IC Posting Section

[ChoShadow]

The battle was rapidly drawing to a close with Pyro's victory over the other Frost Demon who was now beating a hasty retreat.

The Saiyan siblings grinned and watched the rest of the forces scattering and scrambling to get away while they gave each other a fist bump and let out sighs of contentment. But that was to be short lived. Era and Valkyrie were newly equipped with an earpiece designed by the AI on Pyro's vessel to help them keep in touch without the use of their Scouters, and in the earpieces came a message with a disturbing and chilling sense of impending doom.

Attention, Captain Pyro and all allied forces! I have discovered and tracked a signal which rapidly exited the battlespace before slipping into warp space but forty three seconds ago. The signal comes from a warp-space capable scout ship, and it's headed towards Metahnn's coordinates. I can only conclude this is a messenger who will relay the news of what happened here to Metahnn and the tyrant king. We must make haste everyone if we are to return before they do. This vessel's warp space speeds are greater than the Scout Ship's, and I have a faster route which will get us there in no time. Please hurry aboard. I already have warp space drive enabled and on standby.

Valkyrie and Era didn't need any kind of second word before they raced back to the vessel as fast as they could. Valkyrie finally exited her Super Saiyan form upon reaching the ship just ahead of Era and Fae, and she guided them in while keeping watch on the air behind them just in case any of the enemy forces remained.

Once they were all on board the AI made the ship race out of the atmosphere and jump into warp space. It was a race against time now to get back to Metahnn before the king found out that they were alive and on their way.

Sitting at a table in the bridge, Valkyrie looked to Pyro.

"Does your AI know how long it will take that scout ship to reach home? And how long until we do?" She asked.

ChazGhost ((It will take the scout ship around 4 days to reach Metahnn even in warp space, but it will only take them around two hours meaning they don't have much, if any time, to recover from what they just went through. Whatever rest they can get is all they'll get.))

D. Rex ((Given the shape Fae's in, it should be obvious that she'll have to make up a story for the king about her condition without raising his suspicions. I leave it to you to do that.))

 

[D. Rex]

Faeora plopped down in one of the chairs aboard the bridge. With the adrenaline settling dowm, she felt a bit sore. One of the medics fussed a little over her, but she had assured him she wasn't as bad as she looked. Several scrapes and bruises and other minor surface injuries, nothing broken. Her saiyan armor had taken the brunt of much of the aliens attacks. She should be able to clean up just fine. Mostly.

But right now, a bigger worry was upon them. Someone really had gotten away. And him heading to Metahn was going to ruin everything. Actually... it already had. Having to head straight there. A week. 3 days. It was certainly not the month they had desperately needed to prepare. She didn't see how she could possibly get Era to transform in that short amount of time. And then Pyro and Val needed their time to train.

Faeora sat, lost a bit in thought as she sipped on a glass of water. Trying to think up a way to salvage this situation. Hmm.

ChoShadow ChazGhost

(Just a little post from me. Once the ETA is revealed, I will have more to post. And Fae will come up with and prepare for her plan B)

 

[ChazGhost]

"Ohh great..." Pyro said flying back to the ship quickly after his AI on his ship said a scout ship was on it's way to Metahnn. Pyro growled to himself the whole way because he had to let Glacier get away. Once on board Pyro headed straight to the bridge were he sat in his captain chair. He quickly began giving out the orders to have the ship go as fast as they could to Metahnn.

Once Valkyrie asked about how long it would take the scout ship and them to get to Metahnn. Pyro looked at a screen on his chair with the answer. "It'll take the scout ship about four days while it will only take us about two hours to get their." Pyro said after quickly reading it. "If anyone want to get a nap in do it now because we'll be in for the big fight soon" Pyro added laying back in his chair.
ChoShadow D. Rex

 

[D. Rex]

Faeora spit out her drink in a mist. Nearly choking on it. "Two hours?!" She exclaimed. She didn't realize the ship was that fast. Which was good, given that they had to beat the ship to Metahn. But bad given that they would reach Metahn so soon.

Composing herself, she wiped off her mouth. Quickly running through the few options they had, it was simply narrowed down to two. "Well... if we want to go through with this plan, we don't have a choice. We would have to get there as soon as possible. Evem if it takes the scout a few days to get there, it may send a message to them. They know about me, so if word gets back, we would not only lose our chance of a surprise attack, but it might also tip off the King of my families involvement. Or even speed up his plans of genocide. Should we choose to wait for a different time to strike, we could very well be worse off than we are now, and be alone in our efforts."

"But if we do it now...we are going in completely unprepared. It's a major risk, but it is still the best chance we have at catching him off guard." She leaned back and crossed her arms. "Pyro and Val, you two seem to be in pretty good condition after that. If you think you will be ready and rested in that two hours, then I say we go for it. Era... if you can't find a way to become super saiyan within that time..." She paused. Thinking a bit on that... that wasn't likely going to happen. But maybe there was another way... "Better yet, you should focus on resting up too..."

Faeora put her hands on the table and stood up. "Unfortunately we dont really have much choice but to carry on as planned. But with two hours to work with, I need to get a message out to Faero immediately. And also get myself ready. I trust you three to figure out a battle plan." She said, walking from her chair towards the door. "I'll be in my room if you need me." She conclided, and left. Still apparently in thought.

There was something going on in that head of hers. But she needed some time to think on it. Her first stop would be the medical bay. To get patched up a bit. As well as get some peace and quiet to think.

________

Two hours. Two hours. Dire news if there ever were any. The others may be optimistic about their chances, but Faeora was not. Since Faero messaged them, they had hardly made a sliver of progress. If the King was stronger then, he was certainly still stronger now, and her worried that other powerful Darkhoods made up his court had yet to be proven unfounded. Even without them, her brother made it clear how strong he was.

As the fluids of the rejuvenation chamber washed over her, she had to reconsider everything. If Val wasn't strong enough, then that meant Pyro wasn't either. The two of them against him, maybe. And Era… she wasn't even a super saiyan. Yes she had thay glimmer of it when she was unconscious… but there was no sign that it could be drawn out right now. If only… if only she could turn, then her strength could turn the tides. But for Val, it took Era's death to send her into that fit of rage. Would it take a death of a loved one to do the same for Era? No… Faeora didn't believe so. Trying to picture it in he head, she could only anticipate that sort of thing would break Era's spirit. Send her spiraling downwards rather than propel her forwards. But if that wouldn't do it… what could? Era was a sweet girl. Too sweet, almost. Death wouldn't be the answer. An ending couldn't. But the threat of losing something… no… but injustice. She was well aware the views Era had on that. Cruelty. Injustice. Callous ruination. The King for the bill… and surely examples of this littered the planet of Metahn by now. But there was no connection. One would need to…

It was then that Faeora was struck by the memory of something Era spoke of… it gave her an idea. A horrible one. While she couldn't likely do anything in this fight to help them… she could at least do this. As the greenish rejuvenation fluid began to drain from the pod, she opened her eyes. One thought cemented her to this idea… she would do anything to keep Era and Val out of his hands. Anything.

---

She had only spent about forty five minutes in the pod. Not enough to really heal her. But she had hoped it would at least a little in helping her recover. Even if only starting the healing process and reducing some of the bits of swelling. More importantly… it had given her some uninterrupted time to think.

Faeora went straight to her room afterwards. Sending a quick message to Faero, informing him of the new details to her plan, before she had entered the pod she had already sent a message letting him know when they would be arriving and why. She then got about to showering off, and cleaning herself up as best she could. Even the original plan, her appearance mattered if she wanted to trick the King. Still wet, she looked at her back in the mirror, and the bruises that still lingered across it from being drug through the ground. Hmmph. A closer look and her face revealed her busted lip had stabbed over. Well, if she was lucky, someone a bit roughed up from battle would appeal to the King. If she wasn't lucky, he would see it that she was too weak to defend herself. An excuse would need to be thought up, just in case. Simple. She stole this ship, the occupants, pirates, put up a fight. Could work.

She left the steaming room and into her bedroom proper. Drying off thoroughly, she donned a fresh underlay. I simple sleeveless legless one piece. However, her preferred armor with pauldrons and armored skirting was way to damaged to be presentable as a result from the previous battle. She tossed it into the corner, and pulled out something else. A simple saiyan cuirass. It would have to do. She polished it up and put it on. Searching with what little possessions here, she found some earrings. Simple studs, but they would do as well. The next thirty minutes she spent fixing her hair, and meticulously preening her tail.

When all was said and done, there was ten minutes left until they arrived… she stood in front of the mirror, looking herself over. Making sure she looked respectable enough to appear before the King. She looked down at a small pill in her hand. With a frown, she swallowed it, chasing it with a long drink from the bottle of wine that Pyro had gifted her. This wasn't going to be an easy fight…

She left the room, turning out the light and made her way to the others. To meet them in the shielded training room.


ChoShadow ChazGhost

(Went ahead and posted what Fae would be doing on her own. If i took too much liberty, let me know and i will fix it. No pressure to skip time if you all dont want to. If yall want to think up a strategy for you two, take your time and hash it out. I had this written up already, and it was a good a time as any to post it.)

 

[ChoShadow]

Two hours was a whole lot of time when you had nothing to do but worry about what was laying ahead. Even Valkyrie, the strongest of the group by far, was worried about the thought of taking on the king and his dark Super Saiyan power that Faero had described. Era was worried about Val since she was the only one strong enough to face him on any kind of semi-even ground. But Val wasn't the type to face such a strange adversity and remain adaptable. She would likely stick to what she knew best and hope it worked out, and if not she'd push harder until she made it work... But against a foe like this, sheer determination would not be enough.

Era was in her room for most of the trip, content in the thought that her current power was sufficient. 12.4 million was a heck of a power level for a Saiyan, even if she couldn't transform into a Super Saiyan. But that didn't stop her from trying.

Era sat in her room and meditated. She could feel the faintest spark of energy from deep within like she had when she met the original Super Saiyan on Zaero in the Vault. Was it the power of the Super Saiyan, or just her own spark of life essence? She didn't know, but she focused on it and tried to get a hold on it and bring it out more. And it seemed she was making progress in one way, shape, or form. She could feel her power level rising the harder she concentrated on the task at hand, and the more she felt a connection to this power the warmer her body felt. It was a strange sensation, but it was one she relished.

