Title: Winning Days
Fandom: Voltron, Vehicle Team
Author: Purrsia Kat
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Adult Situations, Mild Language, Mild Violence
Start Date: September 2004
End Date: June 2006
Summary: Vehicle Voltron fiction that parellels events in the series but also rewrites major aspects of it. A Drule plot and a mystery spy aboard the Explorer may destroy the Alliance yet, with an innocent people caught in the middle. Jeff-Lisa.
Disclaimer: Voltron owned by World Events Productions (WEP). This story based on their property without permission.
Winning Days Book I: Black Metallic
Part I
By Purrsia Kat
Air team leader Jeff looked down at the control panel of the vessel he piloted, its lights alive with activity. "This planet looks promising, Commander," he reported to the figure in brown uniform whose image appeared in the screen at the center of the console. "All instruments reveal the air can support human life."
"Great news," came the Commander's radioed reply. "Once the other teams report, I'll relay the news to Galaxy Garrison."
"Yes sir. Over and out."
Jeff guided his conical star ship around the last outcropping of rock, which marked the end of a particularly mountainous region, with expert skill. He was then greeted by a breathtaking panorama of lush green forests stretching to the arc of the horizon. Despite the beauty and promise of the planet, experience had taught the young captain of the Voltron Force a degree of cynicism. "It's too good to be true," he muttered while checking the various gauges and sensors in his craft for any sign of the Alliance's perennial enemies, the Drule Empire. True, they hadn't clashed with the Drules in weeks but instead of taking solace in that, that fact actually had Jeff more on edge.
Jeff was distracted from his negative thoughts by the appearance of Land Team leader Cliff's image on his telecom. "Jeff, everything down here checks out okay. Plant and animal life seem compatible with human settlement. We may have found the perfect world."
Jeff forced a smile in an effort to keep his cynical comments to himself. "Sounds great, Cliff. But keep an eye out for the Drules. You never know when they're going to show up and ruin a perfect world." Ever the vocal member of the team, Jeff found he couldn't hold in his doubts for long, though Cliff seemed much less concerned.
In fact, Cliff laughed. "Honestly Jeff, we haven't encountered the Drules in weeks. You need to relax. If the Drules were around we'd have picked them up on radar by now."
"Maybe if I was as naïve as you, I could relax," Jeff shot back playfully. What worried Jeff most was the Drules' chameleon-like ability to adapt to the Alliance's technology and find ways to block or skirt their radar and other devices that would give the Alliance fair warning.
"Ha ha. Maybe if you'd relax for even one moment, you wouldn't be the person solely responsible for the depletion of the Explorer's supply of antacids."
Jeff cracked a grin at his teammate's exaggeration. "No way, we all know it's Sammy's cooking that's responsible for that."
"Fair enough. See you back at the Explorer. Over and out."
That evening, Jeff watched a brilliant sunset from behind one of the many great glass panes of their command ship, the Explorer.
"It's beautiful," Sea Team leader Cric remarked.
Jeff simply nodded without taking his eyes off the sky, his expression giving away no surprise at the quiet appearance of his teammate by his side.
"I heard Commander Hawkins sent news of our find back to Galaxy Garrison. Once we finish thoroughly exploring the southern hemisphere tomorrow it will be a done deal…a new world for the over-populated people in the Alliance to colonize."
Jeff sighed. "That's the mission." After a brief silence, Jeff turned to look at Cric. He hesitated because part of him didn't want to confirm his worst fears. Cric, an alien whose skin was as pale a blue as the water world he hailed from, had a gift – a sixth sense – and if anyone could confirm Jeff's fears it would be him. "What's your feeling about this place, Cric? What's your gut feeling?" Jeff's gaze was unflinching as he searched his friend's face for a reaction.
Cric cast his eyes downward as he uttered two simple words. "Not good."
"Damn," Jeff cursed. "I was afraid of that."
"Something's going to happen tomorrow, so rest while you can tonight."
Jeff shook his head. "After news like that, how do you figure?"
"I confided in the Commander about this feeling," Cric explained, "and he's got us on heightened alert. It's all we can do for now with nothing but a vague premonition to go on."
"I guess," Jeff conceded with flagging confidence for he knew as anyone else on the ship that Cric's feelings weren't to be taken lightly. Jeff had a pretty good idea who would be responsible for the coming trouble, too. "I'm just so sick of the Drules coming along and taking things from us."
