Forged in Fire: The Saiyans on Velaris IV

The scorched earth crunched beneath my boots as I surveyed the smoldering ruins of another Velari settlement. My heart ached, but I kept my face neutral and my eyes focused on the task at hand. As I looked at the charred remains of homes, their once-vibrant colors reduced to ashes. The air was thick with the acrid stench of death.

"Another one down!" Tato grinned, clapping Hanasia on the back. "We're really making progress, huh?"

"Absolutely," Hanasia agreed, her voice laced with pride. "King Vageta will Be pleased."

I forced a tight-lipped smile but deep within me, I felt like shit. Months had passed since we'd arrived on Velaris IV, and each act of destruction only made me feel more numb. Tato and Hanasia were good people, loyal, courageous, and fiercely committed to our cause. But I couldn't help but question the morality of our actions.

As we flew over the desolate landscape, the cries of the surviving Velari echoed in my ears before I killed them. Each scream tore at my soul like jagged claws, leaving me raw. But I couldn't let my comrades see my doubts, These's were the type of Saiyans we were.

"Hey, Celera," Tato called out, noticing my quiet demeanor. "You alright?"

"Of course," I lied, my voice steady. "Just tired, that's all."

"Same here," Hanasia chimed in. "But we can't rest now. There's still so much to do since this Planet is so big."

"Right," I agreed, burying my feelings deep within the recesses of my mind. "Let's keep moving."

As we continued our destructive path across Velaris IV, the weight of our actions bore down on me like a heavy stone. But I couldn't voice my concerns not when this was our first mission.

"Look at all this," Tato said one night as we sat around a makeshift campfire, the orange glow casting eerie shadows on his face. "we're growing stronger Celera."

"Sure feels like it," Hanasia agreed, her eyes reflecting the dancing flames.

But as I stared into the fire, all I could see were the lives lost, the homes destroyed. It was best I kept my feelings to myself.

"Let's get some rest," I suggested, rising stiffly from my seat. "We've got another big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Tato yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Sleep well, Celera."

"Goodnight," I whispered, retreating to one of the higher branches and rested.

There, in the darkness, I allowed myself to feel the full weight of my guilt, the crushing burden of responsibility. As I lay on the bark of the large branch.

A few nights later.

The cool night air carried a familiar unease as the full moons of Velaris IV shone brightly above us. I could feel the energy coursing through my veins, signaling the oncoming transformation that we Saiyans were all too familiar with.

"Here it comes," Tato muttered, his eyes locked onto the glowing orbs in the sky. "Brace yourselves."

In an instant, our bodies began to convulse and expand, bones snapping and reforming as we transformed into our Great Ape forms. The sheer power was intoxicating, but with it came a primal rage that wanted only to kill and destroy.

"Raaaargh!" Hanasia roared, her massive arms flailing wildly as she struggled to maintain control.

As for me, something was different this time. Amidst the chaos of the transformation, a small kernel of awareness remained, a flicker of consciousness that refused to be snuffed out. Clinging to that glimmer of sanity, I couldn't change my desires while in this form but at least I was in control.

Tato grunted, attempting to focus, but his massive form continued to shake uncontrollably. Hanasia, on the other hand, seemed more lost to the primal nature of the transformation, letting out another thunderous roar as she swiped at anything within reach.

"Focus on my voice," I barked, trying to cut through the cacophony of chaos. "Remember who you are!"

Tato's wild eyes met mine, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition. But it was short-lived as another wave of primal instincts washed over him, sending him back into a frenzy.

"Rrrgh..." Hanasia growled, her massive form trembling with effort As she charged at me. 

Where Even Tato attacked me and I had to beat their ass.

But as the night wore on, it became clear that despite my newfound control,  I could keep my own instincts at bay, my comrades continued to fight their losing fight against me.

"Since neither of you will remember this" As I slammed my fist into Tato's mouth as he charged a beam. I Let out my emotions in our Saiyan language as I kept beating them into the ground and while Hanasia grabbed my tail I didn't flinch and used it to slam her into the ground. Given our Strength difference and the 10x multiplier they couldn't really hurt me, Plus my Smart Atoms made their blows barely even tickle me.

