Chapter 11 - Traitor or hero?
Captain Nagata's Unusual Past.
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"Shall we get started?"
"Ladies first."
"Chivalry will get you nowhere," Jianu replied, summoning her ki.  A
brilliant purple aura surrounding her as she screamed.  Not two seconds
behind her, Captain Nagata started his own power-up, an equally bright
green aura enveloping his own body.  The surrounding area began to
shake, rocks, branches, and the occasional small animal rising as the
very air around them, hummed with the two warriors power.  Long
before they finished, Nagata's scouter exploded, bringing a self-satisfied
smirk to Jianu's face.  Years ago, when she and the others had just
been cubs, Kakarott's father had redesigned the basic scouter.
Ultimately creating a slimmer, lighter, more accurate device that was
capable of reading high battle powers without overloading.  Finally both
warriors stopped, their auras fading as they gazed evenly at one
another.  The debris that had risen earlier falling to the ground,
sounding much like a heavy rain.  "Looks like we're even," Jianu
commented dryly, not able to completely conceal the excitement in her
voice.  Finally, a chance to test her skills!
Discarding his defunct scouter, Nagata raised an eyebrow, "How do I
know you're not bluffing?"
"Believe what you want."  The auburn haired saiya-jin slid into a fighting
stance, "the truth will soon be revealed."
"Aaa," Nagata slid into his own fighting stance.  Neither fighter moved.
Each waiting for a signal they knew would come.  In the distance a bird
cried out and the fight was on!  Jianu feinted left then hit right, Nagata
blocked and struck with his left arm.  Dropping under his fist, Jianu
kicked out, catching his left calf.  Nagata grunted and spun to the side in
a crouch.   Jumping up, he fired a barrage of ki blasts at the saiya-jin
female.  Not moving from her position, Jianu lazily batted them away,
"Not too shabby, " he praised, " But why don't we get serious?"
"I couldn't agree more," Jianu said, her eyes sparkling in anticipation.
The two warriors grinned at each other and vanished.  Thunder like
crashes and blinding flashes of light filled the sky, yet it remained clear
and blue.   In the forest below, sensing the immense power being
generated, the larger animals, both predator and prey, evacuated the
area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As minutes melted into hours, the golden sun of Chikyuu moved steadily
across the sky completely unnoticed by either combatant until it began
dipping below the horizon.  Putting some distance, between himself and
Jianu, Captain Nagata raised a hand, "Hold on," he said, halting her
charge.
Jianu crossed her arms, "Nani."
"It's getting dark.  I propose a truce until sunlight."
The long haired warrioress shook her head, "Iie."
"Hontou ni?  What's wrong saiya-jin?  Afraid I'll kill you in your sleep?"
She chuckled, "Nope.  I'll accept a truce, but it ends *after* breakfast."
Nagata laughed heartily, "So the rumors are true.  Saiya-jin do think with
their stomachs."
"Only some of the time," as if in reply, Jianu's stomach growled loudly,
"Like right now.  I'm in the mood for something big and dangerous," she
said, giving him a mischievous grin.  "Care to join me?"
Nagata shrugged his shoulders, "Why not?  I'm hungry too."
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'There's nothing better than fresh meat,' Jianu thought happily, tearing
zealously into the hunk of still-warm flesh from the tyrannosaur they'd
killed.  Seeing the faintly nauseated look on her dinner companions
face, she paused in her eating.  "What's wrong?  My table manners
aren't *that* bad."
"It's not your manners, it's your food."
"My food?" she said around another mouthful.
"It's raw," he said still looking a tad green.
"So," she countered, licking blood from her lips.   "It's good for you.
None of the nutrients have been cooked out." She grinned lopsidedly,
"Flavors better too, you should try it Nagata."
Nagata's face turned greener, "No thanks, I'd rather not catch
something."
Jianu's eyes widened, "Oh that's right!  You ningen don't have that
strong an immune system," she shook her head, "Too bad, Nagata.
You're really missing out."
"Miraku."
Jianu blinked, "Nani?"
The captain ran a gloved hand through his hair, "Miraku.  My name is
Miraku.  Nagata is my family name."
"Oh."
Miraku tipped his head in thought, "What I can't decide is whether to
bring you back alive or dead."