"You have to remember, to them we're interlopers in their corner of the universe. Maybe they think if they destroy the fruits of our labor often enough, we'll tire of it and move on. And now that we're edging into what is believed to be the galaxy of their home planet, we can only expect the attacks to be more frequent and vicious."
"Fear and ignorance is no excuse for what they do," Jeff decreed. "Besides, why does anyone need a whole galaxy? It's big enough for everyone, damn it."
"I wasn't making excuses for them –"
"Besides, we know what their game is! They're rotten imperialists!" Jeff thundered interrupting Cric, for when he got on a roll about the Drule Empire there was no room for calm, reasoned discussion. "How many of your people have they enslaved, Cric?"
Despite the rhetorical nature of the question, Cric sighed and replied, "Too many."
"That's right. They're driven by power and greed which is all the more reason we should stay right here in this star system and not give up or run away."
"Still, getting upset or angry isn't going to help matters, Jeff."
"Aw, don't you go making antacid jokes, too," Jeff replied, softening somewhat.
A wry smile crossed Cric's lips. "You should leave some for the rest of us. We have to eat Sammy's cooking too, you know."
Jeff couldn't help but chuckle, the tenseness of the moment before diffused. "Well, I'm going to turn in early. I have a feeling I'll need all the rest I can get…"
"Good idea."
As twilight fell upon the planet and the Explorer gently settled into the calm waters of a bay, Jeff made his way to his sleeping quarters. Unsurprisingly, he found sleep elusive, only coming and going in brief spurts. So as dawn broke it was no small wonder Jeff was the first to jump to his feet when the alert sounded. At least the adrenaline rush was enough to make him feel more than awake as he wriggled into his uniform top while racing down the hall at the same time.
"They didn't waste any time," Jeff remarked as he passed by Cric, who was just emerging from his own sleeping chambers.
"Nope," was all Cric had time to offer before each team rushed to reach their docking stations.
Slightly disheveled, Jeff sat in the cockpit of his ship awaiting orders, which finally came when Commander Hawkins spoke over the teams' telecom. "Unidentified objects have been picked up on radar approaching from the southern hemisphere. Teams check it out but proceed with caution…we can't rule out the possibility of a Drule attack fleet."
"Yes sir," Jeff replied, his lips set in a determined line. This wouldn't be the first time the Drules were able to mask an attack force on a planet the Alliance was exploring. Ambush attacks were their deadly specialty, after all. "Every time," Jeff muttered angrily to himself, "they do this every time."
The fifteen units of the three teams launched and covered the distance in no time. They were coming into another mountainous region, and judging by radar indications Jeff observed, the ships in question should come into view any minute. "Teams, be ready…"
Sure enough, a half dozen of the Drules' large star cruisers awaited them beyond the ridge. "It's them!" Jeff shouted, his finger hovering above the button that triggers his ship's lasers.
"Hold on, Jeff," Cric responded, his image appearing on Jeff's console. "There's so few of them. Something's not right."
"Oh yeah? Well I'm not going to wait to find out what dirty trick they're up to." With that, Jeff fired a laser that struck the lead ship squarely, resulting in a brilliant explosion as the Drule vessel went into an out-of-control nosedive. An all-out firefight began, the remaining Drule ships returning fire. That is, until Hawkins radioed with a startling revelation.
"Hold your fire!" Hawkins barked. "Those aren't Drules."
Jeff's jaw went slack. "Sir?"
"I just had a teleconference with them – the natives of this planet are in those ships, not Drules," Hawkins explained.
Jeff's mind reeled. "Natives? But – in Drule ships?" It had to be some kind of wicked Drule trick…didn't it?
Then, as Jeff flew over a valley he saw it – a sprawling city below, its dusty streets and modest white buildings contrasting clearly with the dark forest surrounding it. "Shit," he softly uttered.
"I was as shocked as you, Jeff. But when I radioed to try to reason with the Drule commander, frightened natives greeted me instead. We may be able to explain things and make amends, but you have to stop fighting," Hawkins continued.
"Easier said than done, Commander. We're under heavy fire here."
"What do you expect?" Cric interrupted, his tone unusually angry for such a normally reserved member of the team. "You fired on them without provocation."
