A Change in the Winds
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
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Chapter 17
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Dusk had already settled on Arus, and the atmosphere in the Castle of Lions was as tense as ever. Shane and Neive spent most of the day after meeting with Lance and filling Keith on the ongoings, pouring through the topography maps to figure out the strange mountain that appeared in Mythrias. For all that Neive knew, that mountain had always been there, but scans of the area, showed that it definitely did not exit, prior to the creation of the Voltron Lions.
Dr. Gorma released Keith, pending another exam later in the week, to check on him, from the infirmary. Though, Dr. Gorma knew that there wasn't anything he was going to say to the Captain about resting that would change his mind. He later found him working out in the recreation room on the lower level, despite the cast he wore on his left leg. He also decided that keeping the Princess Zeya in the infirmary would do no good to her mental health, and had immediately requested that Nanny prepare a room for her, so she could rest quietly without the noise and commotion that the infirmary would bring. As Dr. Gorma stated, physically, she would be well and would heal quickly. However, he did not know what kind of effects the torture she received would do to her.
Allura had taken it upon herself to help Lemille and Sendrre to figure out why the Triasian force was so hellbent on attacking systems for far away from their planets. Nothing in their reports from the Galaxy Alliance and those from Doom, provided any clue.
"Then we must go there," Lemille stated as she looked at the Princess. "WE have to go to Triasus to find out what happened. If the leaders there are actually behind this attack force."
Allura could only nod in agreement. "Triasus is in a whole different system," Allura stated as she looked over the starmaps before her. "676 keklans. It will take you four days to reach there in our fastest fighter ship we have."
Lemille nodded. "Sendrre and I will go to Triasus, and report anything we find," Lemille stated. "however due to the distance, our signal may take up to two days to reach Arus."
Allura nodded. "We'll just have to risk it," she said. "I'll have Lance prepare a ship for you. Travel light, as the fighters aren't big to begin with."
Lemille smiled. "Princess, we will get to the bottom of this," she stated. "We will stop them. I believe that we can."
Allura breathed in deeply. "We have to, Lemille," she stated.
The door to the conference room opened and Allura looked up as she saw Anala enter. She then turned to Lemille and gave her some last minute instructions on the operations of the fighter ships. She then joined Anala and walked with the young queen out of the conference room.
"Anala, Im sorry to have called you on short notice, as I know you've been keeping in contact with Vallis," Allura said. "But I must speak with you."
Anala nodded as the two women walked down the corridors. Anala knew what the princess wanted to speak about, but only silence was between them as they walked together into one of the Castle's rec room, where the Voltron Force would regularly practice and train. This one was set up as a practice area with and overlooking balcony, so that whomever wanted to watch could do so without interupting those that were. Allura and Anala were now standing on the balcony, as they watched Keith practice in private.
"He deserves to know the truth."
Anala could only breathe in deeply. "What can I say?" she asked as she met Allura's gaze.
Allura turned away from her. "Forgive me, Anala," she said. "But there is nothing you can say."
Anala watched as the door to the rec room on the bottom level opened. Her eyes widened when she saw Lotor enter.
"This is something that must be done between them first," Allura stated as she turned to her. "If they can't cooperate and learn to trust each other, then our fight with the Triasian force will be hindered by their own personal grudges."
Allura then reached out her hand to take Anala's into her own. "Let them work it out," she said. "Do it for your son."
Anala closed her eyes and slowly nodded. Allura placed her arm around her as she held her against herself. "If I know Keith, he will come to understand," Allura stated. "And I know it wont be too easy for him to do so. Just have faith."
Anala nodded as she opened her eyes again and watched the scene before her play out. It was time to mend old wounds.
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Neive yawned to himself as he walked down the long corridors leading back to the sleeping quarters for his team. He had been working with Shane all evening, and hadn't realized how late it had become. Toward the last two hours, however, Shane had inquired him about anything new he had learned about his interest in Arusian law, and when Neive had answered no, they were on the communications link to Shane's Uncle, who lived in an old village not more than a league away from the Castle.
Neive was caught by how loud, the older gentleman was, compared to how Shane acted. His Uncle was more than happy to discuss politics with them and go over some of the laws he had help write when serving under King Alfor. His stories about life on Arus before Zarkon had filled up most of the late evening. As the man was about to go into detail about how Alfor was responsible for getting a law about what could be done with livestock excrement, Shane interrupted him by inviting the vivacious man to the Castle in the near future so they could discuss further about Neive's own interest in Arusian law. Suffice to say, the man was exstatic for the invite and promised that he would be there by the end of the week.
Animal excrement?
