**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)
The next day, after the paladins had fully recovered from their ordeal with Zethrid on Fuigo, they gathered in one of the Atlas' conference rooms to begin discussing how to deal with Honerva and her robeasts.
"We have confirmation that Honerva's beasts have touched down on planets Sanook, VeXilum, Siiz, and we continue to receive more transmissions," Coran said, pulling up their holographic map and highlighting the planets in question.
"This is consistent with the reports I'm receiving as well," Veronica confirmed, double-checking the notes on her screen.
"The wormhole signatures we discovered on Olkarion, they were a map to where the robeasts were headed," Pidge realized, eyes wide. "They must have been waiting this entire time."
Keith's scowl deepened. "They're targeting multiple fronts simultaneously."
"What do we do?" Hunk asked, voice already thick with worry.
"We keep our calm," Shiro said. "Coran, continue to mark the planets where the beasts have landed. Veronica, give us any real-time updates as they come in."
"Copy that," Veronica nodded. "Just got another report from Sanook. The robeasts are covered in some type of shield, like a particle barrier."
She pulled up an image of one of the creatures. It loomed over the inhabitants of Sanook, shrouded in a purple dome that made it untouchable.
"They're not attacking the planet?" Allura frowned.
"Not yet."
A beat of silence passed. Then two. Suddenly, Veronica's display began to chirp, a horde of incoming messages flooding her systems. Her brow furrowed, her fingers flying as she assessed the changing situation.
"The planets are reporting activity. The robeasts are siphoning quintessence," she relayed, bringing up the live feeds. The monsters had thrust their blades into the surfaces of the planets, glowing brighter and brighter as they gradually sucked the life force out of the worlds.
"We need to engage them all, save as many people as we can," Iverson insisted. "We're talking about triage here."
"We could split up the lions," Keith suggested.
"One lion can't handle a robeast on its own," Hunk reminded him, incredulous.
"No, but it could slow them down, buy us some time."
"I say we attack them with the totality of our forces and wormhole from target to target," Shiro proposed.
"No," Allura intervened, shutting them down before they could get too ahead of themselves. She stood, drawing everyone's attention to her. "We must attack Oriande directly. I think I know what Honerva is doing. We know she has the ability to create wormholes and that these wormholes are emanating from Oriande. She used a robeast to steal the Olkari cubes, which can mimic and intensify energy at a distance. And those robeasts are essentially armed with komars, able to drain and transmit massive amounts of quintessence."
She paused, regarding the map where the sight of each wormhole, cube, and beast had been accentuated and connected with a straight line. Her brilliant eyes shone with a fiery anger as she continued, "Honerva is going to concentrate energy from across the universe to Oriande. She is making a komar magnitudes larger than anything we've ever seen, something that could drain the quintessence from an entire galaxy."
The holo-map shifted, the lines linking each location revealing the massive magic circle Honerva was creating across the entire system. Jaws dropped, a fresh wave of fear and urgency striking the hearts of the core members of the Atlas crew.
"No…" Sam murmured.
"That monster," Coran whispered, unable to pull his horror-stricken eyes away from the destructive magnitude of it all.
"What could she possibly need that much energy for?" Pidge wondered, casting a worried look Allura's way as she sought an explanation.
"I don't know," the princess admitted. "But we need to act immediately. The only way for us to stop them is by going directly to Oriande."
Keith stood, not even hesitating to take her side. "Then that's what Voltron is gonna do."
"The Atlas will accompany you," Shiro said, not missing a beat with the Fuigo incident still fresh in his mind. "We don't have time to wait for the rest of the coalition."
"Contact Matt," Keith said, turning to Mari. "Let him know you and the rebels are gonna be in charge of the evacuation efforts for the occupied planets. You shouldn't expect assistance."
"We're on it," she confirmed, and Acxa and Scarlett nodded.
"Then we are in agreement," Allura said, quickly bringing their meeting to a close. "It is time to begin our assault on Oriande."
The Kintsugi and rebel ships were scrambled. Acxa and Immea were once again accompanying Mari, this time with Kosmo as well. It had felt like forever since she'd seen the cosmic wolf, having gone with Keith when Voltron had left to search for the robeasts. But now he was back, ready to assist in their evacuation efforts. With Mari at the helm and her allies at her back, the Kintsugi hummed to life and they prepared for takeoff.
"The universe is facing the gravest threat it has ever seen," Allura's voice rang loud and clear over their comms, broadcasting ship-wide as she gave the Atlas crew one last rallying speech before they set their plan into action. "Honerva has exploited a vulnerable people, my people, and bent them to her will. She convinced them to pilot her abominations and commit heinous acts. And now she has built a weapon that can destroy an entire galaxy. Today, we risk our lives for the greater good. We are the only thing that can stop her and defend the universe. It is time to end this war."
Mari's grip on the Kintsugi's controls tightened. Her heart was racing with nerves, ready to go, ready to stop Honerva's plans once and for all. A few muffled cheers and shouts of agreement sounded in the background from the other rebel ships.
"Stay focused, guys," Matt urged them. "It's not time to celebrate just yet."
