Nenai was in the World Room by herself, training in a program she had written:  she had taken what she knew of several other soldiers under Freeza's command and put them into a sparring simulation.  It had been several months since Kariifuuru had warned her to stay away from Vejiita, a suggestion easy to follow.  Something about the admiral's attitude really bothered Nenai; he had some sort of deep-rooted need to defeat everyone and everything, but for some reason, in Nenai's case that need was even stronger.  He was a latent empath, stronger than any of the other Saiyajin in this regard except for Taurus, so Nenai did not want to "investigate" by tapping into his consciousness--he would notice almost immediately.

    Well, if she needed to stay away from him for him to get over it, that was fine by her.  She could easily train by herself, despite what Vejiita thought.

    She had become distracted.  One of her "opponents" shot a beam of energy by her head, missing her by inches.  She fired back, annoyed, but her attack was deflected.

    "What...?"  She didn't remember programming that response into any of the mock-fighters.  "Program:  stop!"

    The form of the new fighter came out of the shadows of the illusory forest Nenai had designed.  He was of medium height, with a tail...

    "Freeza...?" Nenai breathed.  No, the head shape was wrong.  "I didn't program this!  Program:  pause!"

    The shape continued to advance.

    "Program:  halt!" Nenai said, beginning to panic.

    "It's not going to work," the other fighter called.  He finally stepped into the light, and stood with his arms crossed, striking the floor with his tail.

    "C--Cooler!" Nenai gasped.  It was Freeza's older brother, rarely seen and even more rarely heard to speak.

    "In the flesh, as it were," Cooler said with a sinister smile.  "So, you're Nenais'u, hmm?  I've heard that you are quite gifted..."  He punctuated his remark with another slap of his tail.

    Nenai resisted the urge to back away and stood calmly before the most powerful being in the galaxy.  "I...do not like to fight, Lord Cooler, but I can...defend myself."  She kept her eyes downcast, not wishing to show any challenge in her posture. He wants a fight, she thought, frightened.  He's come here to test me.

    Cooler seemed to catch her thought, and his smile grew wider.  "A pacifist?  How odd...You seem to be quite good at fighting.  I heard you easily defeated Rear Admiral Vejiita some time back.  That takes quite a lot of power, so...how could someone with that much power, who was willing to use it, not like to fight?"  He walked slowly around Nenai as he spoke, tapping his tail along the floor.  "I think...you're lying!"  The last tail-strike was like a whip-crack.

    Nenai clenched her fists and trembled slightly.  "Lying, Lord Cooler?  I would not--"

    "Ha!"  He laughed, seemingly enjoying her discomfiture.  "Tell me, Ensign, why wouldn't such an excellent warrior wish to fight?"

    "It is against my religion, Lord Cooler," the girl replied in a near-whisper.

    Cooler laughed even harder then.  "Your religion...!  Ah, well then, little pilot," he said, regaining his composure, "how would you like to join my crew?  Everyone needs a good pilot, after all...and we travel all over the galaxy.  You'd see a lot of things, you would...and I pay better than Freeza does."

    The girl stared hard at the ground.  To refuse such an offer would seem insane, but she couldn't go with Cooler--she had to stay here with the Saiyajin.  "I...I am honored, but I have not yet completed my training, and I wish to do that before I take any formal assignments..."

    "Sauza could easily continue your training," Cooler replied, referring to his rear admiral.  "His level is higher than Vejiita's--more on a par with Zarbon’s, really.  Training isn't an issue."

    Nenai had no other legitimate excuses to offer at that point.  "Then...it is up to Admiral Vejiita," she said softly.

    "All right.  I will speak with him on it.  However, Nenais'u, he has just as little choice as you do.  Don't get too comfortable in the next few days...I think you'll be leaving."  Cooler grinned and turned to leave.  "Oh, and Nenais'u?  Don't try to disappear between now and then."  His tail hit the floor again, this time creating a thin tracery of cracks on the floor of the World Room.