A few weeks later. 

The moon hung heavily in the sky, casting an eerie glow across the wasteland that had once been a thriving Velari settlement. I shook my head, Slowly I felt my emotions dull. I wasn't feeling joy in this but I wasn't feeling anger either. I just felt numb. 

"Must... fight..." Tato grunted, sweat pouring down his face as he fought to suppress the primal instincts threatening to consume him.

"Stay strong," Hanasia urged through gritted teeth, her eyes glowing as she struggled. 

I clenched my fists, steeling myself for the battle ahead. As the moon's influence grew stronger, I felt my control over the Great Ape form solidify, it had become easier to control. But as I glanced at Tato and Hanasia, their bodies quivered as they transformed.

"Focus!" I snapped, trying to distract myself from the turmoil bubbling within me. "You have to learn how to control it!"

"Easy for you to say," Tato growled, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. "How are you... so calm?"

I shrugged as they finished transforming, locking eyes with him. And once again they lost their mind. But this time I let them destroy the surrounding villages. While I watched from the sky as I floated there.

After watching them Destroy countless villages through the night, it had been annoying me that no matter how much we had transformed they couldn't keep their mind.

"Enough!" I roared with a surge of power, but unlike them, I held the reins. "Remember who we are! We are Saiyans, not mindless beasts!"

"Ce...Celera?" Tato stammered, his voice shaking with fear and confusion. He and Hanasia would get control every once and a while but it was never 100 percent.

"Later!" I barked, glancing at the horizon where Velari settlements still stood. "Right now, we have a mission to complete."

With heavy hearts, I set forth, our monstrous forms tearing through the landscape like a hurricane. The devastation we caused was immense, and though I maintained control over my Great Ape form, I was feeling joy while in this form at destroying. I wasn't Human anymore. so why did I keep holding myself to those standards?

"Such power," Hanasia breathed, her eyes wide with awe as she surveyed the destruction we'd wrought. 

"You need to learn to control the form, we are not mindless beasts. WE ARE SAIYANS" I Shouted, my voice like thunder over the din of crumbling structures. But I was saying those words to myself. In my great ape form, I didn't feel regret or pity, but once I went back to normal those emotions would come back. Sure they were duller but they still remained.

"Let's keep moving," Tato urged, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "The mission isn't over yet."

And so, we continued onward, our monstrous forms wreaking havoc upon the world of Velaris IV. And as I fought alongside my team members, Just two more years and I could start to change them.

As the ninth month of our mission on Velaris IV rolled around, I found myself standing atop a hill overlooking another village we had destroyed. 

The full moon bathed the ruined landscape in an eerie glow. It was time for our Great Ape transformation again. As I felt the familiar surge of power course through my body, I focused my mind, exerting control over the beast within. This time, however, I noticed Tato and Hanasia struggling with their primal instincts, looking at me as though I held the key to unlocking their own mastery.

"Follow my lead," I instructed them, my voice low and steady to quell their agitation. "Focus on your thoughts, not your instincts."

Their green eyes met mine, pupils narrowing. With each passing moment, I could see them wrestle control from their feral minds, regaining some semblance of their former selves. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

"Good," I praised, relief washing over me. "You're getting there."

"Thank you, Celera," Hanasia rumbled, her gratitude evident despite her monstrous form. "This is difficult."

Tato nodded in agreement, his colossal hand reaching out to pat my shoulder with surprising gentleness. "We trust you," he said simply, and I couldn't help but feel the weight of their faith in me pressing down on my conscience.

"Let's move out," I commanded, leading them into the heart of the next settlement we were tasked to destroy. With my newfound ability to control my Great Ape form, we carried out our mission with surgical precision, leaving no stone unturned in our wake. The devastation was immense, but it was efficient.

"Look at us," Hanasia mused as we stood among the smoldering ruins. "We're a force to be reckoned with."

