The Doctor Will See You Now...

His head ached like it had suffered an internal implosion. This no doubt caused by the many years spent suspended in cryo-stasis, hidden to the entirety of the universe, before slowly defrosting in a planetary meltdown. Kale was perched on the corner of his cryo-pod, his gangly hands pressed against his disoriented face. Had consciousness always been so nauseating? He was sure the answer to that was no, but his recent experience challenged that assumption. Sliding his cupped hands down the lining of his face, the doctor revealed a rather drunken looking expression. His eyes were having trouble focusing on a single image, and therefore were deviating about the room, his skin was milky, giving pale a whole new meaning, and his once jet-black, well groomed hair was wiry and untamed.

After taking a moment to collect his senses after his twenty year hibernation, the doctor took to his seemingly unsteady feet. As he reached the floor, he felt momentarily uneasy, his knees almost gave way before he could summon the dexterity to keep himself on his feet. As Kale peered around the pod-bay once more, he became aware of a young Saiyan female in medical uniform approaching.

“Doctor!” She shouted, her voice just a pitch too high for Kale’s recuperating ears. “It’s good to see you’re finally awake.” the doctor managed an unsteady nod of his head in recognition of the woman. “I’m Keyla, the nurse for the colony, and hopefully one of your colleagues.” Her words shot through Kale’s skull unmercifully, causing quite the raucous and the headache, but he absorbed them regardless of the torture.

He wiped his forehead with a limp hand before responding, “Keyla? Sounds like a beach…” He mused, of course the nurse’s expression remained blank, Kale must have been too disoriented to pull off his golden brand of comedy. “It’s nice to meet you nurse Keyla, now how about you fill me in on what’s happening.” A petite smile surfaced on the doctor’s face, although he was in huge discomfort, he urged to understand the current situation.

“We’re not sure doctor…” she admitted, her head falling slightly, “all we know is that we’re on Delta-2814, and there’s no signs of transmission from the homeland.” Her voice trailed off, she seemed to be concealing something more, “But we immediately awoke you because of an emergency doctor.” Kale’s eyes widened, work already? “the commander of the colony, Commander Celeria, was out on a field mission, visiting a neighbouring planet due to unidentified activity…”

“And…?” the doctor interjected, awaiting the ’downside’.

“…And, the commander has returned in a critical condition.” The nurse paused to seemingly gage Kale’s blank reaction, “We’ve placed her in a healing tank, but the process is a slow one. Any longer before returning and the commander would have been dead… and…”

“…And I’m the only doctor that can assess the situation - right?” Kale presumed, a half smile appearing on his now lukewarm face.

“…Well we have junior Doctor Grape available to us, but of course, he wanted a senior opinion.” On that note, the doctor felt his ego swell, it was nice to be so needed so soon out of cryo-stasis. Perhaps his accepting this mission had been a worthwhile investment after all.

“Take me to your leader!” He mused, his hand signalling towards the exit, but of course, Keyla was not amused.

As the two left the vessel and travelled across a large landing pad, Kale became aware of a few already suited Saiyan soldiers. The group of men and women seemed to be casually laughing and joking with one another, obviously comfortable in their company, regardless of this bizarre setup that the colony now found itself in. As the doctor looked towards Keyla, she traded him a forced smile, before quickening her pace towards what appeared to be the medical bay. As the two reached the automatic door, it hissed open to reveal quite a basic medical facility, with multiple healing tanks, sick beds, and basic medical apparatus. Pacing about the bay restlessly was a young man in a white doctor’s coat, around the same age as Kale himself, he must have been junior Doctor Grape.

“Doctor!” He too yelled out like a siron, causing Kale to squint in agony. “It’s good that you’re awake, we have a situation…” Kale shifted clumsily through the room at first, becoming more competent as he progressed towards a clothing rack adjacent to the occupied healing tank. Taking one of the white coats off of the hanger, he threw it onto his torso. Now he was ready for work.

“Junior Doctor Grape I believe.” Kale moved to take his new colleagues hand, “let’s go wild shall we?” the doctor traded a cheeky grin, he was beginning to feel much better.

Hopping on the balls of his feet, Kale approached a computer terminal that resided beside the healing tank that housed an otherwise pretty young Saiyan woman. Looking at her schematics, the doctor became aware of her alarming heart rate and adrenaline. “Thirty beats a minute…” he mumbled to himself with a level of surprise. How had the commander remained alive? Even for a Saiyan, such a dangerous circulation of blood was devastatingly deadly. Browsing through the commander’s other vitals, Kale looked at the properties that had been detected in her blood, they were… interesting. “Remnants of carbonatite and komatiile in her blood stream, properties found of course from volcanic rock. Her wounds have absorbed an alarming amount of volcanic spores…’

“Which would explain the third degree burns…” Grape added, confidently. Of course… he was wrong, and Kale was about to demonstrate why.

“A Saiyan warrior… Commander Celeria of the Saiyan race.” He quickly shifted away from the computer terminal and darted towards the healing tank, inspecting her burns, bruises and cuts first hand. “LAVA!” the doctor dramatically shouted, “… it wouldn’t scratch the surface of a Saiyan’s skin, unless of course they were subject to it for an elongated period of time.” Both Grape and Keyla seemed to be nodding is agreement. “But then the good nurse here told me that our commander went to investigate an irregular reading on the sister planet of the system…” both colleagues continued to agree, “So if we take all of this into account, we fall onto the probability that whatever the commander found down there was living, and obviously hostile. Blasted her with several ki wounds too, which would forge the appearance of burns… it would also explain why so many volcanic minerals found their way into her blood. She was no doubt left for dead for an outrageous period of time.” the doctor took a break in his sentence, both Grape and Keyla seemed to be quite astonished with his level of knowledge, this of course spared him on. “And you could say that this still wouldn’t provide consequential evidence to suggest that she faced a powerful foe, but then that directs us to her adrenaline chart.” Kale placed his triumphant hands together and rubbed, he was good, “her adrenal glands were working over time, there’s just an excess level of the stuff in her bloodstream. Something would have had to have her pretty worked up for that to happen… like a battle! Right?”

“That would explain the high levels of adrenaline found in her blood…” Keyla added, she was impressed, the doctor could tell.

“That it would, my minions!” Kale joked, an ounce of laughter now escaping his frantic body. “Now we wait, her recovery should take…” the doctor began mentally nodding, calculating the commanders expected recovery in his head, “about four hours… three and a half, if we administer the right level of androgens. That gives us enough time to take a break, get some lunch, and get to know one another!” Kale continued his musing, a smile remained plastered across his face. Completing his cool demeanour, he reached out with a single hand to rest against a medical terminal, but against his better judgement, his hand slipped, causing the doctor to hurtle towards the floor. Both Doctor Grape and Nurse Keyla visibly sighed, obviously aware of the future days to come. How embarrassing.

/3 and a half hours later/

The liquid began to drain from the healing tank, and in moments, it seemed that Commander Celeria had gained consciousness. Kale had spent the hours desperately trying to entertain his medical staff, but of course, to no avail, he had failed. Quite pleased to be met by another, who hopefully understood his glorious brand of humour, the doctor approach the commander in the tank, before addressing her for the first time.

“Now there’s good news, and there’s bad news…” Kale spoke with a light tone, “the good news is that you’re alive commander,” he pleasantly nodded his head, “the bad news is that we’ve ate all the bagels…” he chuckled lightly, awaiting the commanders reply.

Water draining. That was the sound and sensation that stirred Celeria from her sleep. She pried open her eyelids that still felt heavy. The water had fully drained and the healing chamber had opened. She slowly rose to her feet and removed her oxygen mask. Celeria rolled her shoulders back ever so slightly, the motion was almost imperceptible. She was glad to find her muscles in full working order. She had stepped out of the chamber onto the warm marble floor of the medical room. Even though she was completely bare, she carried herself as if she were adorned in saiyan royal garb. Turning her gaze to a medical assistant further down the room made the fellow get the message, as the minute saiyan quickly passed her a large towel. While she was wrapping it around herself, her attention was drawn by a particularly noticeable voice. A doctor, no doubt. Celeria's pupils slid to the side to focus on a tall, slender saiyan who wore the recognizable white coat.

She shrugged off his attempt at a joke due to curiosity. She would have asked him for how long was she out, but then her eyes instinctively darted towards the healing tank monitors where the time was indicated. Nearly four hours. Celeria couldn't remember if she had ever been inside a healing tank for so long. Her gaze fell to the floor and remained there for a few moments, before she stood up straight with a mild sigh. Turning to the doctor, Celeria smirked lightly and began in a low tone: "Nearly four hours? Are our androgen synthesizers that used up? I'm surprised to be still in working order." She then faced forward and continued: "I wish this tank repaired and ready for use immediately. Tune up the synthesizers to maximum performance. I'm aware this will halve their functioning expectancy, but it needs to be done. The station must be ready to treat every degree of injury in record time. I will proceed to filling you in on further details at a briefing that will be held in exactly four hours in the main control room. You are all to attend."

With these words, she slowly started making her way out of the chamber, despite feeling a weakness in her legs. At a steady pace, she made way for the armory containers, with troublesome plans weighing heavily upon her mind.

Kale averted his gaze as the commander left the healing tank. Of course, she was completely naked, and even a doctor had to respect this form of privacy. What was more alarming to the doctor however, was that yet another hadn’t as much as responded to his jokes! What was wrong, did he have a dull crowd or something? Had King Vegeta intentionally placed Kale amongst this group to kill off his hardy spirit? Not a chance!

From the view of his averted gaze, the doctor caught sight of Junior Doctor Grape providing Commander Celeria with a towel, to cover herself of course. A naked commander wasn’t always an easy commander to take seriously…

"Nearly four hours? Are our androgen synthesizers that used up? I'm surprised to be still in working order."

Finally returning his gaze to the now fully regenerated commander, Kale was caught off guard by her vibrant viridian hair, and her heavy black orbs. For a solider, and more so a commander, she was really quite pretty… the strong figure of a woman. Snapping out of his observation, the doctor staggered to formulate an informed reply:

“Androgen synthesizers are never produced in vast quantities… mostly because the healing agent only strengthens a Saiyan’s immune system, to help us fight off infections and illnesses with our own bodies defences.” He paused to gage the commander’s reaction, she seemed rather preoccupied, not too interested in the med lesson, his words fell to a whisper as he finished, “T-That’s why they don’t really work on… other species…” He completely stopped, listening as the commander continued.