    The girl cringed slightly as Cooler exited.  She was in deep trouble now.  There was almost no way she could get out of this...

    "Program:  stop!" she called, wondering how Cooler had interfered with her exercise before.  The illusions faded, and the plasteel walls of the World Room came into view.  A chuckle floated down from the control booth, and Nenai floated up and peered in the window, annoyed at being played with so much.

    "Good evening, Nenais'u."  The intruder grinned.  He sat in one of the rolling chairs with his feet propped up on the edge of one of the consoles with his hands behind his head.

    "Admiral Zarbon!" the girl exclaimed.  "What..."

    The tall admiral grinned.  "Cooler asked me to lock your program.  Guess you'll be leaving soon, eh?"

    Nenai sighed.  "I suppose so."

    "Ah, you don't want to go?  Why not?"  Zarbon pushed a strand of his dark green hair out of his face with a graceful, long-fingered hand.  "Cooler's unit is the dream assignment around here."  He kicked his feet off the panel and abruptly stood up.  "Meet me outside of the Room in a few minutes."

    "Er, all right."  Nenai dropped back down to the floor, and went to take a quick shower in the locker room, then put on a new stationsuit and exited the Room complex.  Zarbon was waiting for her by the door.

    Nenai looked up, not quite at ease with the tall admiral as she thought of her last keishiva reading.

    "So," Zarbon said, taking the girl's arm and walking her down the corridor, "why don't you want to go with Lord Cooler?"

    Nenai considered her words carefully and quickly before answering.  "I have not received enough training to be confident on a real mission..."

    "That's almost exactly what you told Lord Cooler.  What's the real answer?" the admiral asked shrewdly.

    The Amon girl blinked in mild surprise.  She hadn't realized that he was that perceptive.  "What makes you think that's not the reason?"

    Zarbon shrugged.  "It's just not a strong enough reason, and you have a viable alternative, training with that fool Sauza.  So, stop stalling.  What is the reason?"

    "I...I just don't want to leave right now."  Nenai was at a loss.

    "Heh...maybe you don't want to leave your snakes?" Zarbon said quietly.

    "Wh--what?" Nenai gasped in surprise.  How does he know--?

    The admiral grinned.  "Your two little serpent-friends...you wouldn't want to leave them, now would you?  Especially since you went to a good deal of trouble to obtain them..."

    She could not tell whether he was speaking of the snakes, or of Taurus now.  Either way, he was much too close to the truth of the matter.  "I doubt that I would be able to take them shipside with me, and I almost need them to live...especially for the duration of time that I would be gone."

    "Oh?"  Zarbon sounded dubious.

    "I am a...Snake Priestess," Nenai explained hesitantly, not trusting the admiral.  "Snakes are an absolutely vital part of my religion.  To be anywhere without snakes for any long period of time is not only against my beliefs, but very likely detrimental to my...psychological health."

    "Well, you could put the issue forth as a need for your morale...if Lord Cooler wants you badly enough, he'll make the allowance."

    The two of them had reached Cooler's stateroom, and here Zarbon stopped.  "Well?  Are you going to ask?"

    "I can't!" the girl said in a near-whisper.

    "Certainly you can.  Walk in, be respectful, and ask."  The admiral touched the door panel and a chime sounded within the chamber.

    The door hissed open, and Sauza stood there with his arms crossed.  "Ah, Zarbon, Ensign Nenais'u," he greeted them curtly.

    Nenai almost froze in her shyness.  "Admiral Sauza, sir....I would like to talk to Lord Cooler, please."  In her nervousness, the girl's usually unnoticeable accent grew quite thick.  She stopped talking, mortified.

    Zarbon looked at her oddly, then turned to Sauza.  "Lord Cooler has asked her to join his crew for the next mission.  She needs to speak to him about a few details."

    Sauza's eyes narrowed.  "Just a moment."  He retreated from the door, and it hissed shut.