However, before she could get any father time was up. The call to meet in the shielded training room had been sounded, and Era had to break her concentration which made her power return to normal. She met everyone in the training room and went over Fae's plans together. She would leave the ship and return to Faero who would then present her to the king so she could report to him about the things she'd seen. She would confirm Era and Valkyrie's deaths and her own acquisition of the removal of the genetic limiter which she would explain as having come from her own volition. By this time the cells from Era and Val who gave her the transfusion had long since been absorbed or died off making 100% of her blood her own as well as all of her power her own. There was no way to tell she had received help in getting the limiter removed from her body.

Once she was with the king Faero would wait until he was sure their opportunity was right before contacting them via his special communication device which would be left in Era's care for the time being. Once the signal was given they would all storm out of the ship and race to the palace where they'd hope to catch the king off guard. With Valkyrie being the strongest and fastest of the group, she'd be the one to race to the palace first and engage the king, hopefully catching him and killing him before he managed to transform and fight her on even ground. Val didn't like that plan very much from a pride perspective, but she had to put that to rest for now. This wasn't about pride. This was about the survival of their race.

It was their best shot, and at last the ship exited warp space and placed them in Metahnn's orbit. The shielded doors closed behind Fae who went to the bridge to assume "command" as per Pyro's orders to the AI as part of the plan, and led the ship down to the surface where her brother would be waiting for her.

ChazGhost D. Rex ((From here you can play out Fae's arrival and the details of her meeting the king. The rest of us are just sitting in the training room with nothing to do until Faero gives us the word.))

 

[D. Rex]

It was time. As the the ship exited the warp, she could see her home planet from the viewport on the bridge. Looking upon it, it had felt like ages since she had seen it. It brought about a feeling of homesickness. As well as a sinking to her stomach as she thought about how far it had fallen. To the point it was hard pressed to compare to the home she once new.

The ship drifted into the atmosphere, landing in the spaceport of the capital city. And as the doors open, she was greeted with by... silence. It had become so quite here... the ramp extended and she walked down it towards her brother who was waiting at the bottom. His face hard and cold. There was no exchange of greeting as she stopped in front of him. Looking down at her, he said "Are you sure about this?" She simply shook her head.

"No. But unless you can come up with a better plan of how to bring about what we need, then by all means, suggest it." She answered.

He let out a sigh. "Do they know?" She shook her head again. "How long do you need?"

"One hour. Any later, there might not be much left of me."

________________

A long walk would have been apprectiated. Even if only to procrastinate. But instead the two of them flew to the castles gates. Landing just outside.

The doors opened of their own accord. And a pair of Saiyans gestured them in. The King was expecting them.

Faeora took a deep breath, to center herself one last time before walking ahead, with Faero a short distance behind her. Unlike what the plan was, Faeora did not suppress her power. Her full power was on display. Already knowing her way to the throne room, she entered, and awaiting on the throne, was the King. His imposing figure surprisingly regal as his eyes bore into her as she approached.

Faero did not follow. He stepped aside and waited by the door, where he would wait until called upon.

Faeora stopped at the stairs to the throne, and took a knee before him. Bowing her head. She knew better than to speak until spoken to. Now wasn't the time to test his patience

The King took a cruel pleasure in staring down at her. Making her wait for an uncomfortably long amount of time. A show of his power on her. Wanting to see her squirm. Making sure she knew that her time belonged to him. And though the silence was deafening, he finally spoke as his patience ran out sooner than Fae's.

"Faeora Faerari. So it seems that there is hope for your family yet. Faero had informed me that you had brought news regarding a certain couple of saiyans. Rise, and speak." He said, leaning against the arm of his seat.

Fae did as was asked, rising to her feet and standing at attention as she looked up at him. "Yes, your grace. Valkyrie and Era. After escaping from the mercenaries that i had boarded, I was attempted to find some allies. Upon hearing that two saiyans were only a few systems away, I made haste to meet with them after learning they had were engaging with some troublesome pirates who were causing havoc in the system. I was overjoyed when I heard that their descriptions matched those of Era and Valkyrie.

I was able to get there within days. The planet was all but ruined. But I picked up the signals of their scouters." Faeora explain. It was here that she balled up her fists and cast her eyes down to the ground.

"But I was too late. By the time I got there... I found Era's body first. Her neck broken. Valkyrie I found a few miles away. Her body was still warm when I found her. But she had a hole in her chest.

"Your grace... they are both dead..."

As Fae spoke, the Kings face grew darker and darker. "Pirates, you say?" He asked in a dangerously low voice. No doubt angered by the news. But he kept himself composed. For now.

"Yes, your majesty. Led by a frost demon. One who had apparently allied himself with them at some point, from what information I had gathered. I do not know further details. But I can confirm that it was indeed Era and Valkyrie. I knew them personally."

She clenched her fists even tighter. "Their Captain had left the system, but a number of his crew remained. It wasn't until later that I realized I had gotten a message from my family, but at that point, I couldn't bring myself to return. I lost two good friends. I couldn't let it go. That anger amd sadness dictated my actions. I spent the next several weeks hunting down what members of the pirates that remained in the the system."

"It was over that time that I started growing stronger. Something had clicked in me. The limiter gene, it no longer held me back. Like Era and Valkyrie, I too shared that trait. It wasn't until the second message I recieved from Faero that I came to my senses. I responded and he explained the situation to me. I found a remaining ship belonging to the pirates, and took it over through force, and came back immediately."


The King heard enough. He held up his hand and stood up. Silencing Fae. "This is very unfortunate news." He said grimly as he walked down the stairs, standing in front of Faeora. Towering over her. "I had great plans for them. Great, great plans. And you have come before me, to let tell me that all of those plans were felled by some lowly mutant scum." He reached to grab her by the chin, pointed her head up to face him. But his grip somehow seemed an odd combination of comfort and morbid bloodlust.

"I know, your grace." She said, unflinchingly, despite being worried that he would kill the messenger. "Faero told me of what you wished of them. They died a warriors death, while I am no super saiyan, yet. In only a few short weeks I have grown by millions, in the coming month I confident that i can surpass them. I offer myself in their place. So that you may carry on your will." She said with feigned confidence.

His eyebrows perked up, his dark face being replaced by that of amusement. "Really? You offer yourself when I could simply take you if I wanted?" He let go over her, and proceeded to circle her. "Such arrogance. The gene that you carry is something I desire. I can drain your body and ration it to people potentially more deserving than you. So tell me then, little warrior, why I shouldn't just do that instead. And why you want it." He said with a chuckle that was far too pleased with this situation.

Faeora didn't waiver. This was her chance. "Because, from what i heard, what had taken them months, I had managed in weeks. They Faerari family bloodline is that of the elite. And has produced some of the strongest warriors of Metahn. This bloodline would belong to you. All of your future generations will be of the highest pedigree. As well, you can take respect by force easily, my lord, by taking the Faerari family under yourself. All the respect and reputation we have earned will be yours. All of the other elite families would no doubt fall in line at your feet, without the need of you even needing to raise a finger.

As for why, it because I respect strength. I don't see anyone on this planet more worthy than you. I believe you to be the future of our race, and I wish to make that vision of yours a reality. But I also believe the as King, you deserve more than just anyone. You could easily pick any female, but Others would cower before you, submit like lower class 'warriors'. Unable to be what they need to be. But I can give you what you seek. A mate that is a true saiyan, a warrior, one that desires to see her race become strong, and one that has the spirit fitting to stand alongside you. I wish for you to go grow even stronger, and to keep you from ever falling to weakness. You do not deserve someone who submits to you as easily as them. A true warrior, like you, deserves one who makes them work for it. Someone who can push you further. I share your views. And I want to help."

His chuckle turned into a laugh. Catching Fae a little off guard. "What sweet words. I must admit, I was not expecting you to be so pleasantly idealistic. I find myself enjoying your spirit. You are quite the plucky one. But are you not submitting yourself to me now?" He said, inspecting her from head to toe.

Faeora turned to face him."In a manner of speaking, yes. I wish to see if you have what it takes to make me submit. I want it to be by your hand..." Faeora put on a coy smirk. "... I wish to see if you are capable of handling me." Faeora was playomg a dangerous game, walking on a razors edge that cpuld very well get her killed.

The King arched a brow, clearly not seeing her as a challenge. Becoming even more amused. "Oh, is that so? You wish to fight me?"

This time, it was Fae who let out a little chuckle, "No, your grace. I was thinking of something that should be handled a little more... privately." Somehow she had manage to say that despite everything in her gut telling her not to.

The King laughed once more, understanding what she meant. "Very well. We will see if you are worthy of me giving you a chance." He snapped his fingers, "Leave us." He commanded. And those in his court immediately made their way to the door.

Faero hesitated, but as he turned his back, the King spoke up once more. "Faero, you did good work in bringing her to me. It seems like there is hope for the future after all, doesn't it... brother." He said, with something hiding in his voice.

Faero didn't respond. He nodded stiffly and continued his way out the door. Once the door closed behind them, he pressed a button in his scouter, and a timer began counting down from one hour. He felt a sickness in his stomach. The seconds that he watched tick away, felt like minutes. The minutes would feel like hours. He hoped she would be okay. Surely she wouldnt. She was unbreakable... right? Yes, he told himself. She had to be.

__________

In the dimly lit Kings quarters, she stood with her back to the King. Her armor thrown to the corner of the room. He was behind her. Speaking. But she couldn't hear him. As if her mind was checked out. She had only one shot. And failure meant death. It was time.

Faeora spun around, her arm outstretched. Her hand open, as she tried to karate chop his neck. As expected, he caught it effortlessly, twisting it behind her back, holding her close to him. "Trying to kill me already?" He asked, her voice right in her ear. Tightening his grip until she let out a cry of pain.

"In and way, your grace." She said, trying to break free. He ki surged suddenly as she drew upon the Yoseishin, doubling her power. Spiking above his, she slammed her head backwards into his face. With enough force to make him let go and step backwards. She turned to face him. "If I made this easy for you. What fun would you have? I want to see the power of the hand the that you wish to make thus future yours."

