Author's Note: Today has been a really, REALLY bad day, so I thank all of you who continue to read and follow along. Really, you are my only bright spot, and the only thing that keeps me going.
Oh yeah...HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY, VOLTRON!
I only own my characters and planets. WarzonePrez owns Commander Mike Stormclaw, and WEP owns everything else.
To sunshineleo - Jeff feels unsettled because of the HORRENDOUS way he and Lisa broke up (the infamous Soltoro incident; more info on that in Chapter 10 of "Someone Like You" AND there's a side fic in the works about it). As for Sven, yes! That was his turning point. Sure, there'll be some bumps along the way, but for now, everything's OK in the S/R universe.
To Cubbie - I'm glad the K/A made your day a little better. Where would we be without them? (BTW, Cliff is starting to feel the same way for Justine!)
To WarzonePrez - Look for your boy Mike in this chapter. Thank you so much for letting me borrow him, as well as for all of your comments and compliments. Look for more Wade & Co. in this chapter, too! (PS: There's a Taye reference in here for you, too.)
To Eire Rose - Wade has had a long time to think about how to obtain his revenge. Think about it: he had his stolen position at the head of Galaxy Garrison (see "Fallen Empires") ripped away from him, he's been on trial and in the Galactic Prison (see "Someone Like You"), and he's seen his master plan to take down all three Voltrons fail (see "Icicle). He's at the point now where he is patient, collected, calculating...and possibly the most dangerous opponent the VFs have ever faced.
Title Song: "You & I (Nobody In the World)" by John Legend
When Wade went down to breakfast, he was pleased to find that Krai Soltorn was still there.
Indeed, the general had spent a vast amount of time on Doom, far longer than the planet's inhabitants ever expected her to. She seemed to enjoy her visit, taking her time enough to thoroughly ascertain a plan of attack, as well as extensively study the parts of the Predator Robeast.
He might have mentioned something about how taken she was with it.
"Good morning, General," he greeted his guest as he sat down to breakfast. "I trust you slept well."
"Of course. And my bags are packed." Soltorn's one good eye gazed up at him from her seated position. "I'll be leaving you today."
"You will?" Wade's stomach lurched; he actually enjoyed the time he spent with the leader of the Fourth Kingdom. It had been nice to be in the company of someone so like-minded. With the general gone, he would be on his own with Cossack and other Drules who thought like him. "Such a pity. You have been instrumental in helping me plan my invasion."
"Especially when we agreed that this was your battle, and you would plan the attack." She hurled the words at him with a cunning smile on her lips. "Never mind that. Now that I've seen your Predator Robeast, I am just as eager as you are to begin."
"Good. You've inspected my robeast, my fleet, my weapons...and Cossack." The Sky Marshal's eyes flickered dangerously, and he leaned across the table, his face mere millimeters away from hers. "But I'm not sure if your fleet is ready. Before we go into battle together, General Soltorn, I must insist that I come to the Fourth Kingdom and inspect for myself what you will be bringing to the table."
Her eye narrowed, but her voice remained calm. "As you wish, Sky Marshal. I shall welcome the opportunity. Give me one month to ready my forces, and then you may come inspect to ascertain that everything is to your liking."
"And from there, we will rally our troops together and storm Galaxy Garrison, to the point where they need to call in all of their troops, including help from Arus, Pollux, Mira, Sala, and any other planet in that blasted Alliance. And between the two of us, we shall bring them all to their knees."
"Exactly." Soltorn nodded her head. "You and I, Charles, we will take down the Galaxy Alliance."
"We will indeed, Krai," Wade agreed malevolently. "We will indeed."
Lenora sat behind her desk, leaning over the screen and holding her head in her hands. The familiar throb in her temples receded every so often, but for the most part, she'd learned to live with the ache nearly around the clock.
It was the reinstatement of the Garrison High Command.
The Space Marshal was loathe to give any of them their positions back. Looking over the list of names for what felt like the billionth time in the course of three weeks, she remembered them - and the nasty things they'd said about her behind her back. She closed her eyes as the whispered hurts ran through her mind.
Whore.
She slept her way to the top, didn't she? Why else would she have become a Lieutenant straight out of the Academy?
Harlot.
Look at Graham. That old goat must love having her on the receiving end.
Stupid girl. If it weren't for her looks, she wouldn't be here.
She's having an affair with Graham. She must be.
Shaking her head as if to rid herself of those thoughts, Lenora scrutinized the names on the list. Commodore Gregory H. Mitchell. Hmm, I remember Stebbins telling me that he actually heard Mitchell talking about me sleeping my way to the top! Commander Byron Loehmann. That bespectacled, flip-flopping freak. Major Frederick L. Connor. He never liked me and was probably one of the first to vote me out of my position. Colonel Jeremy Dillin. What didn't he say about me?
