Mai moaned lowly as she was jostled about. The Namek had been unconscious for five, maybe ten, minutes. Blood still seeped out of some of her wounds and her green skin was blotched with purple hued bruises. She shivered, clutching to her support a little tighter as icy fingers lifted her dress and skimmed underneath.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Brussi swore inside her mind. Damn fool, should have knocked you out the second you suggested going back. Stupid... idiotic... If we live through this brat, I think I'll smack some sense into that bald head.

Brussi gripped Mai's forearms tighter, ignoring the incessant chill wind that fluttered her dress and hair. The Saiyan had her friend slung on her back, the other woman's slim arms draped around her neck. Mai's legs dangled since she was still too far gone to wrap them around Brussi's waist. Which Brussi decided was for the best anyway. She wanted to be able to drop the Namek quickly if she had to fight.

Right now, she concentrated on moving about the garden. The rebels had moved farther into the palace itself, leaving few behind outside. The guards, more concerned with protecting the Emperor and his court, had followed. The fire still raged in the outer terraces. Smoke coiled and crept through the landscape, obscuring the grounds.

It would have been perfect if her friend hadn't gotten herself half killed. Brussi grunted and shifted Mai's weight a little. She peered through the wafting smoke, trying to get her bearings. She knew where she wanted to go.

Brussi grinned as she spotted the outer corner of the west wing. Crouching and moving as fast and quietly as possible with the extra load, she approached it. She skirted the large boulders that had once been part of the palace walls. Sharp pebbles cut through the soft soled slippers she was wearing but the cold seeping from the autumn earth numbed her feet.

Neither slowed her down. She was too intent on making their escape a reality. Brussi sidled up against a mass of crumbled stone. Peeking around it, she sighted her goal through the trees.

A complex of sturdy metal buildings and a large square of hardened pavement nearly shimmered in the bright light that illuminated them. A few ships still sat on the tarmac, probably having arrived a short time before the rebels attacked.

Mai moaned again, louder, and began to move a little. Brussi glanced back, then eased the injured woman down. Mai slumped back. Her head rolled onto her shoulder but she didn't fall over. Her body leaned on the cold, stone wall behind.

Brussi crouched in front of Mai and lightly slapped the other's face. She frowned, concerned, and said, "Hey, I'd appreciate it if you woke up from your nap and moved your own butt around."

"Uhh..." Mai's eye's opened slowly. Her pupils were unfocused. She squinted at Brussi, her breathing shallow and hitched. Her voice croaked, "Bru... Brussi...?"

Mai frowned. Cold currents of air kept brushing against her skin. Her back rested against a hard chilly surface. Her mouth was dry, tasted of dust and metal. A thousand little patches, lines and pinpricks burned over her torso and arms and her head throbbed terribly. Only her legs were blissfully free of pain.

Brussi put a finger under Mai's chin and lifted. Staring into the woman's eyes, she stated, "Feh... you're brains are scrambled, aren't they? Figures. As many times as you bashed your head on the way down the stairs, I'm surprised you're awake at all."

"Mmh..?" Mai's face reflected sleepy confusion. Her eyelids began to slip downward again.

"Grrrr... no you don't!" Brussi grabbed Mai's shoulders and shook her. The Namek's head bobbed a little, before it stabilized and a light scowl settled on her face.

"I... don't think... sh-shaking me is... going to help," Mai said hesitantly. Her face scrunched up in a miserable expression. "Unless you want me to throw up on you."

"Well, it would be something," Brussi retorted. She released her grip on Mai's shoulders and nodded in satisfaction when the other didn't sway or threaten to topple over. The concerned look was whisked away, replaced by one more serious and hard. "We're making our escape, Mai. Remember?"

Mai dipped her head once, not sure she wanted to risk moving it more than that. Nausea was making the rounds in her gut while vertigo was sweeping through her brain. She raised a shaky hand, pressing it against her forehead. "Where... where are we?"

"In the gardens, just on the corner of the west wing, south side," Brussi answered.

Mai blinked, a bit dumbfounded. That meant the Saiyan had transported her halfway through the spacious gardens. On a decently foggy day, the outer wall of that wing couldn't even be seen from where the harem usually exited into the grounds.

"You... you car..."

"Yeah, yeah," Brussi cut in, impatiently waving a hand. "What was I gonna do? Leave you to bleed all over Seisan's fine tile floor? Besides, I'm in enough trouble for killing those rebels. If I left you, they'd think that was me as well. Both the pig Seisan and the rebels would have me executed for killing you and escaping. Except the rebels would want my head more for their guards."