The King wiped blood from his nose. "You really do have some fight. Unfortunately for you... so do I..." he said, a a sinister grin beginning to split his face. His power skyrocketed. Flaring outwards in a golden aura that threatened to shatter the castle around them. His hair, unlike Vals, turned a dark yellow.

The pressure of his ki so immense that Fae could barely breath. And it was now, that she really felt fear. Because faster than her eyes could manage, his hand was at her throat. And a fist planted under leather her ribs. It was all she could due to keep from crying out again. She steeled herself.

He lifted her up and threw her down onto the bed. Laughing like a mad man. She was right. This was going to be satisfying. He hoped that bit of fight in her would last.

____

Seconds. Minutes. It was unbearable. He could feel it. The Kings power. No linger hidden by the throne room. It made him sick. It was All he could could do to assume that while he was still like that, Fae was still alive. But it was around the 50 minute mark that the power subsided. And two minutes later he could hear the Kings voice in the throne room. He pointed the scouter towards the direction of the Kings chamber. Fae's signature. She was alive. But the signal was faint. Too faint. He made the decision. He quickly left the caslte and opened a channel to the communicator, "Now is your chance. Hurry. Please." He said, hoping that it wasn't too late.

ChoShadow ChazGhost

 

[ChoShadow]

Time was murder.

Era sat in the corner of the room with her back to the wall and her arms around her knees which were pulled in to her chest. Her fingers were interlocked and she steadily rocked back and forth as she grit her teeth in worry for what Fae might be doing right now to get the King's attention.

She had a nagging feeling in her heart that Fae was not simply abiding by the plan they came up with. Everything about her, for as long as Era had known her, screamed "I need to go the extra mile to be of use and prove that I am worthy of more than just a sideline spectator!"

But Fae should have known she was more than that. So much more. But her bloodline and pride would not let her see that sometimes. Era couldn't stop worrying herself over this matter, and Valkyrie wasn't doing much better.

The crimson haired Saiyan was pacing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth by the doorway waiting for Faero's communication to come through so she could break the door down and charge the palace at full power in her Super Saiyan form. If she could reach him in time to stop him transforming, she could kill him quickly and it would be over before it started. That was her plan for all of this. She had to reach the king without him transforming, so she was primed and ready by the doorway.

But the communication didn't come. Every minute which ticked by felt like several hours and they were constantly checking the clock and looking expectantly at the communication device which was on the floor by Era's hip. Valkyrie even began muttering to herself as she paced in an effort to calm herself down.

"Soon enough... Soon enough. Just relax and get ready. It won't be long now." She whispered to herself.

Her pacing annoyed Pyro's crew who all glared at her though she paid them no mind. Her power was fluctuating at the moment going up and down, up and down. At any moment even with her power at its lowest she could wipe them from existence if they pestered her or upset her. So they kept quiet for most of it though they did whisper amongst themselves about it.

*Tick* *Tock* *Tick* Tock* *Tick* *Tock*

"Dammit all!" Valkyrie exclaimed as she stomped the floor.

It was becoming too much for her to bear. Her patience had long since run out and she was holding herself back by sheer force of will at this point. Era was still gazing at the communicator and rocking back and forth in order to keep her own power under control as well, but she was far more relaxed and overcome with worry to really get angry or lash out like Valkyrie was doing. It was always like this between them when it came to such things. Era was the calm silent worrier and Valkyrie was the one who got more and more angry as time passed.

But at last the moment arrived. Faero's communication device lit up and Valkyrie didn't even wait to hear what he had to say before she kicked the door clean off its hinges and rocketed out of the ship at full speed towards the palace. She transformed into a Super Saiyan the instant she was out of the ship, and the sheer force of her flying speed sent a massive concussion burst through the air which knocked over anything that wasn't secured to the ground across nearly a half mile radius to fall to the ground.

Era was not exactly close behind given how fast Valkyrie was in that state, but she was nevertheless at full power the instant the door opened and racing to the palace as well. But she faced a new hurdle which Valkyrie didn't have to endure: The Darkhood Occupation Forces.

Faero hadn't warned them of this because he hadn't been told of their existence. The king kept this quiet and to himself the whole time, but his forces were here disguised as Saiyans with false tails which were so realistic other Saiyans couldn't tell the difference. They all powered up and intercepted Era before she could get more than about halfway to the palace, but gauging from what she felt they would only slow her down. They wouldn't be able to stop her. Not at their level. They were many, but she was far more powerful even by herself.

But as soon as Pyro showed up, the two of them alone would be more than enough to overwhelm these forces.

By the time Pyro and his crew arrived, Era looked back to them.

"There are a few Saiyans amongst their forces! You can tell who they are by the fact that their tails are not wrapped around their waists! Don't kill any of them! Just knock them out. The rest you can kill at your leisure. Just make sure you help carve me a path to the palace! I can't stay here and play with them!" She called.

She wasn't joking either. She had to reach the palace at any cost, but she'd need Pyro's help to make it through without wasting too much time or energy.

--------------------------------------------------​

Meanwhile Valkyrie flew straight through the entrance to the palace where she sensed the power of the king, but she was too late. By the time she halted her advance he was already sitting on his throne in his Super Saiyan form. The few precious seconds she had taken to reach here was more than enough time for him to power up to greet her, and he did so with a wicked smile on his face.

"Ahh... There you are." He said in a low, ominous voice.

He rose from the throne and reached out at her with both hands.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined, my dear Valkyrie Urzen." He said with eyes as insane as his voice.

"Such power... Such beauty... Such... Perfection." He said, gazing at her from top to bottom.

"Oh how I have dreamed of this day! I was heartbroken when Faeora delivered news of your death, but I'm pleased to see the little wretch was lying." He said, letting his arms drop.

Valkyrie was livid.

Her eyes were burning with fury and her jaw was clenched with teeth bared as she growled down at him.

"What have you done with Fae!?" She demanded.

"Oh, the little lying wretch? She's in my quarters at the moment. You needn't worry about her. She is very much alive. She wouldn't be much use to me dead... Although now that I think of it, you're here, which means Era must be here as well which makes it all the more perfect for our race. Now that I have the two of you, the original progenitors of the limiter removal gene, our race's future as the most powerful in the universe is all but secured. I have no further need for Faeora Faerari. I will kill her once our business is completed."

The king was taken aback, however, as Valkyrie raced forward and slammed him into the wall. It was a simple shoulder bash, so he wasn't harmed. But it was forceful enough to make him cough for a moment before looking up at her again.

"Quit your babbling you pathetic weasel!" Valkyrie screamed as she powered up to her absolute limit.

"... Yes." He said quietly as he pushed himself free of the wall.

"Yes... Yes." He repeated.

"Show me the full extent of your power my dear. I yearn to see it for myself. The future mother of my children. Our children. With our spawn, the Saiyan Race will welcome a new breed of Super Saiyans unlike any the universe has ever seen before!" He said as he powered up to his own maximum.

Valkyrie was rather horrified by what she was feeling. Even at her fullest she was a good 20% weaker than he was which gave him a dangerous advantage. But she had no choice but to face him down and kill him now. If she didn't, there was no telling what would happen.

And so she braced herself for the fight of her life, Super Saiyan vs. Super Saiyan.

ChazGhost D. Rex

 

[ChazGhost]

Pyro simply napped as he waited for the signal for him and his crew to leave the ship and attack. Once it did Pyro actived his scouter as he followed the saiyans out of the ship. He messaged his crew saying "Jaws, Alice, and Disco follow me quickly. The rest of you guard the ship in case anyone tries attacking the ship".

A few moments later Pyro and his three students caught up to Era. "Why would they have fake tails? Why would the evil monkey king care if his people knew he had darkhoods with him?" Pyro said slightly confused by the idea but quickly shook it off. "Who cares I guess, We won't kill the ones with regular tails, unless we have no choice of course." Pyro said power up to his final form. Jaws, Alice, Disco powered up to, they of course were no where near Era level let alone Pyro's but they would be able to handle themselves.

Sense he couldn't outright kill all his opponents Pyro charged in and slammed several real and fake saiyans with his tail and launched them into the wall. The trio followed right behind fighting to together as a well oiled machine, with Disco and Alice setting opponents up to have Jaws finished them off, mostly with his rip jaw cannon. "I see my teaching wasn't wasted." Pyro said smirking as he broke a fake saiyan's neck with his tail.
ChoShadow D. Rex

 

[ChoShadow]

To say it was a storm of uncertainty would be an understatement.

Era didn't know where to look to throw a punch. In fact all of the Darkhoods disguised as Saiyans were so well disguised she barely had the time to take notice of the tails before she was doubting herself and the punches she was throwing. Should this punch be powerful enough to kill? Should that punch be powerful enough to just knock someone out?

In the end she fell back on her old ways of only using nonlethal techniques, as she didn't think she could handle having any of the blood of her fellow Saiyans on her hands. She used them to punch through a hole she saw in their offensive lines and push beyond the battlefield as she raced to the palace. A few of the enemy followed her to the gates where she dealt with them swiftly by knocking them out and leaving them for someone else to deal with when all this madness was over.

As she was about to throw open the doors, they burst outwards from a blast caused from inside as two glowing golden auras forced their way out flying high into the skies creating a raging typhoon of pure energy throughout the skies. Bolts of bio-electricity flew through the air scorching the ground, electrified the water, and even began heating the very air of the atmosphere causing the planet's entire temperature to rise by a few degrees.

The impact force of the blows traded by Valkyrie and the king were so tremendous they caused craters in the ground even though the two of them were nearly a full mile into the skies.

As much as Era wanted to marvel at the spectacle, there was no time. She could sense Fae's energy ahead and it was very, very weak. She raced through the palace following the trail of Fae's power until she came to the double doors that led to the king's chambers.

... It was forbidden for anyone save those invited or for the king's chosen bride, the queen, to enter those doors. But this was Fae. She was neither, and if she was in there then Era could be as well.

She threw the doors open, and what she saw nearly stole her breath in the worst way possible...

D. Rex (Time to break Era!)

 

[D. Rex]

She couldn't move. It hurt to breath. The castle shaking around her was soothimg, at least. In a morbid sort of way. The limp body of the saiyan lay naked on her back, with her head hanging off the side of the bed and her arms outstretched. She was, to put it tactfully, beyond battered and a fair bit bloodied. The bruises and handprints and other injuries that plagued her body would tell Era all the story that needed to be told of what happened here. That the King had brutally and effectively made her his own.


