Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron/Go Lion or any of their characters. They are the property of WEP and Devil's Due Comic and Toei Animation. All other characters are mine. This is written purely for entertainment purposes and I am not monetarily compensated in any way.

Razor's Edge

Prologue

Le roi est Mort! Vive le roi!

1

He had just finished dinner and was sitting down to a bottle of wine by the fire pit when he got the news. The old bastard didn't even send it himself. His father was launching an attack on Altea.

Lotor Sincline, Crown Prince of Korrinoth and the Ninth Kingdom, felt his temper flare and hurled his glass against the wall. A startled yelp attracted his attention and he turned to the source of the sound. A servant stood just to one side of the dripping stain clutching a crystal decanter with white knuckled fingers.

"Bring me another!" he snapped his fingers, annoyed he even had to ask. It was obvious the girl had been selected for her appearance rather than her aptitude for royal service.

The prince's golden eyes followed her as she fetched a glass, set it on the side table and nervously overfilled it. His annoyance grew as he watched her fumble as she replaced the decanter's stopper. Lovely, but as clever as an empty box, he thought. She was too pretty, distractingly so. Long silver hair, tiny waist and full, firm breasts which bounced just a little with each movement. Another man might have overlooked her incompetence and found other tasks she might be better suited for. Tabor, his idiot cousin, undoubtedly put her here to seduce and spy on him. Damn fool, Tabor, only surrounds himself with people stupider than he is. She picked the glass up carefully and knelt, displaying her ample cleavage to it's most impressive effect as she handed it to him. Lotor's eyes narrowed and she winced when the wine spilled over the prince's fingers and dripped onto his lap. He set the glass down slowly on the table without looking and backhanded her, sending her sprawling to the floor. Another servant rushed over and carefully wiped his hands, dabbed at the stain on his trousers and laid a fresh napkin across his lap. He picked up the glass and frowned at the dark purple ring it left on the polished wood and took a deep swallow.

"Get out," he ordered the silver haired girl, "before I find another use for you."

Lotor set the glass down, and stared into the flames of the fire pit, his thoughts returned once again to the news of his father's ill timed invasion. The crazy old bastard! What did he think he was doing? He will ruin everything I have worked for.

King Zarkon's behavior had become very erratic over the last few years. But this? This was too much even for him. To launch an attack against the Alteans while their military forces were already engaged in another conflict was sheer stupidity. Or madness. He should have consulted me first, the frustrated prince thought. He has no idea what he's getting into over there. Obviously those self-serving cronies of his did nothing but agree with him…like they always do. Father, you fool!

Zarkon had an irrational hatred of Altea and given the history of the two kingdoms it could almost be understood. He considered the Alteans to be faithless cowards ever since they failed to honor a treaty to aid the newly independent Ninth Kingdom which, at the time, consisted of Korrinoth, Tyrus and three small, barren rocky moons, when they were attacked by the more powerful Fifth Kingdom. It was learned later that Altea had been selling lazon to the Fifth Kingdom and as part of the arraignment had agreed to remain neutral if there was ever a conflict between the two Kingdoms. It was an insult that Zarkon would never forgive.

According to Zarkon, the Alteans had elected to cast their fortunes with the Fifth Kingdom and would share their fate and come under the patronage of the Ninth Kingdom. The Alteans disagreed. Vehemently. Enraged, he destroyed the planet's infrastructure and enslaved its people, sending a civilization at the pinnacle of technological advancement back to an approximation of humanity's Bronze Age.

Eventually, he captured and executed the both the king and queen. He would have done the same to their last surviving child, Princess Allura, if she had not been hidden safely away. Yet for some odd reason he still would not leave them alone. Long after his point had been made, he returned repeatedly to destroy any attempt to rebuild. Until, of course, the Galaxy Alliance had stepped in and the five lions which formed the robot Voltron were reawakened.

Lotor took another swallow of his wine. His father had chosen his timing carefully and it could not have been worse. The prince had come to the Fifth Kingdom to stop an attempted coup and restore it to the control of the Ninth. After sixteen weeks of fighting, his forces had finally suppressed the rebellion and the routed monarchs and their supporters had fled into exile. But the victory was not without considerable losses.

Currently he was neck deep in the diplomatic process of setting up the defacto government. His cousin, Tabor, who had created this mess, could not be trusted to maintain order in his absence. If he left now, there could be a power vacuum that could send the whole Fifth Kingdom into either civil war or back into the hands of the loyalists who supported the monarchy.

Troublesome old bastard. Maybe now he'll realize that Altea is not a planet full of helpless farmers anymore. Let's see he how well he does against the Galaxy Alliance and Voltron. Yes, those lions will be quite a shock to the old man. I doubt he'll ever call me incompetent again. He thought smugly, smiling to himself.

