The Game Plan

With slow and heavy steps, Celeria proceeded down a side corridor. She felt somewhat faint, no doubt she had gone out of the healing tank too soon. She composed herself and proceeded casually, deciding to give herself time to recover, hoping she'd bounce back by the time she reached her console. Soon, she was facing the unremarkable white door to her quarters. The door hissed open at the touch of the pressure pad to her right. Celeria took a moment to survey her quarters. They were surgically clean, but not as a result of Celeria's particular meticulousness - simply put, she was hardly ever there. Much like back on the home planet, Celeria spent most of her time either on the field, or training, or cheating death in a healing tank.

Instinctively, she sashayed to her desk and seated herself down, instantly firing up the console. After a while, she leaned back in her chair and lifted her legs up on the desk corner, crossing them nonchalantly. Resting one hand back over the chair, she operated the console with the other, typing away speedily without even glancing at the keyboard. This was routine. Battle and then endless hours at her desk. Back on the home planet, they had technicians for that kind of thing. But Celeria always preferred to go over data herself. One could never be too careful.

Presently, she was musing over personnel files. In particular, she found the file of one foot soldier with rather impressive credentials. He was low class, but that kind of thing didn't matter in the least. Celeria had seen her share of low-class warriors that outclassed certain elites by far. She grinned at the prospect of being woken up just to be told you're going to die within two months. Celeria threw her hair back, leaning even further on the chair and chuckled, staring at the ceiling with amused but tired eyes. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.

The next thing she knew, she heard footsteps. She waited a while in an attempt to identify the visitor. Attuning her hearing and sense of smell, she lifted her head and opened her eyes, her expression going from relaxed to rock solid within seconds.

"Doctor, how good of you to come." - she rose from her chair and rolled back her shoulders, her bones making an eerie crackling noise. She then did the same with her neck, first to one side, and then the other. She handed over a bunch of papers to Kale, who seemed to be at a loss for words. For what was arguably the first time when they were in private, Celeria actually smiled.

"Yes, I sleep, too. Now that the novelty has worn off, this is a list of people we are to awaken from cryo-stasis over the next month. We will start with the weaker soldiers - they will need to train for the upcoming encounter, and finish up with those holding the highest credentials on that list."

Kale arrived at the Commander’s quarters. The doors quickly slid open with a hiss, and revealed quite restricted living conditions. The doctor scanned the room covertly, his eyes catching all of the particulars of Celeria’s haunt. It was small, smaller than he had thought fitting for a Commander. And there wasn’t much in the way of decoration, really, it just resembled a simple barracks chamber. The doctor pouted his lips and nodded, he was impressed, Celeria really was living in the same condition as everybody else. He however, would have liked a coffee machine in his room.

Last but certainly not least, Kale set his sights on the Commander herself, who he swore for a moment looked at peace. She was sat down, her eyes were firmly pressed shut and… was that the semblance of a smile? The doctor delightfully huffed at this sight, and he couldn’t help one of his own smiles emerging. Then the Commander quickly caught sight of Kale, and her relaxed expression became hard, and authoritative once again. He snapped to attention at the sight of a familiar Celeria, his back straightened and his smile faded.

"Doctor, how good of you to come." She said, almost warmly, Kale nodded on each syllable. Then the unthinkable happened again, and Celeria cracked a smile. It was small, also ridiculously awkward, but it was… good. The doctor found himself mimicking her expression as they spoke.

"Yes, I sleep, too. Now that the novelty has worn off, this is a list of people we are to awaken from cryo-stasis over the next month. We will start with the weaker soldiers - they will need to train for the upcoming encounter, and finish up with those holding the highest credentials on that list."

Kale continued to nod along until his head felt like a ventriloquist dummy. So she had a sense of humour too? He liked what he saw, surprisingly. He stopped nodding and attended to her comment.

“S-Sorry for just walking in like that, I… thought you’d. NO. I-I should have had better manners…” He trailed off, just before forgetting, “…Commander.” He smiled again. “Yes Commander, it will be done. I advise no more than four cryo-tubes be opened a time. We’ve not got the facilities for more than four groggy Saiyans at once in the med bay. Plus, Keyla simply wouldn’t put up with it.” He chortled.

Nearly a month had passed in sessions of intense working-hours spent between the training grounds, the cryo-stasis chamber and the medical bay. Over three dozen warriors were awakened with wildly mixed reactions. Some had adapted quickly, others had almost gone mad at the news and did quite a bit of damage to both the med bay and the cryo chamber. Still, Celeria was there to see it all through. She frequently mused at how glad she was to have such great soldiers who stood watch 'round the clock, should anything far too out of the ordinary occur. She also reflected on the superb medical team the colony was truly gifted with. Indeed, although they were no soldiers, Grape, Kayla and yes, Kale too, showed military discipline and efficiency in everything they did. With nearly all of the required personnel awakened, they were making good progress. Celeria even allowed herself to estimate there may be hope for the renewal of the saiyan race.

Celeria had attended what would be one of the last awakenings for this mission. By her side were the now standard residents of the cryo-chamber - the medical team. Grape had seated himself at the console, Keyla monitored vitals and Kale operated the cryo tank. During this time, it was Celeria's job to go through the personnel file and do an initial capability assessment. And of course, cut any potential incident at the very root.

"Alright, officer Kumber. Low-class, third tier..." - Grape mumbled.

"Third tier? I'm no soldier but that's pretty good for a low-class." - Keyla replied, her eyes focused on the small screen of the cryo-chamber.

"Everyone standby, initializing sequence." - Kale stated professionally and both Grape and Keyla simultaneously snapped to attention.

The machine bleeped a few times before beginning to vibrate. After that, it was a matter of minutes before the cooling agent cleared and the draining process began. Celeria, however, sensed something was amiss, her instinct triggered by the apparent discrepancy of the image provided with the file. She approached the pod and scrutinized its occupant.

"Yes, pretty good for a low-class. Except it isn't him in there." - Celeria stated openly.

"What?" - Grape slowly rose from his seat, eyes widened in disbelief.

"But, how can that be?" - Keyla added.

"I'll have to jump on the surprise wagon. We've never had a mix up thus far. So if it isn't Kumber, who is he?" - Kale stared down the saiyan in the pod before his gaze turned to Celeria.

Even without a file, it didn't take Celeria long to establish the identity of the rogue saiyan. She would recognize that odious mug just about everywhere.

"This, my friends, is Brokka. General Brokka, to be exact. As elite in the ranks as it gets. The second highest-ranking officer in the saiyan army. However, there is one slight inconsistency in all of this. While Nappa was instructed to ensure the safety of the young prince, Brokka's orders were to ensure the same for our late King. However, it is evident that he failed in his mission."


Throughout most of the day, Celeria had been nonchalant in her manner, occasionally even smiling the others. Now, her expression turned more grave than ever. If there was anything she hated, it was military disobedience. If the saiyans weren't apt at being a coherent whole, they would be exterminated like rabid beasts, one by one. This one, however, had stripped off his own rank by behaving like a coward. She never thought particularly highly of the general, but she far from expected something like this. Were the circumstances even slightly different, she would have executed him instantly. Still, his previous rank directed a semblance of patience. First, she would see what he has to say. Even in her angered state, Celeria couldn't leave out the possibility of there being a strategy she was not informed of. So, she would stay her hand... for now.

