Holding her pillow close, Allura slept peacefully that night for the first time in awhile, so when she awakened early, she felt rested. After stretching and letting out a loud yawn, she slowly gazed over to the holoclock which showed 0430 hours. She gave a soft groan of slight disappointment. Almost time for training, she thought. Softly closing her eyes, she then took several slow, deep breaths which revived her and awakened her more than her usual two cups of morning tea normally would. It seemed like forever since she felt a calmness throughout her body, mind and soul. Keith had instilled in her the faith and confidence that she was capable of anything and she could prove Lance wrong. Oh, she was still nervous about having to deal with him, but she knew she had Keith's back and that he would stand up for her. Maybe they even had a talk about how badly he treated her and there would be retribution for Lance. Either way, she knew she owed Keith so much for everything he had done for her. There was a reason he was the commander.
After another lingering stretch under the covers, she wiggled her toes while her thoughts continued to wander of how the day would play out. After training, she would get a nice long massage from the masseuse that Nanny recommended. A thought of what it would be like if Keith was the masseuse crossed her mind, and she smiled imagining him rubbing her neck and shoulders.
Her feelings of peaceful restfulness and rejuvenation quickly dissipated like a candle being suddenly snuffed out as the castle alarms went off with a loud, unexpected clang. Allura's blood rushed in her veins like a raging river and her heartbeat pounded in her throat as she tore back the covers, threw off her nightgown, and changed into her flight suit. Her fingers worked furiously as she pulled her long, matted blonde hair quickly into a bun.
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As Allura sprinted her way to the control room, she saw that the other team members had gathered there anxiously awaiting what was happening. Keith's face and reddened with dark circles under his eyes showed he was fighting back the fatigue from being awakened, yet he was pumped and ready for a battle. Hunk and Pidge stood firmly with fists clenched after rubbing their eyes, each muttering to each other as they wondered if it was another robeast attack.
"What is it Coran?" Keith asked calmly and he straightened his posture to appear more composed while running his fingers perfunctorily through his hair, masking any signs of uncertainty.
"It looks like Drule ships, several of them heading this way," Coran responded calmly, his face expressionless as they all glanced up with him at the giant screen.
"Yeah, Lotor picks the best times to attack, doesn't he?" Lance joked letting out a big yawn, but not caring that none of the others reacted with a laugh.
"Alright team, let's head for the lions and take these ships down!" Keith called out as and they all ran towards the chutes.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Coran muttered as he watched each of them run to the chutes. "Godspeed Voltron Force," he whispered while closing his eyes tightly.
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As each piloted lion ascended from their dens, they immediately fired on the Drule ships anhilating several. Smoke and fumes filled the sky, causing blinding blackouts for the lions until a huge coffin dropped with a thunderous, sonic boom that shook all around rattling the lion pilots.
"Oh great! A robeast!" Hunk called out.
"Wow! This one is huge!" Pidge yelled, his voice shaking as the robeast emerged enormous and fierce as though it would tear Voltron into a thousand pieces.
"Come on team. We can do this. This is just another robeast," Keith responded as he clung to his controls firmly. However, he had his nagging doubts pricking at him like several needles poking into his skin.
The robeast ruthlessly fired several rockets towards them. Frighteningly monstrous with gray, reptilian-like skin, large red angry eyes and mechanical limbs, it took no time to cause havoc upon the lions. Hot, massive flames spewed out of its mouth, first burning the landscape and then the lions. One by one the robeast blew fire at them and Allura, ready to prove herself, shot back streams of water and ice.
Lance took his own opportunity to show off his lion skills. "Fight fire with fire!" he hollered out. "Take that!" as Red blew out a long stream of firey magma causing the robeast to roar in defiance sounding like a banshee only ten times greater. Enraged, it continued to fight all of the lions hitting and throwing them repeatedly, but none of them were nowhere near giving up.
"We gotta form Voltron!" Allura shouted with determination taking over as she felt her fingers numb on her controls while her whole body trembled.
"If we don't, we're toast!" Hunk added equally stressed. Allura couldn't help but laugh to herself as Hunk always managed to bring up food during even the most heated of battles.
Then Keith called out for the formation of Voltron, "Alright team. Here we go. Activate interlocks, dynatherms connected, infracells up, megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron force!" they all yelled out in unison and Allura too shouted with all her might.
Voltron, now formed and as the mighty robot, he fought back, but he may have met his match. The giant robeast picked him up not once, but twice tossing him through the sky like a toy and slamming him against the ground.
"Aargh!" the five Voltron pilots cried out collectively while shocks of electricity jolted through their bodies.
"Form blazing sword!" Keith called out with an intensity and Allura shook in her seat.
Robeast charged forth daring Voltron by grabbing at the right arm which and placed a paralyzing grip on it nearly causing Voltron to drop the sword. Voltron continued to fight and just like that the robeast was sliced in half by the mighty sword sending sparks and gigantic chunks of mangled metal throughout the air. The smoke was like a gigantic gray blanket as the visibility diminished, but then resumed a short time later. Soon, all five pilots cheered as Voltron separated back into the lions, but then they realized doom ships had resumed their attack. Allura, Hunk and Pidge both fired at the ships dessimating several of them while Keith also shot rockets from his lions shoulders.
"We're doing great team. Just a few more ships and we'll have them all and this will be one more defeat for Doom!" Keith hollered.
Lance's lion blew flames at the ship, but in turn it shot back and one of the blasts managed to smash hard at Red's side causing Lance to tumble in his lion with a tremendous thud. "AAahh! I'm hit hard" he cried out in agony and Red began spinning out of control before sickeningly crashing onto the ground. Allura dove her lion as fast as she could at lightening speed and landed beside Red and the Doom ship. Two Drule soldiers had stepped out of their ship as she was and going to check the status of Lance in his lion.
"Allura, get back in your lion!" Keith yelled frantically as the Doom soldiers broke into Red's cockpit. Allura followed them and as they raised their blasters as though to finish off a badly injured Lance, she fired hers at both of their backs as they were oblivious to her behind them. They were the last of the Drule soldiers and as they fell to the ground in pieces, it was bittersweet. Allura was barely aware of the other pilots stopping and that they had made their way to Red. Lance was lying in a fetal position on his left side, his face ghostly white and diaphoretic.
"I can't breathe, I'm gonna die, please don't let me die," he pleaded over and over, eyes filled with tears as his body writhing in pain. Shock was taking over as he was skin grew more clammy, his eyes rolling back.
It was all that Allura could do to not faint or get horribly ill at the sight and the circumstances in front of her. Hunk got to him first and he pulled away at the flight suit where he had been struck. He placed a large towel which soaked up blood. Pidge grabbed a blanket and covering Lance while Keith secured an oxygen mask on Lance's face as well as a soft collar around his neck. Then Keith turned to Allura who was frozen in place with her face ashen and blue eyes enormous. After shaking her shoulders and looking at her straight in the eye, he began yelling at her, but all she could comprehend were muffled, slow roars and soon it was as though time had slowed to almost a halt. Keith stepped aside and called castle control and talked with Dr. Gorma describing as he could the extent of Lance's injuries and his condition.
It was a though a thick fog had blanketed over everything and Allura didn't even remember returning to the castle, but somehow she made it back. Hunk had flown with her in her lion while Keith piloted Lance's back with Lance. Hunk and Pidge then flew back to retrieve the black and yellow lions. Grave news came back from the infirmary within minutes and Allura nearly collapsed on the floor as she heard Keith yelling out, "Oh no! Please! Not like Sven!"