His smile faded as he thought of the lions. It took all five lions to form Voltron. All someone had to do was disable one lion and Voltron would be no more. And his father knew it. He frowned as he thought of Princess Allura, pilot of the blue lion. She was the most inexperienced of the five. The proverbial weak link in what should have been an unbreakable chain. His father would focus his attack on her. Separate the blue lion from the group and target all his fire power on it. He would kill her without a second thought. In fact it was probably his intention. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Destroy the last member of the Altean royal family and end what he considered to be his son's embarrassing infatuation with the girl. Lotor drank deeply and slammed his empty glass back on the table.

No! He can't! Allura, n'saiyat, I won't let him hurt you. He had to get to Altea and join his father's forces and find a way to protect her. A servant made to refill his glass but he waved her away. He had a lot of work to do.

Three days later he departed Nemon, the home planet of the Fifth Kingdom, for Korrinoth. He left half of his forces behind to maintain order and hoped that he would be in time to save the princess.

2

First Lieutenant Dolores "Lala" Martinez stretched out on the bed in the clear walled hibernation chamber she was assigned to trying to get used to the strange hooded body stocking she had to wear. The 'goo suit' as it was called, was made from a white, synthetic fabric looked like quilted cotton but felt like gel. It was designed to regulate her temperature, keep her skin from drying out, and from developing bacterial infections and bed sores. It feels so…so gooey, she thought as she wiggled her toes.

There were four bunks and she already met one of her roommates. A surly gunnery sergeant who made no secret of what he thought about the hibernation garment and his assignment to Altea.

"Ah, shit, I hate these goddam things. Always up the crack of my ass." He muttered to himself adjusting the suit as he settled onto his bed. "Jesu Christos! Who the hell did I piss off to get sent out to the ass end of nowhere!"

"Ass end of nowhere?" Lt. Martinez said sitting up laughing.

"Oh, Ma'am I didn't see you there. I apologize if I spoke out of turn." He said looking up at her struggling to get out of his bunk in the tight garment.

"As you were, Gunny, no offence taken." She said. "What's so bad about Altea? I heard the weather's great and the locals are friendly."

"Ah, yes Ma'am it is and they are. I'm just not looking forward to six months in hibernation wearing a goo suit." He said. She knew was holding back because she was an officer.

"Is it so bad?" she asked.

Is this your first float, Ma'am?" He asked.

"No, but the first that I have to take a nap for. Is it as bad as I've heard?"

He frowned a little as if thinking of what to say. "Depends on the person, I guess. It's the hang over when they wake you up that's the worst. And maybe the smell. It takes a couple of showers to get it off. I'll say this for it though, sure gives you a lot of time to think."

"I guess I'll have to wait and see. What's your unit?"

"Three fourteen, Ma'am."

"Oh, you're an arty."

"Yes ma'am, you?"

"Air wing. I'm a pilot." She said and she could have sworn she heard him think 'Pouge.'

"Oh, then you'll have lots of fun on Altea, Ma'am." He said.

The door opened and the two other occupants joined them, walking stiffly in their goo suits. Both were newly minted Second Lieutenants. Martinez suppressed a smile as the Sergeant got up off his bunk and came to attention. She saw the muscle in jaw his jaw flex and knew they shared the same thought "Butterbars, goddam butterbars."

The medical staff finished prepping them and now she was wearing an oxygen mask, two intravenous drips and tubes inserted into uncomfortable places she would rather not think about. No wonder Gunny hated this.

There had been a round of joking when the medical staff had been at work.

"Listen, what happens off-world stays off-world!" He had warned them when it was his turn.

"I thought it was 'Don't ask. Don't tell?"** Davis, one of the boot Lieutenants had quipped.

"That too." He said and then the nurse had pulled the curtain.

All that was left was for the doctor to administer the sedative that would induce a medical coma and they would be ready for stasis. Martinez moved restlessly in her bunk wincing a little when the catheter pinched her. She still couldn't believe she got this assignment. Her commander had 'volunteered' her for it out of spite, but nothing could have made her happier. The orders were simply to join the battalions already stationed to defend Altea against Korinoth, but she knew differently. The personnel numbers weren't right. This wasn't a routine deployment, this was an invasion force. The nightmare she had been through to get back to Earth and all the blood and sweat of her training in the Corps was finally going to be worth it. She knew was going back to Korrinoth. Pay back's a bitch, motherfucker, she thought smiling.

3

Prince Lotor was a little more than half way to Altea on the bridge of his flag ship when word arrived of his father's defeat.