"To attention, all of you. There's no telling what we might be dealing with here." - Celeria ordered sternly, getting her own guard up, as her thoughts raced and muscles tensed.

The doctor’s eyes widened at the mention of a General, and his mouth probably gaped too. This couldn’t be right, could it? Celeria had been designated as Commanding officer for the colony. That was a decree from King Vegeta himself. But if this General Brokka really was there, instead of the inconspicuous Officer Kumber, then the chain of command was about to do the Macarena! As Celeria commanded that the medical staff stand to attention, Kale did the exact opposite and peered in further. The tank was hazed by a thin layer of ice, but below the thin crust, he could make out an older battled hardened face. He quickly looked towards the Commander, inquisition deep in his mind, and then back to the tank.

“Brokka never got an invite to this party…” He said cautiously, slowly back peddling as he joined the group. That could mean only one thing. He’d falsified the records of an Offier Kumber and climbed aboard the escape train against the wishes of King Vegeta himself. That or this was all a huge misunderstanding? Finally, Kale stood to attention like everybody else, even Celeria did so. It was rare to see her showing decorum for what could only be described as her superior… or perhaps her once superior.

Kale finally said aloud, “Full cryo-defreezing in, 3... 2... 1...”

“You’re an old bastard. Your time is gone, the young will rise and the old will die.”

“The fruit, the fruit from the tree is new life, new power. General you can become a god!”

“General Brokka, you are hereby tasked with the defence of the King himself, your life, your years and even your pride belong to our Sire…”

Memories. They were the first and last things that singed at the General as all of his senses returned, threatening to drown him in a myriad of colours, sounds and other decrepit sensations. A black rectangular figure, hazy and distorted, receded away from his blurry vision and four pulpy silhouettes stood looming above him. The door had opened, but his eyes were not yet sharp enough to scrutinise the finer details. But he knew who they all were, they were the welcoming party. But where was he? And more importantly why? His mind drew blank for a short time, as he lost all concept of time and reason. Why was he waking with his senses dulled? What was this place?

Finally, his memories cemented themselves once more. His plan, it had succeeded. He smiled, his middle aged lips thinned and his milky teeth protruded out. This was all that mattered now, he’d escaped complete destruction, and his plan would commence.

In the moments that followed his sight began to gain definition, as did his sense of smell and the clarity of his hearing. He was still disoriented but not a soul could tell, his many years of military service had made the sensation of agony look like a blank canvas on his face, he appeared controlled. A heavy hand gripped the side of his tube, and he pulled himself free of his frozen prison. He wore nothing, and gave away nothing, but his authority was still absolute.

As the general exercised his wary eyes, he saw an expected and quite frankly, sickening sight. The bitch had survived, and so had some of her indistinguishable lackeys. He grunted sharply, but he never gave away his utter bemusement. If anybody would serve him and his purposes well, it would be a lowly Commander, THE lowly Commander Celeria.

“Status report.” He commanded.

Not before long, the machine had done its business and the general lay awakened. Celeria took a few slow but confident steps forward until she stood more or less directly above the pod. The more she had to stare down at Brokka, the more sickened she felt. Someone of his rank, betraying the King in the lowliest of ways. The cunning old bastard. What was more, he had the audacity to assume he was still the one in command. Celeria smirked and crossed her arms, looking down upon him without a slightest care in her eyes.

"Glad you could make it, general. I am pleased to say your vitals are in order. But we've had quite a bit of trouble digging up your personnel file, as it wasn't on the colony's record. Could you, perhaps, enlighten us about this little detail?" - Celeria continued to stare him down relentlessly. She just waited for the moment he'd fess up his crimes. In her mind, she had already thrown him into the brig. And for good measure, the soldiers will require a potent meat shield in their upcoming encounter with Frieza.

For some reason, though - Celeria felt upset. Even though she seemed relaxed and impartial to the situation, her blood boiled within her. Her hair stood on end. Indeed, she could not shake off the feeling that something somewhere went horribly wrong. She kept her gaze mostly on the general, but frequently glanced at all three medical attendees, assessing whether or not they were at a safe distance.

"Glad you could make it, general. I am pleased to say your vitals are in order. But we've had quite a bit of trouble digging up your personnel file, as it wasn't on the colony's record. Could you, perhaps, enlighten us about this little detail?"

The eyes of a fool stared into Brokka, meagrely threatening to topple him with their malice. He stared back, as if Celeria was the void itself. She was empty to him, they all were. His face maintained a cold expression, with his lips curling at the ends into a slight frown. That sounded like a challenge of his authority, and his authority was absolute. It didn’t take a mighty general to see what was going on here, this tiny Commander had had a taste of real power, and she wasn’t ready to let go.

Without turning from his subordinates for even an instant, Brokka reached for his cryo-tube and grabbed hold of the single, large swollen fruit. It was exactly where he’d left it, he smiled, he’d need it to replenish his strength very, very quickly indeed. He raised the fruit to his lips, and watched the tiny Commander and her underlings observe keenly as he took a bite, gulped, and swallowed. Immediately the general was washed with a feeling of strength, his faculties quickly returned, and so did his lack of patience.

He smiled, and gripped the fruit firmly in his right hand. “It wouldn’t be now, would it, Commander? A soldier of my high calibre needed to be provided with an ulterior identity.” He grunted as he raised the fruit to his lips and took another bite. He was becoming even more powerful as he spoke… “King Vegeta consulted me about this survival mission, and sent me here in secrecy. Knowledge of my existence would only have brought Freeza down on this… outpost, before it had even had time to flourish.”

The bitch looked back at him, he smiled but his eyes carried with them deep intimidation. They ordered her not to interrogate further, as there would be severe punishment in store for insubordination. The fruit had returned him to his powerful self, and he was not feeling particularly forgiving.

It all seemed like a likely story. A general, General Brokka in fact, warden of the King and second in command of the Saiyan Legions, here in secrecy. It made perfect sense to send such a senior representative to the colony under the radar. But that was exactly why none of this made any sense. Kale raised a hand and stroked his pointed chin softly with four fingers, he was suspicious even of a general now, that was a first.

The General was tall, taller than Celeria even, and he was broad and quite typically the model of power. Whilst Kale had heard of this General Brokka, he’d never met him however, and could only confirm his identity by generalising him to a stereotype. He had Nappa’s stature and all of his graces, he seemed legit, but his story seemed otherwise. Keyla looked concerned, as did Grape, the doctor nodded along as he thought further on the predicament. He eventually leaned into Celeria and spoke.

“Commander, he is a general. What’s the deal here, does he inherit command now? You military types have far too many codes for me to follow…” He muttered.