Neive thought about it as he walked down the hallway, wondering what kind of law would have to be made about animal excrement. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he really didn't want to know. His wanderings brought him down the guest rooms hallway and he noticed the guard standing outside of one room. He then remembered that Gorma had asked for Zeya to be moved to private quarters, and for safety reasons, Allura had assigned a guard to keep watch, in case she were to wake. He slowly approached the guard and the man saluted him.
"Commander," the guard stated. "I hope that everything is fine."
Neive nodded. "How long is your shift, Dylan?" he asked.
"Im about at the end of my shift, commander," the young man answered. "Ellis is to replace me for the late shift."
Neive slowly nodded. "I'm going in to see if she is alright," Neive stated. "Do you have the same shift tomorrow?"
The young man nodded. "Until the end of the week," he said. "Then I start my training for the new fighters we'll be receiving."
Neive smiled. "Good," he said. "I'll be a moment. If Ellis arrives, you can go on and retire for the night."
"Yes, sir."
Neive smiled as he waved his hand in front of the door panel. The metal door, slid open, and he saw that it was dark inside, save for the small amount of light from the full moon pouring in through the window. As he stepped in, the door slid closed behind him.
He made his way toward the bed in the center of the room, pulling up a chair as he stared down at the sleeping form. Zeya's right hand rested on her, her wrist wrapped in bandages; the bruising he had seen before her on her face were already lightening, but he assumed that it was still painful. The cloth that had covered her eyes was gone, assuming that Gorma had found nothing wrong with her eyes. He wondered why the stranger had warned him about keeping her eyes covered.
He breathed in deeply as he seated himself on the chair and looked at her. Why did he feel so strange wheneve he was around her? Whenever she was near, he could hardly breathe, and his heart would race whenever she spoke.
He reached over to her, brushing the lock of hair from her forehead. This caused her to stir a moment, her brows woven together as she turned her head from side to side. He then watched as her eyes fluttered open, as she stared into the space above her.
Her head turned slowly to him, as her amber eyes came to meet his own blue ones. He breathed in hard, as he leaned in his chair seeing the confusion that she had on her face.
"You're back on Arus, Zeya," he stated in almost a whisper. "You should just rest, you've been through a lot already."
The girl only stared at him, as she tried to sit up. Neive was quick to prevent her from doing so, coming to sit on the edge of her bed as he held her by her arms, to have her lie down again.
"Zeya, it's not a good idea that you move at this moment," he stated. "You need your rest."
Instead, she grabbed at the uniform he wore as she pulled her head forward and rested it against his chest. Neive felt her body tremble a bit, as she held him close to her. He the noticed the red marks that covered the girls back, and breathed deeply. How could she have lasted through such pain?
He then tensed when he felt the unmistakable feeling of soft lips against his exposed neck. His body froze as the tender kisses intensified, traveling up his neck, then sharp teeth nibbled on his ear.
"I need you," she whispered, her breathy voice causing him to flinch as he tried to pull away from her.
Neive tried to push himself away, but the firm grip she had on his uniform only had him pulled toward her as she kissed him fully.
A mixture of fear and confusion gripped through Neive as she strengthened her hold on him. He grabbed her by her arms, to try and push her off of him, but something was just holding him in place. As he breathed in deeply, he could not help but taste the sweetness of her as the kiss deepened, and the sweet smell of her.
She slowly brought the kiss to an end, her gaze then coming to meet his. Neive could only swallow hard, as it seemed that those eyes, could read him, see through him. His heart thumped hard in his chest, suddenly becoming dangerously aware of what she was doing to him.
Once that realization came to him, he quickly tried to pull himself away from her. Why was he behaving this way?
Though she still had a firm grip on him. He grabbed at her hand that held him and tried to pry it away. Instead, he found her fighting back as she snaked her free arm around him, pulling him close and kissed him again.
"I must have you," she whispered as she kissed the tender part of his neck. "You will be mine."
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Allura held Anala back when she watched as Lotor deliver a punch that sent her brother staggering back. Keith breathed in deeply as he eyed the Doom Prince.
They had been fighting for nearly two hours. Neither one willing to concede to the other. Allura was actually surprised that Keith had the energy and strength to do so, considering his injuries that he still was recovering from.
"What makes you think that I will ever forgive all the things you have done?" Keith stated as he stared at the Doom Prince.
"You do not have to forgive me, nor am I asking for it," Lotor stated as he breathed in deeply. "All I ask is that you trust me now."
"And how do I know that you wont go back on that trust?" Keith asked.
"If you love your sister and trust her, then please extend that trust to me," he stated. "She's opened my eyes, and cleared the pain from life; made me realize my faults. I know that I can't make up for the hurt that I've caused, but trust me now. Trust me as your brother."
"Keith!"
