Analyse This!

The silence was broken by the sound of rushed footsteps. It was the doctor without a doubt... but what could have sent him after her? Did he receive any urgent intel? That better have been the case. But no, it turned out to be something different entirely. He came to console her, or at least make an attempt at doing so. Celeria didn't face him, she just kept her head buried into her crossed arms, not moving from her seated position.

"You can talk to me you know? I don't always have to be your doctor, it might seem... insane, but I could be your friend too..."

Celeria was not too sure what it meant to have a friend. Those who were closest to her was her late squad. But even that closeness comprised looking out for one another on the battlefield. Dealing with any issues that may cause problems during a mission. Whatever it meant to have a friend, Celeria doubted it could be of any help in her situation. Ever since she was woken up from stasis, the situation had been spiraling out of her control, seeping through like fine sand. The more she tried to tighten her grip, the more it all poured out. The Commander felt as if she had a boot at her throat... the boot of Brokka, of Frieza... of every threat to her and her race. A race that was now facing complete extinction because of her erroneous judgement. She should have destroyed the PTO ship. She should have cut Brokka's head clean off the moment he stepped out of that cryo pod. Had all those years dulled her edge? Would she be making such mistakes in the future? What became of the taciturn, ruthlessly efficient soldier everyone relied on?

She was torn to pieces. The brat Prince, the bastard General and the sadistic Overlord devoured her. Celeria tightened her hands into fists and her whole body began trembling as tears poured down her cheeks. They had killed her, rid her of her competence and her authority. She was an infant, throwing rocks at a brick wall that advanced to crush her. In this state, how could she possibly lead the rest of her people to salvation? No, all that was left for her to do was die in servitude to the survival of the Saiyan race.

But now, after a long time, someone was standing beside her. Supporting her with their presence. Celeria felt that such a gesture required some sort of recognition. So, she slowly rose to her feet and look directly into the doctor's eyes. She felt powerless so intensely that even moving felt difficult. Tiny streams of tears shimmered on her cheeks. She felt cornered and helpless. But the time for venting such horrors physically had long since passed.

"Orders are worthless if there is no one to obey them. Without order, our race would descend into anarchy, where we would all be slaughtered like headless flies, one by one. It is my job to keep the order. To keep our people off the precipice of chaos.

I am failing, doctor. My late King, my people and myself."

She inhaled deeply, but exhaled sharply as her sorrow intensified.

"I bear a heavy burden, doctor. In more ways than one. Despite your best intentions, it is not something I can share."

She raised her palm to his face and softly caressed his cheek.

"Nor would I encumber you with something like that, even if given the chance."

"Orders are worthless if there is no one to obey them. Without order, our race would descend into anarchy, where we would all be slaughtered like headless flies, one by one. It is my job to keep the order. To keep our people off the precipice of chaos.

He could hardly believe what he was seeing, it was as if the oxygen in his lungs was being bled dry and everything he knew about the Commander was being redefined. They were actual tears coming from Celeria's eyes, actual real-life tears. Kale's face fell momentarily agape, he didn't know where to put himself, he quickly contemplated giving the Commander her privacy, a woman of her status surely didn't want anyone seeing her in this way, not even her doctor. But something stopped Kale from leaving, a feeling, no, an impulse. That impulse drew him closer to her, he took one step and then another, maybe his proximity would comfort her? Or maybe her proximity was simply comforting him?

"I am failing, doctor. My late King, my people and myself. I bear a heavy burden, doctor. In more ways than one. Despite your best intentions, it is not something I can share."

As the Commander touched the side of Kale's cheek, it was as if oxygen bust like a dam back into his lungs. Her hand was surprisingly warm, and the rougheness he'd encountered from their previous encounter had disappeared. Now he could look Celeria in the eyes once again, now he could see the living piece of her. And there it was, flourishing and calling to him like a beckon, against her better judgement she was advertising to the doctor that she was more than rules and regulations. The Commander felt the burden that they all did, but she felt it ten-fold. In that moment, Kale understood that she assumed responsibility to everyone, if he fell to pieces then she silently blamed herself for being unable to keep him on track. He felt his stomach sink with bitter-sweet force. He'd encumbered Celeria more than he'd benefited her by wearing his rebellion so openly these last few months.

