This is my first full-length Voltron fanfic. It has taken me a while to finish, but with the gracious prodding from my fellow writers and friends: Wade Wells, CMS, and Mertz, I am able to present my contribution...
Thank you all, ladies...this would not have been possible without you...
I now present...
Oh, must not forget...I do not own Voltron or any of its wonderful characters... I think that they may be shocked with what I did with them? LOL
One Man's Princess
One year ago…
"Haggar, how goes the progress? When can we use our new agent?" inquires Prince Lotor. He walks over to the observation window down onto the scene below. There are two figures engaging in hand to hand combat. The first combatant, the agent in question, is wearing a helmet and is holding their own against the robot soldier that was there for the training. The soldier lunges forward and tries to grab its opponent by the arms, but finds himself twisted by the arm and thrown to the floor. A boot quickly presses down on his chest; slowly twisting until he can hear his own servos rupturing and switches imploding. After about two minutes all power goes dead and the robot soldier is a pile of twitching wires.
"I would say that the training goes very well. The agent will be ready by the time specified. As you can see, you will be more than pleased with the results." Lotor turns quickly at the voice and sneers at the visage of the old witch coming to join him at the window. "You just better be sure, old witch; that this doesn't fall under the category of the many failures that you have produced up until now!"
Haggar stares him in the face, yellow eyes flashing at the insult. "Let me remind you, my prince, that you are as much at fault as I am for the losses to Voltron."
Voltron, Voltron…will I never be rid of him? Frowning at the thought, the prince turns to face Haggar, smirking at the angry expression on her wrinkled face. "Ah, I see that what I said has bothered you...good. Maybe that will be the reason you DON'T fail this time!"
"The plan is fool proof. Even I couldn't have thought of a plan this devious."
"I know. That's why I am the one that came up with it…"
"But I am the one who allowed you to put it into motion. Out of all the hair-brained schemes that you have come up with, this is the one that even I have to believe will work," says a voice coming out of the shadows of the deck. King Zarkon moves over to his son and witch and smiles sardonically. "This is something that I never imagined would have been possible. Experiments in this area have been proven to always be a disappointment." Haggar speaks up, "But, with the technology that we have stolen from Terra over that past few years and the advancements that our scientists have engineered, we have been able to produce a subject that will be exactly what we need for this plan."
Lotor's face twists into an evil visage. Facing his father he says, "Father, I know that you gave the permission, but even you have to admit that this is better than anything that we have ever dreamt up before. No one will be able to tell the difference. This subject was handpicked by me and I know that they will prove to be sufficient for the task at hand." Turning back to Haggar, the handsome prince adds, "Have the memories been planted?"
"The final stages of implantation will be under way within the hour. This is the last bit of information and the subject will be ready for launch within weeks."
"Make sure. This is one time that we cannot afford any slipups. This will be our defining moment…the destruction of Voltron and the invasion of Planet Arus. Once Arus is ours, the Denubian Galaxy will fall in line." Lotor smiles and looks back down on the scene below. The subject in question has walked over to a table and taken off their helmet. Watching with a devious grin, he sees them wipe their face with a towel and then follow two robot soldiers out of the arena.
"Why Lotor, this is first time that you haven't gone off saying that you wanted to possess the Princess. Is it possible that you have finally gotten her out of your system?" remarks his father. The king highly doubts it, knowing that his sex-obsessed son will never give up on something as beautiful as Princess Allura…this was just to see where he was going to go on this.
Wisely, Lotor stays off the subject by replying, "First, we conquer Arus…then I can turn my attention to other delights." Once again, the thought of possessing the beautiful woman has his body stirring madly. Just the mere fact that he will be able to say that she is his and have no interference causes him to smile wickedly. "I hope that you stick to that. We can't lose again; our forces need time to replenish and this project took a lot of time and effort to complete. The scientists are just getting back to the task of creating more soldiers," returns Zarkon, following his son's gaze out the window. "What is this experiment and when can I see who it is."
"In due time, Father. The product is not finished yet, but we will let you know when it is time to set the plan into action. You will be more than pleased with the results."
Zarkon turns to looks at his son with a disapproving frown on his face. "I hope so for your sake. You've been an embarrassment to me and this empire long enough."
I've been the embarrassment? Old man, you just don't realize how your days have been numbered…
The prince nods, tight-lipped, and he watches his father take his leave of them. "Don't worry, my prince…all will be well. This can't possibly fail." Haggar says reassuringly.
"It better not, old hag…it better not." Lotor gives her a hard stare and takes his leave. Haggar's gaze follows him out, then she turn to head to her labs. As he walks down the long hallway, he decides to take a detour to his harem. The torturous thoughts of Allura put him in a state of arousal that can only find one release. Smiling devilishly once again, he pictures the Princess waiting for him, scantily clad and beckoning him to take her…
Shaking his head, he picks up his step and heads into the chambers, looking for a particular slave…
Hours later, he sits on the side of a large bed, staring out the window to the dreary landscape that is Planet Doom. The warm body next to him stirs and places a hand on his arm.
