Thank you to my editors for the looking over chapter 2! I hope you like reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

2. The Plan Begins….

"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories." Sun Tzu

Lotor walked into the throne room with a fury unlike any other. His father's idea to attack before dawn for no purpose was useless and downright absurd. He asked for a reason, but received no answer, and now, he faced another defeat.

Embarrassing comments over his constant losses were the topic of conversation these days along the hallways of his castle. This time his father made him look even worse to his soldiers. He heard the snickers, the taunts, and ongoing secret laughter. Thinking about it infuriated him.

When he entered the throne room, he saw his father's facial expression mirroring his feelings, "You're angry too?" he questioned. "If anyone should be angry, it should be me! You initiated a thoughtless, careless, and ridiculous attack for no reason!"

"Oh, I found a reason for it," Zarkon answered immediately. "I needed to prove two things for myself. One, I wanted to see if Voltron would in fact beat us against any attack thrown at him at any given time. And two, see if your capabilities proved worthless. I found my answers this morning."

"What are you talking about?" piped Lotor with a glint of sarcasm.

Zarkon stood up from his throne proudly, "What I'm telling you is that I finally opened my eyes to see the failure you have become!"

"If I'm a failure it is due to your teachings!" Lotor argued back. "Face it Father, you forget that everything I am is because of your teachings and your guidance. Don't throw this back at me. I could have defeated them long ago if it wasn't for your constant meddling. You have ruined my goals!"

"Goals!" Zarkon heartedly laughed. "The one goal you've achieved is losing every time you confront them. I'm glad this morning proved everything that I needed to know Lotor, because I've come to a decision."

"And what might that be?"

Zarkon smiled, "You're not worthy of my throne. I spent my lifetime achieving greatness and I'll be damned if I'll allow you to destroy everything I've sacrificed."

"What are you planning to do?" Lotor raised his brow, confused.

"It's over Lotor. I have something else in mind for you! Guards!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the guards surrounded the very surprised Prince. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am stripping you from your title! Throw Lotor in the Pit of Skulls!" Zarkon ordered.

Lotor fought to escape, but the guards overpowered him. Led out of the throne room fighting and screaming, he managed to shout out parting words to his father. "Don't think this is over! Father! I'll kill you if I have to. You won't get away with this! This is not over! THIS IS NOT OVER!"

Zarkon shook his head, dismissing the threat. The first part of his plan ended without a problem or afterthought. He walked back to his room to look over the new information Cossack gathered for him this morning. The second part of his plan now began.

XXXXXXXXXX

The early morning rays of the sun brightened their path as they jogged back to the castle. Keith surprised the team by replacing lion practice for a jogging session. After yesterday's battle, both the team and the lions needed a much deserved break. Unfortunately for them, he felt a bit devilish this morning and woke them up before sun rise to jog around the perimeters of the castle. Laughing on the inside, Keith smiled at the perfect way to seek a little revenge for the prank they pulled on him the day before.

"How much longer?" Poor Pidge sulked as he saw a steep hill approaching.

"Just two more miles my friend," Keith answered, without a tone of weariness or fatigue.

Lance, trailing behind Keith by a couple of steps, looked at him cynically. "What...the hell...Keith? I'm dying! We've already done…five miles."

"Stop complaining, Lieutenant. We used to do much more at the Academy, if I remember correctly."

"Well I didn't go to the academy. Why am I here?" Allura cried out.

Keith laughed. "Sorry Princess, you were a big part of that little prank played on me yesterday. So you will suffer just like the rest of them."

"So this is payback!" Pidge cried out. "That's not fair!"

"Neither was throwing a bucket of water at me. You thought I would let it go?"

"Well, yeah...we need...needed to get…you to relax!" Lance shouted back.

"Oh yeah, sure I did," Keith rolled his eyes. Turning his head back slightly to look at his team; he felt a little sympathy for them, but not much. "Okay guys, I'll soon give you a break." As they reached the top of the hill, he turned completely and looked at his team, now drenched in sweat. "Need a ten minute break before we head back to the castle?"

"Yes!" Lance, Pidge, and Allura yelled in unison as they all fell on the ground. Sitting up, they used their hands to support their ailing backs.

Laughing again, he rolled his eyes, "You guys are pathetic!"