Bullshit, Celeria thought to herself, squinting slightly. His blabbering was a torrent of bullshit. She saw it in his eyes. He even took pride in the deceit. It took every semblance of restraint she ever had not to punch him in the face as he rose from the pod. Although taller and somewhat more imposing than her, Celeria was never the slightest bit deterred by his superficial show of supposed command. From her days at the council, she suspected him to be rotten. It would seem her gut feeling was right. But for now, she needed to stay her hand, she had been given orders.

... by whom? Celeria thought. All those to whom she was sworn to were dead. Vegeta, he offed her not unlike Frieza himself will. To whom was she preserving her allegiance? 

It was then that she noticed Kale, Grape and Keyla all looking in her direction. She was their leader now, no matter how things had been on the home planet. They looked to her in times of desperation, trusted her to keep the colony afloat and safe from harm. Well, harm may now have come into the heart of the colony itself. Celeria needed to get to the bottom of the situation, but she would have to do it alone. First, she had to make sure Kale and the others were safe.

"Certainly, general. But I have to inform you that Frieza has discovered the existence of this colony and is on his way as we speak. Our navigators estimate he will be here within a month or two. Thus, if I may escort you to your quarters, Sir, so as to discuss the situation further."

Now, how to warn the others, she wondered. She came to the conclusion that the only way this would work was through trust - she would have to trust Kale. She made a few steps towards him, leaned to his ear and said.

"Make sure to research Conscript Delta Z-9. I'm sure the general will be displeased if our intel isn't up to date."

She knew Brokka would be listening, so she had to wrap her words accordingly. Luckily, she had no doubt Kale would piece it together, even without further elaboration. Celeria proceeded further to the door and as it slid open, she stood attention, waiting for the general to follow.

"If you please, general."

Kale moved with the group cautiously. His vision was in overdrive, as he searched the Commander for a response, and then the General. They seemed to do a lot of staring blankly at one another, the lack of communication in Saiyan confrontation was simply frustrating. But Celeria had seemingly opened the doors of her command to the General, so now he was the leader? Of course not, in the months they’d worked together he knew the woman too well. She was hiding something too, her face, though often vacant like a war mask, conveyed something more than the words she spoke.

"Make sure to research Conscript Delta Z-9. I'm sure the general will be displeased if our intel isn't up to date."

“Of course Commander… General.” He bowed his head slightly and made his way to the exit with the Commander.

The Commander whispered a little too loudly, and Kale recognised the code. It was the Commander’s personal dossier of everybody who should and should not have been on the colony. And the doctor could tell that the buzzword of the hour was Kumber. He nodded with pretend reverence in the direction of Celeria and then General Brokka and simply said,

"If you please, general."

Before anybody could leave, Keyla daringly spoke to General Brokka. Kale felt a ping of anxiety as she did so.

“General, I’m sure it would be unfitting for a man of your status to go out onto colony grounds without the appropriate attire. This should do.” She reached into a locker and retrieved standard issue Saiyan armour. “It’s not as grand as you’re used to but-

Kale raised an eyebrow and shot daggers in Keyla’s direction. She simply fed him a blank look before passing the armour to the general. Before long, the small entourage walked the colony grounds. Kale was soon to depart for his work station, and then the truth would be known.

"Certainly, general. But I have to inform you that Frieza has discovered the existence of this colony and is on his way as we speak. Our navigators estimate he will be here within a month or two. Thus, if I may escort you to your quarters, Sir, so as to discuss the situation further."

Fools. Those bastards had already alerted Freeza to the colony, everything was already in flux. Brokka needed to act quickly if his plans were to fall entirely into place. He sharply nodded at the tiny Commander, his head arched as he looked her dead in her scrutinising black orbs. He was taller than her, and much taller than the three accompanying lackeys, and it was more apparent now than ever.

As Celeria led him to the doorway, she spoke to the brown fuzzy-haired doctor, he wore the typical medical armour and cape. The General snorted at the thought of doctors and other non-military personnel on the surviving Saiyan colony. It was entirely undignified that such pacifist bastards were given a ticket to survival, whilst he, the greatest military leader alive had been condemned to die on Vegeta. His face remained transparent, but he reviled the doctor as the tiny Commander whispered something very specific into his ear.


"Make sure to research Conscript Delta Z-9. I'm sure the general will be displeased if our intel isn't up to date."

His face contorted into a smile, what was the bitch up to now? Surely she hadn’t already lay down with her tail in between her legs? He remembered the Celeria of old in the war council meetings, and he remembered her tireless rhetoric about brotherhood and kinship. She wasn’t about to surrender her pitiful position as the leader of this mongrel band.

A younger woman addressed the General, her voice was wary, Brokka could feel the apprehension in her tone.

“General, I’m sure it would be unfitting for a man of your status to go out onto colony grounds without the appropriate attire. This should do. It’s not as grand as you’re used to but-”

She revealed a blue jump suit and basic Saiyan armour. It wasn’t black with all of the gold trimmings like he was accustomed to, it was far more basic. This was the armour of a grunt, and it made perfect sense that such a colony chosen by the foolish King Vegeta himself would have menial equipment. He ripped it from the females grasp and spared no time in putting on the basic attire. Like all Saiyan armour it fitted like a glove, however the low quality of the suit was evident with its limited protection and lack of shoulder pads. As Brokka slid the last white glove onto his large fingers, he tensed his fist and felt his new power causing through his veins. Then he flipped the switch on his new scouter, it seemed to be a newer model, able to detect much greater energy frequencies. This would have to do.

As the small party left the cryo-pod chambers, they entered the centre of the colony grounds. The General frowned as he inspected the design. It was PTO technology, the barracks, the medical bay, and even the ship in the docking bay. He grunted again, disapproving entirely. Finally he spoke his orders.

“Leave us.” He glared at the three medical staff. The shaggy haired one responded aptly.

“Sure thing… General.” Brokka inspected this one closely, as he gave a half hearted salute that was executed entirely wrong. He was in charge of the other two, that much was obvious. There was much thought running through the doctor’s mind, he possessed none of the training to hide his feelings, he was anxious. The General grinned, and watched the party of three leave. Finally, it was just himself and the tiny Commander.

“So…” He said, and nothing more.

She was the first one to walk into the chamber and stood with her back turned to the general as well as the medical staff.

"Leave us." - Brokka grunted.

Kale and his crew finally left Celeria alone with the newly-awakened general. And just in time, too, as Celeria was thoroughly tired of beating around the bush. As the door shut behind them, Celeria instantly clenched her fists and her face contorted into a truly scornful expression. However, she reminded herself what her orders were, what her mission was - to preserve the saiyan race, each and every specimen was of vital importance.

"So..." - he spoke to her.

She closed her eyes and exhaled, relaxing her tensed muscles and finally turning around to face Brokka, staring coldly into his eyes, her expression disinterested and even detached.

"We both know what the penalty for shirking your orders is. Especially the one you've been given." - her nostrils flared slightly in a moment of rage before she momentarily composed herself once more.

"But, you see, my orders are to preserve what remains of the saiyan race, and that includes every specimen of it. Even you, Brokka. So here are your options - you can take the mantle again, this time honorably and make up for your shameful display of cowardice. Or, you can take a single ship with a meager crew who'd agree to follow you and get the HFIL off this colony. The choice is yours, general." - she enunciated the last word with audible disdain.