It had been all that she could do to remain conscious. An ever growing struggle as the world fervently tried to fade to black. The pain was one thing, the exhaustion was another. Fae had to hold onto the Yoseishin throughout just to stay alive. But alive she was, and one eye opened halfway as felt the presence of Era.


Fae was still… unmoving save for the ragged rise and fall of her chest. Even her normally expressive tail, now severely broken in two places was visibly and disturbingly bent out of shape at odd angles, couldn't even manage a twitch at the sight of Era, despite how happy she was to see her. The King hadn't gotten her.


“You… think I'm bad… you should see the other guy…” she said in a weak voice, barely above a whisper. Letting out the start of a chuckle, but it sounded more like a cough which only served to rack her body with more pain. Her attempt at lightening the mood was an obvious facade, one she gave up on quickly.


Fae tried to move, curling her arm in with some difficulty… but the other… she couldn't even feel her other arm. “I'm sorry… Era… I lied.” she said, closing her eye. Finding it harder and harder to keep it open. “I… i…” she paused. A long pause as she tried to catch her fleeting breath, ”I knew this… was going to happen. I told Faero to wait.” another pause.”I will do… anything… to keep… you from him. He can't have you.”


It was starting to hurt with every word, and Era would notice that Fae was fighting to stay awake. Her voice really struggling to come out. “he can't have you…” she repeated, “I won't let him..” It was here that Era would notice that tears were actually starting to fall the closed lids of Fae's eyes. And as they dripped down her face, they hit the ground pink, with the blood each one collected as they rolled off her cheeks. Fae wouldn't let the King get what he wanted… she loved her too much for that. This… this was nothing compared to the pain of knowing that Era was in her place. And if this is what it took to keep Era alove, she would do it all again. No regrets.


There was a sniffle as Fae took breath to speak again. Her voice barely audible this time, and mostly unintelligible. “you… break you… he can have me… can't… break me.”


Fae's eye opened once more, to try and see Era. It had opened only a sliver, and it was all for naught as the tears blurred everything beyond recognition. “Don't… worry… Era… I'm…. I'm fine… ” she said. Adding one more lie to this whole affair.


With that… her eye closed again, and another long pause. But unlike the others, no deep breath followed. Just the slight movement of her chest as her body worked to breath. Unable to speak any longer, her last thoughts were on hoping the King would not take her. But now... She was unconscious. Unable to help. Or do anything but leave Era standing the alone in a quite room. Fae was in a severe state, but nothing fatal.

ChoShadow ChazGhost

 

[ChoShadow]

Era barely recognized the broken and battered form which lay on the king's bed, and just the location of the body was enough to instantly cause Era to snap inside. Her eyes were wide like a frightened animal caught in a trap as she slowly approached what soon became identifiable as her dear friend, Faeora.

She stood by the side of the bed with her mouth ever so slightly agape and her eyes wide as dinner plates as she looked Fae over from top to bottom. As Fae began to speak, Era's eyes trailed unintentionally to Faeora's face.

“You… think I'm bad… you should see the other guy…” Fae said weakly.

Era's mouth opened a tiny bit wider. Her mind desperately wanted to speak. To ask questions. But at the same time her brain knew all the answers. If there was one thing Era was a prodigy at besides combat, it was analyzing a situation from a physical standpoint to understand what had taken place. A single broken arm could tell her almost everything about how the arm was broken.

When Era looked at Fae, her brain was already playing a vision of everything that happened in order from beginning to end as she absentmindedly looked at Fae while the latter continued to speak.

“I'm sorry… Era… I lied.” She said.

”I knew this… was going to happen. I told Faero to wait... I will do… anything… to keep… you from him. He can't have you.” She continued.

Era's eyes, held open for too long, at last blinked for the first time since she entered the room as tears began forming around her lower eyelids.

“He can't have you…” she repeated, “I won't let him..”

Era slowly leaned forward and reached out to touch Faeora's face as gently as she possibly could. She cupped her hand around Fae's cheek, and as she did so her mouth, still agape, closed slightly though her teeth could still be seen as she fought back against the gasps and sniffles which threatened to break free at any moment.

“You… break you… he can have me… can't… break me.” Fae continued.

Era's mind tried to put together Fae's message, but she was having trouble. Her? Break her? That part she didn't understand. But the part about having Fae and not being able to break her? That part Era knew was true though she was still seven degrees of unhappy about seeing that thought made a reality.

“Don't… worry… Era… I'm…. I'm fine… ” Fae whispered as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

"... Fae?" Era whimpered as she finally gave in to her tears which now cascaded silently down her face like waterfalls.

For a long, long moment Era was frozen in time by the bedside with one hand cupped to Fae's cheek and the other hand gripping the bedding so tightly her knuckles had pushed out all the blood in that area of her hand. Through the sheets her fingernails cut into her palms causing them to slowly stain with blood as Era continued to silently weep by Fae's side.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet and a few books fell off the bookshelves. Cups and plates fell off the dining tables. A plant fell off the windowsill. And one of the candles by the windows fell down catching the carpet on fire which began slowly spreading throughout the room.

Era was numb to it all.

Her eyes remained glued to her old friend as she silently wept for what Fae had allowed to happen to her.

Slowly Era began to analyze her body again from top to bottom meticulously going over every detail one by one.

"It was supposed to be me." She whimpered.

Her hand clutching the bed clenched even tighter, and the hand cupped to Fae's cheek slowly trailed across Fae's body from one wound to the other. Era was feeling out each wound and taking in the measure of how bad each one was and how badly Fae must have been hurting both inside and out before falling to unconsciousness.

Slowly Era's body began reacting to this turmoil and sorrow which was overcoming her heart. Her power level began slowly rising as her body began to heat up with every passing second. The air around her began to shimmer ever so slightly as she lowered her head, her tears still falling though some evaporating before leaving her cheeks.

Her hand continued to trail across Fae's body, trembling the entire time.

"It was supposed to be me." She repeated.

The hand trailing across Fae's body reached Fae's hip and stopped cold. In her mind Era was unafraid and unashamed to continue running the length of Fae's body, but she stopped at the hip because of what she knew had taken place just a few inches below. The thought of the king making Fae his own in this most brutal fashion prevented Era from wanting to put her hand any lower. Fae had been touched enough by hands not her own and hands not given permission to go there.

But it was that final thought which finally broke Era's mind. Fae had been touched enough by hands not her own.

Era's head sunk even lower, and she froze in place neither confirming or denying life as the shimmer faded and her power dropped lower and lower.

And just then, something was thrown through the wall and slammed into the ground throwing up a tremendous cloud of dust throughout the room and shaking the entire palace around them. Era didn't budge, but she was conscious enough to throw up an energy barrier the instant she felt that object coming her way. Fae and Era were safe within its confines, and as the dust settled she released the barrier and slowly glanced over towards whom she knew had been suddenly thrown down like that: Valkyrie.

Val was in rough shape. Despite being at full power in her Super Saiyan form she was much the worse for wear. Half her clothing had been torn loose exposing part of her chest and posterior. Bruises were forming, blood was dripping from her lips and nose, and she was coughing and gasping for breath indicating a problem with her ribs and lungs as well.

Valkyrie glanced over towards Era as she felt her presence, and also glanced to Fae as her eyes went wide despite her own poor condition. But when Valkyrie's eyes met Era's, she could hardly even recognize her sister's face.

The king slowly floated down into the room. His dark orange-yellow aura burned around him just like the fires which had previously been scorching the room around them until they were put out by the sheer force of Valkyrie's descent. As he landed it was clear he had hardly taken any damage from Valkyrie despite her best efforts. The gap between them had been too great for Val to overcome.

He looked over towards Era who slowly, slowly, glanced over her shoulder at him with cold dead eyes.

"Ah, there you are my dear." The king said as he looked Era up and down.

"To see you standing there in person... It puts the holograms of you to shame." He said, licking his lips.

"I see you found my latest substitution for you and your sister. No matter. We will dispose of her before we begin proper together." He said.

Era turned towards him and slowly walked forward. Her eyes were still cold and lifeless, but her posture was tall and unafraid. As she stopped in front of him he let his aura dissipate that she might come as close as she wanted. She reached out and put her hand on the king's chest, and he smiled as if he believed she was doing so in either a loving or sexual way. He even closed his eyes and put his hands to either side in an open and inviting manner.

As Era's eyes came up and looked at his face, eyes closed and waiting for her with a smile, inside she snapped for the second time. And this one was the straw which broke the camel's back, as the humans on Earth had loved to say.

Era gave a hard push, and the king was violently sent flying back and out of the palace against his will and against all his own expectations. He skidded across the ground for several hundred feet before regaining his control and floating up into the air.

To say he was surprised was an understatement to say the least, and he floated there with wide eyes as Era slowly walked out of the palace with her eyes glued to him.

Her body was trembling and her cold, dead eyes were burning with suppressed rage. But as Era glanced over her shoulder at Fae once more that suppression was, for the first time in Era's life, let loose.

With all the power, ferocity, and newly unleashed rage she was capable of, Era screamed upwards towards the skies and her aura instantly exploded around her destroying much of the palace behind her and sending Fae's body flying. Fae was caught quickly by Valkyrie and protected by Val's aura, but the force of that power up had even caused the king to falter in his flight forcing him to correct himself as he and Valkyrie witnessed the beginning of Era's ascension.

Her screams were shrill and blood curdling. Her palms were dripping blood which was evaporating and drying out almost as soon as it was freed from her flesh. The ground had eroded away in an instant under the weight of her now rapidly ascending power. Blink and you'd miss it. The ground was there one instant and gone the next.

Era continued shrieking at the top of her lungs as her power skyrocketed to heights not seen before. Even her power up to Super Saiyan while unconscious in the rejuvenation chamber paled in comparison to the power she was now putting on display. It soared higher and higher and her body began reacting in much the same way Valkyrie's had when she ascended. Her hair, eyebrows, and tail all flashed with a deep golden coloration before returning to normal for a moment, and then flashed again. Over and over several times before finally they solidified and took on a much greater shape.