"I wish this tank repaired and ready for use immediately. Tune up the synthesizers to maximum performance. I'm aware this will halve their functioning expectancy, but it needs to be done. The station must be ready to treat every degree of injury in record time.”

Kale raised his right arm to scratch at his head in confusion. The commander wanted him to increase the synthesizer levels, halving the medical bay’s healing capacity, so that recovery time was much faster? Unless the colony planned on delving into war, he didn’t really catch the point of the order, but of course, it was an order. “Yes commander.” Kale responded, complying out of necessity, not out of agreement.

“I will proceed to filling you in on further details at a briefing that will be held in exactly four hours in the main control room. You are all to attend."

As the commander finished on that note, she quickly upped and left the medical bay, no doubt in search of something suitable for herself to wear. The whole encounter left the doctor slightly bewildered. Here was a young Saiyan female, not long out of a healing tank after receiving what he identified as a thrashing, and already she was down to giving orders, and setting business. Lightly shrugging, Kale approached the door, watching as the junior doctor and nurse aligned behind him. He was pleased to have a team with him again, it was good to be back on the job, even if he didn’t quite know where he was at the moment, and the full reason as to why the colony was hiding on Delta-2814. Was it really all PTO paranoia? Had what the King said actually come true? Or would the colony find that it had all been an act of desperation?

As the party left the med bay, they came to a sudden freeze as Kale halted in his step. He’d suddenly reached a realisation…

“So… I have no idea where the control room is. Would anyone like to show me?” He chuckled shyly.

/ 4 hours later/

A small group of Saiyan soldiers all congregated around a high-tech, circular room. This was the control room, and the doctor felt to add that it was very fitting for a centre base. But then, this was typical of the Saiyan race, putting everything to do with battle and war first, over the abysmally fitted medical bay, that housed the bare minimum. Kale, Nurse Keyla, and Junior Doctor Grape, all stood in another group together, separated by distance from the Saiyan soldiers. What would the commander have to say upon her arrival? Was she going to shed light on what happened to her on the system’s sister planet? And, would she explain to Kale what the situation was with planet Vegeta?

Celeria's chamber was hardly more than a practical capsule of a room, with one bed, one desk, a mirror and a door, leading to a similarly minute bathroom. Celeria wasn't much plagued by the minimalistic qualities of of her living quarters. She was full-aware that the remnants of her race would have to endure in these rat-pockets for the time-being. She took to having a short nap, as she hadn't slept for two days. The three hours' rest were quite enough to rejuvenate her body, yet, in her mind, she couldn't stop going over what happened on that barren rock. Celeria couldn't bear to tell her comrades that prince Vegeta had abandoned them, with an attempt on her life.

"It would crush what little morale we have left to survive." - Celeria thought to herself, as she changed into her standard attire. Slipping on her golden arm and thigh bracelets, she moved to the mirror where she applied a bright red cream onto her lips. These little grooming rituals helped her reach a certain peace of mind. This was exactly what she needed in times like this. One thing, however, she could not shake off. How she managed to survive. She was at death's door before she had regained consciousness in the healing tank. It was the memory gap between those two events that made her increasingly unsettled. But her guesses would have to wait - the time had come to break at least some news to the others. Celeria made her way out and to the control room. In the meantime, she had devised a statement she would deliver. All the saiyans that have awakened were already there. A minute number, Celeria figured, but sufficient to get matters into motion.

Clearing her throat, she began:

"It's good to see you all here. There is much news. I will begin with the most important one. King Vegeta was right to send us here. I regret to inform you that we are the last saiyans left."

What ensued was a mixture of gasps and grunts of rage that were quick to settle as Celeria continued.

"Data scans of the planetary positions confirmed this for us. Planet Vegeta is no more. If there are any saiyan survivors, they are likely to be scattered across the universe. However, there is a more important notice at hand. Our station is lacking provisions. Soon, our existence will be brought into question. This is why it has been decided that teams will be formed in two major groups. One for exploring the planet we reside on, with the aims of discovering whether it can provide any sustenance for the colony. And two, a controlled group of teams that will set out into space to explore the surrounding solar system. Think of it as a foraging expedition. After all arrangements are concluded, my team will be the first to set off. In my absence, other high-ranking officers are to be awakened and updated on the situation. You will soon be notified regarding your assignation. We are the last stand of the saiyan race and it is up to us to survive. The next meeting will be held three hours from now. During this time, resident medics will be consulted on necessities required to go through with these missions. I will see you all then."

With a respectful nod, Celeria left the centre of the chamber and made her way back to the medical bay. Many things needed to be taken into account, like coping with the atmospheres of other planets. This would require surveying the equipment, or at least, the units that were still in working condition. Arriving to the medical bay, she approached the main console and started working.

((Well, after a two year break, we're back!))

The doctor stood in-line with the medical staff, he, Grape and Keyla were partitioned into their own personal space of the briefing room. Chatter was vibrant in the crowd, as the recently revived warriors and other kinds of personnel shared stories of their experiences in cryo-stasis, and their subsequent surprise of being resurrected to the backend of the galaxy. Kale heard a few soldiers laughing, they in particularly possessed high spirits… that was of course, until the Commander broke the news.

"It's good to see you all here. There is much news. I will begin with the most important one. King Vegeta was right to send us here. I regret to inform you that we are the last saiyans left."

She shared her knowledge so casually, it was almost as if she were informing the colony that their biscuit reserves were low. In fact, the Commander dealt with the situation so nonchalantly, Kale had to double take on her words. First he smiled, her tone had been deceptive, and then it struck him. They were the LAST of the Saiyan race? The last? What did that mean? Surely Celeria wasn’t suggesting that they were all that remained of their entire species…

"Data scans of the planetary positions confirmed this for us. Planet Vegeta is no more. If there are any saiyan survivors, they are likely to be scattered across the universe. However, there is a more important notice at hand. Our station is lacking provisions. Soon, our existence will be brought into question. This is why it has been decided that teams will be formed in two major groups. One for exploring the planet we reside on, with the aims of discovering whether it can provide any sustenance for the colony. And two, a controlled group of teams that will set out into space to explore the surrounding solar system. Think of it as a foraging expedition. After all arrangements are concluded, my team will be the first to set off. In my absence, other high-ranking officers are to be awakened and updated on the situation. You will soon be notified regarding your assignation. We are the last stand of the saiyan race and it is up to us to survive. The next meeting will be held three hours from now. During this time, resident medics will be consulted on necessities required to go through with these missions. I will see you all then."

It was all true, she was telling the truth, yet her tone remained unchanged. The doctor fell back onto a lagging hind leg, his breath became shallow. For at least a moment, the room came to a standstill. The voices of the other saiyans erupted into a choir of questions and outrage, but Kale could only hear one specific sound… the racing river of blood through his veins. He didn’t know what to say, or how to react. His whole world was gone, and the news had been broken to him without remorse. His mind flung itself into a tornado of thoughts, first he focused on how and when, and finally he settled on the question of why. The planet Vegeta had been loyal to the Planet Trade Organisation… its complete annihilation seemed completely contradictory to the policy of Freeza and his henchmen. After all, without the Saiyan race, the intergalactic dictator would never have been able to capture and possess such vast quantities of the galaxy. Freeza would never be brash enough to eradicate the saiyans, never…

“Doctor?” nurse Keyla placed a trembling hand against Kale’s shoulder, he could feel her heartbeat racing through that one simple touch. “S-Stay with us…” her tone, though sympathetic, bled agony and doubt, she too was having trouble coming to terms with the news. The doctor brought his own hand to conceal the nurse’s, now both of them could share in the gravity of the moment.

His head raised, now he could see everyone once more. The responses of the crowd varied, but no single saiyan appeared unaffected. The Commander, although obviously burdened by the news, began to depart, the difficult part had obviously been covered. But it wasn’t good enough, even if Celeria was the de facto ruler of the colony, they all deserved more. Kale began quickly on his feet, tracing Celeria as she left the briefing room. He was in no fit state to engage in a dispute, but he needed more answers, he couldn’t continue to perform his job without them.

As the doctor followed the Commander, his thoughts drifted to his homeworld, and to his people. Before leaving planet Vegeta on the orders of the King, he’d spoken with his parents, and now… even something as simple as that, it was impossible. Kale shook his head, his black mat of hair caught in the accompanying gust, causing it to mess and scatter across his face. He had to clear his head, even if his thoughts were travelling infinitely faster than his body.

Celeria entered the medical bay and took her place at a work station, there she seemingly waited, was she expecting company? The doctor stopped dead in his tracks, he remained stationary in the doorway.

“Commander Celeria, our people are gone?” His voice tremored. “Was King Vegeta’s suspicions correct? Was it Freeza? It just doesn’t make sense. We worked closely with the PTO for decades, they had no reason to kill off our species.” His eyes trailed to the floor, they found it hard to remain in one place for too long. “If there are other survivors… if somehow, some saiyans managed to escape, then we need to find them. Won’t they still be in danger? I-I want to help.” He declared, his voice toughening. “I know I’m a doctor, and I’m no warrior, but if our people are still out there then I want to help you look for them. I can’t fully believe this until I know…”

Kale took a single, heavy step, passing the threshold of the medical bay…

Celeria remained seated at the main console, attempting to access the data file containing the audio recordings from her scouter up until the point it broke down. She had to make sure no one ever got hold of it, for it may threaten the cohesion of what remnants of the saiyan society there were. They were a military race and thus had to keep faith in their leaders. There was not a doubt in Celeria's mind that she would have to treat the matter very delicately. Thinking back to the encounter, she didn't remember Vegeta giving a definite response as to who ended the lives of the saiyans on the home planet, but there was very little doubt that it could have been anyone other than Frieza. After all, it was because of the increasing tensions between himself and the overlord that King Vegeta issued the order for a clandestine relocation of a number of soldiers and medical staff. But as far as Celeria recalled, they were the only unit that was ever dispatched.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the head doctor's frustrated entrance. She had not known him up to this point, but he was indeed the top-ranking medic on site. For a moment, Celeria contemplated her next course of action, comparing the pros and cons of her new plan. Resting her elbows on the desk, she entwined her fingers and stared somewhat blankly at the far end of the room. Once Kale had finished his distressed rant, she solemnly rose from her desk and turned around, facing him directly eye to eye.