Celeria crossed her arms and continued to stare him down, without another word or gesture. She was a statue, beaming with judgement.

"We both know what the penalty for shirking your orders is. Especially the one you've been given."

The tiny Commander traded the General a look that could maim. Her nostrils flared wildly, and her onyx pupils reduced to the size of a pin. Her body suddenly became tense, but as quickly as her emotions soared, Celeria returned to emotionless puppet once again. The General smirked, she was a fool. His orders were and always had been to obey Freeza, and despite his contempt for the Cold family he had done so in the name of ORDERS. Was it treason if he refused to die with his foolish people in the end? It was only at the end, the very end when the planet Vegeta had lost all sense of dignity and strength that Brokka had moved forward, abandoning the other generals and petty soldiers for greater things. This opportunity brought a chance to birth the Saiyan race anew however, and General Brokka intended to lead the new insurgence. The words of this lowly warrior meant nothing to him, but he continued to malignantly smile nonetheless.

"But, you see, my orders are to preserve what remains of the saiyan race, and that includes every specimen of it. Even you, Brokka. So here are your options - you can take the mantle again, this time honorably and make up for your shameful display of cowardice. Or, you can take a single ship with a meager crew who'd agree to follow you and get the HFIL off this colony. The choice is yours, general."

She was a child playing with fire; a lamb so very near to the predator’s jaws, and she had done the unthinkable. Commander Celeria had given her commanding officer an ultimatum. She’d overstepped the line. Both of the General’s fists clenched, the fist that gripped the core of the fruit burst with juicy pulp that slowly dripped to the floor and gathered in a crimson puddle. The General’s grin faded and a frown became much more pronounced, he was visibly displeased.

“You just made one very big mistake Commander.” He spat, his head levelling perfectly with Celeria’s. “You gave ME an order.” He opened his mouth slightly and let out a fleeting laugh. “And I had thought you to be a clever soldier.”

His power was vast, it dwarfed anything a Saiyan of the planet Vegeta had ever possessed. He was certain of his abilities, and he knew this bitch was dead. The General fired a clenched fist directly into the unsuspecting Commander’s jaw. She had no doubt anticipated it, but never so quickly or so powerfully. The collision of bone on bone was a cataclysm, with the tiny Commander’s body vaulting from the centre of the chamber to the far wall. Structures instantly broke, and electronics caused a fierce explosion. Smoke leaked from the damage and hung in the air like a plague, hiding Celeria’s doll-like body from view.

General Brokka lowered his fist and roared at Celeria powerfully. “You would call me COWARD!? You know NOTHING of power or command. You weren’t there in the final days of our planet, when King Vegeta finally turned his back on Freeza. That bastard doomed us all with his delay, it was too late to prepare for war, we were already dead, so I decided to it was my turn to lead.”

The General somewhat maniacally cackled and raised two fingers in front of his face. This entire building was about to become a crater on the face of the colony. “I am ruler of all!”

As he willed it, the room erupted in a white piercing light and disintegrated to dust in a matter of seconds. Nothing remained, no walls, no building, just Brokka and Celeria. He extended a hand towards her patronisingly through the smoke and flames and said, “Shall we?”

It turned out that Celeria's very worst prediction would come true. It wasn't a moment since she finished her sentence that he barked at her and punched her straight in the jaw. She, however, was prepared and tensed her muscles quickly enough to shrug off the brunt of the assault. But the sheer force with which he struck her caught her entirely by surprise. She felt her jaw clench and her lip crack. The taste of blood immediately filled her mouth. Before she could retaliate, the chamber and by the feeling of it, the entire section of the colony had gone up in smoke.

Celeria's eyes widened. Her quarters were in one of the three hearts of the colony. With this display of grandeur, Brokka had offed at least a dozen soldiers and personnel. As the smoke began to clear, Celeria beheld the bodies in the clearing mist of dust and debris. Fourteen. Her hands began to shake and her lips trembled. But - how could he? The fruit! She had never seen anything like that before. Why had she not taken it from him? Blast it! Her mind wavered on the edge of desperation.

That is, until her tactical nature took over. Her blood had cooled, her breathing had slowed. First things first, she would have to engage the colony's shields. That will give the ones still inside time to prepare or to hide, at this point - Celeria would respect both choices. But first things first. The emergency systems stir up quite a ruckus. And she may yet use that to her advantage. And she had her mind set on only one thing - emasculating the sorry bastard who dared threaten the saiyan race.

As the air was crystal clear once more, Celeria stood upright, fists clenched and muscles tightened, a small trickle of blood flowing down her lips.

"You..." - she began in a chilling, deep tone as she slowly lifted off the ground and her eyes widened. "You are nothing." With that, she disappeared and quickly reappeared behind Brokka. He would catch on. And so he did. She attempted a punching maneuver and as he turned around to counter at a lightning speed, she quickly pressed her scouter that was already at the ready. Suddenly, sirens blared deafeningly and the earth began to tremble widly, as the colony's massive shields slowly raised up. The disturbance bought her exactly the one millisecond advantage she needed. Celeria suddenly exploded with ki, unleashing all of her power and grabbing a tight hold on Brokka's tail.  She kept the cut off part of the tail in her hand as she teleported further away. If she was to die now - it didn't matter. The saiyan race was pure once again, rid of this runt of the litter. As her heart raced and she considered what would be her final thoughts, a shining ball emerged in the sky. As it went up, it got bigger and brighter. The most beautiful full moon this forsaken rock had ever seen. Celeria's keen eyes attuned to it, restoring her morale. She began laughing.

"You must think you're so bad. You're gonna come here and mess all of us little ones up, don't you? And you ACTUALLY thought I WOULD FUCKING LET YOU?! WELL IT'S THE LAST MISTAKE YOU'LL EVER MAKE!" - Celeria snarled as her teeth elongated and sharpened, and her jaw began changing. She slowly started to grow. During the transformation, she was invulnerable. Her muscles grew and grew and her facial features were slowly obscured by thick brown fur, her bright green hair formed a menacing scar-like patch of fur between her burning red eyes. Celeria's transformation was complete with remarkable speed and as her change reached its apex, she let out a thundering roar that echoed throughout the area. Fate had smiled upon the colony. The bastard was as good as dead.

The colony rattled at its core, and smoke plumed everywhere. Kale jolted from his work station, the knowledge he needed firmly in hand. If only he’d known just a few moments before, he would have been able to help prevent this. Officer Kumber, the man whose tank that really was had been a real Saiyan. That tank had always been intended for him… always. That could mean only one thing, and the realisation was grim. General Brokka had forcefully taken Kumber’s place. Either he’d left the soldier to die on planet Vegeta, or he’d simply killed him in cold blood. And judging from the flames raging in the centre of the colony, the doctor guessed the latter.

Kale sprung from the med bay with Grape and Keyla in toe. Keyla grimaced at the site of the explosion.

