Hi all!

Just thought I should mention that I don't own Voltron or any of the characters you recognize from the TV show or the comics.  I'm just having some fun with them.

Thank you so much for your wonderful, thoughtful reviews, I really do appreciate them.  You guys rock!  :-)

Enjoy,

Failte

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"What is it?"  Keith demanded as they raced into Castle Control.

"Doom fighters," Koran said.  "About a dozen of them.  No sign of a coffin yet."

"Alright, I want guards posted on the turret guns, no fighter gets near the castle," Keith barked out as his family ran into the room.  "We'll take the Lions up and see what we can do to."  He turned to his family, "Stay here and just do what Koran tells you."

Isabelle and Gerald nodded, watching as the Force ran to the entry tubes and moments later the Lions soared into the air.  Even Adam stood quietly, hugging his father's leg while sucking on his thumb.  The sound of guns firing surrounded them as they watched the battle unfold before them on the monitors.  Yellow took a shot in the side, sending him into a spin.

"Hunk!"  Keith called over the com system.  "You okay?"

Hunk grunted as he wrestled to pull his machine into control.

"Are the radars showing anything coming?"  Keith asked as he shot down another fighter.

"Not yet, Captain," Koran responded, tuning the radars.  "The airspace is clear other than what you're fighting now."

"Allura!  Pidge!  Three fighters are heading toward Alforia!"

"We're on it, Captain," Pidge said as he and Allura swung around to chase the offending ships.

"Lance, there are two heading towards the woods, Hunk another went west!"

"We're on it Cap!"

"Got it Cap!"

The battle was a relatively short one, with only the fighters attacking.  When the ships had been shot down, Keith called for guards to round up and arrest the Doom soldiers while the Lions continued to circle the air as a precaution.

"Alright guys," Keith gave the all clear.  "Hunk, take Yellow to the workroom, I want her checked out and then go see Dr. Gorma."


"I'm fine, Captain," the big man assured him.

"Just get checked out, Hunk."

"Yes, sir."

Allura was the first one to arrive back in Castle Control, followed quickly after by Pidge, Keith and Lance, who was limping.

"I want a damage report as soon as you have one," Allura said as she stood beside Koran.

"I am working on it now, Princess, I should have a preliminary within a few moments."

"Any contact from Doom?"  Keith asked.

"No, no one has tried to contact us yet."

Keith and Allura exchanged a look.  It was odd for them to send fighters for no obvious reason and not send a coffin.

"Do you think they're toying with us?"  Allura asked.

"Who knows with Lotor," he muttered.  "Lance, go get your ankle wrapped."

"I'm fine…"

"You're limping and we need you guys in good shape, go."

"Yes, sir," Lance nodded and limped from the room.

"Here, your highness," Koran handed her the printout report.

Keith read over her shoulder, "Two casualties?"

"Nothing fatal, Captain.  Two guards, Dr. Gorma is seeing to them now."

He nodded, "Thank you, Koran.  I'm going to check on the guards and then I'll be back."  Keith turned and saw his family watching them, for a moment he had forgotten they were there. 

Allura laid her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I'll go to the hospital wing and check on the men, you take care of them."

"Thanks," he winked at her before turning back to his family.  "Alright, guys, come with me."

"Is everything okay?"  Isabelle wondered.

"Oh, yeah, it's nothing for you guys to worry about."

"Keith," Gerald picked Adam up.  "What just happened?"

"We were attacked by Doom.  You all know we're at war, it happens."

"What can we do, dear?" Isabelle asked.

"Just do what we ask you to, you're perfectly safe here in the Castle of Lions."

************************************************************

"Mom?"

Isabelle opened her eyes and looked around her darkened room, "Dana?"

"Yeah."

She sat up as she felt her daughter land on her bed, "What's wrong, honey."

"I can't sleep," Dana stretched out on the empty side of her mother's bed.  She would never admit it, but the attack earlier in the day had shaken her up a bit.

"Oh, Dana, you'll be fine."

"I know."

