Megazord Prime - Ryan is pretty cocky, and his father seems to place alot of fatih in hm and his team. With the Panthers assigned to protect the freighter of Lazon, it'll be interesting to see how they fare against a robeast alone...

Author's Note - Without my muse, I am nothing.

Theme Music : None

Disclaimer - Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo.

Episode 98 : "Deadly Force – Part II"

"Sky Marshall…." Kala said, somewhat in shock, yet unsurprised. She dropped to one knee in hionor.

"Stay on your feet, Commander," he replied. "We will need to be on our toes if we want to best those brats from the Academy." He turned from her, looking down at his right hand. "As you can see, even my own failure comes with a price."

"I don't plan on failing you, Sky Marshall," she replied. She stood up and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are by far the most powerful human I have ever known."

"If you can still read my thoughts," he said, "you see that regardless of how much I age, I will never lose my edge. In fact, once we do secure that lazon shipment, I have another strategy that will keep us close enough to the Alliance to continue to strike at its very heart." Her eyes widened as the thoughts in his mind entered hers.

"It seems you have turned your own self-proclaimed failure into the ultimate win," she replied with a smirk. "Right under the Alliance's nose?"

"Right under Stensson's nose!" he snapped. She took a step back, feeling his anger level rise briefly. He turned to face her once again. "I do think we need to tie up some loose ends in the process thought."

"Loose ends?" she asked. She heard his thoughts, but was unsure how to interpret what she saw.

"Lord Kanji will soon know of my return, if he hasn't sensed it already," he replied. "I think it would be in our best interests to form a partnership."

"Isn't that what we have now?" she asked, still gauging whether what she heard in his mind was what he meant.

"I'm thinking of something with a bit more commitment, Commander," he replied. "I've never been the one to mix business with pleasure…but I believe there will be no better place for a wedding than a conquered world, and no better wedding present than the destruction of our enemies." She gasped, realizing she had read him correctly. "With you as my queen, we will rule Korronith with an iron fist, not only allowing Lord Kanji to complete his plans of unification….but to achieve our ultimate goal of ridding ourselves of the Galaxy Alliance and that meddlesome Lieutenant once and for all!" Kala took a deep breath, trying to take it all in. She did have feelings for Wade…but was still unsure whether she wanted to actually marry the man.

"What was the other loose end you spoke of?" she asked, trying to temporarily derail the subject.

"That would be a little surprise I brought with me as insurance once we reach Quantus," he replied. "I have just the plan to deal with the Voltron Force, should they decide to interfere."

JC and the team walked into the Control Room where Lysette was waiting for them, Chip sitting at one of the desks working on something. They lined up and saluted.

"You wanted to see us, Admiral?" JC asked.

"Yes, team," she replied. "We received word that another large shipment of lazon is being sent from Quantus."

"Lemme guess," Roxy said, "they need our help to guard it."

"Actually," Lysette replied, "while intelligence reports suggest that the Supremacy is planning to attack Quantus in an attempt to take the shipment, the Interim Council has decided to not send the Voltron Force to protect the shipment."

"Why's that?" JC asked.

"With all due respect, Admiral," Seth said, "we know what Kala is capable of, and are almost certain that if she plans to attack the shipment, it will be a thought out plan, and they will need assistance."

"And they will have assistance," she replied. "I have been in contact with Commander Steele. The Interim Council has decided instead to send the Black Panthers to deal with any attack on the shipment."

"Are they insane?" Roxy blurted out. "Those stuck up airheads are going to walk right into Kala's hands, and if there's a robeast, they're liable to get themselves killed."

"Alliance fighters," JC said, "even the more advanced models being produced by the shipyard, are not going to be enough to take down a robeast."

"While I agree," Lystette said, "the Space Marshall and the Interim Council have made their decision." She turned away from them for a moment. "However, I have not been ordered against launching my own investigation. While the Panthers will be flying out on their own, I have commissioned the Bogart to accompany them from a distance." She turned to Chip. "Stoker, are they ready?"

"Tangor and Zandee finished the modifications I designed for the weapons systems of the ships," he replied, "and they've been loaded into the main launch bay of the Bogart."

"If I were you," she said, looking at the team with a smirk on her face, "I would report to Captain Stebbins as soon as possible so that you may accompany your ships." The team smiled.

"Thank you, Admiral, " JC replied. The team left the Control Room.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Chip asked. "This is technically going against orders."

"If it's one thing I'm good at, Lieutenant," she replied, "it's breaking the rules."

"Are you sure we're making the right decision, Lenora?" Mike asked her. "Not sending the Voltron Force to deal with the possible Drule threat?"

"The Interim Council decided to keep the Voltron Force here based on Commander Steele's advice," she replied. "My hands are tied at this point."

"You know I didn't vote for this," he muttered.

"If the Panthers are as good as Steele says they are," Len said, "then they can handle it. I did receive a request from Admiral Fabrere to follow the Panthers and provide backup if needed."

"I'm at least glad to hear that," Mike replied. "I just wish our team was with them in case of a robeast attack." Lenora tapped a few things into the datapad and laid it on the desk, slowly sliding it over to Mike.

"Like I said, Commander," she said, "my hands are tied." He looked down at the datapad, showing Dock One surveillance footage. He blinked a few times, and smirked a bit as he watched the Voltron jets being loaded into the main cargo bay.

The silence was broken by the ship's main engines coming online. She could hear the hum get louder as they powered up, and felt the lurch as the ship approached hypermach 1. But it wasn't the feel of the ship that concerned her….not exactly. It was the fact she felt anything at all.

"I see you've finally woken up," a familiar voice rang in her ears. Her blood began to boil at the very sound of his voice. She actually tried to move, but felt her arms and legs pinned down. She kept her eyes closed, hoping it was all a dream, but she knew in the back of her mind she was living a nightmare.

"Maahox," she muttered.

"Ah, I see your memories aren't completely scrambled from your experience," he replied. "How fascinating."

"Release me at once!" she exclaimed.

"And then what?" he asked. "Stand still while you cut off my head? No, that would probably be a bad idea. You see, my little experiment, you have been given a second chance of sorts. To find you floating in the depths of space with no hope of surviving in your…ahem….normal form, was a stroke of luck. The sheer fact that the haggarium flowing through your veins is continuing to keep your rapidly decaying body regenerated. Watching this process is beyond fascinating."

"What do you plan to do with me?" she asked. "You've already turned me into a monster."

"True, true," he replied. "But you're mission is far from over. After all, it was Voltron that tried to destroy you. I would assume you would want some measure of revenge for that."

"Not as much as the revenge I want for what you've done to me!" she exclaimed.

"Well," he said, exasperated, "if you really want to be normal again, you are going to have to impress Lord Kanji. And in order to do that….you will need to destroy the Voltron Force." Her mind raced. As much as she didn't trust Maahox, she trusted Kanji. Her lord would not see her continue to suffer if she appeased him. The haggarium coursed faster through her veins as a wicked grin appeared on her face.

"Then destroy them I will," she said, her one good eye springing open, blood red, seeking vengeance.

To be continued….