“Get back inside!” Kale yelled back at them. “He’s a traitor, an unfortunately… powerful traitor.” He said with the hint of a whimper.

“The soldiers, we could have lost countless lives doctor!” Grape gripped Kale by the shoulder and yelled.

The doctor used force to remove Grape’s hand and motioned towards the med bay. “Think about it moron. If we have no medical staff left, then we have no means of saving anyone.”

“But you get to stay and help out, really? We do it as a team or not at all.” Grape retorted.

Kale slapped a flat palm against his forehead, rolled his eyes and sighed. “Why do I always get the problem staff?” He shouted at the sky, before responding to Grape. “INSIDE. NOW.” His energy burst around him, and as he looked on towards the smoke he noticed the unthinkable. Celeria was transforming into an oozaru! Without a second’s thought, he kept his head low, he couldn’t turn, he had no control when it happened. He wasn’t trained like her, he needed to keep his sanity. And then, it got worse…

"You are nothing."


I am everything. He heard his mind echo as she spoke her words. He grimaced and his teeth protruded over his lower lip. He tensed his body and assumed a powerful offensive battling form. His fists clenched and he saw Celeria come at him. She no doubt believed herself to be fast, but he noticed her u-turning and assuming a battle position behind him. Quickly and effortlessly the General turned around and grabbed the fist that flew at him. He grinned then began to heave with laughter, when the unthinkable happened. The Commander gripped his tail and made for it! She moved with semi-impressive speed and instantly it snapped.

Brokka snarled and his long nose scrunched in dissatisfaction. She’d pay for this inconvenience with her life. But he didn’t need a tail to do that, he was already far more powerful than her. His scouter read her energy as she made off with his severed tail, 82,000. It was impressive for a novice, but she had nothing on him. And then things complicated further. His timing couldn’t have been worse, as the Saiyan directed his gaze to the sky he saw a full moon. And before his eyes Celeria began to transform, as she did so she spoke, half with the voice of a Saiya, and half with the voice of a monster.

"You must think you're so bad. You're gonna come here and mess all of us little ones up, don't you? And you ACTUALLY thought I WOULD FUCKING LET YOU?! WELL IT'S THE LAST MISTAKE YOU'LL EVER MAKE!"

The tiny Commander wasn’t so tiny anymore as she catapulted in size. In moments she assumed her oozaru form, and she towered above him and all remaining structures. The beast struck out with its fists and aimed for Brokka. He dove into the air and managed to dodge the first few strikes, she was large and powerful but not too fast. Soon she altered her tactics however and both of her fists came flying at the General from both angles. They suddenly crushed him in their grasp, his whole body constricted and he felt agonising pain searing from head to toe. Brokka unleashed a wave of his own energy and his aura exploded in Celeria’s fists. She was strong in this form but terribly naïve.

The General broke free from her grasp and fired towards the colony ground. He looked around, he saw the large barracks area, and he saw the common area where the soldiers no doubt convened. He had a-

A blast fired from Celeria’s grotesque jaw that threatened to flatten the General. He reacted just in time, raising his forearms to block the brunt of the attack. The energy was powerful however and burned at his armour and flesh. It instantly smouldered and he felt pain rush through his arms. As the blast subsided, smoke burst from the General’s wounds, and he grimaced.

“That one was free.” He said, with a slight grin. His flat palm exploded in energy and a destructo disk formed in his palm. She was a great ape, but her stupidity was even greater. The planet Vegeta went through similar cycles to this. When the moon became full, which was an extreme rarity on the planet, the inhabitants would all transform and lay waste to the entire planet, before having to build it anew afterwards. It only took one transformed Saiyan to lay waste to everything, but what would a colony do?

Brokka fired the roaring destructo disk at Celeria, and as planned she saw it coming. She’d no doubt keep her tail from the line of fire. As she avoided the decoy shot, he turned towards the barracks and common area and blasted gaping holes in the rooftops of both. The tiny Commander was about to meet her own tactics head on! In moments the colony rattled, and rooftops concaved as oozaru after oozaru burst free from the structures. They were rabid and wild, and each beast fired great blasts from their mouths throughout the whole colony. First there was four, then eight, then twelve… they kept rising and rising.

The General took to the sky and drew the fire of the savage beasts, they stalked him relentlessly, swinging claw and fist. But he knew what he was doing of course, and as he came within metres of the Commander, he vanished into thin air. Suddenly an army of oozaru were upon her, rabidly firing their blasts and uncontrollably assaulting their commanding officer. The General landed a safe distance away from the centre of the colony and crossed his burned arms. He saw the Commander taking blow after blow from the beasts, and occasionally he fired another ki blast in their direction to keep their attention on Celeria. She would soak up and soak up the brunt of the attacks, because she actually cared for these underlings. She wouldn’t mortally wound then, and before long she’d be exhausted. Brokka exploded in a fit of laughter, this was all too easy for him, they were toys to be played with when he saw fit. And soon he would destroy this world’s moon and be done with the tiny Commander once and for all.

Celeria had landed quite a few successful hits on Brokka and each filled her with a unique sadistic pleasure. She wouldn't be satisfied until she stomped on his face. But the general was cunning, he made himself enough wriggle room to blast a few holes in the barracks. Celeria reprimanded herself for this lack of awareness, but she could not help it - it had been decades since she was last in this form. This would have to be over quickly.

A few of the low-class saiyans erupted into a flurry of destruction, kicking and screaming and blasting mouth-beams wherever they pleased. A few of them even came at Celeria, mistaking her for the source of the disturbance. She outmaneuvered them with some effort, making sure none of them were injured in the process. The other, more-seasoned warriors came to her aid, bent on restraining the rabid saiyans until their transformation subsides. Celeria, however, had her mind on her prey. And this time, he was not getting away. She gestured the few surrounding saiyans the instructions required to assume a battle formation. They attuned their instincts to her and followed her movements in stride. Then one jumped up and landed not far from where Brokka was. As he flew into the air, another one tried to get in a punch, which Brokka dodged effortlessly. The third and fourth one blasted a mouth-beam in Brokka's direction, which he dodged, albeit by a thread. Finally, Celeria appeared, grabbing Brokka in her hand and instantly tightening her grip. She wrapped her other hand around her fist and gripped even tighter. She burned with desire to see Brokka's arrogant little head explode from the inside. It was then she heard a thundering explosion followed by the sound of Oozaru screaming in pain. There was only one power-level on the colony who could do serious damage. And that one had absolutely no control.

"Hah... you brought this on yourself, you bitch." - Brokka laughed as streams of blood flowed from the edges of his mouth.

For an instant, Celeria was driven completely mad. She wanted to crush this insolent insect more than anything else in the universe, yet if her race was to survive both this and Frieza, Kale needed to be stopped. Without a second thought, she released Brokka from her grip and disappeared. With lightning speed, she arrived to the location where Kale had knocked two soldiers unconscious and was about to flat-out execute a third one. Celeria approached him from the back and locked him in a full-body lock.

"KALE!" - she shouted. "STOP THIS NOW!"


