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Enemy My Friend
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
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Chapter 13
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----- Argos------
The robeast attacked with full force, landing several hits to Voltron, jostling the pilots inside. Kit grew angrier by the minute as the battle between them and the giant creature continued into its second hour.
"Our systems are maintaining full levels," Teri announced. "But any more direct contact by that thing and our primary shields will be disabled."
Katherine nodded to herself. "Neive, any luck on finding a weakness?"
"Working on a theory," Neive stated. "Since Baryon is closest to diamond quality, there maybe a way to work on that aspect to weaken its armor."
"What do you have planned?"
"We are gonna lead a lot of power....and a loud speaker," he stated.
"What?" Katherine stated.
"If we emit a signal so loud, it may end up shattering the Baryon, to weaken the armor," he stated. "But, finding the right frequency is the hard part. If we can find the right frequency, the Baryon used within its armor can be shattered. And all we have left is to deal with the lazon, and we know the melting point of lazon.."
Katherine nodded. "Shane, you think you can handle that?" she asked.
"You bet," came his enthusiastic reply. "I'm starting calculations now."
"Neive, how much more time do we have?"
:"10 hours for you," Neive stated. "18 for the rest of us."
Katherine nodded. "Let's get this done quickly," she stated. "Im getting tired of this planet."
-----/-----/-----/-----/------/------/------/------/-----/-----/-------/------/------/------/------/------/-----/------/------/------/------/------/Keith pulled open the door on the vacant stairwell and let out a groan when he saw that it was filled with debris.
"This was the last one on this side of the building," he commented. He then turned toward Allura who stood, holding the small flash light in her hands. "I think we are out of options."
"I noticed an old elevator shaft back that way," she stated. "You think it might be empty to allow us to climb up?"
"We can give it a try," he stated as he approached her. "Do you want to rest a bit?"
She slowly nodded and watched as he walked over to one side of the corridor they were in and seated himself down. She followed and leaned against the wall before sitting down herself.
"Will we get out of here?" she asked.
"I trust that the others will be able to, and Kit is will see to it that we will get out of here," he said. He then wiped the sweat that started to form on his forehead. "Damn its getting hot."
She turned to him, then placed her hand against his forehead. "You're burning up," she stated. "The lazon is starting to affect you."
"Dr. Gorma stated that the antidote wouldn't last long,' he said. "That cuts our time down a bit, doesn't it?"
He turned to her seeing that she has yet to be affected by the lazon ore. "At least, you're not being affected by it yet."
"If you're being affected now, what about Anala?" she asked.
He met her gaze, knowing that he wasn't able to give Anala the antidote before she was thrown off the edge, while trying to brace Lotor's fall.
"Im sure she's doing fine," he stated, trying to hide his own worry.
Allura nodded as she turned away from him. "I hope they're both alright."
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Lemille looked at Lance as he held open the door. She squeezed herself through the small opening and looked around.
"Yes, it's a stairwell of some sort," she said. "Its not blocked, from what I can see."
"Good," Lance said. "I hope your boyfriend and Pidge are doing fine at top."
"Sendrre?" she asked.
He nodded. "If that is his name."
She smiled. "He's not my boyfriend," she said. "He's my brother."
"Brother?"
She slowly nodded. She then walked back to the door and helped him to push it open even more. "We have the same mother. Our fathers are different."
"I see," he said. "Then how come both of you, you know...."
"Our mother had the special gift that attracted Yl-"
She went silent for a bit. "Don't you have, of your kind, people who defy all natural rules, who lived for the good, with special powers to help?"
Lance nodded slightly. "Yeah, a very long time ago," he said. "His name was Jesus."
"And what did he do for your people?"
"He was the son of our God," he said. "Born to a common father and mother, he grew up learning their trade, carpentry. He later found out that he was indeed the son of God, and that his mission on Earth was to help those who were less fortunate than others. He could cure the blind; mend the weak; give new meaning to those who had lost faith."
"And what happened to this Jesus?"
"A friend betrayed his trust, and he was crucified.."
"Then you see why, Roaman---"
"You think...you believe that this what happened to your people?" he asked. "That you were betrayed by Ylren?"
"It's what Roaman has always told us," she said. "But-"
"You think that all this time he's lied to you?"