Normally Era's hair was kept in a tight ponytail due in part to her own energy helping keep it so and partly from product she used. But now Era's hair was flowing free behind her. In its own way it was glorious. Nobody had ever seen her hair like this before save maybe her parents when she was younger. It flowed out, around, and was much thicker than anyone dared guess it was from how tight that ponytail always was. It now flowed out behind her like a golden flame with nearly a dozen large flowing spikes which was much different from Valkyrie's hair which seemed more rigid by comparison (partly because it was much shorter).

But Era's now flowing golden hair gave no doubt as to what she had just accomplished as she continued shrieking and crying with her head towards the skies above her.

Valkyrie was both awestruck and elated to see what her sister had just done, and a smile crept onto her face. But one who was not so happy was the king who was frowning and gritting his teeth. He knew Era's reputation and what she was known for. He also knew what her fighting style was like from reports and footage of her in combat before. To say that this was a problem for him. Well... That was putting it mildly.

At last Era's shrieks came to an as she floated in the air catching her breath. Her head was down and her bangs covering half her face, but as her head came up and both her eyes fell on the king it was clear what she now had in mind.

Valkyrie looked to the king and shouted over to him, catching his attention.

"Good luck, my liege." She stated sarcastically.

"You're going to need it." She said.

That last comment was genuine. Era's power now nearly matched the king's own. Her power, given her 12.4 million base, was now at least 620 million. His was slightly higher, maybe 650 or so. But those few points wouldn't matter. Not against a warrior of Era's caliber. Not in a million years.

The king was now in for the fight of his life against not only a warrior pushed to her breaking point who now would fight him with the desperation of someone with everything to lose, but also a woman scorned.

D. Rex ChazGhost

 

[ChazGhost]

"Do you feel that big man?" Disco shouted at Pyro as he kicked saiyan. Disco as well as the other started to feel tremendous ki coming from the huge fight between the two super saiyans.

"I do, these dirty monkey seem to have more power then I would of thought possible a few months ago." Pyro said back handing a saiyan which launched him into a crowd of other saiyans and fake saiyans. "But while their power is great a frost demon can surpass it" Pyro added smirking.

Disco smirked back. "Hey your the boss, cap" Disco said before charging into a crowd that Alice was currently fighting. At this point the numbers of fighters started dropping quick from Pyro and his men taking them out and some running away in fear of Pyro and/or the super saiyans earth breaking battle.

And then the king was launched out of the palace. Then soon after Era unlocked her super saiyan form. The saiyans and darkhoods who were not running a moment ago were now. "...Is it still a legend if it keeps happening three?" Pyro commented before looking back at his men. "Gather up the unconscious real monkeys and get them out of here. More dead saiyan body less glory I'm going to get" Pyro ordered.
D. Rex ChoShadow

 

[ChoShadow]

The anticipation was maddening.

Era was floating as still as a statue with her flowing golden aura gently waving about her like a calm candle flame. But Era was anything but calm. Valkyrie had trouble recognizing her due to the murderous glare that was now etched onto her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her nose slightly scrunched, her upper lip curled up and her teeth partially bared, and her lower jaw set and clenched.

Her hands hung loosely by her sides and her back was straight as she shot a glare at Valkyrie.

Val didn't need a second glare to know what Era wanted, and she rocketed off at full speed with Fae hung over her shoulder towards Pyro's ship bound for the Rejuvenation Chamber as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile the king floated not far away watching as Era's glare returned to him. Despite knowing that this was going to be the fight of his life, he was a pure blooded Saiyan and was extremely excited and elated to be facing a warrior of her caliber. He smiled and opened his arms to both sides.

"... Come then, my love. Show me the full extent of your newfound power." He said, welcoming her to him.

Era did not respond to him. Her facial expression hadn't chanced since the moment she transformed, and it wasn't about to change now. Not for him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. She would deny him everything he wanted by letting him come to her rather than going to him.

He seemed to pick up on this as his smile turned to more of a sneer.

"Very well then. I shall come to you." He said.

... It happened instantly.

He hadn't even closed his mouth to finish speaking before his eyes adjusted to the sight of Era now face to face with him. He was so taken aback by the burst of speed she just showed and the fact that even his Super Saiyan eyes couldn't follow it that he flew back to gain distance with wide eyes showing the first signs of fear beginning to build.

He wanted to come to her, she came to him. Again she was denying him what he wanted to do, and it was beginning to work and beginning to irritate him.

"Fine. If this is the way you wish to play." He said with obvious anger in his voice.

He let his aura flare as he raced forward and the fight truly began in earnest.

The first collision between them shook the entire planet to its core causing massive cracks in the planet's surface to open up for miles in every direction. Anyone within about one mile of the burst was blown back including Pyro and his crew as well as any of the Darkhood forces which had remained. Bodies on the ground were blown away. Trees ripped from their roots. Buildings torn from their foundations. What was left of the palace was practically wiped off the face of the planet. And nothing was spared the impact force between the colliding super powers.

And all that from but a single collision.

The king had come forward and thrown out a simple punch which was met by Era's left elbow which came up for a block. Neither had moved the moment the impact occurred which was the more amazing thing given that they were point blank at ground zero of the impact zone.

The king backed away a moment and Era was then instantly on top of him slamming her right elbow across his jaw sending him flying back. But she didn't give him a reprieve or a moment to catch his breath. She was again instantly on top of him slamming her left knee into his stomach cracking his armor and sending him flying down to the ground. But before he landed she was there once again and threw her right knee up into the small of his back causing him to cough out large amounts of air and saliva. No blood made it out, but she was certain that would soon change.

She was determined to see it happen.

ChazGhost D. Rex

 

[ChazGhost]

Disco, Jaws, and Alice were doing a great job of moving saiyans away from the huge battle and Pyro even moved a few. Until of course the king unleashed his power and blow back Pyro and his crew. "What the hell" Pyro yelled as he was launched. Him and his trio landed a few miles away from the palace or the crater that was the palace. "Ohh come on, I was planning to have the boys loot that place... F****** super saiyans" Pyro said with a groan laying on his back.

The trio looked at him and shrugged. "Umm... Captain should we head back to the ship?" Alice asked.

"Sure... I'm sure Era can kill the king. If not, We'll get the hell of dodge." Pyro said before heading back to his ship.

Meanwhile the doctor rushed Fae into the rejuvenation chamber as she could. "It lucky you got her here, to much longer and who knows what could of happen." The doctor said setting the chamber up for Fae.
D. Rex ChoShadow

 

[ChoShadow]

The battle of the Super Saiyans was now in full swing.

Era's previous advantage had begun to disappear as the sudden burst of power she received from the initial transformation itself seemed to have settled into itself and her power was now stabilizing. And with the fight becoming much more even between them it was now anyone's guess as to who would win.

But one thing was certain, this was a clash of titans in the worst way.

The power behind their blows was enough to continue to push the world itself to its limits as the entire planet shook with each major collision between the two. More bursts of power which would be enough to blow away anyone within a mile or so of impact littered the skies at a blinding pace. It was just a testament to how hard these two were battling each other.

And to anyone who actually had the eyes to observe such as Pyro and Valkyrie, who had since made it back to observe the battle after dropping Fae off at the ship, this fight was about as intense and grueling as any they'd have ever witnessed before. Each blow which did manage to land from either combatant held enough power to vaporize any lesser combatant which was struck with it. Every time either of the two were struck, you could feel it in your bones. Both of them were consistently coughing and gasping for air when struck in the stomach or rib area, but brushed it off almost as quickly before coming right back to deliver the punishment to their opponent.

It was almost painful to watch, but not for the usual reasons. Just observing the impact force each of them were dishing out against each other was enough to make Valkyrie cringe despite being a Super Saiyan herself.

ChazGhost D. Rex (I had to shorten this post due to time constraints on my end. I'll have a much larger one tomorrow or Sunday depending on when I get around to it.)

 

[ChoShadow]

Blow for brutal blow erupted from the skies, over the mountains, oceans, and forests.

The entire planet had become part of the battlefield to the point where Valkyrie had to race after Era and the king in order to continue observing. Part of her wanted to join Era in this struggle, but she knew she'd just get in the way by this point. Era's power had already eclipsed hers, and at the level of sheer ferocity this battle was holding she would likely not last long despite her own incredible power.

In the thick of the battle, Era was engaged in all out war for her dignity, her freedom, her race, and most importantly revenge for Faeora.

Era's vision was so focused on the king she had nearly developed tunnel vision and was no longer paying attention to the world around her. Every time they flew through a forest, she would just fly straight through a tree as if it were made of cardboard. When they flew by the mountains her body would hit the ground and she wouldn't stop moving through it almost as if it had turned to water. And speaking of water... When they flew over and even sometimes into the ocean she blew through it like it was air.

Nothing was slowing her down and nothing was getting in her way. She destroyed anything that tried to come between her and the king whether it was alive or not with extreme prejudice. Her aggression was not to be denied, nor her determination to see this battle through to the end. Nothing short of victory would satisfy her this day.

This man-... No.

This freak, needed to die!

Era and the king had been fighting now for only around one minute, but already it seemed like they'd been battling for an hour. Their fight had taken them all around the planet in that time and the entire Saiyan Race was now glued to this fight watching it however they could. If they had top of the line Scouters, they were using state of the art satellite imagery to broadcast the battle to the visors on the devices. If they had good senses, they could "watch" the battle in their minds. And if their eyes were fast enough, they could see it going down right in front of them.

Thousands of Saiyans from across the planet had begun gathering to watch the fate of their planet and their very lives unfold. Many who'd known Era and Valkyrie observed in complete awe as Valkyrie merely floated there observing the battle in her Super Saiyan form whispering among themselves about Valkyrie becoming a legend made flesh. As well they couldn't help but marvel at Era, also now a Super Saiyan, now having power comparable to this dastardly excuse of a "king" who dared threaten their way of life. He'd already done horrible things here, and none of the Saiyans would be sad to see him die.

"You really think Era can win?" Asked one female Saiyan named Bernett, who was one of Era's comrades before she joined Commander Korvaiis' crew.

