The Dark Emperor Ascends- Chapter Four
I do not own Voltron, etc.
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Allura wondered why she was so surprised. Lotor had tried to kill Zarkon before,being impatient for the tantalizing position he would have as King. No longer would he be subservient to anyone again. Maybe her surprise centered around the story, because what they had heard seemed so...convincing. It wasn't just a short, unreliable account; for months on end, it had been the talk of many planets regarding the assassination, the assassin's excruciating torture, and the painstaking details of Doom's attack on the offending planet. Hundreds of accounts on the subsequent fighting were spoken of, the gruesome assaults and bloodshed. All of it had happened, but it was done under Lotor's direction, the classic inside job that had been achieved (quite secretly) by way of bribery, weeks of meticulous plotting, and the complete obliviousness of all not involved outside of Doom. Even the assassin had not realized he was stepping into a trap. Lotor relished relaying this to Allura, even if she was too groggy to really contemplate the complexity of the scheme. All she could murmur was, "You killed your own father?"
"Of course. He was always in my way, telling me to let you be, disrupting my plans. But no longer. Now it is I, dear princess, who rule this land." He may not have been the one to commit the murder, but he was still involved and- as Allura noticed- quite proud of his achievements.
Allura, even in the midst of her own dizziness and mingling fear, found herself burning with anger. How many times had she wished that her own father was still alive and her mother, too? She had seen them only in disturbing visions afterward, as she was just an infant when they were murdered by Doom's invasion.
Not only this, but besides his own ascension, Lotor had used this intricate plan to make Doom seem too distracted. To outsmart his main rivals and Zarkon, Lotor had undertaken a diabolical setup and unnecessary bloodshed. Allura knew little about this other planet, but knew the accounts of slaughtered and victimized civilians was the unfortunate truth. She studied Lotor for a moment, thinking over his relationship with Zarkon.
"And your mother?" she questioned slowly. "What do you think of her?"
"I feel nothing," Lotor said coldly, indifference in his eyes. "I have no memory of her."
"I don't believe that," she responded weakly, shutting her eyes as she fought to keep conscious.
"What do you mean?" Lotor's gaze was sharp.
"Nobody wouldn't feel angry…at their father…for that."
His face softened. He should have known that Allura would have been perceptive enough to know his secret. All those nightmares of being unable to save her after his mother's demise, being unable to save the both of them. But those dreams no longer plagued him; he was the Emperor and had the express power of Doom at his whim. "You, too, must be happy about his demise. For he is also the one who took your parents from you." His voice sounded like it was at the end of a tunnel, growing farther and farther away from her. And yet, the words still hurt. She could see her mother and father quite clearly in mind and couldn't determine if the sting of the words was caused by Lotor's ability to see through her, or at the memory of her parents.
"I did it for you. To avenge what he has done to you." Lotor looked down at Allura now, after several moments of silence. She seemed to be asleep, the drugs finally taking effect. But when he touched her, she stiffened and a breathy voice ushered from her lips.
"...lies..." Her thoughts were hazy at this point. He only did it for himself...
"You speak too boldly, princess." Lotor's glare, those cruel golden slits, seemed to penetrate into her.
"…" He watched as she made an inaudible reply and then lay still. At last, she was asleep. He had drugged her both to ensure her own rest as she'd probably had little to none since arriving on Doom, and partly to be able to gaze upon her, caress her without any resistance. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her. Again, he removed the blanket to look at her, amazed by the sight. Her cheeks seemed red. "So innocent is she that she blushes even in her sleep!" Lotor mused. He bent down to kiss her again and savored the moment. Finally, after so long of trying he had Allura in his grasp. No Voltron Force to foil his plans, the throne at hand, and his object of desire before him. At last he had his Queen. He felt his body react to the young girl beneath him. What he wanted lay right below him, in the perfect place. He put a hand to his remaining clothing, the pleasure becoming torment each moment he made no move to act upon it. He ran a hand down one smooth thigh. Reluctantly, he again covered her with the blanket. He stared at his hands for a moment. To think I am sparing her…this woman has bewitched me entirely. He kissed her again, delighting in those soft lips. Now that he had time to muse, he studied her carefully. What was it about her that had him so besotted? He'd seen beautiful women before (though few compared) and yet, somehow, she began to creep into every thought and desire. Whenever Arus came up, he thought of the beautiful princess, clad in her signature pink gown and waving to her people. It wasn't just her beauty that infatuated him. It was that spirit, the persona. He wasn't beyond attacking rebellious women...but something about her made him hesitate to attack her. Lotor lay on his side and continued to watch her, smiling as he thought of Keith and all the others. Their reactions had been absolutely priceless in response to his surprise attack. Keith had seemed infuriated and Lotor gloated to himself now, knowing that this lowly Commander had an eye on his princess. Too bad for him. Lotor chuckled under his breath. Just wait until they see what else I have in store for them!