"Indeed," Tato agreed, his expression unreadable. "With Celera leading the way, there's nothing we can't accomplish."

Their words should have filled me with pride, but all I could feel was the gnawing guilt that festered within my heart. They depended on me to guide them out of their primal states, to lead them on this path of destruction. And while the bond among us had grown stronger through our shared experience, my own inner conflict continued to rage.

"Are you alright, Celera?" Hanasia asked, her concern palpable as she gazed at me.

"Fine," I lied, forcing a smile onto my face. "Just…tired."

"Rest, then," Tato suggested, his gaze softening with empathy. "We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"Thank you," I whispered, watching them depart before collapsing to my knees. As the moon's light waned and my Great Ape form receded, this wasn't getting easier like I hoped it would. 

A month later

The air was thick with the scent of smoke and ash as we watched another Velari settlement crumble to the ground. Our methods had become more efficient, targeting strategic locations and minimizing collateral damage to the surroundings.

"Another one gone," Tato remarked, his voice barely above a whisper. "We're getting better at this."

"Better?" I thought. 

"Efficiency is key," Hanasia added, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of resistance. "They want the planet to remain useable not a wasteland."

That night, my sleep was fitful and plagued with nightmares. The faces of the Velari we had killed haunted me, their screams echoing through the recesses of my mind. I awoke drenched in sweat, my heart pounding as if it would burst from my chest.

"Can't sleep?" Tato asked quietly. He sat nearby, Eating one of the Velari bodies, as he offered me some and I ate it. It was hard the first time, but they were bugs, not people.

I shook my head, as I was eating a leg "No. I've been...having nightmares."

"About the mission?" Hanasia inquired gently, her voice filled with concern.

"About the lives we've taken," I confessed, unable to hold back any longer. 

Tato's expression softened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's not easy, Celera. But we have a mission to complete."

Hanasia nodded in agreement. "Our mission is for the glory of the Saiyan race. We must do what needs to be done, maybe you should join Gine instead of being a warrior."

"The hell you say?!" I snapped back, breaking the leg I was eating. They both looked taken aback. " Dont you ever say that to me, Im a Warrior got that!" As I turned and went on a night walk while they looked at each other.

Month later.

As we continued our campaign, I was pushing my feelings of regret down trying my best to kill it. Each settlement we destroyed brought more faces to haunt my dreams, their cries for mercy echoing through my tortured thoughts. And with each passing day, Slowly I was managing to do it much to the joy of the other two.

During our brief respite in Month 14, we set up camp in a small clearing, the scent of charred wood and ash still clinging to the air. I lay on my back, staring up at the stars, their cold light offering little comfort as my thoughts continued to swirl. The nightmares had only grown worse, filling every moment of rest with images of death and destruction.

"Hey, I'm going to scout the area," I announced, rising from my makeshift bed. Tato and Hanasia nodded, too absorbed in their own tasks to question my departure.

"I would say Be careful, Celera, But you are much stronger than anything on this planet" Hanasia called after me. I chuckled before vanishing into the shadows.

Finding a secluded spot among the trees, I pulled out my scouter, its dim glow illuminating the darkness around me. My heart pounded as I searched through the database, desperate for answers. Surely there had to be another way. This was my last hope.

I spent hours sifting through the vast wealth of information, my desperation growing with each fruitless search. But I found nothing and in my frustration, I powered up a Breaker shot and sent it flying off into the distance before it exploded.

The sixteenth month on Velaris IV dawned with a blood-orange sky, the color of hope and determination. We were finally done. Our Scouters were not picking anything up for other life forms on this planet beyond the weird wildlife. We could finally head home. As we made our way to the ship and climbed aboard I moved to the Driver seat and called one of the remembers of the freeze force. "Mission complete, the Planet is ready to be sold. " My tired voice came through before I got a response. " Understood, you have permission to head back. 

And with that go ahead I powered up the ship while the other two rested in the seats in the back and we took off. I had the windows blocked and set the ship on Auto Pilet as I moved to sleep.