"Are you alright, my prince?"
Now, even her voice annoys him. A short time ago, he was pretending that the moans and sighs she was projecting were of his elusive princess; the body he held almost savagely as he pounded into her over and over again was not the one he truly wanted. But once he was spent, the reality came crashing back and he pushed her as far to the side as he could; not wanting to touch her anymore, let alone have her touch him. How could he think that she could ever be a close stand-in for the woman he truly lusts for? He pushes her hand off and stands. "Get your rest."
The slave sighs, she knows that nothing else will come of this and she turns back over to go to sleep. Lotor dresses quickly and takes his leave. A reassuring fact comes back to him and his evil smile comes back…Yes, there will be no stopping me now…
Present day…
It is dawn on the planet Arus and the sun is making its way past the shadows. In the distance, a thunderous roar shakes the trees in the forest and stirs the wildlife into flight. The tremors shake a small house close to a lake, causing some early morning risers. A young boy wipes the sleep out of his eyes and goes to the window of his home to watch five figures fly overhead. A huge grin crosses his lips and he waves, knowing full well that they can't see him. There they are! There they are! he thinks to himself and he runs back to where his parents are still sleeping.
"Mom, Dad…..I saw them again! I saw them again!"
The drowsy parents just sigh loudly and mumble as their excited son continues his rant over his morning observations.
Overhead, the five ships head toward the Altairian Flats for practice. "Now, let's try out the new missile tracking that the guys have installed. We have to make sure that the timing is up to specs."
"What, you don't trust my reports?" questions one of the pilots.
"Of course I do, I just want to make sure that the timing is what we need in battle."
"A lot of big words, but it still means he doesn't trust the reports!"
"LANCE!"
The cocky pilot of Red Lion smiles as the visual of his commander fills his com link. "Come on, Cap…you know I was kidding. Pidge, you know how precise Keith is, can't leave anything to chance."
The younger pilot of Green Lion grins, "I know. It was just a question."
"Well, little buddy…you know after we build it, we have to try it out," returns Hunk, maneuvering his Yellow Lion into formation.
"You guys really need to stop teasing Pidge. You know these lions would still be in bad shape if it wasn't for him," exclaims the pilot of Blue Lion, now filling the screens of all pilots.
"Thanks, Princess, but he wasn't alone in the modifications. I helped, too," returns the big guy, feigning a hurt expression.
She smiles a brilliant smile. "I know that, Hunk, but you weren't being teased!"
A brief moment of laughter fills the lions until the Commander finally speaks. "Alright team, let's get these tests done."
"Right, back to business. Let's get it together team, so we can get back for breakfast." Lance propels his Lion into a steep climb and awaits the instructions.
"Team, the targets are marked and ready for attack. First wave is Green and Red Lions; second wave is Blue and Yellow. I'll pull up the last wave. Accuracy counts are to be above eighty percent guys, so let's focus."
"Don't we always?" queries Lance.
"Like we have a choice?" finishes the Princess.
"You too? Okay enough with the smart remarks," returns Keith. He adjusts his targeting sights and heads out behind the other four lions. "Maneuver into attack formation and commence attack run. Pidge, Lance…you're on deck."
"Right!" exclaims the duo and they move their lions toward the targets, moving at Mach 3 speed.
"Okay, the targets are not placed that high, so we can get better control at lower altitudes. Keep the speeds and make sure that the new sights have locked in," calls the Commander as he prepares to record the tests.
Both pilots look at the tactical displays and make the necessary adjustments. As they approach the targets, missile doors open on Red's shoulder and Green's head. "On my mark, release ion missiles." Keith commands.
"Three…two…one…mark!"
Large volleys of missiles are being launched and head towards the target area. Loud explosions erupt as the lions pull up to avoid the fall out. The dust clears and the targets register on the screen in the lions. "Perfect score; and reaction time has been increased by four percent."
"As usual. Did you think they were going to blow it?" quips Lance, playfully rubbing his nails against the front of his uniform and blowing on them.
"Not a bit shy are you, Lieutenant?" asks the Princess, moving her lion into position for her attack run.
"Never! But then, you knew that!"
Smiling broadly, she adjusts her attack screen and heads out beside Hunk. Keith announces over the com, "Okay, it's your turn next. Accelerate to Mach 3 and commence your run on my mark, three…two…one…mark!"
The Yellow and Blue Lions speed up and head for the targets; missile launchers appear on Blue's right arm and Yellow's mouth. Another volley is let loose and the lions prepare to pull up, but Blue is sluggish.