"Nor would I encumber you with something like that, even if given the chance."

Eventually, Kale's own hand rose to cup Celeria's. He'd half expected her to withdraw from his face, but she never hesitated. He exhaled lightly, and searched for the right words. His training instantly kicked in, and he picked up on a thousand things at once. Celeria's heart raced, a cocktail of sorrow, frustration and bereavement washed over her at 100 + beats a minute. Her free fist had also undone itself and it was loose at her side, her breathing picked up but each breath dragged out twice as long. If he didn't know any better he'd say she was surprising herself.

Finally the right words came to Kale. "You're not failing, because we're gonna win. Don't ask me how, but because of you, because of what you've done for us... what you've taught me..." He clasped her hand with greater force, "...we're going to get through this Commander, take my word for it." Perhaps more surprisingly, the doctor managed to convince himself. He'd always strongly believed that Freeza was unbeatable, but in months Celeria and Kale had achieved what had previously been impossible in years. What ace would they have up their sleeve when the battle finally came?

Kale's feelings raged towards the Commander, chemicals and hormones exploded in his Saiyan body and intensified the moment even further. She was so close, but it was the wrong time. "If I can't take the burden, then at least let me have your friendship?"

Instinctually, the doctor leaned in and extended both of his arms, taking Celeria into a strong embrace. A level of surrealism washed over him in the following moments, he was hugging the Commander! But any contemplation simply forced him to hold her harder. For a moment, time seemed to pause. Brokka and his lingering shadow, Freeza and his coming fury, the unexplained beast and its relentless hunger, it all receded into nothing.

Celeria felt thoroughly surprised at experiencing this kind of contact. It had been years, no decades, since she felt a semblance of what she was feeling now. She allowed him to clasp her into his embrace. In fact, she found herself welcoming the reassurance.

The Commander's lips drew into a slight smile as she leaned away from him. She spent the next few moments scrutinizing the face of this man, this inconspicuous, blundering physician who was turning out to be one of the most promising warriors she had ever shared a battlefield with. His speech, however, did very little to motivate her. But, if nothing, she was glad she managed to inspire him to such resolute optimism. She chuckled softly:

"Hah, you naive fool." She looked into his eyes, feeling a unique fondness for the face staring back at her.

Celeria leaned in, softly pressing her lips to his, as her arms moved to wrap him in a gentle embrace.

Her lips met Kale's lightly, but it was enough to send a surge through the doctor more powerful than even his Galick Gun could muster. His neurons exploded in excitement, and his irises expanded like spreading pools. The last time he had felt anything like this, it had been when... when- No, he wouldn't afford that thought any time, not now. Kale's arms embraced the Commander even further, and for the first time in their entire relationship, he took the initiative. His hands explored her defined back, and worked their way around the grooves that made up her figure. His body pressed closely into hers and he felt her warmth.

All of this was natural, and strangely so. Celeria soon took the hilt, and Kale found his own body being explored to the depth. Now more so than ever he listened to the ferocious beats of his commanding officers heart. Each beat, each pulse, thrashed about like a beast rattling its own cage. Her blood similarly raced, he could feel her pulse racing against him, a river bringing with it a strong current of lust. There wasn't much left of the living quarters, but the doctor didn't care. He led Celeria in the direction of any functioning living space, he continued to grip her and explore her, all the while never letting go.

The two soon stumbled upon a former training preparation chamber. It was small and compact, but they found it fitting to their purpose. As the door hissed behind them, the pair began divulging their fears and emotions through their passion. Celeria held onto Kale tightly, not releasing him for a moment throughout the encounter. She wanted to be closer to him, to feel more of his warmth, to take him deeper into herself, reveling uniquely in each touch they shared.

Hours later, the Commander slept soundly on her first attendant's shoulder. She was at peace in Kale's embrace, she felt safe and warm for the very first time in what had been too long. But her complacence soon turned into uneasiness as behind closed eyes, she saw herself slowly being enveloped into a darkness that crept upon her from all sides. She tried to move, but she couldn't. Celeria could only stare blankly at the blackness that slowly took her in until it swallowed her completely.

Kale:

Kale stirred happily in his dreams, for now at least, everything had fallen into place. He felt warmth by the Commander's side, the kind of warmth he'd never experienced before. As he reached out in his slumber, he held Celeria in his arms. He reassured her by every passing moment that she wasn't going to face this alone. As the warmth continued, the doctor's subconscious felt something else, something much darker...