Anala screamed when she saw Keith attack Lotor. Allura held her back, as they watched the final confrontation. It was the first time she ever saw Keith attack anyone when his emotions were running high. Lotor was quick to block the punch, but wasn't prepared for the reverse roundhouse kick as it connected with him. He took a step back, as he clutched at his chest, feeling as if a ton of rocks had just hit him. He had barely time to recover, as he blocked another punch, but this time was able to send the captain back with a well timed punch to his face. Lotor knew that if he sustained another hit to his chest, he wouldn't be able to last another hit. He hadn't realized how evenly matched they were, until now.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lotor watched as the Captain charged toward him again. He prepared for what seemed to be a move to hit him where he was already injured, but Lotor gasped when the attack actually aimed higher, connecting as the Captain clotheslined him, causing him to lose his balance, and they both fell to the exercise mat, exhausted. Keith let out an audible groan as the landing sent a shock of pain through his left side.
Anala let out the breath she was holding, wondering what had just happened. Allura crossed her arms in front of herself and smiled.
"Guess he learned a few techniques from Hunk," she commented. "Full of surprises as always."
The two women stared at the two prone forms, as they laid, unmoving. Allura took Anala's arm as they slowly made their way down the the exercise floor.
"So what do you think we should do against these damn Triasians?" Keith asked breathlessly, as he stared up into the lights above him. "Other than the fact that their weapon technology is a little more advanced than ours, they look as if they rely on robot fighters and work in mass numbers to concquer planets."
"The robot fighters are the first wave attack fighters they use, to weaken any defense system that a planet would have," he heard Lotor's reply. "They do have manned fighters, however, as reported, they work in threes, which means a limited number of their strong fighters."
"Inundate their enemy with swarms of forces," Keith stated as he groaned, trying to sit up. "Like a colony of wasps invading a bee hive, to take it over."
Keith breathed in deeply as he cradled his side. Damn ribs, he thought to himself. Dr. Gorma was going to have his hyde now. He slowly turned to the man he had known as an enemy for so long, but now had to regard him as something else.
He then slowly extended his free hand to him. Lotor nodded as he shook it.
"Just keep your promise to my sister," Keith said as he slowly got to his feet. "Otherwise, you will have to deal with me."
"Lotor!"
The two men watched as Anala came running toward them, with Allura following behind. She then stopped before them, meeting Keith's gaze. Tears filled her eyes as she rushed to him, hugging her brother tightly.
Keith winced as her hug put pressure on his ribs, but he just held her close to him. "I understand," he said to her. "Nothing you do will ever disappoint me. In fact, it was much more nobler than I could ever be, for what you have done."
Anala slowly nodded as she pulled away from him. Her eyes then widened, gasping as then she fell to her knees. Keith immediately bent down, grabbing her by her arms as she breathed in deeply
"What is it?"
"Something is not right," she stated, almost trembling. She then breathed in deeply. "Neive...something's happened to him."
"What?" Allura asked. "Anala, what is it?"
Anala shook her head. "He's in danger."
"Where is she?"
The four then looked up to see Lance standing at the entrance to the rec room, with a dark cloaked stranger standing next to him.
"Lance?" Allura asked.
"Its alright, Ally," Lance stated. "He's the one that rescued Princess Zeya from the Triasian commander."
The stranger slowly lowered the hood of his cloak, and slowly stepped forward. "Im in search of my daughter," he stated. "You have her?"
"Your daughter?" Allura asked.
"Siaras."
Allura gasped as she eyed Lance. Was this man going to turn against them.
"What business do you have of her?" Allura asked. "She's under arrest for the attempted murder of our teammate."
"She is my daughter, Princess," he stated. "I have many questions to ask of her. I will not interfere with the way you handle your justice, to be dealt with concerning her."
Allura slowly nodded. "Your name?"
"I am General Gorin of the Triasian fleet that orbits your farthest moon," he stated. "I have...had served under the command of High Lord Rolsin. I am the leader of a growing group of rebel fighters, who no longer wish to fight under the tyranny that Rolsin has displayed, all in the name of our people."
"General," Allura stated. "What is Rolsin's purpose here in the Diamond Galaxy? We were under the impression that he was only attacking the outlying Drule empires that did not defect to the Galaxy Alliance."
"That is the only mission we have for our people, princess," Gorin stated. "We are planetless race. Our people have no home, and we've been traveling the stars, to find those, who were responsible for the destruction of our planet, so many years ago."
Allura's eyes widened. "No home?"
"15 years by your calendar, Princess," he stated.
"And Drule Empire was responsible?"
Gorin slowly shook his head. "That is what the high lords have told our people," he stated. "If you will let me, I am more than willing to speak with you on this, but I wish to see my daughter first."
Allura turned to Keith, and he slowly nodded as he helped Anala to her feet. "We can take you there now," he stated.
"And how is Princess Zeya," the man asked. "I hope that she is doing fine."