"There is no one left. We have only ourselves to rely on for survival from this point on."

Kale's unchanged gaze prompted her to elaborate and she proceeded, as nonchalantly as she had addressed the congregation but minutes earlier.

"That little... predicament I was in earlier? It was courtesy of our beloved Prince." - she noted Kale's suppressed gasp, but continued in a calm and collected, almost calculated and icy tone "I saw him, doctor. Vegeta. He is alive and well. And couldn't care less about us." It was here that Celeria played the fragment of data extracted from her scouter. Vegeta's voice ruthlessly echoed his indifference for "a pack of saiyan underlings."

"On the other hand,"- Celeria added "he did show a particular interest in taking my life." - she leaned back on the desk and crossed her arms, staring down the doctor almost reprovingly.

"What would you have me do, doctor? Tell every last man and woman already teetering on the edge of despair that we have been abandoned? Forsaken? I think not. We will devise a strategy and we will overcome the ordeal that has befallen us. We will prove to everyone, including the Prince, that the saiyan race endures and prevails over all obstacles." - here Celeria's voice betrayed just a hint of the outrage she truly felt on the matter. However, she soon gained her former composure.

"He was surprised to see me. Stunned, even. That was enough to tell me that the worst had happened. Remember why we were dispatched here - the growing tension between Frieza and the King. In the end, the perpetrator of the act is irrelevant. We are alone. And we have work to do."

She had decided to let the doctor in on the truth, she knew she needed an ally in orchestrating everything properly so as not to hinder the progress of the colony. She just hoped she picked the right one, but concluded that desperate times afforded no choosiness.

"There is no one left. We are only ourselves to rely on for survival from this point on."

Kale listened, but he didn’t want to, instead he wanted to yell the many perplexing things that he currently thought. But he was a doctor, not a child, he wasn’t partial to such expulsive expressions of anger. Instead he focused on something small, in this instance he regulated his breathing, inhaling in gulps, and exhaling forcefully. As far as distracter tasks went, this was a pretty poor example.

"That little... predicament I was in earlier? It was courtesy of our beloved Prince. I saw him, doctor. Vegeta. He is alive and well. And couldn't care less about us."

Vegeta? Kale’s brows raised in surprise. Surely the Commander couldn’t mean Prince Vegeta? The little boy that was heir to the saiyan throne those years ago? Well, in perfect honesty, in Kale’s mind, young Vegeta had been the preteen heir for what was literally just yesterday to him. As well as the overwhelming news of his homeworld’s destruction, he was still piecing together the incongruence of his memory with the time that had passed…

"a pack of saiyan underlings."

As Celeria played the scouter recording of the Prince’s voice, the doctor could deny it no longer. That voice, although matured, possessed the same decibels and pitch as the junior Vegeta, and it carried with it the same arrogance. So others were alive! And even if they did scorn the existence of the surviving saiyan colony… it was a start. But, for Vegeta, the de facto king of all remaining saiyans to reject the rest of the saiyan race, held unfathomable implications.

"On the other hand, he did show a particular interest at taking my life."

Kale gasped, his breath regulation coming to an end. His gaze intensified, focusing on the Commander, even she had begun to lose her cool temperament. Kale had always known that the saiyan elite were pompous, self endorsing maniacs, but he’d never figured that they would actually turn their back on their people, let alone attempt to eradicate them. Perhaps in their time spent in isolation, the doctor and the others had missed something very important…?

"What would you have me do, doctor? Tell every last man and woman already teetering on the edge of despair that we have been abandoned? Forsaken? I think not. We will devise a strategy and we will overcome the ordeal that has befallen us. We will prove to everyone, including the Prince, that the saiyan race endures and prevails over all obstacles."

Kale nodded, his response compliant to the Commanders words. She was right, although Vegeta had survived Freeza’s annihilation, he had abandoned his duty to his people. If they allowed this to leak to the rest of the colony, it could cause outrage, and even more hurt. Yes, the saiyans were a warrior race, tough and enduring, but to know that they had been rejected…

"He was surprised to see me. Stunned, even. That was enough to tell me that the worst had happened. Remember why we were dispatched here - the growing tension between Frieza and the King. In the end, the perpetrator of the act is irrelevant. We are alone. And we have work to do."

This was a secret that had to be kept, regardless of the burden that it would have on both himself and the Commander. The doctor raised both of his arms, crossing them firmly against his chest. He was beginning to regain his composure. Sure, the death of his entire species still rung in his ears like an atomic explosion, but his emotional turmoil wouldn’t aid anyone. The truth was, out there, in the whole wide galaxy, a handful of their species now survived. And regardless of what Freeza’s intentions were, their number one priority was the preservation of their species. Kale quickly sifted through some math, calculating the numbers that they currently possessed. King Vegeta had ordered 200 of the best into cryo-stasis, and they comprised of fierce warriors, doctors, technicians, engineers, and other professionals. Right now, they were in a strong position to continue their race. Yes, it would take generations to reconstitute themselves, but it wasn’t impossible…

“Gee, yesterday Vegeta was hardly old enough to walk, and already he’s cursing us all to hell? That probably means we’re a lot older than we feel…” He grabbed a seat just opposite of the Commander‘s position, her undivided attention was on him. “If Vegeta is alive, but he refuses to acknowledge us, then you know as well as I do that the rest of our colony cannot know this. Our people are proud, they’re warriors… but right now they’re brittle. Thank you Commander for trusting me with this, I-I won’t let you down.” His expression was serious, his irises seemed to swell with the gravity of his words.

Now that the existence of the Prince had been dealt with, they had much more pressing matters to attend to. It seemed that even when groundbreaking news -such as the destruction of their planet- came about, they had to brush it under the carpet like it was nothing but dust…

“In my time with the PTO, and as a doctor, I dealt with a lot of saiyan soldiers. Some died in my care, others survived to fight on. But, if there’s anything I learned about our race whilst doing that job, it’s that saiyans are fiercely loyal, and they serve a leader who’s strong and passionate without an ounce of contempt. And right now, without a king or even a general, you Commander, you’re the de facto queen of our race.”

The doctor leaned forward in his chair, resting both of his elbows against his knees, a tuft of his black messy hair fell onto his face. “You’re right, we need to sustain ourselves, and as the head doctor of the compound I know that first and foremost we need provisions. I volunteer myself to be apart of the away team Commander… if you’ll have me that is. I know what we’ll need, and if we can figure out where we are, I know where to get it…” Although aloof with shock, Kale adopted an enthusiastic tone. Celeria would need all the help she could get…

A few moments later, Espara had arrived back at his room. Closing the door, with his whole body trembling slightly, he slumped back against the wall of his room. Moments earlier he had heard about how his entire race had been wiped out. Even though he knew that he would never see his father again the moment he boarded the ship for cryostasis, it didn’t make it any easier. The commander giving this information to them held it together in front of the survivors. Her words were firm, her voice steady, calm. Though Espara could swear he had seen her feelings in the slight movement of her eyes during her little speech, that he had seen her tear duct twitch.

As soon as the commander had told them about the fate of their race, Espara went numb, all other sound was sucked from his world. He froze up, he wasn’t even sure what the commander had said after that. His mind had been working overtime ever since that moment. ‘It had to be Frieza.’ Was all he could think. He kept imagining Frieza. His cold, calculating face. He probably didn’t even get his own hands dirty. He probably wiped them out without even moving. Without even a raise of his finger. Espara always remembered the day he first met Frieza. It was also the last. He remembered how Frieza had killed Spin without a second though, without any remorse. He even remembered how Frieza’s expression never changed, and how he simply looked at Espara over her dead body and promoted him to her rank.

Espara’s fists clenched. The veins on his arms pulsated. His whole body trembling with rage. His eyes grew wide. Pupils dilated. He stood tall. “Bastard!” Espara lashed out with anger. The wall never stood a chance, exploding upon impact. Dust engulfed the room. What little remained of the wall now lay before Espara. As the dust fell, Espara could make out a figure. In what used to be the room next door sat a man. Another Saiyan. Wide eyed, with a huge stain down the front of his clothes. A smashed glass lay at his feet with a pool of liquid. The man just sat and stared at Espara.

“Sorry.” Was all Espara could think to say.

“Gee, yesterday Vegeta was hardly old enough to walk, and already he’s cursing us all to hell? That probably means we’re a lot older than we feel…”

"Decades older, doctor. So old and equally irrelevant, equally vulnerable." - Celeria quietly grunted under her breath. "Though that gives us an advantage, when I think about it. It might be able to grant us moderate anonymity as we explore the current state of the galaxy." For a moment, it seemed Celeria had completely disregarded the weight of the disappearance of their race. Indeed, she seemed adamantly focused on any kind of solution they could come up with that would at least remotely increase their prospects for recovery.

“In my time with the PTO, and as a doctor, I dealt with a lot of saiyan soldiers. Some died in my care, others survived to fight on. But, if there’s anything I learned about our race whilst doing that job, it’s that saiyans are fiercely loyal, and they serve a leader who’s strong and passionate without an ounce of contempt. And right now, without a king or even a general, you Commander, you’re the de facto queen of our race.”

For reasons unknown to her, Celeria cringed at the mentioning of the word "queen". Although King Vegeta had never given her cause to think badly of royalty, she seemed to loathe the thought of it. Or at least, accepted concepts of it. She believed herself absolutely sure of the fact that she would have never struck a deal with Frieza, without first being able to remain at least three steps ahead of him at all times. How could King Vegeta have been fooled? Did he really place his trust in the words of a sadistic maniac? She appreciated the challenges and technology Frieza happily provided, but she herself couldn't stand the smug little creature. Upon the sole occurrence that she actually met him, he was quite pleased with her. Yet, she did not feel flattered nor afraid, she just felt keenly intent on wiping that sickly self-assured smile off his face.