Brussi grinned, completely unrepentant for her crime. Mai chuckled a bit. Almost immediately, though, she groaned through clenched teeth and clutched her right side.

The grin dropped from Brussi's face. She stood up quickly. "We have to keep going, Mai. Come on."

She reached down and curled her fingers around Mai's upper arm, ready to haul her friend to her feet. The shocked look on Mai's face stalled her.

"Brussi..." The name slipped out in a frightened whisper. A bubble of shiny purple pushed out of the corner of Mai's mouth, then stretched itself into a thin ribbon, traveling down to a quivering chin. "Brussi... I can't walk... I can't feel my legs..."

"What?" Brussi glared down at Mai, looking as if the Namek was trying to pull a prank she didn't appreciate. "Can't you heal that?"

"I... I don't know." Mai closed her eyes. She concentrated and probed her body, mentally assessing the damage that had been done to her spine and nerves.

It wasn't good. The bones were cracked almost all the way up to her ribcage. It was shattered near the hips, the spinal cord was completely severed there. Several bone fragments were scattered through her body, cutting into muscle and organ. One had pierced her a lung when she had laughed.

She bit her lower lip and shivered. She didn't have the experience to deal with this! None of the women had come back with anything approaching this. Broken bones, yes, even some nerve damage but... These injuries plus her others with her current fatigue... Mai didn't think she could heal it quickly.

Mai swallowed the lump of panic in her throat. She could sense Brussi's growing nervousness. They had spent too long already in one spot. She forced her voice to be steady when she spoke again. "I can heal it. But I need time and rest."

Brussi crouched back down quickly and hissed, "We don't have time, Mai!"

Mai chewed her lip silently. The longing to escape, to rejoin her people was flowing through her. She wanted it so badly. And if she didn't get out now there was no knowing when another chance might come... if at all.

She raised her eyes and looked at Brussi. The Saiyan was bruised and cut from taking the brunt of the explosion earlier. She didn't seem tired, though she had carried Mai a good distance already. But Mai could sense her tension.

Brussi was slowing her own escape by carrying her. She had to walk instead of run, hide instead of fight. Mai had no doubts that the woman would be long gone if she had been on her own.

Mai's expression softened and she smiled wryly. "I know. You'll have to go it alone."

Brussi's hand flew out and grabbed Mai's throat. Her fingers bit into the Namek's flesh. Mai choked a bit as the vice like grip promised to cut off her air supply. She gazed wildly at the Saiyan. She knew she couldn't break the hold.

"Damn it, Mai!" Brussi's face hardened into a cold mask, her black eyes glinted like chips of polished stone. She squeezed her fingers a little. "If you can't make it, I'll have to kill you and I don't have the ability to make it very quick unless I snap your neck. Even then, I can't promise you won't feel anything. And I didn't drag your ass halfway around the palace grounds just to leave your corpse here!"

Mai could only respond with a gurgle. Darkness was rapidly gathering on the edges of her vision. She hadn't expected this sort of response and she wasn't sure she cared to die at Brussi's hands if she was going to die at all. Instinct started clawing it's way through her fading consciousness...

Suddenly, Brussi's hand let go. Mai rocked forward and sucked in a wheezing breath. Coughs shook her upper body as she tried to take in much needed air. Spittle and blood from her wounded lung collected on her lips. She rubbed a trembling hand over her bruised throat.

"Chae! Fakk!" Brussi cursed, grabbing Mai's forearms again. She turned, draping the limbs over her shoulders and pulled, dragging Mai onto her back again. The Saiyan pushed herself upright. She sighed and commanded roughly, "Hang on, brat. Though don't go screaming if I dump you on the ground. I might have to if there are any rebels or guards around."

"Uhnn..." The aches in Mai's body collected into one, all over throbbing. The darkness receded but her vision remained blurry and a fog settled back over her mind. She couldn't tell where her legs were. She wondered absently if they would stay out of Brussi's way. The thought that her friend might think it necessary to rip them off wasn't a pleasant one.

Brussi tensed, then began to creep around the boulder that had sheltered them. The wind had picked up and was colder now. The rock had kept it from chilling them before. Brussi suppressed a shudder. Her breath formed misty trails as she slinked along the western wall.