Jeff felt his face glow hot with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "They're in Drule ships! How was I supposed to know there wasn't Drules in them?"
Time for righteous indignation was cut short when a robeast emerged from one of the Drule ships. And on top of it, more Drule ships were launching from the city below.
"They may not be Drules, but they fight like them," Cliff remarked.
"We've got no choice, Commander. We've gotta form Voltron," Jeff reported.
In the city below, hysterical citizens scrambled for shelter as fiery shrapnel rained down on them. But one young woman stared up at the sky, so in disbelief she was able to move only to sweep her wind-swept hair from her line of vision. She watched the group of alien ships that had attacked her people combine into a giant with human-like characteristics. She was almost hypnotized by the way the early morning sun cast shadows on the behemoth that made a large area of its metallic skin appear black in hue. It was then Keira couldn't get out of her mind the cryptic prediction by one of the town's council members years ago. She'd been too young to attend the meeting, but she clearly remembered listening in on her parents' hushed discussion on what the seer had revealed then – their world's days were numbered and a giant with skin of black metallic would seal its fate.
"Black metallic," she uttered in shocked wonder.
The accuracy of foretold events was unfolding so vividly, Keira's mind reeled with all the events that lead to it. So, those strange blue-skinned aliens who had come to her people over a year ago were right as well. There would be alien invaders who would descend upon them one day – war-mongering imperialists, they warned, that wanted nothing but to take over planets or else destroy them. They claimed to be struggling against this bane of the galaxy for years and, out of shear concern for their planetary neighbors, saw fit to give warning. Coupled with their own seer's prior prediction, the council not only took heed but also accepted these people, who called themselves Drules. They helped them prepare for this day in the form of donating technology and training so that they could at least stand a chance in case the Drules themselves could not arrive in time to lend aid.
Keira hoped it was enough or the seer's words would become unfortunate reality. Keira was just glad the old psychic was no longer around to see the horrific prediction come true. She didn't want to believe their lives were about to be shattered but here it was upon them, their day of reckoning. Keira was numb with disbelief.
"Keira, come on! Take cover!"
An urgent tug on her arm brought her somewhat out of the trance. "Huh?" Keira gazed dumbfounded into the wide eyes of a woman she recognized the local innkeeper and friend of her parents. It was then that a distant thought in her head reminded her that she had no idea where her parents were or if she'd ever see them again. She'd left them at home on their farm when set out for town earlier, hoping to beat the crowds to the market. However, she was too overwhelmed to panic over it.
"Come on!"
Keira felt like everything was happening in slow motion as her gaze slowly moved away from the terrified inn keep's face and out beyond the woman at a group of rioters who were in the process of looting the shops across the street. Most of the rioters were women because the majority of the men were in those strange Drule ships trying to fight off an even stranger enemy. This made the sight seem all the more surreal to Keira. Utter chaos swirled around them and yet, Keira remained rooted to that spot in the street.
"I'm coming," Keira murmured. However, in her state of shock she didn't even notice she was talking to herself for the inn keep had already abandoned her.
"The end…" she finally said in a distant monotone. "This is the end."
Meanwhile, safely tucked behind one of the planet's moons, was a true Drule attack fleet. Nerok sat in the command ship with a satisfied sneer on his face, watching on the ship's various monitors as the situation ignited into an ugly battle far below. Things couldn't be unfolding more perfectly if he'd wanted them to. He'd let the Explorer drift in relative peace in recent days just hoping they would happen upon the sparsely populated planet Rilo. When they did, the year's worth of resources used on the natives was paying off in spades. It was so easy to play on the fears and ridiculous superstition of the simple people of Rilo so that they would believe the Alliance was the enemy. What's more, Nerok couldn't believe it was the Alliance who had the itchy trigger finger – which worked out more to his advantage than he ever dreamed.
Now, with the Rilons dying and fighting for the Drules, Nerok was confident that one way or another the Alliance's winning days would soon be over. And when the Alliance and the natives got done destroying each other, he'd simply swoop down and claim the planet for the Drule Empire without losing a single Drule soldier! But if something were to go awry – and experience had taught Nerok that the Alliance had a seemingly unbelievable amount of fortune on their side – he had ways to ensure there would be no chance of the Voltron Force emerging from this skirmish looking the least bit favorable or righteous.
TO BE CONTINUED…