" Your Highness! There is an urgent communication from Korrinoth." His communications officer said.

"Go ahead." He answered and the grizzled image of Yael Krieg, Lord Protector of Korrinoth, his father's oldest advisor, appeared on his visual.

"The king is dead. Long live the king!" Lord Krieg said delivering the formal announcement of accession in a strong clear voice.

Immediately there was an answering shout from his bridge crew of "Long live the King! May He long reign over us!"

Lotor blinked twice, swallowed and took a deep breath. After a moment he rose from the command chair and glanced around. His bridge crew had sunk onto to one knee with bowed heads. He didn't believe it. He didn't dare believe it. His father was dead? Impossible!

"Transfer communication to my stateroom. Change course for Korrinoth. General Cosack you have the bridge." He ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The general said rising to his feet and bowing deeply as the new king exited the room.

My father is dead and I am King? He struggled to absorb the idea as he walked quickly to the lift that led directly to the royal suite. Word travels fast, he noticed as soldiers bowed as he passed instead of bracing to attention. There must be some mistake.

He entered his stateroom and his valet servants bent to one knee and the two concubines that he usually traveled with prostrated themselves with their foreheads on the floor. It was familiar and it comforted him.

The Lord Protector was already on the visual at his desk waiting for him. That was a first. Usually it was the other way around. He sat down and a motioned for his valet to bring him a drink. He took it and noticed the slight tremor in the liquid. His hands were shaking. He took a sip and set the glass down and turned his attention to his father's oldest advisor.

"How?" he asked.

"Majesty? Perhaps it would be best if you heard this in private?" Krieg asked pointedly looking at the servants in the room.

Already he starts trying to isolate me, Lotor thought sourly. "Krieg, I don't keep anyone near me that I do not trust. Bear that in mind. You may speak freely." He didn't add that he also didn't keep any servants that spoke the Imperial language around him either. Anymore. He had learned that lesson the hard way. There was nothing worse than a slave who knew too much. Knowledge, even innocently obtained, can be a dangerous thing, shortening the life expectancy of even the most faithful of servants. And good help was hard to find.

"When your Majesty's father attacked Altea, they were waiting for him. Somehow they had received the whole battle plan. Types of ships, personnel numbers, infantry, and weapons even the jump co-ordinates…everything. We suspect they were informed by spies." Krieg said.

"You suspect there were spies!" the new king asked incredulously. "Really? Spies informed them? However did you come to that amazing conclusion?" Lotor took a deep swallow of wine and looked away in disgust. Fucking idiot! Why did he surround himself with these ass-kissers! Oh, father, it cost you your life.

"We-we are still investigating the source of the leak." The Lord Protector bristled at the sarcasm.

"Let me guess…my father had a banquet before he deployed?"

"Yes, he did. As tradition demands. As a matter of fact I suggested it."

"I see. And as tradition demands he allowed his commanders access to the place harem?"

"Yes, of course." Lord Krieg still looked puzzled.

Lotor sighed in exasperation. "The spies, and there are several, are among the women in the harem. Undoubtedly they are on the payroll of that Polluxian whore and her lunatic boyfriend."

The surprise on the Krieg's face should have been comical. But it wasn't. If he had been in the room Lotor would have decapitated him where he stood. That would have to wait until he got back to Korrinoth. Gods only knew what other vital information had been leaked to the insurgency while he was gone because of this moron.

"Does your Majesty want me to begin interrogation of the harem slaves?"

"No, no…you've done quite enough, Krieg. I have a, ah...special task in mind for you. Tell me, who was my father's commanding general?"

"General Yurrak, he died with your father. Captain Siek commander of the Arren Saehir, is on his way back to Korrinoth with what's left of….I mean, the rest of the fleet…And," he swallowed uncomfortably, "your father's remains."

"His remains? Oh, yes, of course." Lotor closed his eyes and nodded. He wanted to know how his father died but he couldn't stomach hearing it from this asshole. "That will be all Krieg."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lotor cut the transmission and hailed the bridge.

"Get me Captain Seik on the Arren Saehir."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He felt a moment of elation knowing that it was him they were calling Your Majesty. He had wanted to hear those words addressed to him his whole life. And there were many times that he didn't think they ever would be. But now that they were, they didn't sound quite as good as he imagined.

His relationship with his father had always been one that fluctuated between dislike and outright hostility punctuated by brief moments of closeness. He never thought that he would feel anything but relief at the miserable bastard's death. But now he felt… he felt what? Truthfully, he didn't know if it was grief or shock. He held out his cup for a refill and rubbed his forehead.

"Ni' Saiya?" a small voice called out.