"I'd settle for general." - she cracked a half-grin before focusing her eyes sharply into the doctor's own, her grin still lingering on her lips - "It wasn't a courtesy, doctor. Either way, you are obliged to attend each foraging trip. Only the most able-bodied warriors will be taken along and it is exactly those we cannot think to lose. And it is for those reasons that I told you the truth. When it comes to taking care of these people, I'm glad we see eye to eye."

Celeria then rose from her seat, pointing to the several monitors of the main console consecutively.

"First, the first group that will be accompanying us on our first exploration venture must undergo a thorough medical examination and physical assessment. The profiles are on monitor one. That includes the two of us, doctor. Secondly, I will issue an order for an evaluation of the amount of provisions we have on site as well as a detailed report on our storage capacities. Finally, a shuttle will be optimized for the first journey. If either you or your crew have any questions, I will remain stationed here or I will be in my quarters. I've forwarded the examination schedules to the scouter interfaces. There is no need for the designated meeting in the main control room. I suggest you get some rest, doctor."

The following day, Kale awoke at the break of dawn. He hadn’t slept very well the previous night, his mind had been plagued with thought after thought, all originating back to the destruction of his homeworld. And when he had managed to get some sleep, the nightmares flooded his unconscious. Images of the planet Vegeta’s combustion and his parent’s perishing rang deep into the chasms of his restless mind. And as the night progressed, ominous visions of the overlord Freeza appeared to the doctor, his grim, pale complexion and his slithering, malignant grin literally teased Kale out of his slumber. So he had chosen not to sleep, not yet at least, he could do without the night time trauma.

The doctor had been at the medical station for hours, running through the files that Commander Celeria had left for him. On the computer he had a list of exemplary Saiyan warriors who required screening and medical examination before they would be drafted into an exploration mission with both himself and Celeria. He also had a checklist of rudimentary tasks that needed to be carried out in the medical bay and across the colony, including basic cleaning duties and food consumption schedules. Although his primary field was medicine and engineering, the doctor seemed to be fitting the role of jack of all trades, as he was currently heading the entire logistical network for the colony.

Doctor Grape entered the medical bay with a brash shuffle of his feet, Kale could clearly hear his stamping, even if he was currently preoccupied.

“Doctor, I’ve run scans of the nutrient and food supplies for the colony. At current consumption, the colony will be out of food in two months.” Kale heard Grape release a heavy sigh, before dropping what appeared to be a heavy object on an adjacent table. “Fuel supplies for the ship we arrived on are adequate. We’ll make a run through half the galaxy and back before we need to refuel, but the ship’s power levels and tech are beginning to wear, and it looks like we’ll need to supply the engines with new cylinders before the year’s out.” Kale detected a huff in the junior doctor’s voice, he’d been at work accessing the colony’s provisions all morning.

The doctor quickly finished formatting the procedures for the coming medical examinations before he responded to Grape. “Yeah, while we’ve been in cryo-stasis, that old ship has been gathering dust. I’m not surprised it needs an upgrade or two.” Kale traded a glance with Grape who now slumped over a table. “Those standard issue PTO vessels were never meant to last. Primarily, their purpose is to wreak havoc on worlds and then be decommissioned into scrap after a decade or two.”

Kale lifted his hand to reach for his new scouter, he wasn’t used to wearing them, but this one contained all the data necessary for all the tasks he had to complete for the day… plus, it was green, and he loved green!

“Commander?” He uttered, activating the switch that fed directly to Celeria, “I’m ready for the first medical review. As the commanding officer of the colony, your examination will be completed first. Plus, after the nasty incident you were caught in yesterday, there’s a few extra tests I’d like to run.” Kale paused for a moment. Although Celeria was in charge, when it came to keeping his people healthy, Kale called the shots. Although… he wasn’t looking for a smack to the face, that was for sure. “Kale out.”

As Kale directed his attention back to Grape, nurse Keyla entered the main medical bay through one of the storage rooms, she was carrying a small scanning device.

“Doctor Kale, scans of our equipment reveal that the synthesisers are working at maximum capacity.” The nurse smiled politely, nodding lightly as she did so. Although she didn’t show it, Kale knew she was as affected by the death of their world as he was… she was a very private person.

“That’s good news.” The doctor sharply nodded, a similar smile surfaced on his face. “But now you’re gonna tell me that the synthesisers aren’t producing ice cream anymore, right?” Kale pulled a mock sigh, his eyes rolling in jest. Of course, not a soul laughed. He would have to start docking their wages if this continued… as soon as they started getting paid, that is.

“…But, the nutrients that they reproduce can only be synthesised for so long, before the sample degrades and it can no longer be replicated… So I’ve compiled a list of every healing agent we’ll need. It’s an extensive list, but it’s a vital one.” Keyla approach, passing the doctor her clipboard. She hadn’t been lying, there was like a bajillion nutrients and natural hormones that they needed to acquire. Kale wished a hospital would just fall out of the sky already…

“What about you doctor, have you completed the procedures for the medical examination?” Her brows raised in curiosity.

Kale placed the clipboard at his desk, and returned his gaze to his personal computer. He activated the first medical programme, titled ‘MPA-Celeria’. As he swept his eyes down the list, he saw that the next two soldiers in line for examination were Lieutenant Espara and the unranked ’Ikolo’. Finally, he responded to the nurse.

“The examinations are about to begin. Arduous things really. I have to prod in places that people often don’t want prodding. And some of these ’super brash warriors’ are afraid of needles… so sometimes I have to administer candy…” The funny thing was, Keyla obviously thought he was joking…

Instead of feeding the doctor any real response, the nurse instead looked worried, almost as if something was on her mind.

“Something up?” The doctor gently asked. The wellbeing of his staff was number one priority, after all.

“D-Doctor… I… I’ve been thinking about what the Commander told us. About our homeworld.”

“Oh?” So she was finally opening up. Kale also saw Grape pick up his attention, from his slumped posture at the other end of the room.

“When I was serving in the barracks back on planet Vegeta. The soldiers used to talk about certain things, and I’d occasionally pick up on the conversation. But one thing that caught my attention in specific was the story of… the Super Saiyan.” Keyla shied as she continued.

“Super Saiyan?” Kale had heard similar tales during his childhood. He’d just disregarded them of course, they were stories for children… he wasn’t quite sure where this was going…

“The men used to say that Freeza was scared of Saiyan potential, and that’s why he never used us to our full ability. So, what I’m saying is…” She paused for a second, “What if he was afraid of what we might become? What if he was literally afraid of a Super Saiyan?”

Kale couldn’t contain himself, as a laugh escaped his curling lips. That was like suggesting that the Saiyans had eradicated the Tuffles because they were afraid of their power! It was preposterous. Like any reasonable person, Kale could see that the legend of the Super Saiyan was a myth, one heavily blown out of proportion by aspiring warriors, and eager Saiyan children. In truth, Freeza had probably destroyed their homeworld because he was a megalomaniacal murderer, nothing more, and nothing less…

“If only Freeza was afraid of our power. He might have left us alone…” Kale slowly finished giggling, he even watched Grape from the corner of his eye, concealing a laugh of his own. ‘Super Saiyan‘, that was a good one…

Using his scouter once more, the doctor accessed the intercom, transmitting to the whole colony. “Could lieutenant Espara and Ikolo report to the medical bay waiting area for medical examination.” He deactivated his scouter quickly afterwards. A smile was still very much present on his face. He’d needed to laugh, he hadn’t done so in a very long time.

Nurse Keyla rolled her eyes, and continued with her duties, she was obviously not impressed…

How long ago had it been? It seemed like just yesterday she had been hiding rather inappropriately underneath her aunt's skirts to escape a swatting on her tail and today she was alone with nobody in the world to shield her from the unknown. Her world had always been a delicate one, or at least her mother had wanted it to be so. Her sleep away from home was troubled at best and at worst she didn't sleep at all for fear of what she'd dream up next. She did her best to make up for her lost sleep with meditation but still the dreams got the best of her.

So, it was little surprise when she sat upright once again in the dark of night to clutch her stuffed oozaru to her chest and cry. She'd never been so far away from home and she had never been so afraid. She coped as best she could in the days but even her smiles felt thin. A soft whimper escaped her as she curled up pitifully in the bed she'd been designated. "I miss home..." The words fell on deaf velveteen ears. "I miss Momma and auntie Aza." Small hands held the plush toy tight, clenching periodically as if she was afraid her beloved Sayda was slipping free. "Do you think I belong here Sayda?" She questioned the red button eyed oozaru as she turned it to face her. "I don't think so. I don't think I belong here at all." Another wash of tears raced down her cheeks and she crushed the plushie in a hug that left it pressed mutely against her neck.

Morning wouldn't be so bad. When the morning came she could wipe it all to the back of her mind and smile for everyone else. As much as she wanted to believe that the news of planet Vegeta's fate was untrue she could feel an emptiness where she was sure a nagging uncertainty should have been. It would all be okay when the sun rose up though, she'd have some mockery of importance to fill and maybe she could get someone to smile. The burdens however, were all for her. "Oh if only I could smile myself happy." She sniffled and gave a twinge of a grin to her plushie as she set it on the shelf that served as a nightstand in the cramped quarters. "If only I could smile and make myself feel better. A smile can ease a troubled mind just as easily as it can hide one."

One hand reached up, long fingers tousling her already wild locks in an effort to scratch an itch. With a little work her mass tangle of hair was confined by a single ribbon tied in a hurried bow at the nape of her neck. Morning wasn't coming along any faster so she might as well take her mind off of the dreams.
She could surely find something that needed doing while most of the populace slept. Maybe there was someone on cleaning duty who wouldn't mind some extra help. A sigh whistled from between her teeth as she tried to shake the fog of dreams from her head. It would get better and she would keep smiling.

The floor was cold under her bare feet but she welcomed the sharp sensation as she stood and dressed for the day. She'd find something to kill time and then she'd go about her daily rituals of meditation, studying, and hygiene. Another restless mess of a night. Meditation wouldn't work forever and she knew it but until she found a better solution it was all she could do. At least she was a diplomat and not a warrior, someone might have noticed her reducing vigor by now had she been the latter. It wasn't as if she was being called in for a medical exam today...