Celeria focused all her ki and her muscles bulged with tension, until Kale came to his senses, she couldn't break the lock no matter what. Which ever way - she had no choice. Kale could not be harmed. Without a senior medical officer, the injured soldiers were as good as dead.

He kept his head down, he heard the crashing and distorting of sound, but he couldn’t look up. He was intelligent, damn it he was a genius even, but if Kale looked at that full moon he’d become rampant and wild. He simply didn’t have the training to transform, he’d never been a Saiyan warrior, and despite his unusually large power level, he still would be unable to control himself. He ran towards Celeria in all of her transformed might, he kept his gaze fixed on the Commander. He let his power level explode around him and he pursued the oozaru who simply lost control.

“This is just like my graduation party all over again…” He uttered, remembering a strangle resemblance between both occasions.

As he came close to the pack of oozaru, Kale let his energy flare. He had to keep every Saiyan clear of the battleground, then he’d be able to help Celeria take General Brokka head on. He couldn’t destroy the moon of course, Celeria would need that, plus he’d never get a clear view with his eyes closed, and the tides of the planet would hate him for years.

Damn geology!  He thought, as he considered the possibilities. Before he could think an oozaru stumbled into him, and Kale had use his brute strength to force the beast in the opposite direction. Before long he was in the middle of an oozaru party, and one by one they overwhelmed him. None attacked, but they did however stampede, flustering the doctor. After Kale managed to dodge the majority, the final oozaru raced past him, its large hand slamming him to one side. He smacked against the floor on his back, and his eyes stared into the sky.

“Oh holy!” He shouted in irritation, but it was too late. The beast exploded from Kale and in seconds his sanity was gone. Soon he was upon everything he saw, his thirst for battle was incomparable, he slashed out and attacked everything in sight. He roared at the height of his powerful ape’s lungs and plumes of flames left his throat and nostrils. The oozaru was out of control!

…Until Celeria stepped in. "KALE!" - she shouted. "STOP THIS NOW!"


The beast stared into Celeria’s familiar form, he was puzzled and angry. But her authority, and her power began to quell his rage as she held him still. In moments he felt himself simmering, the beast in him calmed…

Foolish bastards. The General thought, as he watched on in entertainment. She’d never really stood a chance, even in her oozaru form. Yes she was much stronger but oozaru were reckless and their rage took hold completely. The tiny Commander was already incapable of fighting without her emotions taking charge, in this form she was entirely compromised. Brokka crossed both of his scorched arms and focused on what was currently happening. The bitch had managed to stop her underlings from their wildness, and now they either seemed to be tranquil, or rallying to her cause. This was a meagre complication however, as a pack of beasts without cunning were merely monkeys for the slaughter. If Brokka had assumed him oozaru form when the full moon had risen, it would truly have been a spectacle to behold. What a pity he thought, that the tiny Commander would not witness his true might before the battle’s end.

The oozaru were on him in seconds, as he jumped and dived away from the myriad of clumsy attacks. Lower-class warriors were nothing compared to a super-elite. He grunted in bemusement, as he volley kicked one great-ape to the face, rendering it temporarily disoriented, and he scorched another’s stomach with a power ki barrage.

Child’s play, he thought, as he weaved between oozaru combatants. Finally however, Celeria caught up to the General, and her enhanced power succeeded in stifling his offensive tactics. As he dealt with another oozaru, the tiny commander took him by the large hands and trapped him in a flesh prison. Brokka frowned, as his eyes scanned for gaps in her fingers, but it was little use, she held on too tightly. As she crushed her hands together, the General felt the familiar sensation of blood flowing freely from the orifices of his face. A crack in his lip bled, and he had a similar gash above his eye. His muscles also contracted, causing a spasm throughout his body. This caused Brokka’s face to contort as if electrical pulses were running through him. This situation was quite disdainful.

So I’ve been driven to extremities after all. He thought through gritted teeth and a growing rage. The General quickly focused a great deal of his energy into his right hand, if he was going to get out of this trap, he’d have to dismantle it. Letting out a dire screech, Brokka summoned his Earth Cutting Row technique. A long, sharp ki blade erupted from two of his fingers. If he wanted to teach her a lesson, her large stubby fingers would have to come off first. Within moments of him being able to execute his attack, Celeria loosened her grip. Quickly, Brokka fired himself to a safe distance and watched as another great ape emerged. It was the foolish doctor. This was why untrained personnel had no place on a Saiyan colony. He smiled regardless, and spoke.

"Hah... you brought this on yourself, bitch." He laughed without reservation before climbing high into the air. His ki energy exploded around him, his energy levels rose to their height, and he watched as Celeria held the crazed oozaru firmly in his place. “Weak and pathetic.” he uttered in total disgust of her call to kinship. Then, the General looked towards the large moon of the system, and reflected on how close to the planet it actually was. It’s destruction would cause the climate havoc, but this world was as good as dead anyway. His hands moved in impeccably fast unison, weaving his ki into a powerful signature attack, and after a moment, he released a blast no bigger than a volleyball that moved at staggering speed towards the moon.

The moon erupted in a single explosion, it lit the night time sky with the horizon illuminating as if it were the sun rise momentarily. As the moon became no more, Celeria’s ape claw smacked out at the general, sending him ricocheting towards the ground. As he fell, he managed to gain control of his form and spin into a summersault, landing -somewhat sloppily- on his feet.

The tiny Commander then became tiny once again, as did every other Saiyan who remained in the glare of the moon. As they all shrunk, the General smirked, this was all too easy indeed. He quickly pursued the closest exhausted Saiyan, and grabbed her by the throat, dangling her in the air. He then set his gaze on the now fully Saiyan Celeria, how easy it would be to break this one’s neck in front of the Commander’s eyes.

So there goes the Moon, along with her initial strategy against Frieza. Suddenly, Celeria didn't care about Brokka anymore as she hovered there in the air, now back in her normal form. Her tail wrapped around her waist and her muscles felt heavy. She was tired. It had been ages since she exercised that form and to this extent. Her eyes sought Kale out, as he was probably unconscious. Her task would be to defend him, as he ensured the well-being of those that were injured in this encounter. The numbers would increase if Brokka continued his rampage. Celeria shrugged as she let herself fall to the ground. As she passed her soldiers one by one, she glanced if they were well. Most were just maimed or exhausted, either lying on their backs or coughing up dust and blood. Within a few steps, she was beside Kale, who was on the verge of consciousness. In a swift motion of her hand, she took off her cape and wrapped it around Kale. She then lifted him up into a seated position.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" - she spoke to him in that same determined, commanding tone which now had a ring of warmth to it. She cupped his chin with her index finger and took a closer look at his eyes. He was conscious, but barely. "Doctor, I need you to get yourself together. If you don't clear your head, the casualties will be many." - she looked to the side, fearing her words might be falling on deaf ears. She then gave Kale one last stern but this time, visibly concerned look. "Kale, I need you to wake up. Right now."

As he gasped for air, she knew he was coming to. Immediately, she rose to her feet and made a few steps forward, noticing Brokka was holding another one of her soldiers. The sight instantly made her angry.

