Chapter Five
Sean watched as rain fell. Behind him, grumbles of malcontent drifted from the pilots of both Voltron Forces. He sighed and turned his attention back to the book on his lap. He winced when Lance and Pidge started into another argument and a vase was knocked from its place on a bookshelf.
"Nice going, you two. Nanny is going to have your heads for that one." Sean remarked, as the two pilots looked sheepishly at the mess they had made.
"If you two want to roughhouse, then you should take it to the gym. There are no valuables in there." Dev muttered, as he left the room to get a dustpan and broom.
"What happened in here?" Allurra asked, as she and Keith entered the room, giving Sean a confused look as they did.
"Just a little disagreement, that's all. It's been strangely quiet around here, lately." Sean murmured, golden eyes troubled.
"I agree. It's been way too quiet. I wonder what Lotor and Zarkon are planning." Keith mused.
"Commander, the maintenance checks you wanted me to run are done. When the need arises, we'll be ready to fly." Kip said, with a confident grin.
"Good work, Kip. Do you know where Sylvan is? I need to speak to him about going on a quick surveillance mission." Sean said, as he stood up from his chair.
"I think he's in the stable helping out with the horses. His brother is with him." Kip replied, noticing when a flicker of pain went through Sean's eyes.
"I see. I guess I'll just have Dev go with me, then." Sean said, doing his best to hide his pain.
"Why did you change your mind, Sean?" Keith asked.
"Sven and Sylvan deserve all the time they can get to talk. After being separated by war for so long, they've earned that right. I understand how important family is, especially since I don't have one." Sean said, then quietly made to leave the room.
"Sean." Keith called. Sean paused and looked back at him.
"I'll go on surveillance with you. I may not be blood kin, but I am a brother in arms, in some way." Keith said, as he offered a hand out to the sad-eyed Drulian pilot.
"Thank you, Keith, I needed to hear that." Sean said, with a smile. Keith grinned in response as they grasped hands and shook on it. Allurra also smiled; and she knew King Alfor was also smiling, even though no one could see it. Within the hour, the two had taken off, with Allurra watching as they left.
"Be careful out there, you two. Come back safely." Allurra murmured, before the two ships disappeared into the gloom.
"You worthless scum! You let them escape!" Zarkon roared, furiously, from his throne. Below him, Lotor kneeled, but this wasn't the same Lotor that had beaten Keith so severely that day on that deserted planet. This Lotor was only a sad shadow of whom he'd once been. His once sumptuous clothing was in bloodied tatters, as was his back. His golden eyes, once bright with ambition, were now dull with pain and illness. He was so weak, he could barely remain kneeling at his father's throne. On either side of him, a robot guard stood, in case he did try to make some sort of attempt at escape.
"What have you to say for yourself?" Zarkon asked, finishing his four hour long tirade and glaring down at his son. Lotor said nothing, but he did look up at his father and give him a look that could freeze a star down to its innards.
"Take him back to the dungeon. It sickens me to even look at him." Zarkon ordered, waving the guards away with a wave of his hand. Lotor bit back cries of pain as the two guards hauled him to his feet and dragged him off.
"Now I know why the slaves are always looking for ways to escape……………………" Lotor thought, grimacing when one of his shoulder wounds broke open again because of the rough treatment.
"Get up, you sorry excuse for a living being! Get up!" the guard on his left demanded, when Lotor stumbled and sank to his knees in exhaustion. They were almost back to the dungeon, and Lotor could hear the slaves jeering at him from their cells. This was the worst part of his incarceration; the taunting of his former captives and prisoners of war. This was the ultimate humiliation.
"What I wouldn't give for the strength to escape…………………..Surely it doesn't get any worse than this? Mother, where have you gone? Is this how the end came for you?" Lotor wondered, foggily, barely even noticing when the guards threw him into his cell and slammed the door behind him. He knew that there were at least two other people in the cell, but Lotor knew they would leave him alone. Then, in a whisper, Lotor repeated a line from a movie he, his mother, and brother had watched so many years ago. A plea for help he knew would go unanswered.
"Brother……………………….help me…………………." Lotor whispered, before consciousness faded and his world was again an impenetrable wall of black.
Sean bolted to reality with a gasp. He was sitting at his Wolf's controls, and had been talking to Keith when he'd felt a sudden cry for help.
"What's up, Sean? Did you see something?" Keith asked, tensely.
"No. It's more like I felt something. Let's get back to Castle Control. I think we need to call a meeting together." Sean said, as he went to turn around.
"Okay, Sean." Keith said, not even asking what it was that had evidently spooked Sean into returning to the Castle of Lions so soon.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll tell us at the meeting." Keith thought, as they sped back to the castle. Allurra was waiting for them when they returned.
"That was a short surveillance. Did you see something out there?" Allurra asked.
"No, there's nothing out of the ordinary, Princess, but there is something I need to discuss with you, Corran, Nanny and the two Voltron teams." Sean said, urgently.
"I'll see if I can arrange it." Allurra said, as she went about calling all those involved together. When they had all gotten there, Sean revealed to them what had made him return so quickly from the outside.
"I know you are not going to believe me when I say this, but I sensed an urgent cry for help while Keith and I were checking things out. The voice I heard was Lotor's." Sean said, grimly. For a few seconds, all of them were too shocked to speak, then Lance stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Why should we answer him? He's pulled this kind of stunt before!" Lance shouted, stopping when Keith gave him one of those 'Shut up or else' looks.
"I didn't say you had to, Lance. He called out for me. What I called all of you in here for was that I wanted to be sure that, when and if, I can get him here, whether or not you would help me tend to his wounds. He wouldn't cry out for me, if there wasn't anything wrong." Sean said, calmly.
"Why do you want to bring him here, Sean? You know he will endanger the princess when he has the chance." Corran said, as he gave the young Drulian a stern look.
"I will keep watch over him." Sean replied.
"You alone, Commander? But what if he overpowers you when he has his strength back?" Sylvan asked, deeply concerned for his friend.
"I will just have to take that chance." Sean said, quietly.
"No! I forbid it! You will not bring that filth in here! I won't allow it!" Nanny said, curtly.
"I can't just leave him there, Nanny. He's my brother." Sean said, with sadness in his eyes.
"But you can't go in there alone. I'll go with you, if no one else will." Sylvan said, as he stood alongside his friend and leader.
"Sylvan……………………." Sean muttered, stunned.
"I will go as well, if Keith says it is all right." Sven said, as he too stood alongside Sean.
"Heck with it, I guess I'll go too." Aiden, who had been uncharacteristically silent up until that time, said, as he walked over and joined Sean.
"I will also go. I've a score to settle with some robots." Dev said, quietly, with a smile. Soon, all but Lance stood at Sean's side.
"Well, Lance? What say you?" Keith asked, even though he looked a little reluctant himself.
"I might as well. Can't leave you guys hangin' one pilot short." Lance said, as they grouped together.
"Then it's settled. We leave at midnight." Sean said, with grim determination in his voice.
"Right. See you then." Keith said, as the meeting practically dismissed itself.
"I hope you know what you are doing, Sean." Corran said, firmly.
"So do I, Corran. More than anything." Sean replied, as he gazed out at the turbulent sky, dreading the mission ahead.