"She is resting," Allura stated. "If you are the one that returned her to us, we thank you for your help."
"I trust that your man followed my instructions?" he asked. "That she wear her blindfold for a couple of days."
"Blindfold?" Allura asked. "She was thoroughly examined by our doctor, and they found nothing..."
She watched as the man's expression blanked. "Where is she?"
"She's in a private room, under guard."
"Take me to her, now."
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Neive let out gasp when he felt a sharp pain at the side of his neck. It was all that he needed to finally push her off of him and slowly stand from the bed. He slowly backed away, as she glared at him. He made his way to the door, but a sudden movement, and she disappeared from the bed, then appeared just as he reached the door. She waved her hand in front of the panel, and the lights within the panel, suddenly went out.
"Zeya, stop this," he said to her.
"I must have you," she said as she stepped toward him.
Neive tried to reach for the communicator he wore, but as he did so, she was already near him, taking it away as she crushed it in her hand. She slowly wrapped an arm around him as he pulled his head down toward hers.
"I know you want me," she whispered as she kissed the side of his neck. "Ive seen the way you look at me, the want in your eyes."
Neive swallowed hard as he pushed away from her. As he stepped back, he lost his footing, falling backwards until he was lying on his back. He then groaned as she came over to him, straddling him as she leaned over to look at him.
"Why fight it?" she asked as she let her hands travel over his chest, slowly coming to rest around his neck. "Its what all men want, right?"
Neive gasped when he felt her hands start to squeeze tightly around his neck. He choked, grabbing at her hands trying to pry them away.
"Give yourself to me," Zeya stated. "And I will always be yours."
Neive gasped as he tried to push her off, but she had a firm grip on him. She continued to squeeze his neck harder, tighter, and he tried as hard to pull her hands away. She was now squeezing him so hard, that he could feel her nails dig deep in the flesh of his neck.
"Zeya...you're hurting me!" he gasped.
"Don't fight me," she stated.
Neive's vision was then blinded as a bright light filled the room, and her weight was suddenly pulled off of him. He coughed as he struggled to get air into his lungs, as someone helped him to sit up. He grabbed at his neck and watched as Keith and a strange man struggled with the Princess, trying to get a blindfold over her eyes.
"Let me go!" she yelled. "I must have him!"
Neive coughed again as Allura cradled him.
"Damnit," the strange man muttered as he got the blindfold on her and she continued to fight the two men. Neive watched as the man place a hand to Zeya's shoulder and muttered something before the woman finally fell back into his arms. "She should be fine now. But please, keep the blindfold on for a few days, unless you want a repeat of what just went on."
"What happened?" Neive asked. "She all of a sudden attacked me."
"The Nebris is a powerful aphrodesiac," the man stated as he lifted the Princess in his arms and carried her back to the bed and laid her on it. "We know what effects it has on Triasians, but on other races, it could have adverse, even violent reactions."
"Violent?" he asked. "She nearly killed me."
"She does not know or understand what she is doing, while under its effects," the man stated. "After a few days, it should be gone from her system, but until then she can not look or see a man. If she requires any medical examination, please have it done by females until then."
Allura helped Neive to his feet as he stared at the man before him.
"You are the one who rescued her?" he asked. "The one I saw in the forest?"
The man slowly nodded. "Yes, Prince Neive," he stated. "Im General Gorin, and you already know my daughter, Siaras."
Allura saw the shock go through her cousin's face. "Its alright Neive," she stated. "Gorin is here to deal with her betrayal. We trust him."
Neive slowly nodded as he pushed himself out of her hold, "I'll be in my room if you need me," he stated.
Allura could only watch as he left the small room. She could feel that something was bothering him, and she made it a point to herself to talk to him about it.
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Rolsin stared at the view screen as his brother joined him.
"Have you located him?"
"We tracked his ship to Arus, and it disappeared once it got under the Arusian forests," Relins stated. "We assume that he's already made contact with the Voltron Force."
Rolsin's hand fisted at his side as he turned to him. "Go through all our ships in the fleet. Find those who were close to Gorin and have them gathered here on this ship. I will make examples of those who would follow him now."
"Risen reported that they are a day's travel from his destination," Relins stated. "He should have a report later tomorrow."
"Good," Rolsin stated. "She must be brought back to me, Relins. I will level Arus just to find her if need be."
"Understood," Relins stated. "I will see what we can do to ready our forces."
Rolsin nodded then excused his brother. As he continued to stare at the viewscreen before him, his hand instinctively went to his right eye, feeling the long cut that was there now. Vision in his right eye was now nearly non-existent. When Gorin had attacked him in his quarter, he was not prepared, and the old soldier had managed to cut his face, damaging his right eye in the process before knocking him unconscious.
"And you will pay for your treachery, Gorin," he said to himself.
tbc
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