"Is everyone ready?" Allura asked.
"We're in position," Shiro affirmed on his end from the bridge.
"All rebel squadrons are ready to go," Mari said.
"I'm opening the wormholes now," Allura announced.
Seconds later, the hangar doors slid open. "Evacuation Teams A, B, and C, you're clear for liftoff," Shiro permitted, and the three groups shot out into space where the wormholes leading to Sanook, VeXilum, and Siiz lay before them. The rebel ships split into their respective teams and zipped towards their assigned portals, with Matt leading Team A on Sanook, Nyma and Rolo with Team B on VeXilum, and Mari in charge of Team C on Siiz.
"Good luck, everyone," Allura said, her voice tight with an anxious hope.
"You too, princess," Mari replied, infusing as much encouragement into her tone as she could muster. Then they entered the wormhole and the Atlas disappeared behind them.
The jungle planet of Siiz laid before them with the robeast standing right at its center. It had straightened, angling towards the sky as it shot a seemingly unending beam of bright purple energy into the atmosphere. The luscious greenery surrounding it browned in an instant, a circle of death widening and spreading rapidly across every inch of the planet.
"What's it doing?" Immea frowned.
"It's draining the planet," Mari said, her face grim as they watched the beam stretch off out of sight. "Honerva's gathering quintessence to Oriande. Siiz is just one link in her giant magic circle."
Immea's eyes widened in disbelief, her antenna glowing brighter in the dim lighting of the cockpit. "She's absolutely mad."
"Voltron will stop her," Acxa said, her narrowed gaze locked on the dying surface. "They have to."
As the Kintsugi and the rest of Team C began their descent into Siiz's atmosphere, careful to stay away from the robeast, Mari opened their line with the planet's coalition base.
"This is Mariko Shirogane of the Voltron Coalition. We're here to help. Please prepare for emergency evacuation efforts."
The comms crackled, panicked shouts echoing in the background. The rebel officer who answered her practically squeaked out his reply, he was so frightened. "Y-Yes, ma'am! They're already underway!"
Team C landed outside their base and the rebels disembarked. The facility was located amongst a village just a few miles from the robeast, the surrounding foliage already dead and disintegrating. This close to the creature, the ground beneath their feet rumbled sickeningly, the earth starting to crumble and crack all around them. The Siizan officer stumbled out of the building to meet them, a tablet clutched in his hands. Two Galra soldiers who had once been a part of the enemy force controlling the planet before they joined the coalition followed at his heels.
"How many other villages are there?" Mari asked, having to yell over the roaring winds and the incessant din of the robeast's laser.
"There's just this one! We're counting heads right now and loading up our evacuation ship!" he said, gesturing behind him where a horde of his people were rushing up the ramp of a Galra cruiser.
Good. At least there was only one community of citizens to focus on. That made their work easier, Mari vaguely thought to herself. She split up their team, dispersing their forces amongst the village to help speed up the packing process. Acxa and Immea searched for stragglers still lingering in the forests, helping them towards the aircraft, while Kosmo teleported the old and injured up the cruiser ramp. Family after family embarked, loaded down with hastily gathered belongings and crates of supplies. Children wept softly to themselves as their parents hugged them tightly, fear and sorrow etched into each of their features.
A thunderous rumble suddenly rippled across the planet, making many Siizans scream. The ground began to give way beneath the robeast, throwing chunks of rock into the air and ripping up ancient trees, roots and all. The destruction was closing in on the village fast, collapsing huts in an instant. It would only be a matter of minutes before the earth beneath the base caved, swallowing the Siizans and the Atlas rebels whole.
"We've got everyone!" the Siizan officer exclaimed, having finished counting off his people. He waved his tablet in the air, encouraging the assisting rebels to return to their ships. "We're ready to go!"
"Everyone, get in the air, immediately!" Mari ordered, and the rest of Team C hurried to obey.
Acxa, Immea, and Kosmo hopped back into the Kintsugi, sweaty and grimy from the hastened evacuation. Taking the pilot's chair, Mari did one last scan of the surrounding settlement, making absolutely sure no one was going to get left behind, before peeling away from Siiz's collapsing surface.
The robesat sank to its knees and its lights went out, becoming unresponsive now that its job was done. Team C and the escape cruiser took off just as the earth shattered beneath them, obliterating the rebel base and what remained of the village. They climbed higher and higher into the atmosphere, until the planet was nothing more than a lifeless orb behind them.
The comms were dead silent as Siiz's people grieved the loss of their home world, while the Team C rebels struggled to comprehend the merciless devastation they'd just witnessed. Mari's mouth was dry, her entire body numb despite her reeling thoughts. She stared straight ahead at the unfamiliar stars flecked across the inky expanse that laid in front of them, processing the blur of events they had just lived through.