"Well, you can sleep in here, but the first time you kick me, you're out of here."

"Thanks, Mom."

With a small smile on her lips, Isabelle turned on her side and closed her eyes.  In so many ways, her daughter was still her little girl.

It was less than half an hour later that the entire castle was wakened by the shrill ringing of the castle alarms.

"Come on," Isabelle grabbed her robe off the back of a chair.  "We have to get to Castle Control."

Out in the hallway they met with Gerald and Allyson carrying a sleepy Adam and a crying Ben.

"What's going on?"  Gerald asked, cradling Adam with one arm and wrapping his other arm around his wife's shoulders.

"We'll find out when we get to Castle Control," Isabelle insisted.

He looked at her, incredulous, "How can you be so calm, Mom?"

"Because I know Keith won't let anything happen to us, come along now."

They entered Castle Control to find it alive with action.  Guards were moving from console to console gathering information that they were presenting to the Force and Koran who were standing at the main console.  They all looked toward the door when they heard Ben crying.  Keith quickly rushed over to them.

"Sorry about this, guys, we have reason to believe that there is an imminent attack.  You can go back to your rooms if you want, we'll post guards who will take you to someplace safer if necessary."  He told them.

"Whatever you think is best," Isabelle said.

Keith nodded and returned to the console.  He shared a few words with Koran before returning to his family, "You can return to your rooms."  He waved a couple of guards over and explained their assignment to them before speaking to his family.  "Privates Fforden and Castor will escort you to your rooms and let you know if anything happens.  As it is, if things continue as they are right now, we may not even have to go to the skies.  So go back to bed, I'm sorry we got you up."

"It's alright, dear, better to be safe than sorry," Isabelle smiled at him.

Keith watched as his family filed from the room, feeling angry and frustrated that Lotor had once again found a way to interrupt their lives.  With a deep sigh he returned to the main console to see what had been found.

"Something has definitely entered the area, but we're not sure if it came from the sky or not." Koran said as Keith approached them.

Keith looked at the monitor, perplexed, "How can we not be sure where it came from?"

"What do you want to do, Cap?"  Lance yawned.

"I want to get some Lions up to investigate, we'll have full view of the castle grounds.  Have the top three turret guns manned as a precaution."

"Yes, sir," Koran turned to give the orders to the guards.

"Lance, Hunk, you and I will go up and circle, make sure everything is clear.  Allura, Pidge, I want you guys to stay here and monitor for us, if we need you, I'll call for you.  I want the guards doubled up and doing rounds throughout the castle."

"Yes, sir," Pidge nodded.

Lance and Hunk raced towards their Lions while Allura grabbed Keith's arm, "Be careful out there."

He winked at her, pleased about her concern, "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"Is it too late to agree to live with you in the lake beneath the tree?"

"Yeah, you missed that opportunity.  Keep your eyes on the sky, Beautiful."  He stole a quick kiss before running to Black's entry tube.

Allura shivered, she had a really bad feeling about this.

Keith's family had congregated in Isabelle's room, all of them feeling better being together.  Adam was curled up in his father's lap, sound asleep, while Ben was laid out on the bed.

"It amazes me how children can sleep pretty much any time, anywhere," Gerald mumbled.

"They're happily oblivious," Isabelle said fondly, watching the two little boys sleep.

Dana paced the room, stopping every so often to look out the window when she heard a Lion fly past.  She was feeling antsy.

"Dana, dear, sit down, you're making me dizzy," her mother chided.

"I'm, uh, I'm cold.  I'm going to run to my room and grab a sweatshirt, I'll be right back."  Dana hurried to her room and pulled an old Academy sweatshirt Keith had given her from her suitcase.  She pulled it over her head as she heard one of the Lions take another pass by the castle.  A sudden need to be home overtook Dana.  She felt uneasy and unsafe, no matter what Keith had told them. 

Another alarm sounded, this one was more shrill.  Dana gasped and jumped in shock.  She had to know what was going on. 