A steady crunch crunch of boots on fallen leaves caused her to duck behind a sphere shaped bush. The leaves were too dense to peek through, so she cocked her head in an attempt to track the movement by ear. The owner of the boots approached the bush and halted on the other side.

Brussi ground her teeth silently, waiting.

There was a shout off in the distance. She nearly dumped Mai on the ground as the boots shuffled on the other side. But the boot wearer yelled back at the other, then clopped away at a run.

Whatever the alarm was, it wasn't the Saiyan and her injured Namek friend. Brussi quietly let out the breath she held. She was confident enough that she could beat any stray guards or rebels that came between her and her goal. But she couldn't deny that if an alarm was raised, she wouldn't be able to fend off whole squads if they were sent.

Brussi gnashed her teeth. This skulking around didn't sit well. Even with Mai's presence, she shouldn't have to be so... sneaky. If anything, she should be able to charge through, blasting anyone who gets in her way. But no... the war gods were up there somewhere laughing at her. Snickering because she couldn't. Because all she had were her hands and feet to fight. And the palace guards at least were armored and had weapons capable of punching a whole through someone's chest.

Damn it! Brussi cursed again in her head. She let go of one of Mai's arms, leaning forward a little so her friend wouldn't slip off. Raising her empty hand, she concentrated, staring at the palm intently. A tingle, almost an itch, centered itself on the skin... but nothing happened.

Brussi growled low in her throat as the sensation slipped away. She clenched her hand into a fist, wanting to punch a hole through something.

Why can't I do it? WHY?

The Saiyan took hold of Mai's arm again. She tightened her grip and tried to calm the rage inside her. She didn't understand this weakness... this lack. Brussi let out an aggravated breath. Still, she did have her hands and feet. She would use them as best she could. She just wished she could send out a few blasts to even the odds if she needed.

Brussi shook her head, banishing the thoughts. It wasn't the time to brood on failures. She had to get to one of those ships.

She slipped out from behind the bush. Scanning the area, she checked for anymore rebel or guard patrols. The grounds were fairly quiet, only the crackle of the dying fire still drifted on the wind. Noise of the battle had diminished greatly. Possibly the winner had already been decided.

That thought started Brussi's feet moving. She needed every distraction she could get if she was going to succeed in this. No better one than having the people you were avoiding busy with fighting each other.

The Saiyan quickly stepped from shelter to shelter. Crouching behind strange shaped bushes and pressing against trunks of fruit trees. Mai moaned a few times, setting Brussi's teeth on edge. Luckily, there seemed to be no one around to hear when it happened. She wished her friend would either pass out again or wake up enough to keep her noises to herself. She did consider knocking Mai out... briefly.

Brussi wasn't sure how much more the Namek could take and she honestly didn't want to kill her. So she hefted the body along, hoping Mai would be quiet.

Minutes passed as she flit around, working her way steadily towards the private ship port. A nervous sweat broke out her brow. This was taking far longer than she had planned on. She reached the edge of the pavement that covered the area. With a quick look around, she made a break for the nearest ship.

Brussi's feet thudded dully on the cement. She grimaced and kept going, though each footfall seemed to echo in her ears. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

The woman came to a halt in the scant shadow of the ship. She swept her gaze over the grounds she had left and tilted her head. No alarms, no shouting. It didn't seem she had been seen. She wasn't going to question the good fortune that the rebels appeared to have enough numbers to draw off the normal guards but not enough to leave their own in place.

She grinned and turned her attention to the ship. She examined the outer hull, which was black in most places with yellow supports on the outside. It was vaguely familiar...

Brussi chased down the impression in her mind. The images of a black pit of a place came to her. She remembered it had been filled with rusted hulks and thick smoke from smelting fires. Her nose twitched at the memory of the stench that nearly suffocated anyone stuck there. It had been a ship graveyard, dedicated to cannibalizing wrecks and selling off any usable parts to those who couldn't afford to buy new. To think she had considered her transport from Bukisei to Dokusei as an improvement.

Heh... guess some are still fools at fourteen, she thought to herself.

Finally, the relevant information came to her. It was an Aisu-jin built ship.

Brussi frowned. That meant the ship might not have any weapons. It also meant that an Aisu-jin might be present in the palace.

"Feh." She pushed aside the concern. Before her parents had been killed, they had told her about the alliance between Saiyans and the Planet Trade. Surely, if her people were still working with Frieza, he'd understand the theft. That is, if the ship didn't belong to him personally. But it was smaller than she thought he would use himself, so it didn't matter. She wasn't about to stick around and ask for clearance.