"What do you want, anyway? What pleasure are you possibly getting from holding an incapacitated woman by the throat? You want me? Come and have me! You want to kill us all? Start with me. Or is picking on someone your own size a little too much for you." - Celeria spread her arms far apart and cracked a defiant grin.


"But by the time you're done with me, all of the soldiers in this colony will be on your neck. You can take most of us, but you can't take us all. So why not cut this little charade and tell me what you really want?"

"Doctor, can you hear me?"

The world had been small and fragile just moments before, and rage had accumulated in the doctor like a river flowing over a dam. His passions has flared and for a short time, and Kale, the intellectual and non-combatant had succumb to his inner Saiyan nature. Of course this freedom had been cut short, and in no time flat the doctor was reduced to his normal form once again. It had all happened so fast, and his sanity had faded before he could make head or tail of the incident, but the doctor could make out one thing still, and it was the voice of Celeria.

"Doctor, I need you to get yourself together. If you don't clear your head, the casualties will be many."

Kale heard her words flood his subconscious, but little of what she said made sense. Snippets caused his ears and mind to pick up, but he was too exhausted and lacked the will to fully regain consciousness. His mind continued to wonder, as his body remained lax and unresponsive.

"Kale, I need you to wake up. Right now."

Of all the words she had said, Kale was finally woken by the sound of his name. It had sounded so unusual to hear the Commander address him by anything other than ‘doctor‘, and even his unconscious mind had been revitalised by that. The doctor’s eyes fired out and his pupils quickly dilated, his body jerked forward and he was met by the sight of the Commander gripping him into a seated position. He breathed in rapid succession, as if he had been in a nightmare, which of course he realised he was in fact still in when he saw Brokka standing just metres from him.

"What do you want, anyway? What pleasure are you possibly getting from holding an incapacitated woman by the throat? You want me? Come and have me! You want to kill us all? Start with me. Or is picking on someone your own size a little too much for you."

Wait, that’s right! This is a fight for the colony’s survival… Oh goodie. Kale thought, as he focused on the Commander’s speech. His couldn’t help but wince however, at Celeria’s conduct towards the General. It was obvious at this point that Brokka exceeded them all in power level, after all he was a general in the Saiyan military. Perhaps Celeria knew what she was doing?

"But by the time you're done with me, all of the soldiers in this colony will be on your neck. You can take most of us, but you can't take us all. So why not cut this little charade and tell me what you really want?"

Kale clambered to his feet, he used Celeria as a crutch but eventually made it on his own. He was hunched over at first, and still quite exhausted from his previous transformation, but eventually he stood strong at the Commander’s side. The doctor clenched both of his fists and his eyes scanned the General, who looked on with amusement whilst he held a Saiyan female by the throat. He was completely ruthless, and cared nothing for the colony, that much was certain. He needed to be stopped, and he needed to be stopped now.

“Quiet.” The General commanded. He was nowhere near as infatuated with the Commander’s words as she was, and he was in fact bored by her longwinded speech. She had tried to lead this makeshift colony of hers with words, this was entirely evident, and that had been why Brokka had found it so easy to flatten the foundations. Words fuelled nothing of substance, they were the weapon of cowards and pacifists and held no power on a Saiyan world. The General’s face grimaced and he tilted his head to the left and spat on the rubble at his feet. The Saiyan warrior still hung in his grasp, and she gasped slightly at the lack of oxygen being allowed into her lungs. Brokka stared into her eyes and playfully grinned, before dropping her to her knees struggling for air.

“Listen to me very carefully!” Brokka announced in somewhat of a shout. “I, your General… General Brokka, have hereby assumed control of this colony. Every last Saiyan will now serve under me as proponents of a new hierarchy.” He placed both of his lands behind his back and knotted his fingers together before continuing. “Your old ranks and titles will be stripped, and you will be re-allocated new roles according to my design.” He untied his hands and pointed a sharp finger towards the tiny Commander. “Any Saiyan who defies me -as your previous leader did- will be destroyed. And to demonstrate my absolute authority over you all, I will make an example of her…”

For the second time, two of Brokka’s fingers ignited with an awesome display of ki energy. Before long his entire hand emanated a white glistening hue, and a ki blade erupted not just from his fingers, but his whole hand. The Earth Cutting Row technique exploded from his grasp at devastating speed and travelled the small gulf between himself and the tiny Commander. With the blink of an eye the sharp energy blade penetrated Celeria’s right side, entering her flesh through the right breastplate and forcing its way out through her back. Afterwards the highly concentrated ki quickly exploded in a blind array of light, and when the sight around the battlefield darkened again, the observers were met by the sight of their once-Commander lying unconscious on the ground. Brokka grinned with deep satisfaction, and watched the tiny Commander seeping with her own blood. He hadn’t killed her, she was surprisingly too resilient to be taken out by a single shot, but life would leave her pathetic bones soon enough.

“Now, which of you will be the first to bow at my feet?” He spoke through a scrunched face.

The doctor barely had time to react, it happened too quickly without signs of warning. The General’s fingers illuminating in a crackling hue of white, and before long Kale’s vision was washed by blinding light. As the light took his sight, his astute ears picked up the sound of piercing flesh, and the splattering of blood. His face morphed into a horror filled expression, and his mouth fell into a gape, he knew what had happened. Quickly, as the light faded and his vision returned, the doctor saw the Commander falling limply to the ground. It all seemed to happen in a manner that Kale could only describe as slow motion, the Commander was falling lifelessly to the cold ground, and her calculating eyes were still wide open. He peered into her for a second, and felt paralysed by the sight of her helplessness. Suddenly though, and without thought, the doctor reached for Celeria and gripped onto her with both of his hands. He took hold of her just in time and suspended her above the rubble before her body could be done more damage to. He gasped frantically and his face curled in horror as he held Celeria in a panic. His eyes scanned her whole body, and his hands grabbed for her flesh. She was still warm, it was a good sign, it meant her heart was still beating, but the cavernous hole that ran through her right side needed to be closed.

Celeria’s blood ran freely onto Kale’s open palms, he felt the warm sticky sensation fall through his fingers and drip onto the gravel as he grasped to secure the Commander. She had an hour, at max, she needed treatment. Kale’s eyes slowly raised to meet General Brokka, who lorded himself above the doctor and the other Saiyans. Kale traded the General a look that intended to burn a thousand holes into the bastard, as he spoke at the crowd.

“Now, which of you will be the first to bow at my feet?”

The doctor gritted his teeth in disgust and his jaw grinded as Brokka spewed his jargon. Kale gripped Celeria tightly and remembered that just moments before she had held onto him in a similar way, he wouldn’t forget what she’d done for him. He’d never forget how Celeria had saved him not just on this occasion, but in the past also. He had to return the favour, he NEEDED return the favour.

“Can it.” Kale spat back through gritted teeth. General Brokka instantly stopped pacing and returned the doctor’s devastating glare.

“A Saiyan doctor who would dare speak up to a general? And I had thought that I wouldn’t have to spill any more Saiyan blood.” Said Brokka calmly, in perfect contrast to his grimacing face.