The guards in the hallway were speaking on their communicators.  Dana walked past, but was stopped when one of them grabbed her arm.  "Where are you going?"

"Let me go," she tried to pull her arm from his grasp.

"We are under strict orders from the Commander to not let you out of our sights, any of you."

"Well, I am the Commander's sister," she said haughtily.  "And I want to go to Castle Control."

The guard holding her arm looked at the other who nodded sharply and said, "Then come back here."

The man holding her tightened his grip and marched her down the hall, "I will deliver you to Castle Control and then go back to help guard over the rest of your family.  It would be wise for you to not get in the way, for your safety and for the safety of the others."

"Don't tell me what to do," Dana muttered.

The guard mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "Brat."

They arrived at Castle Control just as Keith raced in, with Lance and Hunk at his heels.


"Do we know where he is?"  Keith demanded.

"No," Koran told him as he continued directing guards.


Keith called his men over, "Bring in the three men from the turret guns and add them to the hunt, Hunk, Lance, organize groups of guards.  Lance I want you to start at the bottom and Hunk at the top, a full sweep of the Castle.  Pidge, I want you get my family together and bring them here."


"What about me?"  Allura asked.

"Stay with me," Keith told her.

"I can fight Keith," she said, her tone strained.


Keith whirled around to glare at her, "Not now, not when he's in the castle."

"We don't know if it is him."

"It probably is and you are to lay low, stay near me.  That is an order, do not argue!"

Dana watched as the two of them glared at each other.

"Captain," Koran interrupted.

"What!"  Both Keith and Allura responded.

"This is not a time to fight.  Princess, the Captain is right and you know it.  A full sweep of the castle is underway with instructions to shoot on sight."

A sudden explosion rocked the building.  Keith grabbed his communicator and dialed up Lance, "Lance, what was that!"

"We're on our way, Keith, it was behind us!"  Lance called back.

"I'm sending Hunk and his men as backup!"

"Please do!"

Keith dialed up Hunk and shouted out his command.


Dana watched the action going on, not sure what to do and feeling rather nervous.  She heard a quiet buzzing noise and then the guard beside her fell forward.  She looked down and saw the blood oozing from the wound on his head.  A scream ripped from her mouth as she finally comprehended what she saw.


"Dana!"  Keith ran over and grabbed her to him, turning her from the view.  "What are you doing here? Calm down, it'll be alright."  He carefully passed her to Koran who took across the room and sat her in a chair.

Dana sat down and squeezed her eyes shut, covering her ears.  More shots were fired, but she didn't want to know what was happening.  She didn't want to see it or hear it.

"What are you doing here?"  Keith demanded, aiming his gun at Lotor as he stood in the doorway with a smoking blaster.

"What do you think, Captain?"

"Drop your gun," Keith warned.

"Ah, but you are not in the position to tell me what to do, Captain, you are greatly outnumbered."  Lotor stepped to the side and dozens of Doom guards flowed in. 

Keith took in the scene in front of him, his mind whirling.  How did they get in?  How many were there?  Lance, Hunk and most of the guards were downstairs investigating the explosion and Pidge was getting his family.  Oh geez, his family.  He had to keep them away.  His gaze shifted to where Dana was sitting with her head in her hands.

Lotor followed his gaze, "Oh, who is the pretty little girl over there?"

Anger clouded Keith's judgment and he raised his gun again, "Don't even think about it, Lotor."

"What?  The Princess wasn't enough for you?"

"I will kill you," Keith vowed.

"And then my men will kill you and the Princess and that little girl and anyone else they find in the Castle."

A chill raced down his spine because he knew Lotor was telling the truth.

The sound of racing feet brought some relief to Keith, here comes some backup.

Hunk and Lance arrived with their guards and spooked the Doom soldiers.  The ensuing gun battle took place mainly in the hallway outside Castle Control.  Keith raced in, trying to get his hands on Lotor but was stopped by a couple of soldiers who overpowered him.

Dana pressed her palms against her ears, whimpering.  If she didn't see it, then it wasn't really there, right?  She knew she was being silly and juvenile, but she was scared beyond reason. 

