A/N: Today is Mari's birthday, so here's an extra update to celebrate. Enjoy!
**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender
It was estimated that Scarlett's virus would keep the power in Zarkon's central command knocked out for about twenty minutes. In that time, Voltron had four targets in total to put out of commission: the weapons systems, the engines, the bridge, and the shield generators. The paladins wasted no time in forming the gigantic metal hero, and with an energy sword in hand, they began their attack on the Galran HQ. Explosions decorated the exterior of the enemy ship as Voltron stabbed and sliced, tearing it apart and causing severe internal damage bit by bit.
A solemn silence had settled over the bridge as Mari, Coran, Antok, and Kolivan watched the display unfolded before them from the safety of the Castle. Allura stirred in Coran's arms and her eyes fluttered open just in time for her to witness the fruits of their labor.
"We've done it," she whispered, her gaze locked onto the scene outside. "This is the end of Zarkon's reign."
"Yes, Princess," Coran agreed, a look of pure relief spreading across his face upon seeing her awake.
After ten thousand years of waiting, the Alteans were finally avenging their fallen people. They were finally doing what they couldn't all those millennia ago: bringing peace back to the universe. Mari smiled and gently squeezed Allura's hand. A weak grin danced across the princess's lips and her eyes sparkled with tears as she looked to the human girl.
Suddenly, a pulsing ball of dark purple energy materialized near the bottom of the central command ship, growing larger and brighter by the second. A chill ran through Mari's body and her heart nearly stopped at the sight of it. Her mouth went dry and her skin pricked as phantom touches and a prying sensation threatened to shut her down and send her drowning in a sea of bad memories.
"Oh no," Kolivan gasped, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. He knew what it was too, then. It was the most scared Mari had ever seen him, and for a moment it shook her out of her stupor.
"Guys, get out of there now!" she pleaded activating the Castle's comm link with Voltron.
"Why?" Lance asked and Voltron turned just in time to see the mass of crackling purple energy. "What is that thing?"
"It's magic!" she exclaimed. Her voice quivered, unable to hide the fear that was wracking her body. "It's Haggar!"
There was a sharp inhale from Shiro and Voltron shifted to fly out of range away from the enemy's ship, but it was too late. The mass of accumulated magic emitted a bolt of black lightning and it streamed towards Voltron, slamming right into its chest. Allura's screams were mingled with a horrified strangled sound Mari made in the back of her throat. The paladins' shrieks of agony pierced the air, filling the bridge and making the comms speakers peak. All the strength seemed to leave her body as she helplessly watched Voltron spark and convulse, wisps of blue energy getting sucked right out of it. But as soon as it had started, it was over. A pulse of blue light spread out from where the energy had gathered before disappearing. Both sides were quiet as Voltron floated lifelessly, completely drained of power.
The air in the bridge was heavy as they stared at the motionless robot drifting closer to the Castle. "Paladins!" Coran shouted, his own voice shaking. "Can you hear me?"
Their only response the crackling static of the comms. Allura swallowed and she turned to Mari. "You said that was Haggar's magic?"
She took a shaky breath and nodded, hugging herself to stop the cold seeping into her skin. Seeing that dark energy in all its terrifying action, it was like she could feel the witch's narrowed yellow gaze locked onto them.
"The druids…It must have been the komar," Kolivan said, glaring at the lower half of the Galran ship. "Zarkon has been trying to develop a device to extract the quintessence from planets. It appears he succeeded."
"If it destroys planets, what did it do to the paladins?" Coran asked and Kolivan set his jaw in grim response.
Mari's lower lip quivered slightly. She could still hear the ear-splitting cries of the paladins ringing in her ears. They had the quintessence—their life energy—sucked out of them. How could anyone have survived that? Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Keith, Shiro…they had to be…they were…She bit her cheek and furiously shook the thought from her head. She had already lost her brother once; she wasn't going to give up and accept that she'd lost him again.
"Guys." Mari's voice was hoarse as she called out to them. Mustering up all her strength, she steeled herself and tried again. "Guys! Can you hear me?"