"Hmm? What is it Jolie?" he answered and patted his thigh beckoning the petite slave to come over to him. She padded over and sat at his feet. He reached down and combed his fingers through her thick gold hair.

"You look upset." She said in Trade.

"I do? I suppose I am, a little." He said and continued stroking her head.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because now everyone calls me Your Majesty instead of Your Highness." He answered.

"Oh!" she gasped in understanding and looked up at him. "Oh no, Ni'Saiya! I'm so sorry." She said and crawled up into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Odd, if anyone other than a slave offers me condolences it would be considered treason. He put his arm around her, closed his eyes and tilted his head back allowing himself a moment to feel the comforting warmth of her body and soft kittenish breath on his neck.

A few minutes later the com chimed and Captain Yoi's voice could be heard. "Your Majesty, Captain Seik is on standby at Your leisure."

"Off! Go lay down." he told the girl gently and she slid down from his lap and scurried back to her chaise in the sitting area.

"Go ahead." He ordered Yoi and Seik's haggard face immediately told him everything he didn't want to know.

4

"I'm not convinced that an offensive strike is the right course of action, Coran. With Zarkon dead there may be a way to negotiate the end of this war." The Princess Allura looked at her Prime Minister steadily and then at each of the other eight people sitting at the conference table trying to gauge how much support she had. It didn't look promising.

"Princess, I wish that were true, but I have no doubt that Lotor is already planning retaliation for the death of his father. Korrinoth's forces are both divided and weakened. It is foolhardy to wait for them to regroup and rearm themselves. I feel that we cannot let this opportunity pass, we may never get another." Coran replied.

"Retaliation? For the death of his father? Yeah, fu—freakin' right! He's been waiting for that old son of a bitch to die longer than we have! We did him the biggest favor of his whole goddamn life! Seriously, he should send us a case of Jack Daniels and a thank you note or something, damn!" Lieutenant McClain, the red lion pilot, exclaimed, thankfully remembering not to swear too badly in front of the Alliance commanders that were present.

Coran glared at him from across the table. "Lieutenant, we are all aware of the enmity that was between Zarkon and his son. That is precisely my concern. Lotor cannot let this go unanswered. It would have a very negative effect on his standing as a sovereign in the Supremacy if he treated with us after we defeated Korrinoth's forces. Especially after we killed his father."

"Lotor is bogged down in the Fifth Kingdom." The princess pointed out. "He came close to losing it this time! His father watched us destroy one third of his fleet before he died! Altea is not a helpless and beaten world anymore. Since we've had Voltron and the Alliance has established a permanent base here we have become a force to be reckoned with. Lotor knows this better than anyone. Our threats have teeth now just as our assurances have value!" She said vehemently and paused to let her words have effect.

"There is no way he could continue to fight this war with half an army and a Kingdom on the brink of civil war. Surely there is no better time to sue for peace than now." Allura said with more confidence than she truly felt. It wasn't that she didn't think she was right, but Coran, although he was like a father to her, intimidated her. When she opposed him she felt like a child asking for permission, not like the ruler of her people. She met his eyes and forced herself not to look away. Keith is right. The more I stand up to him the easier it will get.

"Her Highness makes a good point." Captain Keith Kogane, the black lion pilot and commander of the Voltron force said. "We would have to mobilize everything we have just to take Korrinoth. There's no way we could hold it. Perhaps we should focus on Altea's defense rather than risk over extending ourselves and leaving the planet undefended when Lotor does recover from his losses. Which he has the resources to do much faster than we can. Also, we have no real idea what's left of the fleet Lotor brought with him. I say walk softly and carry a big blazing sword." The Voltron force commander finished.

It took all of Allura's self control not to look at him. She was sure if she did much more than gratitude would show on her face. When he first came to Altea there was something about the dark eyed enigmatic Marine officer that she was drawn to. It was more than just him being attractive. She had liked him from the start. He had been so patient when she was learning to pilot the blue lion. He had a way of pointing out errors that didn't make her feel foolish, but instead inspired her to try harder and do better. And he was so unconditionally loyal to her planet and herself. She didn't know exactly when it happened but she couldn't help falling in love with him. The feeling she found out was very mutual. It was a miracle they hadn't been discovered by now. Oh, sweetheart, you are wonderful. What would I do without you?