- - - - - - - - - -

Gelth:

Did she think he was dead? Oh on the contrary. He had been here the whole time, listening and seething in pure hunger, whilst longing for the lives of all of them, especially hers. As the Commander fell into a deep slumber, the essence of the beast which whispered at the periphery of her mind wrapped its ethereal claws around her brittle mind. The darkness swarmed her dreams, infesting her deepest thoughts and most hidden emotions. It swept over her memories, and spilled out onto her most treasured moments. Gelth the hunter, the beast, the monstrosity. He had returned, and here he was unstoppable.

The dream world formed itself around the sleeping Commander. She found herself where she often did; at home. Here were the plains of the planet Vegeta, a crimson waste that stretched out lifelessly into the horizon. Its terrain was rough an unforgiving, with horrifying mountains marring the landscape and stretching high into the bloodstained sky. To the Commander of course, this was comfort, and it was home. To Gelth, it was his new hunting ground.

Home at last, Commander Celeria.

The air was still and humid, beside one rebel gust of wind that blew towards Celeria through a black smog-like current. As it came closer the gust eventually subsided, and the dusts began to settle until they formed around a tall imposing beast-like figure. First the eyes took shape illuminating like emerald beckons, then the claws, the body-mass, and finally the tendrils. Even here in her own mind he could form, she could never escape him.

"Welcome back Commander, welcome back to the end of your world."

Celeria looked around the familiar terrain, feeling a pang of nostalgia in the depths of her mind. She stared down the beast that was forming before her. Ah, yes, how could she forget. One bastard begets another. It seemed likely that she would no longer be able to find peace even in slumber. She cracked a half-smile at the fully-formed monster.

"Back for more pain, hmm?"

"Or perhaps you're keen on revenge. Tell me, does a beast like you know about vengeance? Or is the idea too complex for your inferior animal brain to fathom? Either way, you'll have to get in line. There are many at my throat, as I'm sure you're aware of." The Commander turned towards the beast and assumed a stance poised for both defense and assault.

"So let us cut to the chase, shall we? What in blazes do you want from me?" She growled.

Kale:

Kale awoke to the sudden sensation of uneasiness. He quickly shielded his eyes from any beaming light, but he was surprised to see that it was still the dead of night. He slowly stood up and placed a hand through his mess of hair. He looked down on the Commander and where he had been lying. She was on a training mat, the very sight made the doctor smile.

Who thought... really? Just call me connoisseur Kale. He laughed joyfully to himself. No, don't call me that, it's a baaaad idea. He crossed his arms and continued to watch the Commander sleep. After a moment he noticed her expression change for the worse. She was openly frowning, she seemed visibly distressed. Of course perhaps she was merely dreaming of combat... He hoped that face didn't represent how she felt about the night they'd just had. Kale nervously laughed and stroked the back of his head. If it persisted he'd wake her, she could do without another nightmare.  


- - - - - - - - - -

Gelth:

Vengence.

The word resonated around Celeria and contorted into the core of the hypothetical planet Vegeta. Yes, he understood vengence and fury, and hatred all too well. These base emotions had fuelled his lust and completed his transition to this dimension. But more so than these things, the beast understood something else, something far more valuable and infinitely greater. He understood hunger.

And right now, more so than the desire to reap Celeria's flesh from her bones and bathe in an oasis of her juices, the monster was ravenous for her essence. But he remembered old mistakes, and he nursed even older scars. He could not find her, not yet, he was not ready, and neither was she. Because he could see all things, apparitions of the past and future playing out in tandem. He saw the mighty warrior that this succulent soldier had been, and through trillions upon trillions of scenarios that told of events yet to come, he saw all possibilities converge on one certainty. Her power would be unparalleled soon enough, nothing would stand in her way... almost nothing.

A low menacing chortling broke free of the beast's sinister jaws. His fangs gnarled his bottom lip causing a green puss to erupt from the puncture marks. His tongue extended and consumed the blood with satisfaction, and his laughter increased. The sound exploded all around the Commander, the beast's words were in her head after all, they didn't have to come from his lips. Finally, he settled down, but his dancing tendrils played at his sides.