Commander Michael Stormclaw. Well, I sort of remember him. I should have Kelly do more research on him, and if results turn out positive, he'll be the first one I'll place on High Command.
Well, at least there was one person she could reinstate. Actually, not reinstate, promote; Stormclaw had never been part of High Command before. She needed fresh blood mixed with the old, otherwise, she'd feel too full of anger and resentment to run the Garrison with a clear head.
She heard the door slide open without a customary precursing knock, and knew it could only be one person. "Kelly," she greeted the First Officer without looking up from her list, "I was just thinking about you."
"Oh? Something good, I hope." The Bajan stood across from the desk. "Because there's nothing going on out there. Just the usual. Morgan's in class, David's subbing, Aidan and Christiane are in the hangar, and - get this - my husband just bought a beat-up hoverbike and has been spending all of his spare time tinkering with it."
"Uh-oh. There goes your marriage." Lenora looked up at her First Officer, propping her head up on the heel of her hand and resting her fingers against her throbbing temple. "On a different subject, tell me: what do know about a Commander Stormclaw?"
Kelly furrowed her eyebrows. "Who, Mike? Hmm...from what I remember, he was a class year or two behind your husband and Rich Newley, which means that he's just about put in his twenty years. He's in charge of Garrison defense, too. I think Rackens might know him."
"But he's not one of them, is he? He's not minded like Dillin, Loehmann and their ilk, is he?"
"Not that I know of." Kelly walked around the desk and placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "And why are you even talking about them, anyway? What's this all about?" She paused as the answer came to her. "Are you reinstating the High Command?"
"Graham and Steele want me to. I hate to do it, but we need the help. You and I cannot run all of the Garrison and the Galaxy Alliance by ourselves. I just need to make sure we have good guys on Command who want to work with us, not a crew of people who'd love to stab me in the back better than they already have." She cradled her head between both hands. "Why else do you think I've had this never-ending headache?"
Kelly frowned. "Len, do you still have that headache? If I were you, I'd go to the infirmary and get it checked out."
"I probably should, huh."
"Yes. Tell you what - I'll go look into Mike Stormclaw's credentials if you go to the infirmary and get checked out. Deal?"
"Deal." Lenora closed the screen and stood up. "Let's go. I have a feeling that the sooner we get the new High Command installed, the sooner my headaches will go away."
"Here's hoping." Kelly pushed the Space Marshal through the doorway, making sure it was locked upon exit. For the same reason, she didn't feel comfortable about the reinstatement of High Command, either. Back in the day, those old men had been stingy in aiding the Explorer, left five young men on Arus for dead, and ousted a young woman who had been so obviously set up by Wade from her position.
No wonder Lenora had a headache.
Erik's peal of laughter rang through the halls of Castle Pollux. Sven, who now had so much more energy thanks to Moran's treatments, was able to chase after his son for hours, playing and hiding and doing all sorts of things that no royal on the planet had ever done with his child before.
"It's so great that he found a cure," Bandor commented to his sister as they observed the father and son together. "I feel so much better knowing that Sven's not hurting anymore."
Romelle gazed at her family knowingly. Somehow, she could tell that Sven wasn't hurting metally. Yes, it was obvious to any bystander that he wasn't physically in pain anymore. What was more important was that the mental anguish had disappeared. He didn't seem chained to the Space Marshal.
Her husband was healthy and happy. That was all she could ask for.
For the first time in a long time, Justine didn't feel an overwhelming sense of desperation when she approached the Space Marshal's office. Usually, she wanted to leave the planet for her next assignment as quickly as possible, leaving her empty apartment and thoughts of her failed relationship behind. Since meeting Cliff, things were different. She no longer had that intense drive and desire, that itch to get as far away as she could. Now she felt calm and settled.
Even when he was on the Explorer.
She knocked on the door to the Space Marshal's office, wondering if she already had a new mission to send her on. "Come in," she heard the muffled reply, and she entered the room.
Oh, no. That's not the Space Marshal.
"Lieutenant Gartrell." Kelly had been sitting behind the desk, but stood up to face Justine.
"First Officer Benton." Justine backed away slightly. "I was expecting to see the Space Marshal. I wanted to know if she has any new missions ready for me."
"Not that I'm aware of." The First Officer eyed the lieutenant skeptically, almost as if she wanted to tear her down. "But I have a few words for you, my dear. Why don't you have a seat?"