"Princess, you have to pull up!" calls Keith as he prepares to move into position to help if need be. "Princess!"
Watching with bated breath, he sees Blue pull into a very steep climb at the last possible second, avoiding the cliffs ahead of them. "Sorry Keith, but the control panel fazed a little and slowed the response timer…won't happen again."
"I'll get right on it as soon as we get back. I have to remember that Blue Lion deals more with hydraulics than the regular servos in the others. Special adjustments need to be made," supplies Pidge. The scores for the second wave fill the screens; perfect again.
"Not that it really needs it, the accuracy is still within parameters; but I'm sure that you'll get it right…you haven't let me down yet!" says the young woman.
"Alright Captain, it's your turn. See if you can top us!" challenges Lance as he pulls into position behind the other lions.
"Watch my dust, flyboy!"
Black Lion settles in and accelerates to its attack speed. Being the main lion, it has been designed to be more powerful than the others, thus being able to take on more structural damage as well as higher attack speeds. Reaching Mach 5, the majestic lion launches its missiles from a turret on its left shoulder. The projectiles hit the targets just as the lion pulls out of the attack zone to join with the others.
"Well, I guess we don't have to wonder if HE made the grade…" grumbles the Red Lion pilot as Keith's scores enter into their databanks. The Captain smiles and decides to rub it in a little. "I wouldn't be the Commander if I didn't."
Being nonplussed, "Watch your back…just because you're the only one that can consistently handle Black's power doesn't mean that someone else can't learn!" returns Lance, flashing a devious sneer.
"There's only one other person that can handle that type of power right now, but they still have to get used to it…" returns Keith.
"I know, I know…Princess Allura."
Feeling a bit naughty and for no particular reason, Keith turns his attention to the Princess. "Think you can handle what I have?"
A sharp breath is taken by the three other pilots as they await her answer. Flushing slightly, she murmurs her response in an almost seductive tone, "I can handle anything you give me, Commander."
Whoa, what was THAT all about?! "I couldn't have said it better myself!" calls Lance, howling with laughter at the flirtatious interaction between his two friends. But, he can't resist on adding his own bit of perverse humor, "But what exactly do you think she can handle, Keith?"
If his face could be seen, it would show it being as red as his uniform. He bites out a response, "Shut up, Lance…" The strained tone alerts Lance to a situation that he really needs to back off from, but he can't help but grin happily. It has been over a year and they are still tip-toeing around what has been painfully honest to everyone in the team, excluding Coran and Nanny…they are head-over-heels in love with one another and they both think that they have it completely under wraps…
Wrong…
Lance sobers for a minute as he realizes that they do have a reason to keep this to themselves, Coran and Nanny both feel that she needs to be with royalty and Keith is definitely NOT royalty. He may love her, but that will be hard to sell to those nagging hens. I wish you guys the best, with whatever you do…you do deserve each other… he thinks as he flips a few switches and blasts off towards the Castle.
Keith hopes he comes up with a better possible way of getting back at his friend other than that weak ass "shut-up". Knowing where Lance was inevitably going with his train of thought and being completely thrown with the Princess's remarks, the Captain finally says in an unusually raspy voice, "This was a good practice, but I'm sure that everyone is ready to chow down. Let's head back to Castle."
"I heard that, my stomach hasn't been quiet since I got up this morning," says Hunk.
"That's nothing new. It's always telling you to 'feed me'!" returns Pidge. Everyone laughs as the big guy blushes at the remark. All five lions head off to their respective dock sites…
The Castle of Lions stands proudly over the beautiful Arusian landscape; the only entrance being a stone bridge placed over the expansive moat. The Black Lion heads to its perch atop the monument in front of the Castle. It settles in and powers down; becoming the impressive stationary guardian it was originally designed to be. Its pilot slowly exits him through the hatch on its head. Keith then pauses a minute to take in the morning air and prepare himself for the inevitable confrontations between himself and Lance…and the one he needs to have with Allura. Dropping down into the shuttle chute, he heads to the control room; planning what he wants to say.
The massive constructs that they pilot are the brain children of the former king, Alfor Raimon. The stories of the mighty robot warrior, Voltron and the Castle have been spread throughout the galaxy and one had to wonder how he was able to do it. It has been long rumored that King Alfor possessed mystical abilities which enabled him to create such wonders, but no one has been able to determine if this was the truth. It is highly believed that Voltron has a spirit that only the pilots can communicate with…and the Commander feels that every time he takes the controls. Each lion gains its own power from their own individual launch bays; Red docks in the volcano and Blue docks in the castle lake, Yellow docks in the desert and Green docks in the forest. They represent the elementals of the planet; fire, earth, wind, water, and heart. This is why Black is so important to Voltron and why it can only be piloted by the Captain…clearly they're both the heart of the team.