"Hey, where's Hunk?" Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Pidge looked around, and noticed the big guy missing from the group.

Keith took out his comm, "Hunk, report. Where are you?"

"Here," Hunk replied.

"Here, where?"

"Sorry Keith. I'm resting by the bottom of the hill. I'm done."

Keith turned off the comm. and started laughing. When finished, he put up his most serious tone and still smiling, he began ordering the poor man. "I'm sorry Hunk. You meet with us now. We'll wait for you here in five, Keith out."

"You're horrible!" Allura exclaimed, wiping her sweat. "Poor Hunk!"

"Fair is fair," he replied, stifling his laugh.

"You're plain evil, Keith!" Lance exclaimed, dropping the other half of his body to the ground gasping for air.

Keith rolled his eyes, "Would you like me to lift the ten minute break? Want to see how evil I can be?"

"No!" Lance exclaimed immediately. "It's okay! It's okay!"

At the ten-minute mark, Hunk came crawling in. Allura smiled at him sympathetically. Lance could not stop laughing, "Should have kept up, big guy. Break is over! We're heading back to the castle."

Hunk's face fell. "No! Keith, give me five, just five!"

Now Keith laughed. "Fine, five!" He replied to Hunk's pleas.

Five minutes later, the group stood to leave when Keith heard a sharp female voice cry out in pain.

"Allura!" He turned to see her on one knee rubbing her calf.

"Ouch! I think I have a cramp!" She yelled out.

Keith walked up to her and gently rubbed her leg. After noticing the muscle would not relax, he looked at her. "Come on, stand up and lean on me. You're going to have to walk it off." he instructed her as she put an arm around his neck and he held her by the waist. "Ready? Come on, let's walk around the area."

They slowly and little by little they picked up pace. All the time Keith made little jokes to make her laugh. She giggled, holding him closer to her.

Lance took a seat as Pidge and Hunk sat once again, grateful to have a couple more minutes of rest while he continued to study the pair. He smiled, Yep. They're in love all right. Interesting...

XXXXXXXXXX

Zarkon, never known to have the qualities of a careless Drule, did not thrive in life by being sloppy. He studied, researched, and found details about people and places that would benefit him, rather than create barriers for himself. Zarkon was just plain smart. He knew it and gloated about it every chance he had. What a shame Lotor didn't inherit my intelligence…a shame for Lotor.

Cossack's latest reports held promise. He would soon hold all the tools and information needed in his grasp. After Cossack's departure, he sat on chair in this bedroom running the recordings once more. He watched them every night, looking for errors, negligence, or hidden mistakes no one would bother to actively look for. Nothing. Commander Keith Kogane was almost as smart as Zarkon. Almost, he again reminded himself.

For over six months, he secretly kept recordings of every fight the Commander partook with Doom in Black Lion. He hid a cloaked recording device inside the lion that allowed him to view and hear every decision the Captain made.

Zarkon could have used this information to help Lotor, but why? A walking disaster like Lotor did not deserve such rewards. More and more he believed he made the right decision ridding himself of that pest. The time came for his empire to rise to its proper potential.

He retrieved his comm. from the desk next to him, "Haggar, report to my chambers, now."

Moments later, the haggard witch appeared to the King, perplexed. She rarely entered his chambers, but when she did, she knew something of great importance came and she had a part in it.

"Sire, how may I serve?" She asked, immediately. "I thought you would come to my lab yesterday as you stated, but you didn't. Is there something..." She turned to view his vid screen, "Sire, why are you watching a recording of the Commander of the Voltron Force?"

Speaking as he looked at the screen and rewound the recording, he did not bother to look toward the witch, "Haggar, a year ago I came to realization that my son would never become the man and ruler I expected and wanted of him. Lotor is a failure and a nuisance to me. Therefore, I threw him in the Pit of Skulls yesterday."

"Yes, I heard Sire," Haggar answered looking down, not wanting to show any defiance herself. She did not want the same fate as Lotor. The King, however, did not take notice and continued speaking.

"For almost a half a year, I've watched his adversary in secret, studying his every move carefully." He paused for a bit before telling her what he planned on doing for months. "I'm in need of a ruler, someone of greatness to take my place once I am gone. None of my people in Doom match the talents and wits the Commander possesses."