Colonel Thompson stroked his graying mustache thoughtfully before he spoke. He knew that which way Captain Kogane went the rest of the Voltron force would follow. He also wasn't blind and he wasn't stupid. Kogane was entirely too protective of the Princess to remain objective. "Well, Captain, that is a good point, too. But I have it on good authority that Prince Lotor left half his fleet in the Fifth. If you ask me, once he gets to Korrinoth and gets up with rest of it, that's gonna be enough to come back here undo pretty much all we've done in the last four years together." He said in his rolling continental drawl. "For sure those reinforcements I requested when we found out Zarkon was headed this way will be here within three months. So, we can send him home with a beatin', but I'll be damned if we won't take one worse for doin' it." He reached for the coffee cup in front of him and looked in it, frowned and motioned for his aid to get him a refill.

"Oh, excellent! They are ahead of schedule! I didn't know they would get here so soon." Coran nodded thoughtfully.

" What? Why wasn't I informed of this? On whose authority did you order these reinforcements, Colonel?" Allura asked annoyed her eyes going back and forth from Coran to Colonel Thompson.

"Mine." Coran answered. "Your Highness, I apologize, if I over stepped myself. It was during preparations for the initial siege. I thought it best that we take every advantage offered to us. I must have forgotten to bring it to your Highness' attention. I beg your pardon."

Bullshit. Keith thought. If it was up to you she'd be in her bedroom embroidering.

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Coran. You have always served our kingdom wisely and with sound judgment." She said feeling a little chagrined. Of course he would order reinforcements under threat of a full siege. Of course she would have approved it anyway.

Just then Lance made a small choking sound and rolled his eyes followed quickly by a grunt. He leaned over and rubbed his calf under the table.

"Ow, dude! Watch it!" he said to Hunk who just stared at him silently.

"And it is with the safety and preservation of your kingdom in mind, Highness, that I urge you to think carefully about negotiating with Prince—King Lotor," The prime minister said pressing his advantage.

"It was Zarkon who held a grudge against this Kingdom and my father for that misunderstanding long ago, not Lotor. He's told me himself that he wants to stop this. I think he will be more reasonable than his father," Allura didn't back down.

Keith was proud of her for holding her ground, but he was beginning to think she was wrong. Lotor was absolutely not more reasonable than his father and there was one thing in particular he was most unreasonable about. The thought it of made his stomach knot in rage.

"Princess—Your Highness, you're not thinking this through and nobody's going to tell you so I am." Captain Amanda Lorn leveled her green eyes across the table at the younger woman. "Forgive me if I speak too candidly. You're right Lotor is not his father. He's worse. Zarkon was a thug. Lotor is warlord. Zarkon's sole interest in Altea both before and after Voltron was reawakened was to settle a grudge against your father. Lotor wants to rebuild Altea and bring it under the patronage of the Ninth and use Voltron to continue his expansionist plans for the Ninth Kingdom.

You're also right that you might be able to negotiate a treaty with Lotor. I think you can. A good one. I really do. But you know what his terms are going to be, don't you?" Lorn paused for the ominous implication of her words to sink into everyone at the table. She waited until she saw Allura go pale and Kogane and the one called Hunk clench their hands into fists on the table before she continued. "Negotiate if you really feel that's what best for your people. But you'll be making a deal with the devil himself." Trust me, I know, she wanted to add.

A half an hour later the meeting adjourned for dinner and all talk of negotiating with Korrinoth and the Ninth Kingdom had stopped.

"Lorn, I was hoping you'd play that card. God knows I couldn't without soundin' like a dirty old man," Colonel Thompson grinned after they left the conference room and entered the corridor. He peered around to make sure no one could hear them and lowered his voice. " Don't let this get over the wall, but we've been talking with my people in the Fifth. An' they don't have a whole lotta loyalty to the Supremacy since nobody put Zarkon in his place with the way he treated 'em after he took over. If we can get Lotor out of the way, the entire lower half of the Crimson quadrant will be Alliance territory."

"Is that a fact, Sir?" She asked smiling at the thought of the heir to the throne of Korrinoth not living long enough to make it to his own coronation. Zarkon wasn't the only one capable of holding a grudge.

Glossary:

n' saiyat: noun. fem. Term of endearment. trans. 'my life' but more closely related to Terran 'my love.'

Ni'Saiya: noun. trans. literally 'my life'. Formal address used by a slave, usu. a concubine, to their master.

Arren Saehir: lit. trans. Dark Wing. Species of predatory bird native to Korrinoth.

Pouge: somewhat derisive US Marine jargon meaning "people other than grunts."

Butterbars: derogatory term US military term for newly commissioned second lieutenants based on the resemblance of the gold toned insignia worn by them to sticks of butter.

A/N At the time of this writing the US Congress had just voted to end "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and remove the restrictions for gays and lesbians who wish to serve openly in the military. However, this phase has made it into the lexicon of the American language as a term that applies humorously to any situation where too much information is not a good thing. That is the context it is used in this story.