Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron/Go Lion or any of their characters. They are the property of WEP and Devil's Due Comics and Toei Animation. All other characters are mine. This is written purely for entertainment purposes and I am not monetarily compensated in any way.
Star Crossed
Chapter 2
1
General Cossack rocked back on his heels and watched the visuals still quite unable to believe that Blue Lion and the Princess were actually in the hanger bay. He was surprised, no, not surprised, astounded that Lotor's plan had worked as well as it did. Cossack had cautioned him about using the Vheyron, fast as it was, it didn't have the protection that military spacecraft did. But the prince had insisted that was exactly why it was the perfect choice. 'Women just can't resist this thing.' Lotor had said running a hand down the elegant curve of one of the glossy black wings. And he had been right. Allura had snatched the bait and the trap had closed around her.
He studied the image of the mechanized predator on the visual and felt a chill go down his spine. They made no sense, these lion-mechas were unlike any warship he'd ever seen. They moved like real animals on the ground, right down the tail swishes. He couldn't imagine the skill it took to co-ordinate all four legs at the same time at speed. And when they flew they were faster, stronger and more maneuverable than anything the Drule military had. It was rumored that they were sentient, living beings made out of silicate not carbon. Maybe it was true. He swore that he could see the thing's fuselage expand and contract like it was breathing. Hira! It looks like its alive!
He had wanted to stay on the bridge, but Lotor had ordered him down here. He had plenty of opportunities to see what these Lions could do first hand to a robeast. And for that reason alone he never wanted to get this close to one. Especially with its pilot still in it. Yet here he was with nothing but his battle dress uniform and eighteen inches of carbon fiber alloyed steel between him and that killing machine.
Cossack glanced over his shoulder as the door to the control room outside the hanger swished open and Prince Lotor strode through it.
"I told you it would work." The prince said with a cocky grin as he loosened the collar of his flight suit, his life support tubes still dangling from his elbows and hips. He set his helmet down on the consol with a thunk. He had been in such a rush to get to the hanger where Allura and the lion were held that he hadn't taken the time to change. As soon as he had them both secure he would have his ship underway and make a hasty retreat back to Korrinoth with his prize.
"Yes, Your Highness, you got her. Now what are you going to do with her?" Cossack asked eyeing the Lion uneasily. His question caused a few chuckles from the soldiers on duty.
"As you were!" Lotor ordered smiling a little himself. What am I going to do with her? Anything. Everything.
"We can't launch with the tractor beam activated. And I don't really recommend turning it off while she's still in the cockpit." Cossack explained. "And I don't think she's going to volunteer to get out."
"We'll see about that." Lotor answered.
"Allura, you are my prisoner. I order you to surrender and get out of the Lion." The prince addressed her through her comm, noticing in annoyance that she had disabled visual.
"What? No! Let me go, Lotor! Leave me and planet in peace." Allura's voice came over the comm. She sounded more angry than afraid.
"If you want peace so badly, surrender." He retorted.
"I'll never surrender to you!"
"Oh, that's what all you trembling little virgins say. At first." He said and her indignant gasp caused him to smirk. He so enjoyed their little exchanges.
"You may have me and you may have Blue Lion. But until you separate us you're in no position to make demands. I'll tell you one last time Lotor, for your own good, let me go. And I assure you, I am NOT trembling!" She sounded sure of herself. He wondered how much of it was bravado. He didn't really think that she would give up so easily. But he had to offer her the chance. He hadn't wanted to resort to brute force, but he was running out of time and options.
"See," Cossack gestured at the comm, and shook his head, "I told you she wouldn't co-operate. 'No, no, no.' That's all these Altean women know how to say…"
"Oh, she'll be begging to in a few minutes." Lotor replied.
"Ensign, increase the power." He ordered.
"Yes, Sir." The young man replied and raised the setting of the tractor beam slightly.
A gasp followed by a small mewling sound came from the speaker.
"Again, ensign." Lotor ordered.
"Sir?" The young man asked hesitantly and looked over his shoulder at Lotor. Normally he wouldn't have given a second thought to crushing an Altean pilot or any enemy fighter to death but this one was different. This one was the Princess of Altea and if one hair on her head was mussed he knew the Prince would flay the skin off his back.