In Castle Control, the main tactical display rises and the chutes for the five lions appear. The four members of the Voltron Force step forward and heads for the Pilots' briefing room. Being none for the worse of wear, they move to the lounge area and plop down to relax. "Just once, I would LOVE to just sleep in one of these days," grouches Lance, putting his feet on the table and shifting down into the chair he's sitting in.
"I heard that…Keith, do you think…?" asks Hunk hesitantly. He notices him enter behind them, heading straight to the computer terminal to pull up the morning's results.
"I know we've been working hard, but we can't let down our guard for a minute. Lotor doesn't take a day off, does he?" Keith inquires as he hits a few buttons and the flight data displays on his terminal.
"Who knows? But you know what they say, all work and no play make Lotor a dull boy!"
"Cute, Lieutenant," says the Captain coldly. He stops his working for a brief minute to look over at the Princess. She has taken a seat on the large sofa and leaned back to place her head on the back of the chair. Her eyes are closed and she's taking deep breaths.
That slight malfunction shook her… he observes. "Are you okay, Allura?" he inquires, frowning at the thought of her being a little bit afraid.
She perks up quickly at the question, placing one of her famous smiles on her face. "I'm fine, just a little tired like everyone else."
He knows when she isn't telling the whole truth, but decides to talk to her later. Trying to get her to tell the truth now will be a futile attempt; she's too proud for that. Besides, there was another thing he needed to talk to her about. That little exchange that they had in the lions earlier had inflamed him, more than what he wanted to admit to himself. Flashes of holding her close and kissing those soft lips made every muscle in his body twitch. He had been able in the past to keep those baser thoughts to a minimum, but after getting to know her over the past year and being around her everyday; being one of her closest friends has dwindled that control to almost nothing. Now, he yearns to be able to tell her about his feelings; tell her how she had stolen a part of his soul that very first day he pledged, on bended knee and a kiss to her soft hand, to protect and serve her and her kingdom with his life if necessary. Sighing at the thought, he rubs his hand across his eyes and tries to calm his rebellious body down. He is not a man of many words; not a man of many feelings, but there is one thing that he refuses to deny anymore…and it kills him to know it and not be able to share it…
…the knowledge that he loves her, with everything he has in him…
…the crowned Princess of Arus; Allura Raimon.
At any other occasion, this would be a funny scenario, but the laughs just don't come right now. His heart aches to be with her, but he's a pilot and has no business loving her the way he does.
He snickers harshly…like he has a choice…she stole his heart and he aches to know if she returns the feeling. His heart, his soul, his body, his very spirit have been crying out to her in a silent voice wishing it could be heard…
"Hey Keith, you alive over there? Are we going to get on with this meeting or what?" snipes Lance, snapping the Commander out of his pensive reverie.
"Sorry. The reports are coming in over the monitors now. All scores were in specs and it proves that the new tracking system is a valuable asset; increasing the response speed of all lions, except for the glitch in Blue which is in the process of being corrected in the docking bay."
"I gave the techs the specs for the modifications. Hunk and I will check on them later on; right now I'm starving." Pidge says, but pauses as he stands. "Is it okay to go, Captain?"
All eyes turn to him and he smiles. "Yeah, we can finish this later…"
"Yeah, it's time to tie on the feed bag!" agrees Hunk as he stands and begins to head for the door. Pidge follows behind him.
"You would think that he carried one with him everywhere he went, with the way he acts!" scolds Lance, clapping the big guy on the shoulder as he walks out toward the kitchen.
Watching all the team members take their leave and head to the food, Keith sighs and switches off his monitor. "I guess that means the meeting is over."
Being the last one there, Allura stands and walks over to Keith. Looking down at him, she gives her answer. "You know how they get after a long practice. All the data is there for them and they'll get to it." She tries to seem impassive, but fails miserably. His face turns up to look at her and once again she catches her breath at his visage. He is the most handsome man she has ever seen, and thanks to Nanny, she has seen quite a few. His raven-black hair falls slightly below his shoulders and wildly dances around his face. His soulful brown eyes stare back at her and she's mesmerized; she can feel her heart constrict with emotion and another piece of her essence escapes to enter into those gorgeous depths.
God, how I love you…
Shaking her head slightly, she remembers that she's not very good at hiding her feelings and it has been very nearly impossible to keep those feelings at bay. She glances over his muscular body and flushes deeply at the provocative thoughts that have entered her ravaged brain. The urge to run her hands over him is almost too unbearable, so she quickly turns and heads toward the door. Stopping in the doorway, she glances back at him, grinning.
"Are you coming?"
The looks that they shared for that brief moment had him stunned into silence. Dare he hope that what he sees in her eyes is the same longing he has been fighting for so long?
I really need to talk to her later…
"I'm coming…"