"I hope so. She's always been a prodigy. If anyone did become a Super Saiyan, I'm not surprised it's her." Said another male Saiyan named Jreil, also a former comrade.

Many of those who'd gathered began to cheer for Era and Valkyrie who turned to smile at her fellow Saiyans before returning her eyes to the escalating conflict.

Despite the confidence in her from her former comrades, Era was beginning to struggle as the king began employing a new strategy.

Era was a Super Saiyan. She was a warrior. She was tough. Tenacious. Aggressive. And she was a prodigy of the highest caliber.

... But she was also a woman.

The king began taking advantage of a woman's greatest weakness: her body.

Instead of fighting like a warrior, he began fighting like a predator. Whenever he had a moment with a hand free, he groped her wherever his hand was closest. He grabbed and pulled her hair. He did everything he could to strike her where she was weakest because the problem for Era was that she was trained like a warrior. She wasn't trained to fight off a predator. Her prodigious talent of adapting to a warrior's combat style meant little to nothing against this.

Era tried to adapt to it, but he kept coming up with new ways to toy with her body that she wasn't prepared to handle, and a thought ran through her mind.

Is this what Fae felt when he was attacking her? She thought.

No. This isn't what Fae felt. Not even close.

Just the thought that she compared what she was feeling now to what Fae had been feeling gave Era that much more perspective on just what Fae had endured, and it somehow angered her even more expanding the depths of her power allowing her to tap into even greater reserves of strength.

His hand was primed to grope her right breast, but she saw it coming this time and managed to tilt her torso so he grabbed her bicep instead. Once his hand was there she slid downward forcing his hand up towards her head where her right hand gripped his wrist allowing her to pull him down with her while she used her Ki to boost her upwards ramming her forehead into the tip of his chin. As his head was jerked upwards by the blow she used her left hand to slam her fist into the softer area of his stomach just above his groin and dug it in as hard as she could.

His torso was forced forward by the force of the blow and she twisted her left arm, still dug into the punch to his stomach, so her elbow faced upwards and slammed his chin on his head's way down. With his head now flying back up she spun under his arm and twisted it behind his back before bringing both of her feet up to his shoulder, using her Ki to lock them to his body, and pulled his arm for all her worth causing it to wrench free from the socket bringing him excruciating pain as she continued pulling and pulling and pulling. She could feel the muscles stretching and tearing, threatening to see the arm break free.

But again he foiled her plan with a resourceful and unforeseen move by turning his free hand back towards her and firing a Ki blast square into her face across her eyes.

Era let him go instantly bringing her hands to her face in pain as she shrieked in agony, and during that time the king took a brief moment to assess the damage to his arm before deciding it wasn't enough to stop him. He popped his shoulder back into place and flew forward slamming his knee into her stomach and grabbing her hair and using it to twirl her around in long, wide circles before releasing her. Because of the pain her eyes were in she was in no condition to stop herself as she was thrown into a mountain burying her deep beneath the surface of the planet. In fact the force of the throw was so strong it sent her clean through. Thankfully the angel was very shallow, so she only flew through the crust for a few hundred miles before exiting the other side. Otherwise she'd have been cooked by the heat of the planet's core.

She finally gained control of herself as she entered open air again on the other side of the planet and assessed the damage to her eyes. She forced them open, and her vision was a bit hazy. The skin around her eyes was slightly burned from the blast being so close, but otherwise her eyes were in tact and capable of functioning properly once they got some moisture back into them. Era forced herself to cry, soaking them and allowing them to ease the pain of being so dry from the heat of the Ki blast which eased her pain and allowed her to regain her composure. And just in time too as 'his majesty' reappeared to reengage her in combat.

ChazGhost D. Rex (Dead tired right now so I'll finish their battle sometime tomorrow)

 

[ChoShadow]

As the two Super Saiyans reengaged each other, Era began to notice something about the differences between herself as a Super Saiyan and the king as a Super Saiyan.

For one, his aura color being darker than usual as well as his hair having a subtly orange tint to the highlights as well. But that was just the aesthetic which she used to bolster her mental analysis. There was more going on in this transformation. Much more.

Era could practically feel the animosity which drove the form. The deep rooted hatred the king held for whatever gave him the drive to transform in the first place. The animalistic motions and facial expressions. This man was very, very insane. And again Era could practically feel his insanity pouring out from his aura. She could see it in his eyes, his body posture, even the rhythm of his breathing screamed of insanity.

She wasn't just fighting a Super Saiyan. She was fighting a monster.

And this monster had some serious fight in him. Despite only being marginally stronger than she was he was finding ways to counter her prodigious talents by sheer force of effort and willpower. Something about this form allowed him to find ways of countering her and forcing himself to move fast enough to stop her chain attacks. What that was, she couldn't yet discern. But something about this form allowed him to reach into a well of power which seemed to allow him momentary spurts of power enough to make him fast enough to keep pace with her adaptations to his techniques.

But Era would not fold. It felt like she had infinite stamina right now, if such a thing was possible. She kept track of her power level and it hadn't dropped at all despite the brutal nature of the fight so far. But unfortunately, neither had his.

The two kept at it, and against any and all belief the fight had only been going on now for around two full minutes. But again, it felt like it had been going on for hours due to everything that was happening all at once.

The fight was on a continuous escalation with neither side giving an inch.

Era and the king locked horns, so to speak, and continued their rampage across the planet with Era still struggling to get her eyes moist enough to see perfectly and relying on her other senses to guide her until her sight returned in full.

The king attacked with a right-hand punch to the stomach which Era blocked with her right knee. The king then opened his hand and slid it up along her thigh between her legs grabbing her posterior and wrapping his left arm around her neck to lock his hands together behind her back trapping her up against his chest. He used his left leg to pin her right arm so she couldn't use it, and before she could react with her left arm he squeezed down as hard as he could putting serious pressure on her hips and back which caused her a lot of pain. Whilst in this position he licked her left arm just above the shoulder and along the base of her neck which creeped her out and sent a shiver down her spine.

She retaliated by smashing her head into his which broke the strength of his grip just enough for her to bring her left arm in and snake it through the gap in his arms so she could counter grab him around the neck. Doing so ensured her left shoulder broke his left arm grip around her body which is what allowed the counter grab in the first place, and with him now in a choke hold she squeezed down as hard as she could and powered up before hurtling towards the ground at full speed. The very instant she was about to hit, she loosed her grip enough to slide down along his back. She then used her right hand to grab the back of his head and her left hand to pin his left arm behind his back as she planted her knees into his back and slammed him down into the ground.

The earth erupted in a wall of dust, dirt, debris, and chunks of stone and packed earth sending them out for miles in all directions. But within the thick of the massive dust cloud the fight had already begun once again.

The king had taken a brief advantage and managed to use another underhanded tactic to again strike at Era's senses. This time he aimed for her sense of hearing by using his Ki to create a highly focused beam which he unleashed right next to her left ear. The deafening pitch of the focused beam instantly caused her pain and blood trickled out of her ear. She wasn't deaf, but she definitely lost a lot of functionality from that ear which threw off her ear's combined ability to pick up the direction of a sound. This put her at a dangerous disadvantage because of how unconsciously reliant on her hearing she had been up until this point in her life when it came to combat. Era was already the type to let her body take over without thinking too much about what she was doing, but when her body's senses were under attack it became difficult to maintain a competitive edge.

The fight continued like this with the king trying everything he could to weaken her and take the advantage he so desperately wanted. All those watching who were able to keep up with the battle, meaning basically only Valkyrie and, to a lesser extent, Pyro, could see in his eyes the overwhelming and insane desire to triumph against the most formidable adversary he'd ever faced. It was partially his Saiyan blood, and partially just his insanity. But it all spoke of what was going on in the way he looked at Era.

Dragging on for what seemed like an eternity, the battle raged ever on. What was once two and a half minutes was now ten minute struggle. For a battle of this intensity, that was an eternity. How either combatant was able to push this much power forward with such ferocity and continue to fight with the same intensity as when they started, if not more, was unfathomable. Even Valkyrie was given pause by just how long this battle had gone on with powers this high clashing as they had. All of the experience she had with combat said it should have ended long ago, but here it was still raging almost ten minutes in.

But desperation was becoming apparent. The king wanted to end this, but Era thwarted every attempt he made with her prodigious versatility and adaptability. But at last he'd had enough and it was time to make it clear that this was not a game to him. He was very serious about defeating her and about ensuring the future he saw for the Saiyan Race. Insane or not, he was one of them and would be until his dying breath.

He flew up to the edge of the atmosphere where he was just within the limits of the planet's sphere of oxygen, and began powering up his ultimate technique.

Both of his hands were glued to his sides in tight fists, indicating a dual launch Ki blast. His posture was slightly hunched forward, meaning it packed the kind of backlash that would likely move him back from how much forward was about to be unleashed in front of him. And his aura was flaring wildly and aggressively indicating an enormous power up. And an enormous power up it was. Era felt his power climb higher and higher until it was nearly double what it had been before, and both his hands lurched forward with his palms coming together to prepare the blast.

"If the future of our race cannot be ensured by our union, then it will be ensured by my will and my will alone! Perish, dear Era! Perish knowing that you forced me to use the absolute limits of my power in a vain attempt to avenge that wretch of a friend, Faeora Faerari!" He shouted down to her.

Era's mouth curled in a snarl as she lowered herself down to the ground to await the coming of the blast, her own aura flaring up indicating her intent to stop this attack.

"Witness perfection incarnate!!" He screamed.

From his hands erupted a Ki burst stream the size of a building with a diameter of nearly 100'. It rocketed forward with incredible speed towards the planet below. If it hit the planet even slightly it would explode instantly. Therefore it begged the question why Era was on the ground.

But if she were here, Fae would know.

Era began screaming in effort as her Ki began to expand. But to where? Valkyrie could feel it expanding through the vibrations in the air, but she couldn't see where it was expanding.

Not until the unthinkable happened.

The surface of the entire planet suddenly began glowing in sync with the pulses of Era's aura, and Valkyrie at last understood what Era was doing which caused her jaw to drop in awe.

It was Fae's signature technique, the Ki Anchor. But it was being used in a slightly different way.