The Saiyan continued to examine the hull, following the curve of the ship until she discerned where the entry was. She lowered Mai to the ground. The Namek groaned and raised her head a little. The older woman signaled for her to keep quiet.

Brussi flipped open a hidden cover and tapped the control panel, her brows drawn together. Her memories were faded, blurred by time. She hadn't had much training in this. Lowly yard slaves like her weren't given a lot of knowledge that might possibly be used against their masters. Then again, old Nobe was a lazy bastard and preferred to sit around drinking and trying to swindle more money from his customers than dealing with the dirty work.

The panel flashed "Clearance Denied" for several seconds as she worked. She was about to see what a well placed punch would do when the release on the hatch clicked and hissed.

"Hah!" Brussi smiled again. "That old override code still works. Some people have no sense of security maintenance."

Mai didn't comment. Still lost in a world that kept shifting and wobbling, she used most of her concentration just to keep awake. She moaned again when Brussi dragged her up again. The Saiyan scowled but didn't scold her.

"Hang on," Brussi commanded. "We'll be out of here before you know it!"

Then, she practically bounced up the ramp, causing Mai's stomach to do flips. The Namek clenched her teeth. She kept both the moan and the rising bile from spilling out.

Brussi hit the "close and lock" panel and smiled even more as the ramp retracted and the entry sealed the ship from attack. The basic commands for the ship were coming back to her now. Most of them should have an option for Common, the language that got used most between disparate space traveling species.

She strode to the cockpit area, glancing at the command panel. Luck was with her! The idiot who used the ship had left the computer running on standby and had kept the command functions in Common. Brussi chuckled as she settled Mai in one of the pilot chairs.

"You can always count on someone being too caught up in their own convenience," she stated. Mai focused her eyes on the Saiyan as the safety belts were fastened around her.

"Brussi..." Mai's voice cracked. Her throat felt completely dry and pain still tugged at the edges of her mind. A fog clouded her thoughts, but something was troubling her. If they left, what would happen to the others? They should go back and try to convince the others to come.

"No time for talk, Mai," commented the Saiyan brusquely. "We have to get this tin can off the ground before one party or the other is in control."

Mai lifted a hand and weakly held onto Brussi's arm. Her eyes were half closed. "Brussi... we can't go without them... Help me convince them to come."

"Eh?" Brussi stared at Mai, wondering if the blow to the green one's head had caused permanent damage. She bit out, "You tried that, remember? Got you several knocks in the head and bruises all over. Not to mention your legs are useless."

Mai began to struggle against the restraints. Her face flushed and her lifeless feet flopped on the deck. She tried to pull the buckles loose. Guilt was building fast inside her. She couldn't leave. Not now. Not without them! It was her fault that they were too frightened to listen! They would die here!

"Brussi, please!" Mai cried, pleaded to be released. "It's my fault... if I hadn't attacked Dorei... gods, we can't leave them!"

"Stop it!" Brussi demanded, her hands gripped Mai's shoulders hard, causing the woman to cry out more. "You're going to cause yourself more injury! Those fools made their decision. We have to go now!"

Mai shook her head, continuing to struggle, tears coursing down her face. "NO!"

"Eeegh!" Brussi face contorted with disgust. She brought her hand up and sent the edge of it flying into the valley of Mai's neck and shoulder. The Namek slumped in the chair, her struggling ceased. The Saiyan took a deep breath. "I'm going to pretend that little episode was madness induced by pain, brat. Now let's get this damn ship off the ground."

Brussi swung herself into the captain's chair. With quick, confident movements she strapped in. She swiveled the chair to face the command panel. She assessed, as best she could, the readiness of the vehicle. All the gauges and levels seemed to be in the normal zone.

"Well, then, let's go!" Brussi punched in the codes for launch, grateful that she didn't have to do much manually. She just told the computer what to do or where to go and it plotted the best course. Grinning, she also noted a section labeled "weapons." That made her feel a hell of a lot better.

An Aisu-jin brand arsenal should get them places. She tweaked a few of the controls there, testing for battle readiness. The ship shuddered and creaked as it lifted off from the port.

Maybe the war gods are finally on my side, she thought.

A new, more violent shudder broke into that musing. A boom thundered through the cockpit and the ship listed. Brussi gripped the edge of the command panel.

So much for favoritism...

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