"If you're smart, you'll bring me in dead," she said after swallowing.
"That's what I'm planning to do with you.
He grinned, "True.  But Frieza-sama might prefer to kill you himself."
At the mention of Frieza the saiya-jin woman snorted, "Anything to
please the master, ne?  That's how one gets promoted."
Miraku glared at her, "There's more to it than that!"
"Care to enlighten me?" she drawled sarcastically.
"No."
"What, afraid I'll think badly of you?"
The ningen warrior let out a sharp bark of bitter laughter, "Ha!   You
think I don't know about you saiya-jin?  Your people are one of the most
violent and bloodthirsty races in the entire universe!  Not one hundred
years ago your kind were purging and conquering planets to expand
your empire!  You yourself are responsible for the deaths of thousands
of soldiers."
"Mostly cannon fodder," Jianu muttered, her expression sullen.
"That's what I'm talking about.  You don't see all those men and women
as people.  At least I recognize that much, you're as much a monster as
I."
The saiya-jin female shrugged her shoulders, "So why not tell me then?"
This stopped the young man cold, he blinked a couple times then
lowered his head in defeat, "Chikyuu."
"Huh?" Jianu blinked wide eyes at him, that didn't make a lot of sense.
Miraku sighed heavily, "The higher I go, the more I please Frieza-sama,
the better for Chikyuu."
Intrigued by this unexpected information Jianu leaned forward
attentively, "Go on."
"I was just a child when they came.  After the militaries failed, the Z
senshi stepped in.  Back then, they were just a group of martial artists
with fighting abilities far above and beyond any normal Chikyuu-jin,"
Miraku's voice was low and solemn, "My parents and oneesan were Z
senshi.  They did well, all things considered, but they just weren't strong
enough."  He lifted his head and Jianu caught a brief flash of pain in his
eyes, "Every one of them died.  The current Z senshi are their children
and other young warriors."
"So how'd you manage to join Frieza's ranks?"
"Easy.  I wasn't given a choice."  Oblivious to Jianu's open-mouthed
stare he went on, "They found me with the scouters.  Since I was so
strong, they opted to turn me into a soldier instead of a slave."   Miraku's
voice was hard and bitter, "I trained so hard, pushing myself above and
beyond even my own limits.  It took me years of training and humiliation
to get command of Chikyuu-sei.  If you've met the Z senshi, I'm sure
they've told you I'm a traitor.  They have no idea.  Chikyuu is my home.
I'm doing everything in my power to improve things but I can't return it to
the way it was before."   Miraku's emerald eyes flashed dangerously,
"Learn this and learn it well saiya-jin.  The most important thing I've
learned under Frieza is this:  No one will ever be as strong as he is.
There is nothing in the universe to compare him to and no matter how
many allies you gather, it won't be enough.  You may defeat his army,
but you'll never defeat him."
Jianu was somewhat saddened by his attitude, the handsome Chikyuu
warrior seemed to have lost his spirit.  "Kuso, you really believe that
don't you?  No wonder you aren't rebelling," she smirked, "But you're
wrong."
"Oh really?"
"Yea.  There is something that can defeat Frieza.   Densetsu wa Supaa
Saiya-jin."
Nagata laughed openly now, "I've heard that old story.  Aren't you a little
old to be believing in fairy tales?"
"Che.  At least I believe in something," she countered, tossing the last
bone to the side.  She then yawned and stretched, laying down and
cushioning her head on her armor.  "But even if I didn't, I'd still fight."
Miraku stared at the saiya-jin female.  "Better to die free, than live as a
slave," she finished, rolling over so her back was facing him.
Thoroughly confused, Miraku Nagata stared at her silent back, mulling
over what she had just said.  She was such an enigma, nothing at all
like the savages her people had been depicted as.  'Well maybe a little,'
he amended, remembering her raw dinner.  But still, after they had killed
the beast, the saiya-jin woman had removed her gloves and armor to
keep them somewhat clean.  She was smart too, completely unlike the
stupid monkeys he'd been told about.  Deciding that he wasn't going to
figure it out tonight, Miraku shook his head and lay down.   Somehow,
he knew he could trust her.

May 18, 2002