-
Why do you lose faith so suddenly, my child?
What's going on? Allura was surrounded by swirls of pitch black darkness and strange purple hues, as though he had been hurled into the vastness of space. Faint sparkles glimmered in the distance. She looked all around, trying to understand what was happening to her. That voice seemed to resonate throughtout her head. It was so deep, that of a strong man.
Why do you lose faith?
"Who's there?" She called out, seeing no one. "Why do you ask this of me?" A strange flash of light came to her and she shut her eyes, holding up her wrists in defense. When the glare faded, she opened her eyes again.
It was in that instant that King Alfor stood before her.
"Father…" Allura reached a hand out, trembling as she did so. She wanted so desperately to be able to touch him. Each and every time before this, he had been intangible. She was startled to feel solid warmth in response to her strained reach; his hand closed over his. Immediately, she felt tears come to her eyes, a mixture of both joy and renewed sorrow. She looked down somberly and said, "Oh, no…I must be dead, if I can touch you like this."
No, Allura, you are very much alive. It is the deception of the prince of Doom that has sent you into this dream. His eyes were tender, but his expression was grim. He will try to fool you with his cunning tricks.
"What should I do?" She clutched her necklace in apprehension. "There is no way I can escape the palace of Doom."
Ah, but there are other ways to get around the Prince. I commend you greatly for your bravery and rebellion. She began to weep when he put his arms around her. It was the parental embrace she had always wanted, and never thought she would have. Soothingly, he stroked her hair. However, there is one thing that troubles me greatly about your thoughts, Allura.
She looked at him expectantly, troubled by the thought of his disappointment.
You seem to hold little value in your companions. Why do you think they could not help you?
"I-" Allura was flustered and unsure of what to say.
Of course, Lotor continues to be a challenge and as yet the biggest challenge your force has ever faced. But why, my child, why can lose faith so suddenly after all they have done?
And just as soon as he was there, he was gone. Allura put her hand to her cheek, trying to maintain the feel of warmth that had been there on her hand just moments ago. How could she have forgotten? She collapsed onto her back, looking up at the strange lights. They seemed like stars, but she could not be so sure.
Many years ago, Zarkon's forces had torn Arus apart. Death, destruction…the people, those who had survived or were not taken as slaves, were traumatized. Her mother and father, all living relatives, had perished. She, too, would have died had Coran not saved her. She remembered him giving an account of the rescue to her. "I promised your father I would make sure you survived," he said softly. "And that no harm would come to you." Arus had been darkened by all the force upon it; things seemed dead, even as survivors still remained local, close to the palace. It all had seemed hopeless. Allura grew up feeling whimsical and mostly lonely, the heavy weight of duty upon her shoulders. Nanny and Coran, of course, were loving in their own manner. But she'd had no one to really confide in but the space mice. It saddened her immensely. She rarely got to leave the palace, but when she did, she was struck by how somber the people seemed. They seemed to smile slightly, for her sake, and she once heard an Arusian say, "She is the only reason to hope." Coran told Allura many times that Arus's situation was dire. Doom had attacked multiple times over the years. Allura would never forget one such attack that had happened when she was sixteen. Depressed by her loneliness, she had escaped from the palace one day. She'd worn a long brown cloak and hood over her dress to conceal herself and went, unchaperoned, into the hills, home to the commoners of Arus where they hid themselves away after all the prior violence. The only ones who seemed even remotely happy were the children. She met a girl around her own age and they spoke for some time, the latter never realizing that she spoke to the princess herself. All day they had spoken, laughed all about normal, everyday things. They'd laid on a hill and looked up at the stars, awestruck. For the first time in her life, the princess felt like an average girl. And at last, Allura had a real friend. Until Doom had sent another swarm of invaders. Allura had scarcely been able to make it back to the palace again before great damage had been done. When the wreckage was looked over, Allura learned that her new friend had been carted away with several other girls. And as it was so often stated, humans did not last long on Doom. Allura had always berated herself for not being able to rescue her that, she seriously pondered over how to protect her people, but there seemed to be little that could be done. Allura had wept many long nights, terrified that Arus was doomed.
But one day…five strange men had arrived, three years after her out-of-castle journey.
"I pray that these will be the ones to save Arus," Coran murmured.