More static. It was droning on for a painfully long time. She clenched her teeth and her cheeks felt hot as her blood boiled. "Come on! Say something!" she shouted. "Hunk? Pidge? Keith, Takashi! Hell, I'll even take Lance! Just someone, anyone, please answer!"
Still no response. Her vision blurred as angry tears swelled in the corners of her eyes. She was only vaguely aware of Allura's grasp tightening around her hand. "You guys have to be okay," she cried, her voice cracking. "You have to be alive. You can't just leave us now."
Then, very faintly through the noise, she could hear a small cough. The hissing of the static dwindled and faded out as Shiro's voice, very weak and thin, said, "We're alive. We're not going anywhere, sis."
Hope returned to Allura's watery eyes and even Kolivan and Antok seemed to sag a bit with relief. "Oh, thank the ancients!" Coran wheezed.
Mari's heart clenched painful inside her chest as the tension and grief instantly subsided. She furiously swiped a hand over her tearful eyes. "Dammit! Don't scare me like that!" she choked out.
"Sorry…" was all Shiro could manage.
Allura hurried to her feet, pulling up Mari as she went. She gave her hand one last reassuring squeeze before placing her palms back on the helm's pillars. "Is Voltron operational?" she asked.
There was a pause. "It's not working," Hunk finally answered, moaning in mild pain.
"…I can't move my lion," Keith grunted.
"You've been hit with some kind of witchcraft that draws the quintessence out of you," Coran explained. "You need to get out of there! Another blast like that and you may not survive!"
"Wait…What's that?" Lance asked, fear creeping into his voice, and everyone's attention was drawn towards a large hangar door that was opening in the side of Zarkon's ship. A massive robot that rivaled Voltron's size and had an uncanny resemblance to the Galran emperor was rising slowly and dramatically out of the ship. It's appearance spelled nothing good for them.
"You must get moving," Allura quickly urged the paladins. "Remember your training. Remember all the battles you've been through."
"Voltron's still not responding," Shiro said. The enemy's robot had fully emerged and its eyes glowed to life with its activation. The Black Paladin suddenly gasped. "It's Zarkon. He's inside that thing."
"We must buy them more time," the princess decided. She frowned to herself before turning to Coran. "Get us in closer. Divert all power to our weapons system."
"What? Princess, we'll be defenseless!" he protested, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
"It's the only way," she insisted. She eyes were narrow and steely with determination. As Zarkon surged towards the still immobile Voltron, Coran laid on the Castle's thrusters, driving the ship straight towards him.
"Listen to me," Allura addressed the paladins now. Like any great leader, her voice was commanding and firm as she encouraged them. "You are true paladins now. Connect with your lions, reach out to each other!"
The Castle hummed as she put all her remaining energy into preparing their attack. Mari's hands curled into fists at her sides. She stood firm as they flew closer and closer, barreling straight towards their foe at an alarming speed. No matter the outcome, no matter how futile their attempts to fight such a powerful enemy, they had to do this. For the sake of the paladins, for the sake of countless innocent lives living in this universe, they had to protect Voltron.
"Fire!" Allura commanded and Coran slammed his hand against his control panel. The Castle's main blaster fired a hot and brilliant beam at Zarkon and he raised a shield to block it. The laser slammed against it, the relentless force of impact pushing him back and burying him in the side of his own ship. But it wasn't long before he recovered. He angled his shield, bouncing the laser off of him and diverting its trajectory. The beam sliced through an entire chunk of the lower half of his ship before it struck the Castle head on.
The bridge was illuminated with blinding white light and a scorching heat smothered them as the Castle was blown backward upon impact. Coran, Antok, Kolivan, Allura, and Mari were thrown off their feet and it felt like every cell in their bodies were being set ablaze and torn apart. A series of explosions violently rattled the ship and drowned out their screams.
As the Castle's systems began to fail and Mari felt herself being cast into the realm of unconsciousness, she thought she could vaguely hear Shiro calling her name. Then everything went dark.
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