Instead of being focused into Era's feet to anchor her to a small area of the ground to keep her in place, Era's Ki was being extended from her legs to the entire surface of the planet. This extension of Ki across the planet's surface not only provided the planet with a protective barrier of Ki, but it also ensured that when Era was hit by the Ki wave that the planet would not suffer the consequences even if she failed to repel the attack. This planet-wide anchor would protect her world and Fae's people from this madman's wrath even though she was not around to watch it happen.

With her planet-wide anchor in place, Era braced herself for impact. She threw her hands up, palms wide open and fingers spread to ensure maximum control once it struck. Despite the speed of the Ki wave it seemed to be traveling in slow motion before it finally reached her position.

The attack hit, and sheer chaos ensued.

The power of the attack caused the planet beneath Era's feet to shake violently threatening to cause it to fall apart from the force of the vibrations now being sent through it. That was one of the dangers of the technique, but it was a risk she had to take. She couldn't stop the attack and protect the planet while in the air, and while on the ground the Ki blast was just too big to stop all of it from getting past her hands. Something had to give.

Era struggled and strained to maintain control of the blast. It burned her hands to catch and try to stop a Ki blast with twice as much Ki as she currently possessed. But she had to try. This was the only safe method for saving the planet itself that she could manage within the short time since his powering up and firing the attack at her.

Era had to really dig deep to find the energy to remain where she was. Splitting her focus between maintaining the Ki Anchor and stopping this attack was rapidly draining her from a mental standpoint. She had to close her eyes tightly to keep the visual stimuli of the world around her from ruining her concentration.

That was, of course, until a flash memory of Fae laying on that bed came back into her mind.

The world went quiet, save for the dialogue playing back through her mind of that memory.

I'm sorry... Era... I lied.

...

I knew this would happen...

... She knew... Era thought.

He can't have you...

She knew she'd suffer like that, but she did it anyway without our consent... All for us.

I won't let him.

She's not a Super Saiyan.

... He can have me.

She's not really that strong mentally.

... Can't... Break me.

But she's my friend, and I let this happen to her.

Don't worry... Era...

... I let it happen.

I'm...

I let it happen!

... I'm fine...

Era's eyes flew open, her pupils dilated so much they may as well not have been there.

"I LET IT HAPPEN!!!" She shrieked.

Era's eyes went completely white as her Ki exploded around her as she continued shrieking at the top of her lungs in anger and self loathing. Her Ki shot up two, three, four, five times what it had been before as she launched a Ki blast of her own straight through the heart of the beam the king had sent her way. He was so shocked by what she had just done that he didn't even have time to defend himself as his beam shattered and disintegrated into sparkles of energy throughout the sky leaving only Era's focused red beam hurtling towards him.

He was shocked to motionlessness, and the beam hit its target in full before he could put up a defense. The beam was large enough to completely engulf him, and only the faint outline of his body could be seen within as it contorted and slowly disintegrated without fanfare.

Era's beam flew through the skies and out into space before it slowly thinned out and gave way to nothing.

Back on the planet Era remained in her spot with her Ki Anchor still attached to the planet and her energy flaring up around her wildly as her power remained at five times its normal amount. Her eyes were still white and she was still growling and snarling inside her aura as if she expected the king to come back so she could attack him again. She wanted to attack him again. She needed to. He was still there. He had to be. She needed to kill him again!

But it was at that point that Valkyrie slowly descended and landed inside Era's aura, powered down to her normal state with a calm and knowing expression on her face.

"Era?" She asked softly.

...

"Where is he?!" Era growled.

"He's gone, Era... You did it." Valkyrie cooed.

"No! He's still there! He has to be! Let him come! I'm ready to finish it!!" Era yelled.

Valkyrie put a hand on Era's shoulder which caused a slight change in Era's expression, a hint of confusion.

"Feel it out, Era. He's gone. I watched his body disintegrate in your beam... You've already finished it." She whispered.

Valkyrie then embraced Era and the Ki Anchor evaporated into a beautiful cascade of Ki particles which slowly disappeared from view over a few seconds time. Era's aura disappeared as well and her eyes returned to normal with tears streaming down her face as she reverted to her normal state and embraced Valkyrie, burying her face into Val's chest as she began to cry.

Her mumbles of being at fault for Fae's condition were barely audible or coherent, but Valkyrie continued to coo to Era and stroke her back and hair to help calm her down like the loving sister she truly was.

It was over, and within minutes what remained of the Darkhood forces scattered and made their attempts to escape the planet. The Saiyan Race as a whole breathed a sigh of relief that the tyrant and pretender to the throne was finally dead, and a new order much like the old could be reestablished and their ties to other races restored. It would be a long, difficult road to rebuild those relationships, but they were optimistic on the whole that it could happen.

And by Saiyan Law, Era's defeat of the king and her power now being the greatest among their race meant one thing: Era Niir'lana had just become the Queen of the Saiyan Race.

D. Rex ChazGhost ((Phew!!))

 

[ChazGhost]

Pyro watched the epic battle as best he could from his ship. He was both impressed and annoyed by their power. He was impressed because they had such great power they had to have such a great power. He was annoyed though because how much more power they had then him. Either way though the fight was entertaining to him, from the safety of his ship... with shields up at full power.

Then came the final climax with Era shoot a large beam at the former king and completely destroyed him. "...Okay I do have to give her that was a impressive blast." Pyro said to himself as the king was destroyed. "So doesn't that make that dirty monkey the new queen?" Pyro said turning to his crew who gave a shrug. "Huh from low level warrior to queen... nice fairy tale story really" Pyro said smiling as Val calmed Era down.
ChoShadow D. Rex

 

[D. Rex]

Just over a week had passed. For the greater part of it, she remained unconcious. Every now and then, she opened her eyes, her vision blurred by the green fluid, she always slipped back into darkness shortly after. A combination of drugs and being suspended in the rejuvenation chamber thankfully kept her from experiencing undue pain. With only the sounds of bubbles, and faint unintelligible voices being all that she could hear.

It was soon enough, though, that she truly awoke. Floating there watching from the viewport as the fuzzy outlines of doctors ran their last minute checks. Thoughts ran through her mind. Chief among them, was that she was alive. Era and val had to have won. That alone brought more relief than all her time in the chamber combined. The stress and worries began to filter away, just like the fluid in the chamber began to drain.

The doors opened, and the doctors caught her before she could fall. They quickly wrapped her in a towel, and dried her off and helped her into some clean robes and carried her to the nearest bed where she could rest and get the feeling back in her muscles. It was this time, that the doctors would send a message out to Era and Val that Faeora had finally came to.

Faeora moved her arms experimentally. Her body not being in pain right now, felt beyond terrific. She could move both arms now too. However, a frown came to her lips as she brought her pretty brown tail around to inspect it. Well... it was... better than it was. It didn't hurt, and was healed. But it still remain a little bent out of shape in the two parts where it had been broken. While it wasn't THAT obvious, she noticed it. Meh. A small price to pay. She seemed to still be able to move it at least, so she wrapped it around herself and laid back against the pillows.

The doctors had kindly told her how long it had been. And that Era, Val, and Pyro had indeed defeated the King and that Metahn was free. And even that Era was Queen!

Now that was a thought. And one she let herself smile at. Somehow, she just couldn't think of Era as a queen. Somehow it didn't suit her. She wondered how well it was going for her.

ChoShadow ChazGhost

 

[ChoShadow]

It took a total of nine days for Faeora to come to, and a lot had taken place during that time.

For starters, with the death of the tyrant king the Saiyan Race enjoyed three straight days of celebration. Festivities held in honor of Era and the others were held, including Pyro and his crew.

On the fourth day, Era was officially crowned as the new Queen of Metahnn, and as such she took up residence in the new Palace which was built using prefabricated technology provided by the C'thilians. It was a bit dusty, but it was a perfect replica of the original Palace which had been reduced to nothing during the battle.

It was an adjustment, to be sure. But thankfully Era handled her duties well despite being so new to them. Coming from a Low Class background she had little knowledge of what a king or queen was supposed to do. But she was a quick study. It only took her a few hours to get the hang of what she needed to do, and it didn't take long for her to reverse many of the horrible rulings and laws put in place by her now deceased predecessor.

By the end of day eight, they had returned to their original ways and reestablished communications with all of the races whom the previous king turned his back on. It was still going to take a good while before their relationships were restored to what they used to be, but the information that the tyrant king was dead and replaced by an honorable new ruler had been passed on and promises were exchanged that things would return to normal if the Saiyans were given the chance.

Come day nine, Era was exhausted and almost passed out on her throne by the time the news of Fae being awake came in. She passed off control of the throne room to her nearest advisor and took off for the medical bay. She arrived in seconds, nearly blowing the doors of the main lobby off their hinges as she pushed them open and dashed through without word to any of the staff to Fae's room.

The moment she was through the door she made her way over to Fae's bedside.

"Fae," she began... But she couldn't find any other words.

She stood there wondering what to say as she looked at her old friend.

D. Rex ChazGhost

 

[D. Rex]

Fae would have though she would have had a bit of time to think up how she would go about talking to them again. But no. It seemed that almost no sooner was the message sent out, that she felt the power of Era approach rapidly and storm inside.

And as Era approached, it was all she could do to stare, "Era..." She responded, with a slightly uncomfortable smile. Fae... didn't really know what to say either. And tried to think. The last time she saw Era, was... then.

As the remained their in some awkward silence, Fae couldn't but avert her eyes and take a deep breath. But rather than speak, she held it. Trying to think of something to say. Well. Silence wouldn't cut it. "I heard you won.... I'm glad."

Fae bit her lip. That didn't sound genuine at all. It came out like a hollow sentiment. With a bit of force of will, she looked back up at Era, "Era, I'm sorry. That I lied. But I couldn't think of any other way. But what happened to me doesn't matter. You killed him. You won. From what I hear, you are Queen."

Fae sighed, feeling like she was rambling now. And still not saying anything that didn't feel empty. But... right now, Fae didn't want to let the focus to be on herself. She didn't want Era thinking back to seeing her like that. She didn't know how Era would take it. Or even how she would explain it.

Faeora rubbed the back of her neck, feeling awkward thinking about it, herself. Geeze... what really could she say? Fae know she wanted to say something. But somehow.. her mind just couldn't form what it needed to form, let alone express it.