"Do as you're told." Lotor ordered. He cringed inside as he gave the command, but the sooner Allura understood that there was no escape and that he was in control the better this would be for everyone.
A muscle in his jaw visibly flexed as he watched the ensign increase the energy field. The mewling sound became and anguished scream and he signaled to the ensign to vary the intensity at random. Gasping breaths and muffled sobs drifted over the comm. She would not be able to handle it for much longer. She would break. He knew it. His spy's information had been correct. The blood on the princess's pillow. Her frequent headaches after flight training. Her lady in waiting's frequent outbursts at Commander Kogane regarding the princess's health. They all told a tale that no one on Altea wanted repeated. I am sorry, n'sayiat. Not everyone is meant to fly.
He licked his lips then pressed them together in anticipation. His plan had worked. Allura was his. She had followed him just as he'd hoped. He truly felt like an ass for playing on her insecurities and inexperience but, really, he had no other choice. All of his earlier entreaties had failed as did his several kid knapping attempts. She, with the help of those damn Alliance pilots had managed to get away every time. But today was different. Today he had the princess and the lion. Instead of going to her he brought her to him. The Voltron force hadn't even realized what had happened until it was too late. And from the last situation reports, they were otherwise occupied fighting his robeast. And if that one didn't hold them, he had another ready to go. Several weeks ago, the witch had given him a proto-type that she wanted tested out. Lotor was sure that she had meant for it to be in a more controlled setting, but he a warrior, not a lab tech. In any case, he would have plenty of time to withdraw. The first half of his mission was nearly accomplished.
Lotor listened until the soft whimper faded to silence. He held his own breath until he heard the barely audible sound of Allura's breathing. She was alive at least. Now they had to get her in custody and go. Quickly.
He hailed the bridge. "Commander Yoi, what's the current situation?"
"The Altean's have just launched a bunch of skeet from the castle and they've doubled up on their artillery. The four lions are still engaged with the robeast. But it looks like they're gaining the upper hand. And from what we've managed to decode they know you have the princess and are planning a rescue attempt." Yoi replied.
"Excellent. Prepare the ship for launch. Be ready to leave on my mark!" Lotor grinned. Perfect, let them come after him.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Everything was going exactly as he had planned. Except for Allura. He had to get her out of the Lion.
"Allura? Can you hear me?" Prince Lotor asked through the comm. He paused a moment but heard only silence. "Allura, it's time to surrender. You have been very brave but now you're just being foolish." Lotor said into the comm. "Surrender and save your planet. Your people." Still silent. Good, she must have succumbed.
"Highness, do you want to send the team in there to get her?" Cossack asked.
"Get them in position. I'm going in with them." Lotor replied.
"Your Highness, I would advise against that. It's too—" Cossack said abruptly. If they had been in private he would not have been so polite.
"Dangerous? Ha! Cossack, I'm touched! You're worried about me!" Lotor laughed.
Actually, no, fucker, I'm worried about me when I have to explain to King Zarkon how Allura was able to squash you like a bug in your own flagship. Cossack thought. "Highness, once the force field is turned off the Lion will not be disabled. And if the princess should snap out of it while you're in there…" He let his words trail off, allowing Lotor come to his own conclusions.
"Nhg!" Lotor scowled at him, but did not disagree. As arrogant as the prince was he was under no delusion that the affection he felt for the princess was even slightly reciprocated. It would be suicide to enter the hanger if she was alert enough to use her weaponry. And they had to turn off the force field to enter. He'd forgotten about that. He signaled for the ensign to reduce the force field even more. "Send them in as soon as it's safe."
2
The pseudo-gravity of the tractor beam pulsed over her in waves causing her suit to constrict painfully as it sensed the extreme changes in the pressure. Allura swallowed back a scream as the blood flow in her legs was cut off and it felt like the seams of the garment were slicing into her skin. Once again the blood was pushed to her head and she felt it swell into her face and the pressure behind her eyes made it feel as though they would pop right out of their sockets. A sickening wave of dizziness threatened to sweep her into unconsciousness yet again. She sobbed as she fought it off. She had to remain strong. She had to get out of this.
