone! The only thing Stephanie know for sure was that Something BAD must have happened!

A door slamed and someone rushed into the room, rushing up to Stephanie and dragging her quickly into another tank. \"Idiot! You\'re not even healed yet!\" The person hissed. Stephanie cryed out deliriously: \"Vegeta!!!!\" The person, a male, strapped her into the tank with energy restraints. Stephanie couldn\'t move them, and they seemed to be nullifying her chi. The male put an oxygen mask on her and closed her in. The tank soon began to fill up. He sighed, exasperated, watching Stephanie\'s fear-filled eyes and his expression turned dark, wary. He pressed a button which triggered some form of sleeping gas to fill into her mask. Stephanie went out like a light.

When the healing was complete, Stephanie\'s sleeping body was taken to an observation chamber. There, she was given a medical exam, dressed, and left to sleep in crisp sheets. In time she woke again. At first her vision is blurred. All she see is white and a shadow figure over herself. Stephanie had seen this before in a dream. Is this just a dream? She blinked and tried to focus her eyes. And everything soon came into clear view. The male who put Stephanie in the second tank is sitting on a chair beside her bed. He was the shadow figure in her dream. He wasn\'t looking at her, so she began to study him. His skin is dark like a Saskol\'s, but his hair is black and spiky... like a Saiyan\'s? The combination is odd, but at least he isn\'t a Saskol. Thoughtful and distant, his eyes are deep with purpose. Who could he be? If he was an enemy he would have killed her or tortured her by now. Anxiousness began to fill Stephanie again. She had no idea what happened in the time she got from Ezmer to where she is now. Stephanie sat up and the male turned toward her. Thoughts on beginning conversation.

The necessity of love overrides. It strikes out everything else in Stephanie\'s brain when she opens her mouth to speak. \"Where is he!? Where\'s Vegeta??\" The male grasps her shoulders firmly and looks straight into her. \"Your mate is far away from you. There is no way to lighten this. You must forget him now.\" His hold on Stephanie is upsetting, yet she can\'t bring herself to hit him or break away. Stephanie understands what he is telling her fully. Wherever she is now, it\'s not with Vegeta. \'It\'s all my fault. Freiza was trying to kill me. Vegeta shouldnt have intervened! He should have let me die...\' The words Stephanie tells herself are out of guilt. She doesn\'t entirely feel this way. If Vegeta had not showed up, Raditz might have... A separate voice in Stephanie\'s head tells her to accept it. Vegeta is gone now. \"No!\" Stephanie refuses to be quiet, even though she knows it\'s useless. \"Why did you bring me here? Where\'s Vegeta! I want to go to Vegeta!\" The male replies: \"You can\'t,\" silencing Stephanie again.

His gaze is unyielding. -How did he know Vegeta is my mate?- Stephanie wonders. -How can I just wake up and everything is different? I can\'t accept this. I have to go! I have to...- Stephanie gazes back at him. Red glints in his solemn eyes and sends her directly into a hellish state of mind. Anger fills her. Stephanie is a captive. Right in front of her is the man that has been drilling into her psyche. He is the one responsible for all the suffering she is going through.

\"It- It\'s you.!\" Stephanie stammers. The male releases her shoulders. Stephanie can feel him in her mind, subduing her. \"I can control you more easily when you\'re with me...\" He warns. But he is also surprised how quickly he was able to enter Stephanie\'s mind this time. \"There\'s no need to resist.\" He says softly.

The male begins to show Stephanie what happened on Ezmer. Images of the past fill her view. Captain Ginyu picked up Raditz and flew after Freiza. The Ezmerians were ready to act. A ship came in seconds and Stephanie was lifted tenderly on board by her captor. Stephanie was hardly bleeding, but her legs dangled sickeningly off angle. The ship left, just grazed by the planet\'s explosion and it set off to an unknown destination. Immediately Stephanie was taken to a healing tank. Stephanie was the only one saved by the Saskols.

\"Now, just as Hadar told you, your life has been taken away. It belongs to us now. And trust me, you will repent for the lives you\'ve taken.\" The male\'s words go through Stephanie like a dull blade. So it\'s true - Stephanie is their captive. It makes perfect sense to her. The Saskols are a weak race, but their mind control is exceptional. So why not draw one of the strong to their side? -But they were able to do it because I have the weakest mind.- Stephanie decides sadly.

He reads her thoughts, but doesn\'t bother to tell Stephanie her mind is particularly strong. They couldn\'t break her while she was far away, so they had to bring her close. The sorrow and turmoil that it has caused will make it easy. Stephanie is in no mental position to fight back. Stephanie has been brutally defeated and robbed of her lover. \"The elder of Mirfa gave his life force in order to open your mind to me.\" He says. \"Your will belongs to me now.\" Inside, Stephanie feels power over him slipping away. She remains the same person, with the same thoughts and feelings... But this male has joined her now. Every physical move Stephanie makes will be within his power to prevent. She is silent, lost in submission.

To prove his control over Stephanie, the male wordlessly commands her body to rise from the bed. She doesn\'t fight it. Stephanie stands easily with no effort on her part. \"Hmm... Try to hit me.\" He appears half amused, half interested. Stephanie\'s fingers curl into a fist, knuckles aim at his forehead, and she swings with full force. He stops her just an inch from his face. \"Now you know your circumstances, Saiyan. I hope you won\'t try anything foolish like escaping or attacking the ship\'s crew.\" Stephanie withdraws her hand. There\'s no chance of defeating him now, but she challenges him.

\"Save your breath for later when you find out why I brought you here. Then we can talk. Rest now. Your training starts tomorrow.\" -Training? Whatever the Saskols are planning, it must be serious if they want me more powerful than I already am!- Stephanie\'s power has already climbed since her last fight. \"Wait.\" Stephanie stops the male before he leaves her room. \"What do I call you?\" He glances back, \"I\'m Astrid. You don\'t need to call me lord...\" He jokes. \"Maybe Master Astrid. Nah Lord is better. Go with that.\" and he leaves. Stephanie flops down onto the bed and covers her face with her hands. The irony is deadly. When she was on Freiza\'s ship she had no choice but to be a soldier. And on this Saskol ship it\'s the same thing. Stephanie\'s being forced... but once she starts fighting, she\'ll participate willingly in her own slavery. Stephanie had always known her love of fighting is her strongest instinct. Still, to be a captive of Saskols is infuriating. And aren\'t they supposed to be \'good guys\'?

In any case, Astrid seems to have some goal for Stephanie. He has the same mental dexterity as Saskols, so he must belong to them somehow. Or them to him. Stephanie feels unnaturally smothered by the new situation. But really, is this any different from working for Freiza? At least Freiza couldn\'t control her EVERY move...