Chapter 4 Ark of Taujeer and strengthening a bond

On the hazardous planet of Taujeer, its native people were trying to evacuate. They'd already built a ship that was big enough for all of them to get offworld but a Galron Commander named Morvok and a small number of his men had prevented the local inhabitants from escaping their dying planet: by destroying the left engine to their ark.

Baujal, leader of the planet had been pleading with the greedy Commander to reconsider but was unsuccessful. "You have already taken all our supplies and resources. My people are loaded on that Ark to leave our beloved home. Do not take our only means of escape." He pleaded in a robotic voice.

"You still have 1 engine left, Baujal, not to mention a valuable supply of parts." Morvok said while standing on his hover device. "If your people are strong enough to survive, they will. That is the Galra way." He said before hovering back to his ship.

Meanwhile at Allura's castle/ship

Allura, Haggar and the Paladins were still on the run from Zarkon and his empire...with the princess and Shiro baffled while wondering how Zarkon was still tracking them, since it couldn't have been through the Black Lion, as Shiro's bond with it was much stronger than Zarkon's now, thanks to Haggar.

Suddenly Keith spoke. "Maybe it's through me. Zarkon could have imprinted on me during our fight or something."

"No it's not, Keith, he's been obsessed with getting the Black Lion ever since it woke up when you all found it. He couldn't care less about you." Haggar reassured the Red Paladin, knowing Zarkon and his obsession with the Black Lion tall too well.

"Well I don't think it matters now. We're going to take the fight to him soon enough. The Galra have been chasing us from galaxy to Galaxy enough that the last thing they expect is for us to go after them." Shiro told his friends, thinking that with the Galra too used to chasing them, they wouldn't expect to be counterattacked.

While they were pondering, Pidge informed her team that she had put together a new software into the computer: a tracking system to help them avoid being captured by the Galran Empire...and also to ambush any Galran fleets. "Check it out." She said as she showed them her new software, which impressed them. "I also found an SOS single coming from a planet called Taujeer, which is also where the nearest Galra fleet is located."

"Then that's where we're headed. Everyone should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll rescue the Taujeerians and take out that Galra fleet." Shiro told everyone, wanting to save the Taujeerians and take down the Galra fleet oppressing them. But wanting to wait until in the morning, as they were all exhausted from being on the run and fighting a number of Galran space fighters to prevent them from reporting theirs, the princess's and Haggar's location back to their lord and master.

While Shiro, Pidge, Lance, Keith and Hunk slept peacefully, not everyone was having a peaceful slumber. In Allura and Haggar's bedroom, the ex-high priestess had whimpered softly to herself in her sleep: as Zarkon was haunting her in her dreams.

In Haggar's dream

The Altean sorceress was running in a pitch black fog, trying to find her Allura. "Allura! Allura, where are you?!" She yelled before purple smoke formed into Zarkon and grabbed her by the throat to look into her eyes.

"You do not belong with the Altean princess, Haggar, your place is by my side! She will hurt you, lie to you... and eventually betray you. But you can avoid that if you rejoin the Galra Empire." Zarkon said, trying to manipulate Haggar through lies that Allura would eventually betray her.

"LIER! I WON'T SERVE YOU! NEVER AGAIN!" Haggar yelled as she tried to use her powers to get free but Zarkon was too strong.

"You will serve me. Rejoin me, Haggar, and I will give you everything that you desire. Simply return to my side and I'll let your precious lover, Princess Allura live...or you watch her die after I crush her annoying human Paladins!"

Haggar shouted out while refusing to return to his Empire. "Never! I will never betray my Allura!"

"Then you will watch her die after I crush her annoying human Paladins!" Zarkon yelled with anger as he used his bayard to knock her out cold.

Back in the bedroom

"Haggar! Haggar, wake up!" Allura said quietly while shaking her beautiful princess gently to wake her, which the Altean sorceress did with a gasp of shock, panting heavily while Allura held her lover in her arms. "Haggar, my love, it's alright. You're safe, I'm here."

Haggar countered softly. "No...it's not, Allura. And as long as I'm near you or the others, none of you will ever be safe."

Allura asked softly with concern and worry. "Haggar, what are you talking about? What happened while we were sleeping?"