Kale ripped off the remains of his tattered cape and folded the cloth to form a makeshift pillow. He placed it below the Commander’s head before gently releasing her body towards the ground. Completely against his better judgement, the doctor then stood up and clenched both of his fists. He took a couple of steps towards the General before stopping just in front of the Commander’s unconscious body. He’d defend her now if it cost him his life, she’d done the same for him.

“I know your kind, I’ve met them time and time again. You’re a power hungry monster that will do anything to meet his own ends. Our world and our entire race was decimated by a monster like you, and I won’t let you be the one that takes the rest of us.” Kale bit down on his lower lip and his fingers dug into his palms, his rage was running wild, he could hardly control his words.

“So much wasted Saiyan blood. I hadn’t anticipated that so many of you would be so suicidal. I’ll make this one quick.” Brokka frowned and extended a flat palm, ready to release his ki again.

“Let me help you.” Kale spat back as he readied himself for battle.

The doctor remembered his training with the Commander as he sprung into action. She had taught him the foundations of all combat in their sessions together, and she had turned him into a formidable warrior. All of this intense training had been for Freeza, but Kale intended to get full use out of it now. He wouldn’t die as a pacifist who spoke his ideals and never acted upon them, he’d go out defending what he believed in or he wouldn't go out at all.

Kale jumped towards the General and screamed. His transparent aura erupted around his body and roared like a flame. His power level quickly climbed until he lost control of his energy output. He was wild, but this time he was directing the rage and the Saiyan instinct inside him. As Kale came within a foot of the General he fired a flurry of aggressive punches. He remembered his training and the weighted bands he had worn, and he imagined that additional weight was strapped to him, adding extra umph to him assault. Brokka easily dodged the assault of course, effortlessly bounding from left to right out of the line of fire. Kale didn’t relent however, and through gritted teeth he extended his legs and executed a series of roundhouse kicks in the General’s direction. Again, Brokka dodged, and prevented the last kick by blocking with a single arm. The doctor bound back onto his left leg and recollected himself, before diving back into the General, this time firing a myriad of ki blasts at him before he made physical contact.

This attack came as more of a surprise to Brokka, who -although he dodged the ki- had a difficult time directing all of the blasts away from him. And as the General rebound the final ki blast, Kale summed up all the might of his ki and struck Brokka directly in the face with a mighty right hook. The General suddenly recoiled, falling back several metres. He feet dug into the ground, leaving track marks, and he reached for his face in surprise and disgust. The battle halted for a second and both combatants stared one another dead in the eyes. Kale could feel Brokka’s fury, but then the General smiled…

Espara had been sitting alone in his room, whilst Nich was off wandering the facilities. The room was quiet, only the slight noise of Espara’s music on a low volume, and the frequent beeps as he scoured the menus of his scouter. Espara was leaning back on his chair when he heard the commotion, as soon as he did, he jumped up, the chair colliding with the floor, and a metal clang echoing throughout the room. Espara ran in the direction of the noise, it was unmistakable, it sounded like the whole facility was being torn apart, piece by giant piece.

As Espara ran through the empty, grey corridors with splashes of grey, he could make out distant shouting. As Espara reached the scene, he was greeted by the sight of sheer destruction, the Commander was flat on the ground, still. Was she dead? And Kale, he was fighting? Another Saiyan? Why? What for?

‘Is that General Brokka?’ Espara’s lips moved slightly, as if miming the words he had uttered internally.

Espara leapt to Kale’s side as Kale lunged at the General, screaming, with an aura erupting around him.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Espara shouted after Kale had firmly planted his fist into the generals face, Espara looked through the dust of the tracks in the ground, and caught the General’s eery smile.


Espara readied himself, and without waiting for a reply, shot several quick blasts of ki toward the General with a slight look of confusion on his face, before leaping at the General. Espara attacked the general as fast as he could, with a barrage of punches.

Crunching steel, twisting girders and supports, the roof was suddenly missing in places, death was everywhere. Ikolo stumbled in shock and terror. Her brain was gone as she stared at the carnage that was wrought. She saw a moon and all went black, she awoke to more gore and the moon was gone. Her body ached, her shoulder was sore as if she'd taken a bit of damage she hadn't been awake for. She was barely able to comprehend the brutality and damage. Her feet kept her moving she didn't know to where.

She wasn't seeing the world as it was anymore, everything felt like like holding a camera and snapping a quick series of still frames. Click, click, click. Image after image imposed itself on her brain of warriors falling and injured. Blood was everywhere. She looked down at her hands and saw herself stained in the red. She looked at the crimson fluid in numb horror as blank, golden eyes lifted again to survey the damage.

Familiar faces penetrated the fog briefly. Espara, Kale, she wandered toward them in confusion. Everything sounded so far away and surreal. She couldn't hear the voices clearly. Everything was like in a dreamstate as she watched the carnage unfold. She watched Espara leap at a man with scars she hadn't seen before. Who was he? Espara? Small hands reached as if it catch something, perhaps a thought.

She tripped over something and came crashing down somewhere behind Kale's position. She turned slowly to look at what had cause her to falter so badly and everything suddenly became real again. The world sped up as if on fast forward now instead of stills and snips of a photography session. Everything was far too real now. She had blood soaking her, she was dying, the commander was dying! "Noooo! Commander!" The scream ripped from her as she stumbled and crawled to disentangle herself from the wounded woman and she quickly pulled the commander into her arms, tears swelling and filling her golden eyes.

Those eyes turned to Brokka's face and everything clicked into place. He had hurt her, he had hurt many, that was why the commander was dying, why her brothers and sisters were dying. He was killing them and Espara and Kale were fighting to defend them. She couldn't do anything, she was a diplomat, she was useless. Even as far as saiyans went she was an absolute joke. How 'funny'. She screamed again, a twisted sound of pain and anguish. The tears flowed freely as she curled defensively around the commander.

They needed commander Celeria, they couldn't make it without her and Espara. If the man had done all these terrible things already he was too powerful. Espara would die as Celeria would and there was nothing she could do about it! They would be without proper leadership and she couldn't step up, she couldn't even fight. If Kale survived he was an unlikely candidate but... Who would defend them? Celeria had to, she was strong, she needed strength. She could have some of her energy. No, she could have it all, her life was more meaningful now and if it meant her own life she'd see her brothers and sisters protected to the best of her ability!

Her ki flowed with the tulmult of emotions, the spiking of her power rising and rising until every ounce of her being was bared. She was stronger than before, the numbers climbed until she steadied at her limit and wailed balefully. A sound more animal than usual erupted from her throat as the energy shifted, a warm glow pooling around her hands that she kept pressed to the commander's injured side. "COMMANDER!!" Something snapped within her and she felt herself falling, weak and dazed. Commander? She collapsed weakly with the larger woman beneath her, her body curling to protect the commander as much as was possible with her own small frame. It didn't matter anymore, commander Celeria would be okay, right? When had she started thinking of her with her name attached, she wondered vaguely in the haze of everything. Did it really matter? Buh bye...