Allura ran over to Dana and grabbed her arms.  The young girl let out a silent scream and struggled until she saw who it was. 

"Come on," Allura dragged her over to the table where they had piled maps and other important information and pushed her under it.  "Stay here and keep quiet."

As soon as Allura stood upright, two strong arms grabbed her.  Making a split second decision and using the martial arts moves the guys had taught her, she flipped him over and watched him land painfully on his back.  She unholstered her blaster and aimed it at the man on the floor.

"I wouldn't do that, your highness."

Allura looked up to see another Doom soldier aiming his weapon at Dana.  "Drop it," he demanded.  "I will kill her."

Defeated, she dropped her blaster and allowed the two men to take her.

"Keith!"  She shouted.

But he was lost in the melee and she was silenced when the soldier punched her in the mouth.

***************************************************************

Dana woke with a massive headache.  She blinked, trying to take in her surroundings. With a groan, she pushed herself up, realizing she was lying on a concrete floor and that her head was pounding terribly.

"About time you woke up."

"Allura?"  Dana whispered hopefully.

"Yeah, how are you?"

"Where are we?"

"We're on Doom."

"What?"


Allura slid across the floor and sat next to her, "Lotor got us.  But don't worry, Keith and the guys are already on their way."

"How do you know that?"  Dana asked, rubbing her head.

"Because Keith will always come for me."

Dana looked around, allowing her eyes to focus.  They were in a small, dark room, the only light coming from a small barred window in the door.  "Why do they want me?"

"It would be better if I didn't answer that."

The young girl shivered and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.  "I don't remember getting here."

"When the soldier pointed his weapon at you and threatened to shoot, you passed out and hit your head pretty hard.  It was taking so long for you to wake, I was really starting to worry."

Dana turned her head so her cheek rested on her knees and she could study the dim outline of the woman beside her, "I'm sorry, Allura."

"For what?"

"I haven't been very nice to you and you…you saved me tonight."

Allura turned to look at her, "And I would do it again."


Dana pursed her lips, feeling tears well up in her eyes, "Thank you."

The door was thrown open, light flooded the room, and two Doom soldiers came in, stepping aside to allow Lotor to enter.

"I believe it is only proper for you to stand when royalty enters the room," Lotor sneered.

"You are princely in title only, not behavior," Allura responded.

Lotor nodded his head and the soldiers stepped forward, pulling both women roughly to their feet and bringing them to stand in front of Lotor, their arms pinned behind them.

"I was beginning to fear that this day would never come," Lotor grinned, running his thumb over something he held in his hand.

Allura raised her eyebrows, "What are you talking about?  Keith will come for me."

"No he won't."

"You said that last time and you were wrong," she said confidently.

Dana watched the exchange in awe, shocked at Allura's nerve.

"No, I'm pretty sure he won't," Lotor dangled the object he held in his hand in front of the two women.

Allura felt her knees turn to jelly, but refused to show weakness.  It was Keith's watch.  His father had given it to him when he had entered the Academy and it was his most prized possession.  There is no way Lotor could have that unless he pried it from Keith's cold…no!  She couldn't think that way.

Dana let out a quiet sob.

"I don't believe you."  This time Allura didn't sound so sure.

Lotor noticed the crack in her resolve and smiled, "Let them go."


The guards dropped them to the floor and flanked Lotor.


"The dark haired one is still young, we'll start her in the kitchens until I am ready for her.  The Princess will be brought to my room tonight."  Lotor commanded, tossing the watch on the floor in front of them and whirling on his heel, leaving the room.

Dana scrambled forward and snatched up the watch.  On shaking legs, she crept over to the door and held the watch up to the light.  It did look like the watch Dad had given Keith, she thought.  Biting her lip, she turned it over.  The inscription was there, Good Luck, Keith.  With Pride From Your Father.

Her legs gave out beneath her and she fell to her knees as she heard the strangled sob that tore from Allura's throat.