When Allura came to meet these men, she was not so sure of what to expect. They had to be strong to have gotten through their ordeals beforehand, but could they really face off against Planet Doom? Respectfully, they stood before her, heard her story. The leading man's face had been almost expressionless, but for the fire burning in his eyes, especially after the men had agreed with Coran to use the legendary Voltron to protect Arus. Without another word, Keith dropped to one knee and grabbed her hand. She felt a strange sensation of hope flooding through her veins as they kept eye contact. He kissed her ring, swearing loyalty. And all followed suite, one after the other. Deep down, she just knew that this was the miracle she had been hoping for. Those guardians had taken a phantom planet and turned it into a thriving world of beauty and hope. Arus hadn't looked better since before the raids occurred. The people had reason to believe again. They found themselves no longer wishing to be elsewhere, but instead, proud to be Arusians. Each time Allura went out and waved to them, she felt not only relieved, but prideful of the men. She could never thank them enough for restoring Arus; those brave men had taken it upon themselves to revive Arus from its status as a listless land of rubble to once again become a kingdom of glory and vigor.
She believed so much in the force- but with so much at stake, it was hard not to worry. Arus had been doing better than ever before and now it teetered in a precarious position. Where Lotor had garnered all this immense power was hard to say, but she knew that he was more formidable than ever before.
-
"We're nearing Doom," Hunk called to his companions as the wretched planet came more into view, no longer a tiny dot in the distance.
"Finally." Keith's impatience had been biting at him terribly. "We should stay as far from the palace as we can and find a safe place to land."
"We don't know much about Doom," Lance reminded him. "What if there is no safe place to land?"
"There must be some place that's in the middle of nowhere. If we can land there, then we can find a way to infiltrate the Palace."
Thank goodness he's back to normal. "Sounds good, Commander."
"If only the princess had her communicator," Hunk mused. "Then we could know if she's ok."
"Why was she on the roof, anyway?" Lance scratched his head as Keith looked up. He hadn't even thought of that before. Everything had been too confusing and hectic for them to even wonder why Romelle and Allura had even been out of bed in the first place. Allura had been in her nightdress. Had the two women heard something while they were sleeping and gone to investigate? It sounded unlikely; Allura would have alerted them if she'd heard anything. Besides, the meeting room was much closer to the roof entrance than Allura's bedroom. Most likely, they had gone up for fresh air or to gaze at the stars. What happened in between that and the end result was only imaginable. As Hunk said, she didn't have her communicator since she'd been in her night clothes, so there was no way to contact the princess to check on her condition or question her.
As Hunk pulled down to land, Keith recalled his talk with Allura before she was abducted. "Nobody is fearless, Allura." She had seemed grateful, yet skeptical. Maybe it was because he never liked to show his fear. But even now, as they started to land, Keith felt his stomach jolt in apprehension. They were in the middle of the hellish planet with only laser pistols and no Voltron. They even still wore their civilian clothes, knowing how recognizable their uniforms were. Espionage seemed the only way they would be able to save the princess.
As soon as the craft touched the ground, all of them felt sensations of fear travel through them. Planet Doom seemed desolate, yet at the same time a quite valuable planet. Where they landed, there was little to see -especially in the middle of the night- but in the distance the palace was waiting. It seemed a demon in its own right, with flashing lights amongst ominous darkness.
"All right, team." Keith led Hunk and Lance outside. "Let's go."
They hurried across the landscape, drawing their lasers as they neared the walls of the palace.
"How are we supposed to get in there?" Hunk didn't look very optimistic.
"I'm not so sure…" Keith eyed the surroundings carefully. Outside the wall, around the corner of the hill they hid behind, several guards stood patrolling. There had to be dozens more- at least- inside. "We can't go in disguised because they'll recognize us on sight. Unless we can knock out those guards over there." Four guards stood on another side of the wall, at some distance from the others. And they carried swords, not guns. "Let's go," Keith whispered. Immediately, they surrounded their opponents and knocked them senseless with their pistols before any additional noise could be made and donned the uniforms of the guards over their clothes, helmets and all.
"Mine's too tight!" Hunk bellowed.
"Just be patient, Hunk," Lance said. "Hopefully you won't have to stay in that for long." He and Keith hid the unconscious guards and stood staring up at the palace, which towered over them menacingly .
"This is probably the most dangerous mission we've ever gone on," Keith acknowledged. "But the princess is in there somewhere." That alone was reason enough for them to go. Taking a deep breath, Keith led his companions to the entrance of the Palace of Doom.