Third installment. Sorry for the delay. Please note that I have never seen the episode where Balto is attacked and destroyed but I heard references to it in other people's fanfics. This dialogue has been in my head for awhile but I have no idea if it's canon. The two speakers are Pidge and Allura.

WARNING: I do not own Voltron nor make any money off this. It's just for fun and writing practice. Enjoy!


Lament

"What do you mean we can't go there!?"

"Just what I said, Pidge. We need Voltron here in case the Drule decide to attack again. They've done this before, striking at one small place to draw Allied forces there only to send the bulk of their army to the larger site left unguarded. It leads to massive destruction and even lower morale."

"But Balto is not a small place! Billions of people live there, including my relatives! We can't just abandon them!"

"Strategically, there is no good reason to attack Balto except ..."

"Except a billion slaves and natural resources!"

"...except to lure us away from the real attack. I know that you feel deeply for your homeworld. Please, calm down. I have it on good authority that Galaxy Garrison is sending troops to Balto's aide. Voltron needs to stay back in case of a second and possibly larger raid. I am sure that once Zarkon realizes that we are not taking the bait, he will ease off the attack. All the reports said it was a small task force."

"But, even then, people will die!"

"That's the reality of war, Pidge--people die! I'm sorry! Galaxy Garrison will ensure that minimal casualties are incurred. We cannot risk the larger picture."

"So we're not going to do anything!? Just sit on our butts and wait?"

"We will be closely monitoring all channels for any disturbances or changes and will be at the ready at all times."

"You don't care at all about Balto! You just want to keep Voltron for yourself! Zarkon won't relent! He'll turn my homeland into a deserted waste just as much as Arus! How can you stand that?"

"Please, try to understand my position. Voltron is first and foremost Arus's defender. If we left to help Balto, Arus would be completely defenseless and we are so far out that Alliance troops would be long in coming here. I have conferred with Coran and he agrees that we should stay out of this fray."

"Of course, HE would! Why would any Arusian care about other planets? They don't! They probably feel we deserve it since they've had to deal with years of hardship, maybe it's time for someone else to suffer!"

"Pidge, that's not true! How dare you insult my people that way! Yes, they've been through a decade of war, but they are still kind and good and would never wish this same cruelty to happen to another world!"

"So why can't we go and stop it!?"

"We've been over this! We have to stay behind, just in case!"

"YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A COWARD!"

Pain and hurt filled the princess's heart as she was bombarded with her youngest teammate's fury. She felt for him, she really did, but her hands were tied. She could not order Voltron to Balto and leave Arus unprotected. She watched with a lump in her throat and a heaviness in her chest as he stormed out of Castle Control. She prayed to the gods that G.G.'s reinforcements would be enough to protect the small planet and keep it from the worst of Drule atrocities but dread came across her as she feared what lay ahead.

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"Mayday, Mayday! We need more help! Repeat, we need more help! Drule forces, hundreds of them, came out of nowhere! We thought we had the bulk of them taken care of but wave upon wave have shown up! Please, we're vastly outnumbered! Please, send backup! Repeat, PLEASE, SEND BACKUP!"

The ground around the military crew erupted in chunky debris and dust. Fire rained through the city burning citizens as they fled for shelter. Rubble sprang out at men, women and children as bombs descended everywhere. Shrieks of dismay and panic filled the air. Hundreds of fighter ships eclipsed the twin suns turning day into deadly night. Outer planetary images displayed mass loaders diving to the surface leaving black craters in their wake. Mushroom clouds burst out of the atmosphere.

The Voltron Force stared in shocked horror as Balto was pummeled out of existence. No one made a sound, too stupefied to move or even breathe, except for Pidge whose wails shook the very foundation of the castle.

The Princess of Arus sank to the floor in shame.


Looking up an episode synopsis, this could easily fit into the early part of the story. In canon it was Coran who ordered the Voltron Force to stay behind. As ruler of Arus, Allura should have had a greater hand in that decision, so that's how I wrote it here. Afterward Keith and the team defy him and take the Lions to Balto but show up too late to save the planet.

This was an exercise in dialogue. I wanted to show Pidge's emotions overriding his better nature. Did it work? What do you guys think?