***

The intercom buzzed to life and chased away all hopes of completing her morning meditation without interruption. The tranquility of the world she'd built inside her mind crumbled under a tongue of thick static. Easy come easy go she supposed but she would have liked the extra few minutes of serenity to brace herself for the day ahead. “Could lieutenant Espara and Ikolo report to the medical bay waiting area for medical examination.” How unforeseen! How unfortunate. How ironic, the very thing she had been counting against was determined to happen today. Now she did get to have a medical screening. At least she might finally get some outside suggestions for how to deal with her loss of sleep.

With a deep sigh to mirror the shattering of her mind's metropolis she pushed herself up and snatched Sayda whom she instinctively cuddled to her chest. Today's ensemble was a sleeveless blue dress with a white sash tying it around her waist. Her tail sported a similar white ribbon and her hair was pulled back in a futile attempt to contain it by another white ribbon. Her right hand similarly sported a blue ribbon for the opposite reason the others were white, blue was easier to hide amongst blue while the white provided a focal point in the otherwise plain outfit.

On bare feet she padded down the halls, the sound of her foot falls were a dull slapping of bare flesh on the cold floors. Gold eyes flicked both ways at each intersection, assessing where she was, where she'd been, and which halls she'd explored in previous days. It was an expansive place and if she was to be any kind of helpful she'd have to learn where everything was sooner or later. Why did she dread acquainting herself with the entire civilian section as thoroughly as she thought she ought to? Perhaps because that meant she'd have to take a single solid step on her own without any help, support, or encouragement from anyone.

Finally the medbay doors hissed open and she squirmed uncomfortably, settling her stuffed oozaru in the crook of her right elbow so that it was cradled under her arm and her hand was hidden underneath it for cupping the stuffed toy. Her lower lip was already a plump, angry red from how much she'd bitten over it and simply worried on it along the way. Why was she being called for medical examination? There were so many questions about why. Even her simplistic and philosophical views of life seemed so scattered now. She felt as anxious and lost today as she had when she'd first gathered the courage to speak to someone outside her family.

She felt like a mouse among cougars. Everyone seemed to tower over her and even the doctors or who she believed they might be seemed to terrify the voice right out of her as she froze in the doorway. I'm not ready to go in there. She quickly pulled back and wheeled around to plant her back to the wall; releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It wouldn't take her long to come up with her own little pep talk about her duties and obligations and what she needed to do needed to be done in a timely fashion. Once she had gained herself the nerve to enter the room without her uncertainties bogging her down she seemed more open to looking around and letting herself be swept away in awe of the machines and tanks. She hadn't spent a terrible amount of time in the medbay unless she'd taken a beating.

It all brought back memories. She could remember the first time she'd come into a saiyan clinic, she'd gotten put into a healing tank a couple times but not very often. She had kinda enjoyed her experience with the healing tanks, or at least she had enjoyed healing in them. The weightlessness had always been interesting to her as a child but now she was bigger and a part of her felt that with injuries it wouldn't be near as amusing as when she was little. In fact the only good thing about her time in the healing pods was the pods themselves, everything else around such incidents involved tears. That didn't stop her from smiling and admiring one of the pods. They had healing tanks, it wouldn't be too terrible to get hurt around here.

A prickle of moisture built behind her eyes and she found herself blinking back the tears as one more realization sank in. These were probably the last healing tanks she'd see for a very very long time. There weren't pods like this back home anymore, there weren't people getting better in them. Her tail danced behind her like an idle cat's, bobbing and swishing out of necessity. Tentatively she reached, her bare left palm pressing flat against the smooth glass reverently. With a sigh she let her hand fall away from the contact as she turned to vaguely face the people in the room (or at least in their direction).

Come now, they're saiyans just like you Iko. Say something to them! Her voice was soft and meek, the careful enunciation of each word leaving no small spaces for her anxiousness to creep through. Her eyes were kept locked solidly on the floor though. "I was called in for a medical screening?" The relevance of the question hung in the air for whoever cared to take notice of her presence first. She'd gotten caught up in replaying memories of the healing tanks to avoid having to face someone directly. Maybe they'd excuse her down turned gaze as an admission of respect. She wasn't sure what to expect, the world was suddenly so much smaller than she had known before. There were only two hundred saiyans here, if she upset one person she might upset many more and influence reached much farther with fewer to grasp...

Espara sat on the bed that belonged to the stranger next door. Though, he was no longer a stranger to him. Each of them hadn’t slept a wink the night before, they had each instead delved into one another’s thoughts, as well as their memories of their homeworld. Nich, as the stranger was now known to Espara was the only other Saiyan he had really connected with, apart from his father. Nich instantly forgave Espara for breaking down the wall between them, which Nich had explained as the ice breaker, and that by breaking down the wall between them he had also metaphorically broken down a wall between them. Though, he’d chosen to say that after they’d spoken for hours, explaining that most Saiyan’s wouldn’t have accepted him going around saying things like that.

As the night went on and the hours delved into morning and the conversation still continued without break, without pause, it was interrupted. “Could lieutenant Espara and Ikolo report to the medical bay waiting area for medical examination.” The voice was laced with distortion and static.

“Can’t we afford better equipment on this ship?” Espara mused with a slight grin at the message.

“You’d think,” Nich added returning Espara’s grin, “looks like you’re up.” With that Nich held up his thumb smiling.”

“Yeah,” Espara said with a slight sigh. He was enjoying the company of his freshly made friend, “to be continued… with drink, I still owe you one.”

“Yeah, you kind of took me by surprise… You know… with the loud bang, and the crashing… and the rubble…” Nich joked.

“Yeah… well, I’ll bring some drink back with me.” With that, Espara stood to leave. Turning away from his friend he added, “Hell, I may even bring pizza!”

“Yeah, I’d like to see that!”

Espara trekked through the unfamiliar hallways, searching for signs on the walls. ‘Man, I need a map for this maze.’ Eventually Espara caught sight of it, out the corner of his eye. A sign, leading him in the direction of the medbay.

As Espara entered the medbay something seemed to change, it was as if the place had sucked all the happiness out of him. Though he knew it couldn’t have. Medbay’s always reminded him of hospitals, and in turn, hospitals always reminded him of death. Espara was born from death into a world of death. Saiyan’s killed for a living, for fun, for supremacy, to survive. Saiyan’s killed.

Espara looked around the dark and gloomy room. The walls looked cold and unforgiving, along with being well worn. Signs of rust and stains were starting to manifest. The station definitely showed its age. Espara also spotted the seat he supposed he would be expected to take. A small two seated couch was waiting. The couch now a mouldy green, but Espara could imagine it lighting a room when in its prime. One of the seats was already occupied by a bare footed girl, Espara just assumed she’d been woken from her sleep and rushed to get here. Clenched in her arms was a stuffed toy which Espara thought was strange. ‘I’ll have to tell Nich about this. What is that thing anyway?” Espara had never laid eyes on such a strange looking object. He walked over to the other seat, the girl stayed still, her eyes toward the floor as he approached. Espara sat, in an all too elegant-less way. The springs coiled under him.

“What? No magazines?” Espara declared jokingly, though only half so, with a big smile.

The girl stayed still. ‘I hope somebody here has some sense of humour.’ Espara faced forward and rested his head on his hand, while he fiddled through the menus of his scouter. Trying to look busy.

This was going to be a long and arduous wait.

Even though Celeria barely slept the previous night, her eyes flew open at the crack of dawn. She seated herself up and let out a long sigh, before getting up and rising to her feet. She immediately proceeded to her small cubicle of a bathroom, where she attended to her morning toiletries, emerging as proper as ever, with each strand of her sharply cut hair silken in its neatness and her sparse makeup flawlessly applied. She went on to the small armor cabinet and quickly dressed herself. The whole ordeal lasted no more than a few minutes.

Celeria immediately proceeded to her private console and began work, evaluating statistics and specifications, both of their resources and the surviving manpower. In the back of her mind, she did her best to continue to actively convince herself that what little they had would be more than enough to uphold the colony and even expect eventual prosperity. A couple of hours into it, Celeria felt herself somewhat tired. She blamed it on her mostly sleepless nights. She would definitely discuss it with the doctor as soon as she found time to do so. Until then, she did her best to shake off whatever fatigue she felt and continue with her work. Her focus was temporarily interrupted by a scouter transmission.

“Commander?” - a familiar voice addressed her. It was the head doctor.

“I’m ready for the first medical review. As the commanding officer of the colony, your examination will be completed first. Plus, after the nasty incident you were caught in yesterday, there’s a few extra tests I’d like to run.”

"I am on my way." - Celeria responded in an even and solemn tone before turning off the scouter com-link and rising from her desk. She made way for the medical bay. The doctor kept up with the deadlines she had given him, he had already begun the examination. This greatly pleased her, she felt glad that there was someone to rely on when it came to getting the job done. She felt as if that fact lightened the load on her shoulders. Kale was right, she would have to hold it together, now more than ever, both herself and the colony. And that meant no room for errors or mishaps. She hoped that the results of the medical examination would come up as exemplary as ever. Moreso, she counted on this fact, depended on it, even.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her promptly arrival to the medical bay. She had recently been here, but she decided to take another look around and get acquainted with the place. Time had worn it down, of course, but she assessed most of the damage to be purely cosmetic. A few reparations and the med bay would be good as new. Her lips drew into a subtle smirk at that thought. She then noticed two more saiyans, apart from the usual medical team. One of them was a bulky soldier whom she remembered seeing before, perhaps on the homeworld. The girl, however, she had never seen before and she arched an eyebrow at the toy in her hands. It can't be helped, Celeria thought, the dire situation would surely strain the sanity of some of the survivors. She directed a curt nod at both of them and proceeded to Kale and his team.

"Let's get started then, shall we?"

"I was called in for a medical screening?"

The whole room fell silent. If Kale listened intently enough, he was sure he’d hear the loosening of his face muscles as they fell into a gape.

“I-Is that… a teddy bear?” the Junior doctor whispered to him, carefully trying to avoid detection.

“I think… I think it’s an Oozaru.” Kale eventually replied, his head edging forward, as his glance covertly scanned the stuffed toy tucked at the young woman’s side. Perplexing the doctor even further, he found that she wasn’t wearing any shoes at all, instead she appeared to be happily prancing around the colony barefooted. Perhaps he’d mistaken their location? Perhaps they weren’t on Delta-2814, perhaps they were on Namek? But then, didn’t they wear shoes there too?