"Oh yes, I've seen the threats that plague you. The memories of a warrior are paved like crystal... Your recollection is perfect. I've seen through faultless clarity your disgrace at the hands of General Brokka." The beast raced towards Celeria, but he did not move his feet, he simply travelled through a gust that exploded in a spectrum of green and black. He continued towards her until he became nothing but dust, rushing though the Commander like a powerful current of wind. Quickly he reformed behind her and his lips whispered at her ear.

"Did you feel worthless when he ripped your life from your bones in front of your own soldiers? Or did it sting more when he planted his seed in you?" Low chortling danced from the beast's lips once more, and his tendrils skipped around Celeria's dream form. "Do you know what happened to your child in the end? He was engulfed in flames, just like everything else on this world. He suffered more than you ever will. Your ultimate failure at the hands of the General, no matter how hard you resisted, you couldn't even save his final son from death." Before Celeria could lash out, Gelth was in front of her once again.

"Oh... Ingenious, completely ingenious. There is a second son, and you fear he failed too..." The laugher was no longer laughter and simply an expression of pure pleasure. The sound was explosive and completely passion filled, as Gelth continued to tease the Commander. "And what of the doctor... Shall I return to take him from you? I was so, so close the last time." She couldn't touch him, he wasn't even really there, his presence simply exerted itself no matter what she did. This was perfect unkempt torture.

Each time the beast attempted to lunge at Celeria, her muscles tightened and she was ready to fight. But the beast simply dissolved into dust all around her, only to reform as it pleased. Its insight into her mind was disconcerting, to say the least. Just how much did it know? How much would it go on to discover? The Commander was surprised at the feeble attempts to undermine her. Growing up in a world where death was a common occurrence, Celeria learned to value nothing but the present moment.

Yes, the beast certainly had insight into her memories. But there was one thing it didn't have a chance to find out. The Commander decided to exert her kindness and enlighten it.

"You pathetic freak. Do you really hope to gain leverage by pointing out my choices? Yes, those were my choices. I chose Brokka. I chose to bear his son. I am unaffected by his assault. His power came from elsewhere. He didn't earn it. No matter what he does from here on, he will always remain inferior to me."

"As will you, my precious abomination. Thank you for your gift. You gave me life on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, I won't be returning in kind." Celeria grinned sinisterly.

"So you may as well return to the pit where you came from, else I vow to make you wish you had. And believe me, I can be quite creative."

Suddenly, Celeria's mind flooded with blurred images of a planet thoroughly covered in frost. She beheld the beast, surrounded by scurrying hazy figures. She chuckled.

"Rot on your little rock. Seethe with vengeance. Because mongrel scum like you will never afford to taste anything else. She growled.

"Now leave me! I grow tired of you, beast. Go ahead, insist on challenging me! I will be waiting." Celeria crossed her arms.

She looked thoroughly unamused as the wind waved her hair violently. She could almost smell the hot air of the planet. For a moment, she wished she could go back to those times, but she suffocated the thought as soon as it arose. Now, she felt in control more than ever before. Step by step, she would reclaim what was taken from her. Step by step, she would make everyone pay. That also included the hunched monstrosity that hissed at her from all corners of her mind.

Kale:

Nothing changed, Celeria still looked distressed. Against his better judgement, Kale would have to wake her up. Of course, he didn't know whether it would result in a face full of fist, but he had no choice. The doctor leaned in to Celeria and scrutinised her face. That frown, it wasn't fear or sadness, it was anger... a readiness for combat. The doctor knew that face, all too well. He'd seen it in Celeria before, and when she looked like that, whatever was at the receiving end of her fury was in danger. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and hesitated. Just who was winning in her dream anyway?  

- - - - - - - - -

Gelth:

The best's manic laughter subsided as he felt her words running through his entire being. Yes, even the sound of her was completely captivating and delectable. He could hardly wait to feast on every bone until she was nothing but ash. Gelth closed his eyes with sheer joy at the thought of reducing the Commander to sustenance. At the very semblance of such a thought, his tendrils danced and whispered sweet nothings into his mind. He extended a claw and stroked them lovingly, they slithered in his grasp and cried out for energy.