Her vision was fading into a red mist. She was disoriented and losing consciousness from the last pressure wave and worse she was losing commune with her Lion. No! Don't leave me! Not here! Not with him! It was a desperate plea as she struggled to maintain the connection but it was too late. The red mists became angry clouds, growing deeper and darker until finally everything faded to black and the cybernetic connection with her Lion slipped away.
There was a buzzing sound a voice from far away…'you have been very brave…' It was somehow familiar. Father? Is that you? She mused as reality faded as the blood that had been forced into her brain rapidly drained away with the sudden change in pressure '…save your planet. Your people.' My people? Yes! Yes! My people! I can't…I must…!'
With all the strength she had left she clenched her abdominal muscles as tight as she was able and forced air into her lungs at the same time. Then out again, still clenching. Breathe…in…out…just breathe. She told herself clenching and unclenching and sucking and expelling in short choppy breaths. Slowly, it seemed, her mind began to clear and then the familiar surge of energy rushed though her brain as she regained consciousness. Her hands and feet tingled as the wave rushed through her body and she pressed them into the flat crystal panels on the arm rests and floor, feeling the power surge up from the Lion and into herself linking them symbiotically. She borrowing the Lion's strength and the Lion her mind, both with a common purpose. Commune. She was the Blue Lion once more.
Blue wasn't her name of course, it was the abstraction that she tolerated from her sentient hosts. Blue they called her and she let them because she knew that blue was the color of their oceans, their skies and their dreams. Her name was unpronounceable and unknowable to the organics. To her pride and the Creator her name was the dream where all life began and death existed as one. She was called the power that shreds mountains until they crumble to the sea and grace that make the green things grow. She was the order of the tides and the chaos of the storm.
Among all these billions of mortal creatures, there were just a few that could hear her true name and understand it. Of those that tried the female was the only one that she could share commune with. She was awake again. Without commune she was asleep. She had been asleep so long that she had no dreams left and there had been nothing but the void. Black and empty. Lonely. She could not feel fear but she had despaired. So many ages had passed she had scarcely recognized the universe when she awakened. Her sisters woke with her and finally they found their Lord.
The evil ones that had torn them asunder had returned. Their machines did not kill them. They had survived only to create more chaos. They wanted to send her and her pride back to the void. This she would not allow. She felt the web of energy pinning her down. They would not keep her. 'They will feel the burning cold of my rage.'
Subconsciously Allura felt the jolt of Blue's anger, bringing her all the way back to reality. She reached out with her senses and felt the lion's body and limbs become her own. I am a lion! She thought relishing the feeling of Blue's phenomenal power flooding through her.
She checked her mobility first. She struggled to rise and couldn't. Her jaw was firmly pressed to the metal floor and her paws flat against it as well. Easy. Don't panic. She thought. So, I'm still not going anywhere. She thought glumly. But on the bright side, Lotor had reduced the gravity field to a level that only made her head feel like it was being crushed down by the weight of an anvil.
She examined the hanger with Blue's eyes. With them, she could use any spectrum of light or radiation. She could analyze their molecular structure scan them atom by atom for any weaknesses. There he was…now she could see him. First, his bio-electric outline, she knew it was him by his posture. Then the infra red heat silhouette, the hot reds and yellows pulsed and swayed with their movements. It was him and three others. Two seated. The other farther behind him. And there were more, she noticed as she continued scanning, waiting just behind the doors, their shapes an amorphous red-orange-yellow block of bodies.
He was shockingly close. Right on the other side of the near wall. He couldn't be more than one hundred meters away. The lion's glowing yellow eyes narrowed as she focused on her captor. So close! Waiting there, so arrogant and so sure she'd surrender! Oh! How she wished she could reach him. She would crush him with a swat of her paw. Mince him up between her jaws and spit out a bloody glob! But he was behind a wall of magnetized steel alloy and she was flat on the floor like a rug. She issued a low growl in irritation and felt the floors and walls of the vast chamber vibrate with the infra sonic sound.
"Jericho." The thought came unbidden to Allura. The word was familiar…where had she heard it before? She growled softly again and the hard metal floor trembled ever so slightly under her paws.