She slowly nodded. "Ylren was my uncle, and he possessed great power," she said. "He came to Argos with his brother, to find those like he was. Here, he found Roaman, and he and his brother settled here on Argos. Why the Lazon didn't affect either of them remains a mystery, but his brother Eirick was able to have a family here; Im his daughter.
"It seems that this power that he posses was passed on to me, and my brother Sendrre was born as well with this great power. Ylren wanted to make sure we understood that we were special people, and many would not understand us.
:"Then one day, I came home to find Ylren, Roaman with my father, lying dead on the ground before them. Roaman told me that Ylren killed my father, because he was jealous."
"Well, lady, judging by today, I don't think it was Ylren who did it," Lance stated. "It was clear by Roaman's actions, that he is only after Ylren."
Lemille nodded. "We will have to find him, to find the truth," she stated. She then stared up into the stairwell. "He will pay for what he has done."
"And what happened to the people of this planet?" he asked.
She turned to him. "Roaman will pay for that as well."
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"Okay, princess, on three,"
Allura looked at Hunk as he held his hands out for her. He slowly counted to three, and on the last count, she ran toward him. She stepped on his cupped hands and he was able to lift her to the next floor above them.
"Made it!" she yelled.
"What do you see, Princess?"
"More empty corridors," she called back down. "Hold on Hunk, let me see if I can find something to help you up."
Allura stood as she turned on the light from her belt. She looked around and spotted a door that was off its hinges. She smiled as she walked over to it and then dragged it over to the small hole in the floor. She then let it slide down, allowing for a ramp to be made. Hunk then climbed up the door to reach the floor she was on.
"That was exciting," Allura stated. "We should now be only two floors from the top."
"Good thing we didn't fall that far," he said. "Man, I hope the others are alright."
"I know Hunk," she stated. "Let's keep going."
"Its getting so hot down here," he stated. "Im about to burst from this heat."
Allura could only nod. She knew better that it wasn't the heat that was affecting them. Having seen what exposure to pure lazon can do, she slowly placed her hand to her own head. She was starting to feel a fever develop. She knew their time was growing short.
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"Got it!" Shane yelled. "Kit, I need you to get in between those smaller processing plants on the far side."
Katherine spied the smaller buildings behind the robeast.
"Easier said than done, Shane," she said. "What's up?"
"We can use those buildings to help augment the frequency," he stated, "But, im programming the correct frequency right now."
"Good work, Shane," Katherine stated. "Neive, know of any way that we can get around that thing so we can be in perfect position?"
"Just about done with it," he stated. "Im sending you the plan right now."
Katherine studied her view screen before her. She then smiled to herself as she focused her attention on the hulking monster.
"Man, I wish the others could see this battle," Teri commented. "They'd be in for a treat."
"Don't worry, Terri, Im sure you will be telling this story to your grandkids," LiAnne said. "We're ready, Kit."
Katherine nodded as she grabbed onto her controls. "Let's just show who exactly is the boss here."
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Anala fell to her knees as nausea started to settle in. She leaned up against the side wall of the corridor they were walking, leaning against it as she felt as if her whole body was now burning up. She wanted to so much, tear away the clothes she wore so she could cool down.
She then gasped in pain, as her left shoulder throbbed. She breathed in deeply, clenching her teeth as tears edged at her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
She looked up to see Lotor standing above her. She slowly shook her head as she fought back the pain she felt.
"I can't go on," she said in between deep breaths. "My head is spinning; my shoulder is aching."
He kneeled down before her as he held the light up to her. She watched as his expression changed from inquistive to concern. He then placed the light on the ground between them.
"You're bleeding again," he said. "That's why you're feeling weak."
"Just leave me" she said. "I'm just slowing you down."
"And have your brother come after me for not getting you back up to the top?" he asked. "Don't think me for a fool."
Anala could only look at him. "Why do you have so hatred for him?" she asked as he looked closer at her shoulder.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked. He then pulled her forward to lean against him, slowly undoing the makeshift bandage.
She swallowed hard. "Is it because he protects princess Allura?" she asked.
The question went unanswered as he removed he last layer of the bandage. He then let out a hiss.
"This is going to hurt, but I have to seal this wound," he said.