Surprised, she looked up, "Let me guess," she interrupted him. "You think the Commander has the talent to take over Doom? Sire, you know he'll never agree, no matter how much you threaten."

Zarkon laughed. "No, I'm not going to threaten him, Haggar. He will come willingly. After all, what son wouldn't want to please his father?"

Haggar narrowed her eyes, "I don't understand." She suddenly asked him in disbelief. "Zarkon, what are you thinking?"

"Within the half a year or so that I've studied the Commander, I've grown fond of him. At first, I hated him with every bit of my dark heart, but now... I feel differently. He's the son I've always wanted," he finished with a smile.

"Sire..."

"Don't interrupt me Haggar. The Commander was orphaned at five years of age. He's never really had a father figure, unless you count those nitwits at Galaxy Garrison who raised him in such restricted confines." Smiling, he continued. "If Kogane grew up and became such a great leader under the Garrison and now Arus, imagine what he is capable of doing for us?"

The witch narrowed her eyes even more at the King in surprise, "Zarkon, what are you trying to tell me?" she asked, knowing full well the answer, but wanting to hear it from his own mouth.

Smiling, he answered her.,"Starting today, I have plans. Our Commander will have a father again, a real home, and a real purpose. Haggar, I need your help."

"I could create some magic spell to-"

"No! Your magic tends to bring failure instead of victory. I'm doing something much different this time."

Haggar maintained her silence as she listened to Zarkon's plan. The more she listened to it, the more she came to realize that she didn't like it. Not one bit.

XXXXXXXXXX

When the team walked into the castle, a swarm of maids welcomed them as they headed toward Allura like a herd of cattle.

"What the hell!" Hunk yelled, as they pushed him aside. "What's going on here?"

Within seconds and amidst the commotion, Nanny appeared and took Allura's hand leading her away from the Force.

"Come on Princess," the governess huffed. "You've delayed this long enough. Now, I'll draw you a bath and you will have the seamstress measure for your dress today. That's final!"

"Nanny!" Allura yelled, "I'm still in training until lunch."

The governess turned around and with eyes wide open looked at the Commander. "Well..."

Keith swallowed hard, afraid to debate with Nanny. He knew when to pick battles with the governess. Allura pushed her dress fitting aside for almost two weeks. He could not win this battle with Nanny. He shrugged in defeat and answered Allura with an apologetic smile, "Don't worry Princess, we can end training early today, besides, the rest of us need to work on upgrades for the lions and Garrison paperwork."

Nanny reeled in her happiness and authority, looking over at Allura, she told her, "See. Let's go Princess. You can join your friends for lunch later. Come on!"

Allura walked behind Nanny with her shoulders slumped and disappeared down the hallway with the rest of the maids, but not before giving Keith the evil eye. Lance was the first to lose it and laugh at Allura's resigned expression.

"She's so going to kill you at lunch!" he told him in between laughs.

Pidge and Hunk couldn't stop laughing either. Keith just rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to argue with Nanny. I swear that woman scares me more than Doom."

At that statement the laughter became louder.

"Oh, well. The Princess had it coming," Pidge replied. "She's the first girl I know that would run away from celebrating her birthday!"

"Yeah," Hunk continued. "I mean, eighteen is the big one!"

"Well," Lance followed. "I think she's running away from something bigger than her birthday... more like she's running away from marriage."

"What do you mean?" Pidge asked.

Lance took a look at Keith, whose face paled a little at that statement and who maintained his silence. Nevertheless, Lance continued, "I overheard Coran speaking to a couple of representatives from other planets a few days ago. He told them that Allura was coming of age and that she'd soon choose a suitor."

"Does Allura know?" Hunk asked.

"Have no idea," Lance answered. "I haven't asked her. So what do you think about this Keith?" He asked, studying his friend now that he had his suspicions.

As usual, Keith's expression held his typical blank slate. Instead, he smiled and played it off, "I think we should clean up and start working. This party takes place in two days and we better have all our work done before then. I have a feeling Nanny and Coran will want us to take part in these festivities and I don't want us to be pushed back from what we're really here for," he walked away from the rest of the group.

Noting Keith's last words, Pidge asked curiously, "What we are here for? What's with him?"

I knew it!'Lance gloated, but he wasn't going to reveal his best friend's secret until he spoke to him. "Have no idea. Come on…let's go before he gives us more work!"