"So, you've honed this joint connection of ours too? You can see where I've been... Completely incredible. But so very depressing... If we could only truly occupy the same space, then you would see what I am becoming Commander, you would feel the suffering of the millions I have already consumed." His tongue slid against his thin black lips and his energy seeped out of his very essence. Soon he would collapse this dream world, but first he would leave words of encouragement.

"And you also know that I've kept you alive. All of those times you should have perished... When Vegeta bested you, when Brokka reduced you to nothing. All those times I was there, feeding your mind with my immortality. You see, I'm preserving you Celeria, you are the perfect cattle for the perfect meal. And you shall be the last." His tendrils extended and squealed like pups feeding from their mothers teat, his energy continued to expand outwards until he was a pillar of pure emerald light. "They shall all die before you Commander, every life form you've ever cared for. Espara, Mokra, Grape, Keyla, and even the good doctor. I will even feast on your enemies... Yes, even Freeza." He exploded into sadistic laughter once again, and his tendrils grew in length until they came mere inches from Celeria's face.

"Ah but I forget myself, where is my decorum? You never saw the destruction of your homeworld did you? I have come to remedy that terribly sad occurrence." A malignant grin extended from cheek to cheek as the beasts laughter continued all around Celeria.

Suddenly incredibly strong winds swept the entire landscape, mountains and tall structures cracked and crumbled until they exploded into fine dust. The crimson pallor of the planet darkened and became dingy and grey as the winds washed every sign of life into oblivion. The familiar smell of the planet, the feel of the soil and even the appearance of the sky receded into a black and grey wasteland. The planet was a graveyard, and all that remained was them. The laughter continuously droned on, it came closer and closer to Celeria's ears until it was the only discernable sound. As Gelth looked towards the ground he saw nothing but ash. But more specifically, in fine sprawling letters were the names of the dead. First amongst them was the name 'Raditz' followed by 'Bardock'.

"Your own personal graveyard. A name for every soldier you let slip, each carved word representing another dark day." Gelth's tendrils finally receded until they returned to his back, if she wanted this to end she only needed to do one thing.

"Thank you for your time Commander, you've seen everything I intended, but there's something I want from you." His claws dug into his palms in the pleasure of his next request. "My name, say it." His grin extended, "You know it, it's right here in your mind. You've known it all along, you simply need search for it. Say my name and you wake up to fight another day... Say it." Each syllable dripped with pure pleasure at the idea of his name being spoken from her lips...

Her surroundings slowly died away. The crimson mountains crumbled into ash. The names of each and every soldier and squad mate Celeria was proud to have known littered the landscape. This was no longer just a game. The beast had taken one step too far. It ventured to encroach upon sacred ground. For Celeria, there was no greater treasure than her team. Her warrior race. And this was their mass grave, where the brave slept while scum like Brokka and this deviant monster still plague the universe.

The Commander cracked a half-grin as her fingers slowly clenched into fists.

"Oh, your speech is quite something. But you seem to be missing one very important point." She began, as sparks of energy flickered around her poised body.

Celeria was raising her power level exponentially. Even though she was as ethereal as her surroundings, her energy still made ripples in the sand. The very ground she stood on began to tremble as a silvery light enveloped her physique. The Commander leaned forward only to suddenly arch her back and release a tremendous wave of ki. Her eyes burned with hatred, but also, absolute confidence in her awesome power. Soon, even her irises disappeared and her eyes glowed radiantly.

"I am Commander Celeria. And MY word is the law." She roared.

"Remember this... Gelth." Her grin grew sinisterly wider as she unleashed her full force upon the dark vision of the beast and the surrounding world of the dead. Celeria felt her muscles tense harder and harder, until cracks formed and rushed through her shape. The Commander dispersed into a million shards, losing herself in the blinding light.

------------------------------

Celeria's eyes flew open and she instantly sat up, gasping for air. Her skin glowed with perspiration as she struggled to compose herself. When she caught her breath, she looked over to see the confused face of the doctor, who's hand was still on her shoulder. She disregarded the hand and let her gaze fall to the ground. After a few moments' hesitation, she turned to the doctor, deciding to shed light on her predicament.

"The creature we've discussed before. Our telepathic link grew stronger. It attempted to ensnare me in some sort of nightmare. It... showed me things. Or should I say, he showed me things. From the past and the present. His insight is greater than I imagined.