Anala closed her eyes. "Do what you have to," she said.
She watched as he pulled a small knife from the belt he wore. He unsheathed it, then hit the hilt of it against the wall. The knife then began to glow and he brought it close to her shoulder.
"Breathe in deeply."
Anala nodded. She then let out a scream as he brought the heated blade against her skin. She grabbed onto him as she breathed in deeply.
"Keep my mind off this," she said as he placed the knife against her skin again.
"No, it isn't because he protects Allura," he said after a while, moving his knife around the wound on her shoulder. "Its because I've never met anyone who was my match, in combat before."
Anala closed her eyes. "He's trained for years," she said.
"And so did I," he said. "Since I was just a child."
"Your father sent you away to train?" she asked.
"He wanted me to be ready, to be able to handle any situation that may arise."
She looked up at him. "Why didn't he just let you stay on Doom?" she asked.
He then pulled her forward and looked at the wound on her back. "There was no one on Doom that would be able to train me," he said as he brought his knife to work on the wound there.
"What about your mother?"
She felt him stop, then resume. "I never knew her," he stated. "She died when I was just a child. I don't remember her; save for some dreams I've had over the years."
Anala's eyes then widened. She realized at that moment that the dream she had before was real. That the dream was indeed memories of a time from his childhood. He was present when his father murdered his mother before his eyes.
"Your father remarried soon after didn't he?"
"At least three times," he said. "Zeya's mother was the last."
"What happened to her?"
"She was caught trying to flee Doom with a slave from the pits," he said. "Trying to return to Arus."
"Was she killed?"
"Thrown into the pit of skulls with the rest of the slaves who have tried to escape before," he said.
He then pushed her gently back to lean up against the wall again. He then ripped the sleeves from the shirt he was wearing, tearing them into smaller strips.
"That should take care of the bleeding, but it wont stop any infections from forming," he said as he began to wrap her shoulder. "You will need to see a doctor after all of this is over."
"Where did you learn all of this?" she asked.
"When I was training on the other Drule planets in the empire, there were no doctors to mend your wounds for you," he said. "You learned quickly to tend to your own scrapes and bruises."
Anala slowly nodded as she closed her eyes.
"No, you have to stay awake," he said as he sat down next to her. "You're going into shock."
"Im just so tired," she said as she fought to keep her eyes open. "Its just so hot."
"Stay awake, Anala," he said as he pulled her into his arms.
The sudden movement caused pain to shoot through her left side, which caused her to open her eyes. She met his gaze, remembering the look the little boy had given her in her dreams.
"Ailya," she whispered. "Your mother's name was Ailya."
"How - how do you know?"
She shook her head as she fought to stay awake. "She was so beautiful," she said. "Her eyes were so blue...but they seemed so sad. She was very unhappy; she wanted so much to see her father again.."
"Anala?."
"She had long golden hair; it was so beautiful," she mumbled. "I wish I had hair as beautiful as hers."
She then looked up at him as she brought her hand up to the side of his face.
"She would have been so proud of you," she said. "She was defiant against your father, but she did love you."
"Stop it!" he nearly yelled at her as he pulled her to sit before him. "Don't speak of her that way."
Anala could only stare at him as he held her by her arms. She winced as her shoulder throbbed, but the anger she saw in his eyes at that moment was enough to silence her.
"You don't have to do anything to make your father respect you," she said. "You're fighting with the Voltron Force; all to prove what? That you are a capable warrior? A fighter? What has he done to show respect to you?"
"Anala, you tread on dangerous waters.."
"You will never find happiness if you live your life to please the one man who was responsible for your mother's death!"
Anala gasped as she saw his hand quickly raise above her. She stared at him, awaiting for him to hit her; but he did not strike.
"You have nothing to prove," she said.
"I have everything to lose."
She could only shake her head. "Not everything," she stated.
She felt her strength leave her and she fell into his arms. She breathed in deeply as she felt her whole body shudder from both the pain and fatigue. She could only close her eyes as she listened to his breathing and the beating of his heart.
"You will never gain anything if you continue this path of self-destruction," she said. "You will drive away those that do care for you."
"All I've ever known from those who do care, is nothing but heartache."
"Not everyone who cares will do that to you."