Siiz's destruction was nothing like Vurelle's. The Vurellean civilization had been razed, but the planet had been left alive. They were able to return and rebuild because Vurelle's heartbeat, it's quintessence, hadn't been snuffed. But for Siiz, there was no going back. Gray and dead and falling apart with not a drop of the universe's lifeblood left to sustain it, it would never be able to return to the thriving planet it once was. Perhaps if Allura were here, she could have restored it before the robeast drank it dry, just like she had with the perishing Balmera all those years ago. But it was too late for that now. All that awaited Siiz was a weblum to come along and gobble up its remains.
Mari let out a shaky sigh, frustration and remorse bubbling beneath the surface. Kosmo whimpered softly beside her, watching her through intelligent golden eyes. She briefly petted his head, but it brought her little comfort.
"It's been well over an hour," Immea said quietly, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over them. "We should check in with the other teams."
Mari didn't respond for a long moment. Then she nodded and activated their comms. "Team C has successfully evacuated Siiz. Teams A and B, mission report."
"Sanook has been cleared," Matt replied, sounding just as unnerved as she felt.
"Same with VeXilum," Nyma piped up, small and thin.
"We need to contact the Atlas and rendezvous with them," Mari said, already preparing to reach out to their command ship. "Allura needs to create a wormhole to send the refugees to the recovery point."
The recovery point was the coalition planet Jopefiiu. During the months Earth was recovering from Sendak's invasion, it was one of the several planets Mari and Matt had helped to build their defenses. They had also recently established a large refugee camp. Well out of Honerva's magic circle and teeming with life, Jopefiiu and its people were more than willing to harbor the incoming survivors of Sanook, VeXilum, and Siiz.
"I tried contacting the Atlas, but I didn't get a response," Matt admitted, stopping her before she could try. "They must still be fighting Honerva."
Left with nowhere to go for the time being, the Evacuation Teams were forced to sit and wait. It wasn't until another hour had passed that the Atlas called them back.
"Evacuation Teams A, B, and C, do you copy?" Shiro's voice sounded tired over the comms, no doubt worn out from the treacherous battle they had just endured.
"We're here," Mari confirmed. "The evacuations of Sanook, VeXilum, and Siiz were successful. We're ready to return."
"Sending over our coordinates now," Matt chimed in.
"Copy that. Preparing to open the wormholes on your locations."
As promised, one appeared in front of them not a few seconds later. The cruiser carrying the Siizans entered the swirling portal first, followed shortly after by the rest of Team C. When they emerged, the Atlas hovered before them, now lightyears away from the starting point of their mission. Teams A and B were quick to join them, accompanied by the evacuation ships from Sanook and VeXilum. Another wormhole was opened and the three groups of refugees were sent through to Jopefiiu, prompting the coalition rebels to return to the Atlas' hangars.
Upon landing the Kintsugi, Mari noticed Scarlett and Mitusbishi were waiting for them. To her surprise, Ezor, Zethrid, and her Olkari subordinate were also there, standing behind them and quietly watching the three women and one space wolf disembark.
"What are they doing out of their cell?" Immea growled, her eyes burning with rage as they locked onto the two pirates.
The Olkari's mouth quirked up into a smirk. "I don't know why you're surprised," he drawled. "This ship's security technology is nothing to bypass for an Olkari."
Immea's hand alighted on the hilt of her blade. "Let's see how well your tech saves you when I punch your lights out."
She took a threatening step towards him and he yelped, cowering behind Zethrid's larger form for protection. Scarlett quickly put herself between them and Immea, blocking her before she could reach them.
"Stop. It's okay, they helped us," she assured the seething Blade. "He upgraded the Atlas to help us fight two of Honerva's robeasts."
"You don't look happy about it," Mari said, taking note of the displeased scowl she was throwing at the Olkari. "What happened? How did the battle go?"
Scarlett's frown only deepened. "Badly. Very badly," she confessed, making Mari's heart nearly stutter to a halt. "Oriande is gone. The white hole protecting it collapsed. Honerva and the rest of the Alteans got away, and we have no clue where they are now."
"What about the paladins?" Mari asked, unable to stop her rising dread. "Are they okay?"
Mitsubishi's hair shifted from blue to bright orange. "Okay as they can be after failing such an important mission," he deadpanned.
"They're in a private meeting with Shiro right now," Scarlett provided. "This was a heavy blow to them. To all of us."
"Quiznak," Immea cursed under her breath. Her hands fell to her sides, her fists quivering in her barely contained rage. "This isn't good. I need to report this to Krolia and Kolivan."
She turned to leave the hangar, but Scarlett stopped her again.
"There's more," she grimaced, hating that she had to be the bearer of so much bad news. "Honerva's spell created a tear in the fabric of our reality. She brought back Lotor and his Sincline mech."
Acxa's eyes widened, an old fear rising within her. "Lotor's back?"
Ezor and Zethrid looked just as disturbed as Scarlett nodded. "Honerva did all this to pull him out of the Quintessence Field."
This information and its implications hung heavy in the air, snuffing out any joy that may have remained in the rebels' hearts for having completed their part of the mission. Honerva had gotten away. Sanook, VeXilum, and Siiz had died in vain. Lotor was back and more bloodthirsty than ever, adding yet another enemy to the list for them to deal with. And worst of all, Voltron had failed, putting every reality at risk.
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