Fortune Favours the Bold

Chapter 8

Gohan

Gohan led the Prince and his human lover up the stairs, past the crew-quarters, into a large room that served as the ship's mess hall and lounge area. His Uncle sat at the head of the long table, looking as surly as ever as they approached.

It was quiet but for the soft whir of the air-cyclers as Raditz and the Prince stared holes into one another. Gohan could only pray that this exchange would be civil and productive. The chances were slim, given their last interaction. Gohan suspected he would need to do most of the talking.

"Sit." Raditz said, the first to break the uncomfortable silence. He gestured at the seat beside him with a flourish of his hand.

"I prefer to stand." The prince sniped back, nostrils flaring.

A ghost of a smile spread across his uncle's face. "You're just a chip off the old royal block, aren't you?"

A snarl erupted from the Prince and Gohan stepped forward. "We have a situation that impacts all of us and we need to discuss it. That's why we're all here."

Trunks' hawk-like gaze flicked to his, then he nodded to his human companion pointedly. "She needs food."

Shit. They'd been so wrapped up with devising a plan that he couldn't remember the last time he'd fed their captives, which wasn't an ideal way to start negotiations. Gohan grabbed a ration bar from a crate on the counter and passed it to the woman, who took it without so much as a glance in his direction. "Apologies. We've been distracted."

"And why is that?"

The question was directed at Gohan, but it was Raditz that answered. "We've located our missing comrades. Unfortunately, they've fallen in with bad company."

The lavender-haired saiyan's brows drew together, and the line of his mouth straightened. Gohan pulled out his holo-pad and with a few quick hand gestures, the surface of the table was illuminated with a tri-dimensional image.

"This is Marzaana."

The hologram morphed into a wasteland of grey rocky terrain encased in a sheet of white frost that stretched as far as the eye could see. Gohan waved a finger over the hologram, revealing a massive tower-like structure built into the rock-face. "That's where they're being held."

Gohan zoomed in on the feed, revealing hundreds, of what appeared to be slaves, of all different species filing into the tower entrance, herded by baton carrying guards dressed head to toe in worn grey body armor and metallic helmets, it appeared as though some guards had a symbol painted on their breastplates, but the image was too fuzzy to make it out.

"Who are they?"

"Dunno. According to my information, this planet is supposed to be unoccupied... because of its uninhabitable status." Gohan gestured to the images floating across the display. "Which I guess makes it a perfect place to bed down if you want to avoid prying eyes. Whoever they are, they're deep into the slave-trade from the looks of things though. They're mining crystals or gemstones from a nearby cave system."

The image flickered again, and they were looking at a massive hangar full of more armored guards milling about as slaves pushed carts laden with large crates. Gohan pointed at a line of cargo ships docked in the center of the space. "We saw those three ships circling the area immediately following the disturbance that damaged your ship."

"And to make matters worse, we believe our newfound friends are in bed with imperials. So, time is of the essence." Raditz chimed in.

The Prince's shoulder's straightened, a look of realization dawned on his face. "I see. You need my help to get your friend out."