“Yes, you’re in the right place, Miss Ikolo I presume?” Keyla asked, swiftly breaking the awkward silence. She was still displeased with Kale, he could tell, she refused to make any long term eye to eye contact with him, and would only sharply nod if he gave an order or asked any kind of question. Granted, she still liked the doctor enough to save his skin…

“Please, take a seat in the waiting area at the other end of the room. You can’t miss it, it’s through this archway…” the nurse led Ikolo towards where she’d be waiting, perhaps there, she would find her shoes? It did kind of make Kale smile though, even during all of the mayhem and insanity they were all facing, here was a young Saiyan woman that looked like she’d just got out of bed, and forgot to leave her bear behind. And they said melodrama was dead? He giggled slightly, the sound muffling through his airtight mouth.

“Just when you think you’ve seen it all…” Grape wildly rolled his eyes, and continued his duties, which in this instance included charging the defibrillator… much more fun than formatting computer files, as Kale had the misfortune of doing. At the tail end of that thought however, from the corner of his eye (tainted in the colour green, because of his trusty scouter), the Commander marched into the medical bay. Even her saunter seemed powerful and authoritative, it was really something.

Kale spun on the balls of his feet to meet Celeria’s gaze, but she seemed distracted by the barefooted Ikolo, these certainly were interesting times.

"Let's get started then, shall we?"

The doctor nodded professionally, snapping himself upright in an instant. He raised his right hand, clicking it in Grape’s direction, before long the junior doctor was activating the defibrillator. A smile peaked on Grape’s face, it had obviously been a while since he’d had the pleasure of shocking anybody, and he was revelling in the notion.

“Right Commander” Kale’s tone became enthusiastic, as he rubbed both of his bare hands together in a rapid circular motion. He loved medicine, and he loved practicing it, this was what it was all about… “this examination is going to take place in a few parts. First of all, I have to test your active power level with my handy scouter gizmo here!” the doctor extended a finger, lightly tapping his scouter, “then I need to test your natural Saiyan reactive system. This just consists of running 400 volts of electricity through your body a couple of times, no biggie really.” He paused, his eyes glancing skyward in reflection of what he had just said. “Well, if you’re a Saiyan that is… I mean, it would kill most other species…” He was burying himself a hole, “But we’re not most other species.” He lightly smiled, before continuing. “Then I need to acquire a blood sample and test for maladaptive cells… boring stuff, but with the scanner I’ve just upgraded, it’ll take a few seconds. And finally, I need to conduct a neural scan. After what happened to you yesterday, I need to make sure you’re running at 300%…”

Kale motioned with a free hand towards a medical bed, in order to run most of these tests, he required the Commander to remain seated. In the past, during the defibrillator test, Saiyan’s had managed to discharge some excess energy in reaction to the volts of electricity entering their body. In more instances than one, they’d destroyed a full room of equipment. That’s why he was taking no chances this time, and with someone as powerful as a commander, he’d rather have her seated and relaxed.

“Well, let’s check your power level. Take into account you were in fatal condition yesterday when we found you, and Saiyans have a power level rebound after recovery…” the doctor activated his scouter once more, now it had begun running the numbers.

“Typically after rebound, Saiyans get a couple of thousand increase…” Grape announced, nodding his head in certainty.

But he was wrong… very wrong. Kale’s face went from neutral and delightful to pleasantly surprised, and then into outright astonishment. The scouter continued tallying and tallying, the numbers climbing higher and higher. He’d never read a power level like this from a Saiyan before! 12,000, 14,000, 18,000... 21,000! And it kept going, going and going until.

BAM

The portable device exploded, the doctor braced the free side of his face without hesitation, and clenched his scouter eye shut. The shards of strewn metal scattered about the air around him, and a whirl of smoke puffed out of its remains, settling in his gaze like black fog. He hated it when that happened! Only issue was, it had never happened with a Saiyan in their standard form before, this was really something else. The med staff would also need to upgrade their scouters at this point, if the Commander was insistent on becoming so powerful.

“Commander, have you been eating all of your vegetables? Your power level’s through the roof!” The doctor heavily exhaled. It was incredible…

The falling silence struck her like a blow. Kale's gaping didn't help matters much and Grape's expression didn't seem much more helpful either. When Nurse Keyla addressed her Ikolo gave a gracious smile, thankful to have the horrific silence broken. "Yes ma'am." With a flick her stuffed oozaru was transferred to her tail's hold as she brushed her skirts and dropped a graceful curtsy. Of course such a formal greeting required she wait until she was instructed to rise. She gave such a rule leeway as Keyla led the way out and waited for the nurse to pass her before she stood and followed; the stuffed oozaru easily being deposited back into the crook of her elbow as she walked.

She never stumbled or faltered from position to position. Each movement was smooth and elegant as she walked, tail swishing and twitching behind her. Such a grace might have seemed out of place with her simple and slightly untoward appearance. She thought she must look awful and regretted not taking time out along the way to at least brush her hair and tail. The big white bow on it might prove a further surprise to some but it might be a bit difficult to outdo the surprise of her stuffed oozaru.

Still in the back of her mind she wondered what she had done to get such a reaction from them. she must have offended them in some way. Was it because she had spoken out of turn? No, that couldn't be it. She must have wandered too far into their bit of territory. Her mother had always chided her about wandering too far into a room without invitation. So far she had wandered inside without invitation, spoken before greeting, and failed to issue a proper greeting. Of course she'd need to verify that those were the only mistakes she had made in her form.

She waited until she and nurse Keyla were away from the other two before she let her worry show and turned to speak directly to her a moment. "Did-did I offend them?" The question was earnest as gold eyes searched the nurse's for an answer. She seemed more hurt by their looks than worried there might be something wrong with her conduct or lack thereof. If it was a simple set of mistakes like she assumed she could remedy that in future situations. For now she was simply confused and frightened. She felt more and more like a rabbit in a wolf's den with each passing moment.

With a murmured 'Pardon me' Ikolo gathered her skirts and set herself dainty as a butterfly on the couch. Sayda was left sprawling over her lap as she crossed her ankles primly under herself and straightened her back until she was the very image of propriety. Then in came the Lieutenant. He seated himself so gracelessly Ikolo could feel the couch almost displace her and snatched the hem of her skirts as if they'd fly away with how harshly he'd seated himself. A soft eep escaped her as she yanked her feet up under herself and quickly tucked them under her. When she was certain the couch wasn't about to launch her across the room she let her white knuckled grip on her dress loosen and she quickly pulled the plushie to her chest in a pouty cling. Oh today was just crashing in on her wasn't it? What else could possibly go wrong?

“What? No magazines?” Ikolo remained frozen in perfect terror as if he might eat her and pick his teeth with her bones. After a moment he seemed to ease into his seat and relax and the feeling of terror passed. When he started fiddling with his scouter in an attempt to appear busy he immediately had Ikolo's attention however. She'd never had a scouter of her own because her mother had forbidden it. Scouters had communications and various other features which would have driven her mother mad trying to keep her daughter in line.

Bright eyes stared at Espara as if he were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. Bit by bit she relaxed and leaned in a futile attempt to see what he was doing until she noticed him as well. He'd nearly sent her flying across the room with the force of his bohankus flopping tactlessly on the couch but maybe the rest of him wasn't so tactless. She couldn't lean forever and sat herself upright as she had been before and quietly began calculating how to speak to him. Finally she came to a conclusion and took a deep breath to steady herself for the conversation however short it might be.

With a friendly grin plastering itself across her face Ikolo twisted like a serpent, her torso eerily the only part making the three fourths turn in a way that left a question as to whether or not her spine was actually made of rubber for anyone who watched the movement. She held out her open hand to Espara, gold eyes locked on his. "Hi, I'm Ikolo. You must be Lieutenant Espara. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She broke her little speech short to offer him the opportunity to speak in return. Maybe he could offer her some distraction from the worrisome incident of earlier.

"Hi, I'm Ikolo. You must be Lieutenant Espara. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Espara had stopped fiddling with his scouter, his eyes had then turned to face Ikolo as the last of the lights withdrew back into his tinted scouter. With his scouter sleeping, the room was all but devoid of light. Specks of dust flew about the room, like grain during a primitive movie. What little light seemed to have been trapped, sparkling in Ikolo’s beaming eyes. Her eyes had quivered slightly upon breaking the long silence.

Espara had never liked silence. Silence was almost like an omen to Espara. Many a time he had been on a battlefield with his ears constantly being bombarded by screams, shouts, gunfire, and explosions. It was like music to his ears. Sometimes mid symphony, it would stop. Without warning. It was never good. On one occasion the silence had been caused by a Queen. She had seen the unstoppable force ravaging her planet, her people, and sought to stop it. She unleashed her weapon, her final resort. Sacrificing herself and her people she wiped out the planet itself. This time Espara was alone. Her weapon swept the surface of the planet, wiping out anything and everything in its wake. The limp soldier that Espara had held in his grip slowly disintegrated into nothing but ash. Espara took to the skies as fast as he could whilst witnessing the devastation of the planet he was sent to destroy. But he wasn’t fast enough. He was caught in the beast. Tumbling down to the surface of the planet, smashing into the earth, dust scattering around him. He was the only tangible thing left on the surface of the planet. The next memory was waking up in a healing tank for the first time.

Espara could never trust the tranquillity of silence again, and was grateful to Ikolo for breaking it. The sensation to ask Ikolo what that thing she was holding was, or what it did burned inside Espara, though he fought against the flames, instead opting to ask her a question that would be much easier to answer, much less forward.

“Yeah, I’m Espara. It’s nice to meet you too. I believe you’re only the second person to actually greet me personally since I was woke up from cryostasis. The pleasures all mine.” Espara flashed her a smile. It was a muscle reflex he hardly ever got the chance to use, being a Saiyan, moments that called for a smile to be used were few and far between. Espara then lightly took her hand in his as he added, “So, they wake you up for this too?” Grinning as his eyes traced down to her feet before returning her gaze.