    "Hmph!  If Sauza thinks he can get away with that sort of attitude towards me, he's got another thing coming," Zarbon muttered, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

    Nenai sighed and leaned against the wall.  I don't want to go away, she thought desperately. I may have troubles here, but...if I go away, it will be for at least a year...And with Cooler's crew!  Not a female among them... She shuddered.  That meant definite trouble for her, as the only female aboard.  Why does he want me on his crew?

    The door hissed open again, and Vejiita, of all people, stepped out.  He took one scornful look at Zarbon, then took Nenais'u by the wrist and started pulling her down the corridor, towards the training labs.

    "You're not going anywhere," he growled as he dragged her along.  "I can't believe he would take an untrained pilot out on a two year mission..."

    Nenai said nothing, but she was secretly relieved.  How did he get Cooler to release me?  Or didn't he?  "Vejiita?" she said softly.  "Am I...off the mission?"

    "Of course you're off the mission!" the Saiyajin snapped.  He did not volunteer any more information.

    Why did he want me to stay?  Nenai suddenly felt cold.  Maybe he wants me here so he can kill me, she thought, panicking.  She stole a look at the man's face as he dragged her down the hall.  He looked angry, which was nothing new, but his eyes did not seem to hold the wild glaze that Karii has described as a symptom of a nitekta fit.  Was she safe now?

    "Vejiita?  Ah...where are we going?"

    The Saiyajin turned back and looked at her with a malicious smile and said nothing.  They walked quickly down the empty corridors, their footfalls echoing all around.  Soon they reached the pilotry module where Nenai did her flightsim practice every day.  She had skipped her practice today, so she thought Vejiita had noted her log and had just brought her down here to reinforce her work-ethic.  She tried to disengage her arm from his grip as he opened the pod door, but he didn't release her; he pushed her into the pod in front of him, closed the door behind them, and shoved Nenai roughly against the wall, pinning her.

    "Vejiita, wha--!"  The girl's protest was cut off as Vejiita pressed his mouth against hers.

    What is he doing?!  Nenai's mind and pulse both raced.  She didn't dare "look" into his mind; he'd notice.  But what between Heaven and Hell was happening?

    Meanwhile, Vejiita was running his hands along her tight-suited body in an overly familiar way.  She wanted to slap him, but was too frightened of his possible reaction.  Bewildered, she tensed her muscles in preparation for an escape.

    The Saiyajin felt her body stiffen, and pulled his head back to look at her, grinning wickedly.  "Relax, little bird...or don't.  Either way, I still win..."  He raised a hand to Nenai's cheek and touched her gently, his eyes narrowing slightly.

    Nenai stood perfectly still, eyes wide and trembling.  Is he angry?  Or is he...is he...

    Vejiita kissed her again, and suddenly their tongues touched.  The cards!  Gods above and Demons below...the last reading!  Nenai tried to pull away, but she was still pinned against the wall.  She then tried to shove the man away but didn't make any progress that way, either.  The Saiyajin ignored her unspoken protests and moved to kiss down her neck.

    "Vejiita--!" Nenai said in a strangled whisper.

    Again, he did not reply; he only bit lightly at her throat.  Nenai hissed loudly and tried to sink her claws into the Saiyajin’s hands, but as her talons grazed his skin, he jerked his head back and grabbed her hands.

    "Do you think you can fight me again?" he said in a dangerously quiet tone, his eyes flashing in the near-darkness.  Before the girl could answer, his hand reached out and pulled at the collar of her stationsuit, tearing the stretchy material like cobwebs.  Nenai screamed, and Vejiita slapped her.

    "Be quiet, bitch!" he snarled, pinning her against the wall again.  Her entire chest was exposed, but not satisfied with that, he pulled and tore until she was almost completely naked, then gloated at her obvious fear.  "I'm going to hurt you..."

    Nenai screamed again; he was insane, and she was dead.

    Vejiita's sadistic grin flashed.  "I'm going to hurt you...and you're going to like it..."

    The girl shivered, and let out a quiet moan of dread.

    "And guess what, Nenais'u?"

    "Wh...what?" she asked in a breathless, scared whisper.

    "I've defeated you."