The ex-high priestess answered her beloved honestly. "I know how Zarkon has been tracking us, Allura. He hasn't been tracking the Black Lion...he's been tracking me. He just contacted me...through my dreams."

"What did he say?"

"He...He wants me to return to his Empire...or he'll kill you after he's defeated Shiro and his team. Zarkon won't stop until he has me back at his side and the Black Lion under his control. As long as I remain here, you and your Paladins are in even more danger than you were before." She said softly before bringing her and her lover's foreheads together. "I should just...leave now while I can. I'll go to the farthest parts of the universe so Zarkon will only focus on finding me. If I'm right, he'll be too distracted with finding me that he'll be vulnerable enough for Voltron and the Blade of Marmora to finally defeat him for good."

"And what if he gets to you, Haggar? He'll surely kill you if he can't turn you back into what he made you." Allura said as tears began forming in her eyes at the thought of what Zarkon would do if he got to Haggar.

"If that does happen, my love, I'm more than willing to take that risk...if it means that you'll be safe, along with Pidge and the others." Haggar said softly and sadly, willing to die if it meant her lover, her new friend and her team could live to finally defeat Zarkon for good and finally bring peace to the universe.

Allura shook her head as she held Haggar tightly, not wanting to lose her one and only love again. "No Haggar, don't talk like that. I don't want you to leave. I lost you once and I can't go through that pain again. My life would never be complete without you in it. But it's not just me, think of Pidge and the others. They're finally starting to accept you and Pidge is starting to see you as 1 of her best friends, besides the other people you've helped."

Haggar stated softly as she returned the embrace. "I don't want to lose you or Pidge or the others either, my love...but I can't see or think of another option."

Allura stated after placing a loving kiss on her Haggar's forehead. "There must be a way, my darling princess. We just have to find it."

That was when a thought crossed her mind and Haggar stated softly. "Maybe there is a way, my precious Allura."

Her princess asked softly. "What is it?"

Her beloved answered softly. "There's a planet whose inhabitants are powerful mystics that specialize in severing and strengthening spiritual/mental links."

Allura asked as she immediately knew what her lover was getting at. "You think these mystics can severe Zarkon's mental link through your mind?"

Haggar answered softly. "It might be...what Pidge told me that humans say 'a long shot', but it's worth a try."

Allura would state, as she and Haggar knew that it was worth a try, especially if it meant her lover would be free from Zarkon's mental connection through her dreams and that Haggar wouldn't have to leave the group and more importantly: they wouldn't have to be separated again. "If that's what it will take to assure that Zarkon doesn't get to you and we won't be separated ever again, then that's what we'll do. Tomorrow, we'll tell the others and head to that planet to severe Zarkon's link to your mind...and strengthen ours."

The two lovers shared a sweet tender kiss before Haggar wiped her princess's tears away before they laid back down, holding each other in their arms to sleep a while longer, as it was still too early and they would need their rest for their mission tomorrow. "Zarkon, tomorrow your link through me will be forever severed and I will finally be free of you." Haggar thought to herself before finally falling asleep.

The next day

After morning had arrived, Allura and Haggar gathered the Paladins to inform them of their own mission. "Haggar and I aren't going with you all. We're heading on a mission of our own."

"We're heading to a planet whose inhabitants are mystics who can help severe Zarkon's mental connection to me." Haggar added as she took her lover's hand and intertwined their fingers together.

Before the Paladins and Coran could object, Allura explained the situation to them. "Zarkon contacted Haggar in her dreams last night and gave her an ultimatum: either she returns to him and rejoins his empire...or she'll be forced to watch me die after he's defeated you all and retaken control of the Black Lion."

The Paladins and Coran were horrified after learning about the ultimatum Zarkon gave Haggar: either return to his side or he would kill them and the princess while forcing her to watch. "Then what can we do to help, Allura?" Pidge asked, wanting to help her friends.

"You all can go to Taujeer and save its people, Pidge. With Zarkon's connection with the Black Lion weakened, he won't be able to track you as easily. But as long Zarkon is mentally linked to me, he could still track us down. I have to severe the link now while I can, otherwise I'll only be putting everyone in danger more than we already are." Haggar said as she rubbed Pidge's hair.