With a nervous swallow, Justine sat down in the chair across from the desk, and Kelly followed suit.
"Now," the First Officer began, "I have to ask you a serious question: what do you know about Melbourne, Australia?"
"Huh?" Justine gasped.
"Did you not know that Melbourne is where your boyfriend was born? Where he lived until he came to New York for the Space Academy?"
The lieutenant inhaled. "No...no, I did not."
"And did you know that your boyfriend could have had any one of us?" Kelly thought about that statement, then retracted it. "No, I take that back. Lisa had always been devoted to Aidan, in one form or another. Cinda and Hunk Garrett were always joined at the hip. Ginger was quiet, but she was always infatuated with Lance McClain. Morgan was always ensconced with Keith Kogane, and Len…" She paused. "We won't get into Lenora right now."
"So," Justine deduced, "what you're really saying, First Officer, is that my boyfriend could've had you if he had so desired." She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's a low blow, Kelly."
If the First Officer was shocked that the lieutenant had addressed her by first name, she didn't show it. "I love Cliff," she replied simply. "He is my best friend, and I respected the fact that he never wanted to date me - as he put it so eloquently, Why squat where you eat?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "But if you think I'm going to sit by while you hurt him, my dear, you have another thing coming. If you break his heart, I will personally make your life a living hell."
Justine inhaled. "I would never hurt Cliff," she argued. "I know it's only been a short time, and it might seem like we're rushing things, but he's The One. I know it."
Kelly didn't look too convinced. "Justine, right now, you and I are the most important women in his life. If you can honestly look at yourself in the mirror and tell me that you intend to go the distance with him, then maybe I'll get off your case." She smirked. "Maybe."
"I have no intention of hurting him." The lieutenant was sure of that. "I might just marry him, you know. I understand that it's too soon to be saying such things, but it's the truth."
"Well, if you believe it to be true, then I'll accept that." Kelly pushed away from the desk.
"Once again," Justine changed the subject, "do you know if the Space Marshal has another mission for me?"
"As of the moment, no, I believe she does not. She has her hands full, what with the opening of three new Space Academies, as well as trying to reinstate the Garrison High Command. I don't think she has anything on file for you at this time."
Reinstating the Garrison High Command. Justine remembered the bunch of bloated old cronies; the ones who had adamantly refused to send aid to the Explorer or to the five on Arus. The same group of single-minded jerks who had chosen to side with Wade and voted Lenora out of her position as Space Marshal. "Why would she do that?"
"As a favor to Graham." Kelly shrugged. "Now, unless you have anything else to ask, Lieutenant Gartrell…?"
"No, I do not," Justine replied, placing her hand on the door to exit. All the while, the only thing that crossed her mind was that Cliff was right. His best friend - other than Aidan, as it was - would not accept any woman he might become enamored with right off the bat. She was going to have to earn Kelly's trust.
King Bhorn, the ruler of the First Kingdom and the head of the Drule Supreme Council, didn't know whether or not to be surprised when Krai Soltron contacted him from her ship on her journey back to her home planet.
"Your Majesty," she greeted him smoothly from behind the cockpit, "we have much to discuss."
"Indeed." The king stared back at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "What have you learned from your time on the Ninth Kingdom?"
"Wade is a stark raving lunatic." She paused for emphasis. "A lunatic."
"I know that already."
"Well, you could have informed me."
Bhorn sighed. "I understand that what I am asking of you is not easy, General Soltorn. But right now, the Drule Supreme Council does not want an all-out war with the Galaxy Alliance, not yet at least. It is only Sky Marshal Wade who seeks to attack the Garrison and its allies at this time." He scowled. "That's where you come in. It is your job to prevent this lunatic, as you so call him, from prevailing."
"Only if we alter our agreement," she countered.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is that?"
"I have spent an obscene amount of time studying his defenses. Particularly, his Predator Robeast." She grinned maliciously. "As you know, the Fourth Kingdom is no slouch in the occult science department. Once Wade has been defeated, I would like to obtain what remains of said robeast and resurrect his slain occult scientist, Maahox. And perhaps, if the Council permits, King Lotor to use as our slave."
Bhorn paused for a moment to consider her statement. "I see no harm in that, General Soltorn. I assure you, if you do me the favor of ensuring that Wade is defeated by the Galaxy Alliance, you may do whatever you like with the remains."
She inclined her head. "Thank you, your Majesty."
"Likewise, General. Don't disappoint." And with that, he shut off the communication, confident that the Ninth Kingdom would fall under the so-called reign of Sky Marshal Wade and his Predator Robeast.