Celeria calmly seated herself down and remained still so that the doctor could make out an accurate reading. She herself, however, expected more than a couple thousand increase. For a moment, she remembered her last conscious moments on that barren rock. She had no doubts about the fact that she was surely dying. Though what upset her even more was the fact that she hadn't the slightest clue of how she recoiled from beyond death's door. A minor explosion broke her chain of thought. She looked up to see the doctor holding the side of his face where the scouter had been but moments ago. Was she indeed strong beyond the recording power of their equipment, after this one battle? The circumstances they were in suddenly seemed more dire. The scouters aren't the only things that would need updating - they had an gap of twenty years to fill. Celeria shrugged.

Instinctively, she got up and raised her hand to Kale's face, motioning his hand gently away from the burn. Cautiously and lightly, she ran her index finger over Kale's red cheek and rested it upon his eyelid. She pried open his eyelid and leaned in, examining his eye with a precision that the doctor himself might have found familiar. It was a reflex from past times. Celeria was used to taking care of her squad mates when the need would arise.

"A light burn. It will fade in thirty seconds to about two minutes, at most." - she met the doctor's seemingly surprised gaze with a polite, almost reassuring smile.

In the next examination, her muscle capacity would be checked via electrical surges. She knew full well that there were sometimes incidents involving the discharge of power during the test. She picked up the dental protector and secured it in place. She had seen what happened when warriors refused to use it. For the sake of propriety, she was keen on keeping all her teeth. She returned to the bed and strapped herself in for the most part. The medical staff would have to secure her arms. The test would be tricky because she would have to overcome both the muscle spasms and her own energy fluctuations by strength of willpower alone. Not to mention the electrical analysis wasn't the most pleasant of tests. As the medical attendants finished strapping her in, Celeria coolly readied herself.

"A light burn. It will fade in thirty seconds to about two minutes, at most."

Kale remained silent, and in an intense state of unease. As the Commander inspected his eye for scorches, he felt the focus of the examination switch to himself, and this time it wasn’t in a light hearted capacity. It wasn’t that he shied away from attention, on contrary! But, he only preferred the concern of his peers when he was behaving in a less than mature way. This was almost as if he had become the victim, like all of a sudden the spotlight was in his direction, whilst simultaneously scrutinising him. Yes, he knew it sounded rather dramatic, but from a young age, Kale just didn’t like anything of a serious nature happening to him. It wasn’t the right kind of attention he wished to attract.

Celeria’s fingers were soft, and from the precision of her touch, Kale could sense that she was most definitely concerned, but with a light pull in the opposite direction, the Commander’s hands fell away from the doctor’s face.

“I-It’s all good Commander.” He said hesitantly, as he stroked the sensitive area at the base of his eye. She was right, she obviously maintained some medical knowledge. Saiyans were fast healers, and doctor’s were even faster, he’d make sure of it. “I can take a singe from a scouter, don’t worry about me.” He giggled, with an overly enthusiastic grin. “What I can’t seem to take however, is the tacky décor of this room. Which I assure you, we will remedy… right after we finish making sure the colony doesn’t die of starvation.” He continued to giggle, hopefully his diversion tactics had worked.

After a strong fifteen minutes, the doctor, with the assistance of Grape and Keyla had successfully forced 400 volts of electricity through the Commander’s body (without incurring damages to the med bay), and he’d taken a clean blood sample and given the all clear. Now however, he was engaged in a complex brain scan. Whilst the med quarters lacked the capacity to store a real neural scanner, Kale had managed to find a retro hand-portable version, which only required him to rotate the object around the circumference of Celeria’s cranium.

“Cerebral functioning seems good.” The doctor nodded, “Occipital lobe blood blow is superb, as is Parietal and temporal…” His hands slowly moved to the Commander’s forehead, the scanner brushed against her fine green strands of hair. As the scanner picked up frontal lobe activity, it became viral, and yielded what he could only interpret as regular results for a Saiyan. And then… came the irregularity. There, only for an instant, was a blip. The readings spiked, becoming immeasurable for a second, and the scanner screamed. Kale pulled his gaze in closer to meet the scanner display, but before he could make anything of the abnormality, it was gone. Regardless of how many times he tried to recreate what had happened, it yielded no further irregularities. Obviously, the scanner needed updating, like every other piece of outdated technology the med bay and the colony possessed. This was all the more reason to continue on their sanctioned campaign for provisions…

“Well… I can give you the all clear Commander. But I advise you, as your doctor, to maintain the 20 standard meals Saiyans need daily. With such a power level, I’m afraid it just means you’re going to be burning even more energy!” He placed the archaic scanner into a side draw, obviously never to be seen again. “Which is good news for you, because who doesn’t like eating?” He smiled, before delivering the punch line. “But bad news for chickens! We’re gonna need a slaughter house on this colony stat!” Grape ignored him, but this time Keyla smiled a little… that or she grimaced, he couldn’t really tell. His jokes were getting better, surely…

“Nurse, could you call the Lieutenant and Ikolo in for examination please? I think for this next one, myself and Grape will run the test separately. That way, we’ll actually have time to get some sleep tonight…” The doctor mused, collapsing into his desk’s chair as he did he.

The last of small uncertainties seemed to melt away when he flashed a smile; like the last of a winter frost under the warming sunlight. "Oh no, I was already awake. I prefer to meditate in the mornings because nobody seems to need me very early. Well, not until today that is." She shook her head and gave a soft chuckle.

She didn't squeeze his hand as most warriors might have for intimidation or to show off their strength. Her grasp was firm enough to feel but nothing beyond the cursory handshake. "Only the second? So, you must not speak to many people either huh?" She fidgeted, a twitch of thumbs and folding hands in her lap. "You're only about the fifth or sixth person I've ever spoken to that wasn't family. I guess that'll have to change." She shrugged, an elegant rise and fall of shoulders like a cascading wave. She seemed oddly graceful and fluid even in the smaller motions.

"Good luck on your exam. I hope you'll get good news of your health. Truth be told I'm... I'm kinda scared for mine." Gold eyes turned down as she twisted herself about and pulled her knees up to her chest to hug them. Sayda found a new resting spot on top of her head thanks to her tail. Taking her seriously might become harder with a stuffed toy staring from atop her skull as well. Still, despite how silly she might appear outwardly she had a pensive look written on her face. Her next words soft a butterflies wingbeat as if she wasn't sure Espara wanted to hear it. "I've not met many warriors. What if the doctor expects me to be stronger than I am?"

Again, she began to nibble on her lip in worry as she turned big, golden eyes to Espara. "What's it like? You know, being a fighter? Is it hard? I bet it is..." She sounded purely sincere and yet uncertain. The gloomy cloud of worry seemed to darken her features once more. "Is it scary? I'd never be able to go out and fight someone let alone a whole planet. I'd be scared to death to even try. But you're a lieutenant so you must have conquered at least one planet right?" She was waiting for him to correct her, stop her and chide her for her ignorance, or tell her she was right. He wouldn't coo in pride like her mother had done, or at least she hoped he wouldn't. As comforting as it would have been to get some encouragement she wasn't sure she could imagine Espara cooing at her like she was a child still. Even the most uncertain of conversation would at least shave the seconds off the clock until they were called wouldn't it?

"Oh no, I was already awake. I prefer to meditate in the mornings because nobody seems to need me very early. Well, not until today that is."
“Yeah, I didn’t even get any sleep last night myself.” Said Espara smiling, and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Most Saiyan’s seem to be pretty stuck up.” He laughed slightly, hoping Ikolo would take that as a joke. His mind flashed back to the children at his school, lying on the floor, writhing in agony. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll get to know quite a few people here. I mean, the rooms here are pretty cramped. I’m even sharing.” He laughed again.

“Yeah, good luck to you too, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Espara had flashed her a reassuring smile. As they let of go each other’s hand, Ikolo had tucked herself up tightly on the couch, with her stuffed Oozaru resting on her head. ‘Aha, so it’s a hat!’ Espara thought to himself as Ikolo’s tail slinked back behind her. ‘Well, I’ve never seen a hat like that before.’

Ikolo’s golden eyes flashed at Espara, gleaming brightly in the sparse light. “Well, the difficulty varies from planet to planet, species to species, person to person. But, overall, as long as you’re well trained, you can take it. I’ve taken out countless planets with my squad…” Images of Frieza cutting down Spin flashed into his mind, which he quickly tried to shake off. “I’ve even taken out a few planets alone.” He hoped he wasn’t sounding cocky, though he couldn’t think of a better way to have put it. Then though, Espara was struggling to think of how he could remedy what he’d said. Giving up, Espara just settled on carrying on the conversation, hoping Ikolo hadn’t quite read the cockiness.

“So, meditation. That takes some patience and skill. Do you train at all… as well as your meditating?”

Ikolo seemed more shocked by what he'd said than understanding it was a joke. "That's not very nice to say, even if it's true." She sighed and shook her head as he went on. "Wow, you must be really good. Um..." She seemed to pause as he spoke. She wasn't sure whether to admit to him that she didn't fight or not but she politely waited for him to finish as she'd been taught. Her mother's voice sifted through her memory back to a time when conditioning was a large part of Ikolo's training. Never interrupt another person's speaking. Wait for them to finish and then ask if you may interject. Gold eyes watched him carefully as he began to speak of his conquests. She listened with rapt attention until he posed a question to her. It was her turn to speak again as etiquette dictated.

"Um, I suppose. Does dancing count? The meditation is training for something even harder than that. So I guess it wouldn't really count by most standards. It can be a bit difficult sometimes. If there's too many people awake and loud then I can't concentrate and I can't finish my daily exercises." She huffed almost childishly and spun a finger in the air, Sayda quickly leaping from her head and following the motion of her finger before remaining suspended in midair. "See? If I'd been able to finish my meditation today it'd be a lot easier for me to focus and Sayda here wouldn't have taken so long to follow my thought." The way she said it was no doubt to be a source of confusion all it's own although certainly she could explain it later.