ChoShadow ChazGhost

 

[ChoShadow]

Era was quiet throughout Fae's short talk, and by the time it was over all Era could do was sniffle back against her tears as she leaned forward and embraced Fae.

"None of that is important," she said quietly.

"All I care about is that you're awake." She continued.

She was silent for a brief period, but then spoke again.

"What's done is done, and right now all that matters is that we all move forward together again." She began.

"Hey, guess what?" She asked as she pulled back, revealing a tear-stained face with a smile on it.

"The doctors told me that the Darkhood 'King' never unlocked the limiter gene naturally like we did. Whatever science was used on him to make it happen also rendered him sterile, though he refused to believe that due to his own insane desires and his vision for our race's future. But no matter what he said or did, none of us were ever in danger of being forced to bring him any heirs even if we he had won the battle." She said cheerfully, closing her eyes to force out a few more tears.

She hugged Fae again, this time pulling her into a seated position.

"Also... I'll be abdicating the throne soon." She said without much emotion behind the statement.

"I'm no queen, and I won't pretend to be one just because of my newfound power. I'm a Low Class warrior and proud of it, and I'll continue serving a true ruler once I find a suitable replacement. I've had my advisors provide me with a list of names, and Faero is in the top 5." She said calmly as she backed away to let Fae process this.

"Do you think Faero would make a good king? Even without his arm he's a fine warrior with a calm mind and a righteous heart. I can't think of many better whom I'd trust with something like that... But what do you think?" She asked.

She wanted Fae's honest opinion since Fae knew her family better than anyone. And since Fae's family knew almost all the heavy hitters from a political perspective, Fae would likely know of a few good names if Faero didn't fit the bill. If Fae said "no," Era would choose someone else. No questions asked.

D. Rex ChazGhost

 

[ChazGhost]

Pyro and his crew celebrated three days with the saiyans, except the doctor watching over Fae. The crew gave many of the saiyans a run for their money when it came to drink, Pyro alone drank fifty under the table. Disco picked up a few female soldiers he defeated during the battle and enjoyed a good time with them. Alice and Jaws enjoyed the large feast and ate to their hearts content.

After those three days Pyro worked on getting his money, supplies, and rewards for his and his crews help in dethroning the old king. With Era on the throne it was no problem getting them. He also had enough time after to began to recruit some promising saiyans to his crew in hopes to bolster his numbers and his crews over all power.

Present day
Once he got word that Fae was up Pyro grabbed a bottle of wine as a get well present and headed straight to Faes. When he got there, Era was already have important discuss it seemed so Pyro stayed just outside the door listening not wanting interrupting them.
D. Rex ChoShadow

 

[D. Rex]

Faeora smiled to herself of the news. Not about herself. Fae had taken the proper precautions before she had even left the ship. The pill she had taken wasn't a painkiller. Still, was somewhat a relief to know that even if she had failed, that it wouldn't have happened to Eva and Val.

As Era held her, Fae raised her arms to hold he against her. Starting to feel a little teary eyed herself. They were safe. They were all safe. The news however... was a bit disturbing... someone made a super saiyan? That could mean there might be more... but before she could ask further, the thoughthird was swept away by another squeeze from Era. Fae let out a happy grunt as Era pulled her upright.

What she said next really put the thought out of her head. "What?" She asked surprised,"Giving it up? But you... hm... heh... I really shouldn't be surprised. I have no doubt you would get bored within a month." She said with a proper giggle and a shake of her head.

The suggestion of the next ruler though. Faero? Really? She thought about it for a few moments. "Well. You might need to convince him. But... objectively speaking. I do think that he could make a good King. I trust him. Korvaiis respected him. And he risked his life to make to help Metahn, just as much as you did. He is a smart man, and even without his arm, I'm sure he is no pushover. He is also wise enough to not let our father get too pushy with his own ideals. So yes... I think you would be hard pressed to find someone better." She said with an affirming nod. Her brother as King. She always thought he would go far.

She paused as she felt Pyro's ki. She turned to the door. "Pyro? You can come in. Did you get your fill of blood and drink? Sorry I wasn't there to watch it."

ChoShadow ChazGhost

 

[ChoShadow]

Era considered Fae's words very carefully.

As much as she trusted Faero, the political climate would certainly see a change when and if Faero's father tried to get involved. It made her consider the other candidates. She'd have to meet them and talk to them to know for sure if they were a good fit for the job.

But that could wait until tomorrow.

"Thanks Fae... I'll let you get your rest now." Era said as she exited the room.

There was more she wanted to say, but it could wait. She had to get back to the palace and resume her duties as queen. Even if she wasn't fit for the job, she could hold it down long enough to find a better replacement.

Valkyrie visited Fae after Pyro had his chance to chat with her and said a few simple words of gratitude to Fae for her bravery in diverting the king's attention, but scolded her for not telling them. Era would never have allowed it, but Val saw the strategic value and would have held Era back from stopping Fae from doing what she felt she had to do. Still it was all water under the bridge now.

A few days passed, and Era took time to get to know the top ten candidates by bringing them to the palace and asking them numerous questions designed to test their sense of morals, their honesty, and consistency. She even asked some questions twice in slightly different ways to see if she couldn't get a different answer out of them. Most caught on, but a few didn't and they were promptly scratched off her list. One after another she slowly crossed them off her list until only two candidates were left: Faero, and another high-ranking Elite Class Saiyan from an old and prestigious family named Drihen Xellos.

Era had questioned both, and they were both high caliber warriors from well respected families. Both were intelligent, morally righteous, faithful to the Saiyan ways, loved their people and their home world, and most importantly were real and normal people when behind closed doors. The choice was a difficult one for sure because Era believed that since she asked Fae about the issue she felt she had something of an obligation to choose Faero. But Drihen had numerous qualities which slightly outshone Faero, so Era was at an impasse.

In the end Era made her choice, and it was a hard one. She chose Drihen. Faero was a strong candidate for sure, but his family was power hungry and the chance to have one of their own in such a position didn't bode well for the mental and emotional stability of the family in general. If their father found out Faero was king, oh the things he'd be likely to try and make Faero do. Faero was nobody's puppet, not even his own father's. But that would create strife and conflict for Faero with his own family, and a king that couldn't trust his own family had no business being king.

Drihen was announced as the next ruler of Metahnn the very next day, and Era officially stepped down as of 5:24pm and returned to her ordinary life.

It had been far too long since she'd been home, and she made it a point to visit her family during the down time as they'd all agreed they'd remain here for quite a long time. Val as well visited her family, all of whom were immeasurably proud that she was the first Super Saiyan since the original Super Saiyan himself to appear.

And as could be expected, Era and Valkyrie both wanted to test their Super Saiyan powers against one another. Era was clearly the more powerful between the two, but nevertheless Valkyrie was eager to test both her and Era's might. They entered one of Pyro's training rooms to protect the planet from their struggle, but it became clear that even those rooms were beginning to fail to contain their power as the doors began loosening off their hinges and the ground began cracking despite being ki-resistant. It was not concussive impact force resistant.

But more importantly...

Era had discovered a weakness in the Super Saiyan form during her training with Valkyrie that day.

It was actually a two-fold weakness beginning with the fact that the Saiyan's aggression was heightened to levels seemingly beyond the user's control. There were numerous moments where both she and Valkyrie recalled nearly giving into a deep desire to win at any cost, and both had used attacks which were physically devastating against each other causing more damage than intended. They didn't need any time in the rejuvenation chamber, but still the pain was rather intense. They normally didn't hurt one another like that.

The second weakness of the Super Saiyan form was that it carried a rather heavy drain on the user's energy. Era and Valkyrie both noted how quickly they both tired out, and though they were able to push their training battle for over thirty minutes it was absolutely exhausting. By the time it was over they were both drenched in sweat and had a hard time catching their breath. Even an hour after their battle was over they were still catching their breath. That couldn't happen. Or rather, it shouldn't be happening.

There had to be a way to negate these negatives of the form, but Era knew she couldn't get the job done with what current facilities were available. She needed something more, and that was when she sat down to think about what would work. The thought which came to mind that seemed a bit too far fetched to work was the one she decided to lead off with: A room crafted by the C'thilians which utilized similar technology as their warp drive engines for inter-stellar ships to create a space which bent time and space to generate an infinite void within which she could train in solitude. She needed a HUGE amount of space which wouldn't be destroyed if she exerted herself, and she needed a place devoid of other outside sounds so she could meditate.

She reached out to her C'thilian contact and discovered that they had the ability to do what she asked, though it would be pricey. But she wasn't worried about that. She was on good terms with the new king, and he said that he owed her for saving their world so she decided this would be a great time to cash in on that favor.

A couple days later the C'thilians arrived and she paid them ahead of time using the funds gifted her by the king and they got to work immediately in helping her design the room with greater detail. According to them, they could cause its internal space to bend time as well as space so that she could spend more time within it while time was passing much slower outside. The possibilities were endless with such a room, so she eagerly agreed to it. However, it came with a higher drawback due to the immense power needed to sustain such a space. It could only run for around two hours before it would need to be shut down and given time to recharge which could take up to a full week.

She didn't care about that. She wanted the room in the way they promised, and so they got to work installing it into a ship that was gifted to her while she was still queen. It had become her personal vessel, and while it was a tiny bit smaller than Pyro's ship, it would house her special room as well as another rejuvenation chamber as the C'thilians had finally acquired the materials to make a second one. This chamber was slightly larger as well and could house two at once, but it would take longer with two people inside of it to finish its work. A small price to pay.

It took around two weeks for Era's ship to be fitted for the room, and when it was complete she took a tour of the ship with the C'thilians and was shown her new room for the first time. From the moment she stepped through the open door, she was speechless. An endless void of space extended out in all directions. A small living quarters was attached to the door so she had a place to eat, sleep, and even a meditation platform. She could do so in the air if she chose, but she wanted to be able to just sit since floating while meditating took more concentration and energy than she wanted to exert.

She exited the room with an ear-to-ear smile and immediately contacted Val, Fae, and Pyro to tell them all about it. She'd kept it a secret from them the whole time, and all she told them was that she had a surprise waiting for them when they arrived.

She was so excited to show them!! D. Rex ChazGhost