"-and the northern continent fell within six hours, Your Majesty. Minimal casualties. The client's payment has been-"
The air split, and a vertical line tore through the center of the throne room. The four Saiyan warriors turned, ready to fight. King Vegeta's eyes narrowed from the throne. The rift widened, and Indra stepped through, closing the rift.
"What," the nearest Saiyan said slowly, "is that?"
"How did it get in here?" Another one said.
King Vegeta raised one hand, and the Saiyans held.
"You stand in the hall of King Vegeta, sovereign of the Saiyan race. Identify yourself. Now."
"Indra. I need information on the tyrant Frieza. His current location or whatever you have, Vegeta."
The name landed like a slap. King Vegeta gripped the armrests of his throne, cracking them. The Saiyans on the floor exchanged shocked glances.
"...What did you call me?"
"Vegeta....Frieza. Where is he?"
The disrespect was so casual that it took a moment for him to process it as real. King Vegeta stared at Indra, his expression not changing, then he laughed. "Khh… heh… heh… heh… You appear uninvited in my throne room, and you address me without my title while you make demands."
He leaned forward on the throne. "I don't know what backwater spawned you, creature. I don't know what trick brought you here, but you have precisely one chance to kneel and beg forgiveness before I have your bones ground into the floor of this hall."
Indra said nothing and stared at King Vegeta, looking impatient. King Vegeta's eyes moved to the two Saiyans nearest to Indra. "Kill it, but take your time. I want it to remember this beating in whatever afterlife it's kind believes in."
The two Saiyans grinned, and Ki surged through their bodies, but as they stepped forward towards Indra, he activated suppress, and the two Saiyans fell face-first on the floor as their armor cracked from the pressure, and neither of them understood what was happening.
One of them tried to push up, pouring everything he had to lift his chest off the floor, but he couldn't; his spine popped, and he screamed in pain. He thrashed against the floor, fingers clawing at the ground, and a second pop came from his lower back.
The other one had it worse, landing even harder. "What - what is-" His voice came out weak as the air was being squeezed from his lungs. "I can't - my body-"
King Vegeta rose from the throne. "Stand down." He said, directed at the remaining two Saiyans who were ready to join the fight, though they had absolute terror behind their eyes. They froze, shaking.
"What are you?" King Vegeta asked.
Indra disappeared and appeared in front of King Vegeta before he could think and gripped the king's throat, lifted him, and pinned his back against his own throne while simultaneously suppress expanded. The remaining two Saiyans hit the floor as their bones began to break.
"I'm going to say this once, Vegeta. I'm not a man of many words. I want Frieza's location. If you don't give it to me, I will kill every Saiyan on this planet, right now, starting with you."
"I..." King Vegeta's voice came strained through the grip. "I can see it in your eyes, you're not a murderer."
Indra tightened his grip, and King Vegeta's vision started going dark. "Maybe, but the pain is real, and it gets worse every second you don't talk."
King Vegeta spoke through gritted teeth, seemingly trying his best not to talk. "The Southern Galaxy. Frieza's forces... have been active in the southern sectors. Our network has picked up reports - fleet movements, planetary acquisitions, and large-scale operations are ongoing."
"Where exactly?"
"I don't know where exactly, but Frieza's flagship moves constantly. The Southern Galaxy is the only thing I know."
"Do you know where King Cold is as well?"
"No, I've only heard rumors about him, that he is a figure above Frieza, and if such a being truly exists, he does not make himself known to races like mine."
Indra released his grip, and King Vegeta dropped into his throne. His hand went to his throat, breathing in quick breaths, refusing to gasp.
"One more thing, I need a ship. An engineer who can pilot it, bring me one, Vegeta."
King Vegeta's fingers tightened around his throat. He looked at one of the Saiyans nearest the door, who was still barely conscious, lying on the ground. "Take the being to the hangar and provide him with an engineer and a ship."
"Yes... Your Majesty."
Indra released Suppress, and the pressure vanished, following the Saiyan out.
---
The Saiyan walked limply in pain at first, but then he started walking straight, confusing Indra.
'I would rather die than limp in public.' The Saiyan thought.
The palace opened, and as they walked, Saiyans stared as he passed, some with hostility, while others with curiosity that looked like they were sizing him up, but nobody attacked due to the injured guard's presence.
The guard led him through a wide gate into a hangar compound. The ships sat in rows, but they were different from what he seen in canon, since from what he had observed, King Cold hadn't yet taken over the Saiyans.
They were Troop carriers built for planet takeovers. The guard pointed at a Saiyan crouched beneath a ship's landing strut, tools in hand, with grease on his armor.
"Engineer. The king orders you to take this alien where it wants to go."
The engineer looked up at the guard, then at Indra.
"You're joking..."
"The king's order." The Saiyan repeated angrily.
The engineer got up, looking annoyed, and wiped his hands on his armor. He was stocky and shorter than the soldier, and his ki signature was smaller too.
"Where?"
"Southern Galaxy," Indra said.
"Fine. Get on."
The guard left, not looking back. The ship's interior was military-like with seats for a dozen Saiyans and navigation consoles with stars chart. The engines started, and the hangar flew away.
---
The throne room was quiet. King Vegeta stood at the place where the rift had opened. His hand rested on his throat as bruises were forming. Around him, his warriors were getting up, slowly. None of them looked at each other in shame.
"Look at me." King Vegeta said.
They all looked at him frightfully. "What happened in this room did not happen. No one speaks of it, not even to yourself. If I hear a whisper, I will not only kill the Saiyan personally, but I will also eradicate his entire bloodline from my planet. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Saiyans said in unison.
"We will see, now get out of my throne room, carry each other if you must, though I must admit that would be a pathetic sight to watch."
They left, not helping each other, and closed the door.
'Indra. A king never forgets.' King Vegeta thought, as he closed his eyes and curled his fist so hard that blood started dripping.
---
The engineer sat at the navigation console, hands moving through star charts, and hadn't said a word since takeoff. Indra sat in the back of the cabin as he replayed the throne room.
He remembered the screaming of the Saiyans as their spines started breaking; he'd done it without really thinking what he was doing. He thought of them as Vampa beasts, but these were people with families.
'I grabbed a man by the throat and threatened to kill his entire race. What have I become? The person in that throne room wasn't me.'
The feeling to consume is reaching a breaking point.
---
A/N: Appreciate the support so far, keep flooding me with powerstones and you get more chapters, pretty simple deal, Aye?