The sound of a throat being cleared from the doorway broke her concentration and like an invisible line had been severed the stuffed toy fell to the floor with a soft 'piff'. "Oh, I've gone and dropped you. I'm sorry." It was a musing that sounded as if suddenly everyone had vanished and she'd taken up talking to the toy instead of Espara. The innocent seeming apology was offered to the toy as she scooped it off the ground and began brushing it's fur clean of any possible dirt it might have accumulated from the fall. Without much worry the toy was soon put into a tight hug against her chest as Ikolo looked to the person who had broken her concentration.

"Is it time for our check ups?" The nurse gave a nod and Ikolo silently acknowledged. With a sudden turn she looked back at Espara, the motion as if she'd never known what it meant to lose her balance. "Oh, I hope we'll get to speak again! It's been very enlightening talking with you Lieutenant!" She flashed a big grin at her newfound friend and waved goodbye before she turned and gave a short bow of her head to the nurse. "I'm ready to go now." She looked about like she was skipping off as she followed the nurse away. Today was turning out to be rather more interesting than all the rest.

So, everything was in perfect working order, just as Celeria had hoped. Her lips drew into a subtle smirk when she was told the final results of the medical test. This meant that she would remain uninhibited at doing her best to reestablish and preserve the colony. With a courteous nod, she thanked the doctor and his attendees before she hastily made her way out of the medical bay. There were still statistics that needed her attention, plus, she needed to oversee some shuttle preparation for the colony's first foraging mission. Though only after she had left the med bay did she remember that she needed to ask the doctor about her nightmares.

She shrugged off the thought, reminding herself that the doctor still has a lot of work to do overseeing the awakened warriors that would be needed in coming missions and instead made her way to the main control room where she seated herself at a console and went onto surveying surrounding galactic and planetary system. The colony would need everything they can get, no matter where they would have to go to get it.

Throughout the day, she felt little more than mild fatigue, and she was much glad that her troubled sleep seemed to have no effect on her performance. Despite recent events, things seemed to be looking up.

{Exit Celeria, for this thread! }

“That's not very nice to say, even if it's true."

Espara opened his mouth while his minds sorted through his knowledge of language, trying to sort words into a sentence for Espara to speak. Eventually Espara spurted, “No- no, it was a joke-“. Ikolo had sighed and shook her head. ‘Seriously, I hope somebody here has a sense of humour… Other than Nich that is. I wonder what Nich is doing right now anyway?’ Espara thought to himself, as he looked past Ikolo, rather staring through time itself, lost in his own thoughts.

Nich was sat at his desk, fiddling with some machinery. He had tools strewn over the table, chunks of metal and tiny screws lying in front of him. His tools had seen better days, some of the tools were bent in all different directions. Others were black and singed. All were scratched and chipped. His eyes glanced over them beneath his glasses while he searched for the screwdriver he needed next. Beside the chair he sat on lay his toolbox, a classic red colour. Though, this too had seen better days, also black, singed, dented, and scratched. This toolbox had been carried by him through quite a few wars. The toolbox was even scarred with holes, where some fool had shot at Nich, a few stray shots had hit the box. Though, when Nich had realised that the lone gunman had scarred his little toolbox he hadn’t let the deed go unpunished. Luckily the toolbox he had chosen to buy was red, otherwise the lone gunman’s blood may have been more visible. Nich stopped working for a moment, he stared at the door to his and Espara’s room as he thought to himself, ‘I wonder what Espara is doing right now?’

"Um, I suppose. Does dancing count? The meditation is training for something even harder than that. So I guess it wouldn't really count by most standards. It can be a bit difficult sometimes. If there's too many people awake and loud then I can't concentrate and I can't finish my daily exercises."

‘Dancing?’. Espara had never heard of the word before, but before Espara could question Ikolo about this word she had huffed and raised a finger in the air. Ikolo had spun her finger around, her Oozaru toy had leaped from her head and followed the motion of her finger before remaining suspended in mid-air. Espara wasn’t sure if he was masking his shock very well. He wasn’t. Espara wasn’t sure what to make of her powers, he had never witnessed people moving things with their minds before. Ikolo just continued talking casually to Espara while he tried to wipe the look of shock from his face, seem as though he hadn’t been hiding it very well, “See? If I'd been able to finish my meditation today it'd be a lot easier for me to focus and Sayda here wouldn't have taken so long to follow my thought."

‘Sayda? So she’s named her hat?’ Espara wasn’t sure what to make of Ikolo. At first she just seemed shy. Now she was using words he didn’t know the meaning to, wearing a strange hat before levitating it in the air using nothing but thought to control it, and even naming her hat Sayda. Before Espara could try to construct a question to ask Ikolo from the confusion he was suffering by her hand their little meeting was interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared. Espara turned toward the noise and found a nurse standing in the doorway. Espara heard something soft hit the ground, followed by Ikolo’s voice, “Oh, I've gone and dropped you. I'm sorry." Espara turned to look at Ikolo. She had retrieved her dropped Oozaru toy and was now cradling it in her arms. ‘Now she’s talking to her hat!’

"Is it time for our check-ups?"

The nurse had nodded in response to Ikolo’s question. ‘Wow. Cheery… Is she always this talkative?’ Espara had thought to himself. He had to fight back the want to say it aloud, he didn’t want to go and make enemies, especially not with someone that would be helping keep his health in check, and maybe even the one in charge of giving health check-ups. He didn’t want any horrific tests sprung on him during his regular check-up.

"Oh, I hope we'll get to speak again! It's been very enlightening talking with you Lieutenant!"

“Yeah, you too…” Espara saluted Ikolo with two fingers.

Ikolo disappeared through the door with the nurse. Espara slumped back into the couch. The nurse’s head peaked from behind the door frame, “You coming?”. “What?”, Espara stumbled, “Me too?- O-okay…” He raised himself from the couch and also followed the nurse. As he reached the doorframe where the nurse was standing he said, “Sorry, I thought we were taking turns.” He smiled. “That’s okay.” She smiled reassuringly, “This way.” The nurse had turned on her heels and led them both to the examination station. ‘See this is more like it. She does seem pretty cheery.’

((Sorry about the delay. It's shorter because it's you guys that have the biggest role in this next part really.))

As the Commander departed from the med bay, the doctor gave himself a second to reflect on the havoc. All day he and the medical staff had been heavy at work sorting out the every growing lists of issues at the colony. And really, during the time that he had been helping everyone, he had been forcing his own problems to the peripheries of his mind. His world was gone… gone. The word ‘gone’ was comprised of a single syllable, but somehow, no matter how many times Kale repeated it to himself, he couldn’t truly accept it. He remembered how the baron ruby landscapes of planet Vegeta receded into the horizon like a never ending desert. He remembered the scorched tint of the sky, and the familiar sound of warrior space pods breaking the atmosphere at tantalising speeds… he remembered everything.

“Doctor, Ikolo and Lieutenant Espara are here for examination.” The nurse smiled, even though she was obviously still deterred by Kale’s previous humiliation of her. She’d forgive him…

Snapping free of his self annihilating thoughts, the doctor sprang to his feet with the false pretence of joy plastered all over his face. “Okay, so… Miss Ikolo, may I call you Miss Ikolo?” He grinned with a nauseating wink. “You’re going to be examined by my colleague Doctor Grape, right over here…” He motioned towards the younger doctor, whose eyes were beginning to fall like shutters due to the gravity of the work he had been doing all day. “Ahem, doctor, your patient?” The junior doctor lurched forward with surprise, he chest whacked his work station which caused his files to be strewn across the floor. There was no time to worry about that. “Aaaaaaaaand, ah yes.” Kale sprinted forward, with a spring to his step. “Lieutenant Espara!” He raised a curious hand to inspect the chest plate of the lieutenants armour. He looked tough, but then, so did the rest of the colony. When the doctor realised that he was somewhat stroking the breastplate of a Saiyan warrior, he retracted his limb, and stood almost like a disobedient child, forced into single file. “Yes, you’re going to be examined by me.” Both his thumbs directed towards his face, which perpetuated a wide smile. “And the first test on the agenda lieutenant, is your power level.”

From across the room, Grape launched a spare scouter towards Kale. He caught the projectile in his peripheral vision, catching it with a cool right hand, then quickly attaching it to his eye. Goodness, he felt so cool…

“So, it’s simple… just power up to your maximum. I just want to gage whether the cryo-stasis has retained your natural fighting ability. And if it hasn’t… well then, at least you won’t be strong enough to beat me up for bearing the bad news.” He chortled, awaiting the response of both Espara and Ikolo.

Ikolo barely nodded to Kale's question as she watched Grape launch his papers in every direction from his desk with his startling. She didn't so much as bat an eye before moving to help him up with a soft platitude on her lips to soothe him. Once she had the doctor on his feet and somewhat more calm she bowed her head and muttered a soft "Excuse me" before she bent to start scooping up the files which she then tamped into an even file onto his desk. It wasn't the kind of politeness one would find amongst the normal populace. Another simple bow of her head and a a quiet acknowledgement of being ready was all he got from her.

She remembered all to well the looks she had gotten when she first came in. She was terrified of them both no matter how Kale might smile or how clumsy Grape seemed at the moment. She had been taught never to admit fear to another Saiyan but all she wanted to do now was get it over with. If they didn't look at her like a freak maybe she'd get through easier. A shift of her swaying tail slunk around Sayda's middle and pulled the stuffed toy to safety, setting it down on Grape's desk atop his papers. Of course her next words didn't really help her image much. "Be good and hold those papers Sayda." She was talking to her toy as if it could listen. Even when she knew it couldn't just as well as everyone else in the room. Maybe it was just a quirk she was developing to cope with the news of the loss. Maybe she just didn't care too much about appearances anymore.

Golden eyes turned back to the doctor and the young woman heaved a sigh. "Shall we begin? If I'm to assume my test is the same as the lieutenant's then I hope you won't be sorely disappointed in me. I'm not a fighter." She waited for Grape to finish whatever preparations he needed before she was given any signal to begin. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, there was nothing else in the world but her and the power she held. The burning center of her consciousness that was her energy. She felt it rising like the tide and commanded it to it's peak as though it were easy to call up. The wave crashed down on her, making them one. The biting energy coursing through her was raw and grainy to her own feelings and seemed to rub itself through every inch of her body demanding a release she couldn't give it. The thick golden spark lit her mind in a wash of static. A spark she would someday have to give up for something else if she could ever complete her training.