... I don't like this, doctor. I cannot have my mind compromised in such a way. We must organize an expedition, post-haste. I need to obliterate that freak off the face of the universe."

Gelth:

The names of the fallen clung to the ash. Gelth's laughter continued, growing in volume until Celeria broke his silence with an explosion of her might. The ash transformed into a gust that then formed into a tornado around the Commander. She had said it, she had used his name. But furthermore, she had reversed the connection and momentarily at least, she had looked into the beast. The hunt was more compelling than ever. Here was an equal, literally exploding with potential, and Gelth yearned with all of his being to be sated by her raw power.

As the seconds passed, the world around them dimmed, and the behemoths of dust clouded the dead world until everything turned black. The last thing the Commander heard was the unrelenting laughter of the beast...

- - - - - - - - - -

Kale:

Yikes! Kale jumped out of his skin -or at least an inch or two in the opposite direction- as Celeria lunged out of her slumber.

"The creature we've discussed before. Our telepathic link grew stronger. It attempted to ensnare me in some sort of nightmare. It... showed me things. Or should I say, he showed me things. From the past and the present. His insight is greater than I imagined."

The doctor's hand slightly trembled at the mention of the beast. He watched Celeria's face, she wasn't fooling around, nor did she look like she was in any kind of delirium. Kale twiddled with his fingers before placing a heavy palm on the Commander's exposed shoulder. After a moment's silence, he realised he was shirtless, he looked down at himself and quickly retrieved his shirt.

"... I don't like this, doctor. I cannot have my mind compromised in such a way. We must organize an expedition, post-haste. I need to obliterate that freak off the face of the universe."

This was all too fast, everything was happening post-haste and Kale brooded that he never had the time to analyse any of it. The remains of that beast was still very much alive in a tube in his lab, and furthermore, a more insidious part of its DNA was festering in the Commander. It was linked to her, of course it would find her, even in her dreams. As the doctor tucked his shirt in, he stood up and looked down at the sombre looking Celeria.

"What does he know? Is he using you as some sort of eavesdropping device?" Kale grabbed at his temples with his finger tips and squeezed hard. He needed to make sense of this, he had to understand what was following Celeria, and he had to do it now.

"He knows... everything." Celeria grunted as she slowly rose to her feet. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the cool air of the room chill her bare skin. She tensed her muscles, flexing them as she inhaled deeply. She slowly exhaled and let her body relax.

"My present, my past. He knows everything there is to know about Commander Celeria. He even knows about us." She spoke somewhat coldly as she turned around and walked a few steps to retrieve her body suit which she promptly put on. Within seconds, Celeria was again in full armor, not even a single strand of her vibrant green hair out of place. As she fixed her scouter in place, she elaborated:

"But I also know more about him. The connection is not as strong from my side, I imagine that is because I was blocking it out as soon as I became aware of its existence. Yes, doctor... I was aware of his presence for a while now. But the prospect of a being in my head seemed far too unlikely without proper evidence. Which is why we went to Umirion. But it concerns me that the fragment we retrieved refuses to yield to our examinations. I need more answers."

She tugged on the ends of her gloves, securing them into place. The Commander then turned to face the doctor directly.

"What he knows is no threat to us. What he is, however, is an entirely different matter. We need to track him down and exterminate him before he manages to grow even stronger."

Celeria then caught a glimpse of the training mat they had laid upon. It occurred to her that what had transpired between the doctor and herself demanded some sort of verbal follow-up... perhaps some sort of explanation? Whatever explanation it demanded, Celeria knew that she could not give it. She turned her gaze to the side and began walking towards the door. Before she stepped out, she turned around.

"About tomorrow's mission. We will find a way, doctor. We'll find a way."

Not managing to find better words, the commander turned back and proceeded through the doorway, her crimson cape waving softly as it disappeared into the darkness.

Tomorrow was a new day, and with a new day came a new challenge. Or at least, that's what Kale had come to accept living with the Commander and his new colony. Had he already been here for this long? The months had flown by, and with the passage of time came new challenges and turmoil. Being the last of a warring race was not as peaceful and productive as the doctor had previously imagined. Already they'd met a traitor prince, a bastard general and a malevolent beast. Kale couldn't determine which of the threats seemed most deadly really, unless of course he took a mere moment to consider everything, and then it was quite obvious that this beast was the one to watch out for.

What animal had the strength to subdue worlds and survive the destruction of a planet? The doctor shyly smiled, in an attempt to sum up the beast, he'd described himself and the others perfectly. The Saiyan race had subdued more than their fair share of worlds, and they'd survived the destruction of their own planet. Perhaps then this monster was a fitting enemy? After all, it wasn't set to go away, it had entrenched itself in the Commander's mind, and apparently it knew everything. That was the part that really scared him. This thing wasn't omniscient, nor was it divine, hell Kale had seen far too much to believe anything of the sort. It must have been leeching off Celeria, feeding on her memories and feelings. From the sounds of it, it was using the Commander as a long range TV to get in on all the latest drama!

Kale removed his jumpsuit for the final time and peered at his athletic physique in the mirror. Playfully, he began practicing various martial arts forms, first dropping into the typical offensive style of the Saiyan warrior, and then withdrawing into a more defensive stance. As he played around with his movements and looked on almost puzzlingly at the stranger in the mirror, he continued to think on what the Commander had told him just hours before.

How much had this thing been observing? What did Celeria mean when she said he knew about the two of them? Surely she wasn't referring to what had transpired that very night? The doctor blushed, his face became beetroot as he tried to hide his inner embarrassment with a flurry of practice lunges and kicks.

So... that monster knows my... moves? His face contorted in a cocktail of discomfort and shame. This is almost as embarrassing as listening to Grape sing when he things I can't hear him... such painful vocals. The doctor swiftly shook his head and pushed away all thoughts of the beast. Freeza was imminent, that was the focus, he was the main priority. For all Kale knew they were about to perish long before they could figure out who this monster was.

But that wasn't true, and somehow he knew it. He'd never believed in fairytales or impossible scenarios, but now Celeria couldn't die, and here they were standing after the devastation of Brokka. Maybe they'd just make it out alive, maybe something miraculous would happen and they'd avenge the world they lost to the coming tyrant. Somehow he was falling for his own propaganda, somehow this educated physician was throwing his money in with the improbable, and denying the grittier yet more probable scenario.

What has this women turned me into? Hmm? I don't even recognise this guy standing in front of me anymore. He makes me nervous... I kinda wanna grab for my purse and run at the sight of that mean face. Kale quickly came within inches of the small mirror in his quarters. The tip of his nose was just inches away from the clear glass, and somewhat meticulously he stared into the eyes of the estranged warrior in front of him. Who had he become? When had he become so physically competent, and so... Willing to fight on the side of irrationality?

Who are you, really? He pondered, whilst trying to find the Kale he knew and understood behind the weathered and scrutinising eyes. Can you do it Kale? Can you defeat Freeza? Do I even call you Kale anymore?. He snorted a slight laugh and withdrew from the small mirror. It was late, he should probably head to bed, he could feel that something else was coming tomorrow, something bigger, and he had to be prepared.

I don't actually have a purse... But I did have a very feminine satchel at the academy... He raised an eyebrow and plonked himself down on his small mattress.

Before long, sleep took the doctor as if he'd been injected with a powerful anaesthetic. He dreamt vividly of Celeria, of what they'd done together... of the future. He saw the faces of his mother and father, and then of his colleagues in the medical corps. Each face ignited something different in the doctor, but beneath all of those differences was a single unifying feeling. For these people he'd lost, for the lives that had been thrown away, he'd strip the PTO of every single one of its fibres. He didn't know what it meant to be a Commander, but he knew what it was to be surgeon, and he'd find the right tools to cut everything Freeza and the PTO had built open. He'd be able to put all of this right soon enough, and no force in the universe (not even inter-dimensional creatures that transcended death) would stop Kale.

His final thoughts were of his friends (now that he had those), Keyla, Grape and Celeria all stood at a precipice, looking up towards a crimson jewel dominating the night sky. His dream-state body eventually stood alongside them, looking on wistfully (no, triumphantly) towards the scarlet world. Even here, even in his dreams, the Saiyan people always returned home...

((Thread complete. That's 4,500 per post!

Kale - 20 posts x 4,500 = 90,000

Gelth - 5 posts x 4,500 = 22,500

Celeria - 20 posts x 4,500 = 90,000))