"Forgive me for this, but wouldn't it be easier for Haggar to just leave and get as far away from us as she can...at least until Zarkon's defeated?" Keith suggested, thinking that would be easier for the group.

But this only made Allura mad as she yelled out. "No! Haggar is not leaving the group! I've already lost her once, and I won't go through that pain ever again, even if that means I have to leave with her! If she leaves, I leave as well and Voltron and the Blade of Marmora can defeat Zarkon without us!"

Haggar wanted to protest but decided not to say anything until she and Allura were alone. But what Allura said still played in her mind. If she really did leave the group and went to the furthest parts of the universe, would Allura really abandon Voltron and the chance to defeat Zarkon for good, just for her and their 2nd chance at their happiness and love?

After hearing how much Allura cared for and valued Haggar and with Allura's threat, Shiro asked the ex-high priestess. "Haggar, are you sure these mystics can severe Zarkon's mental link through you?"

"I'm positive these mystics can help cleanse me, Shiro. Since these mystics I speak of are the ones who taught me the spell I performed to strengthen your bond with the Black Lion." Haggar answered honestly while still thinking about what Allura said.

"Alright. While you and the princess go the mystics...the others and I will go to Taujeer." Shiro said, wanting to keep Allura and Haggar around.

But before the 2 lovers could leave, Pidge ran up to them and hugged them tightly. "Be careful, you 2, Zarkon's probably working on strengthening the mental link so he can get inside your head anytime he wants." She said, knowing that Zarkon would do anything to get his hands on Haggar.

The 2 lovers hugged Pidge back before Haggar spoke. "We'll be careful, Pidge. When we come back, you can tell us about your mission and we'll tell you about ours."

Allura and Haggar had took the ship they used for their date to travel to the planet and seek out the mystics to help free the ex-high priestess from Zarkon's mental link. While Haggar and Allura were traveling to the planet, Allura put the ship on autopilot, sat in Haggar's lap, wrapped her arms around her neck and passionately kissed her before the purple skinned Altean spoke out about what her lover said back at the castle. "Allura, about what you told your Paladins before... about you... abandoning Voltron and leaving to the furthest parts of the universe...just to be with me and have our 2nd chance at our love and happiness, did you... really mean it?"

"Of course I did, my precious and beautiful princess, I meant every word. I know it's wrong, but I have waited for 10'000 years for us to live our lives together and right now I don't care what it takes. I love you more than anything in the universe and with all my heart. I'd rather live as an ordinary citizen with you then to live as a princess without you in my life." Allura admitted, rather wanting to be an ordinary citizen living in the far reaches of the universe with her 1 and only love then live as royalty without Haggar in her life.

"I-i never thought you loved me that much, especially if you'd rather abandon your royalty and run away with me to the farthest part of the universe. What would your father think if he were alive today? What do you think he'd say if he heard you say that to him and what he'd do if he had found out about us and our love? I know it may not be like him, but he'd probably disown and exile you." Haggar wondered, wanting to know what King Alfor would think of his daughter being in love with another female Altean, as Allura had meant saying that she'd rather be with her 1 true love rather than with any possible suitor he'd try to arrange her to marry if Zarkon hadn't attacked.

"If it was like it was 10'000 years ago and father disapproved of us, I wouldn't care what he did to me. And if he were alive and still disapproved, I still wouldn't care and would have still run away with you. As long as I have you, my 1 and only love, I don't need anything else in this universe." Allura admitted honestly before kissing her Haggar passionately, showing her devotion to her purple skinned princess, making them both shed tears as they continued to kiss.

Meanwhile with the Paladins and Coran

They'd gotten the castle to Taujeer and the Paladins boarded their Lions while Coran kept a lookout for any Galra ships that would be in the area. Shiro got out of his Lion and walked up to Baujal, who greeted them. "Thank goodness you're here. I am Baujal, leader of the Taujeerians. The Galra destroyed our engines and left. They've taken everything. We just get off the planet before it dissolves completely."

"How did this happen?"

"We've known for years that our planet would lose its outer layer." The Taujeerian leader answered.

"Like a snake shedding its skin?" Lance asked, thinking that the planet was shedding itself to become a more healthy planet like a snake that sheds its skin.

"Yeah. Except the next layer is acid." Pidge said, seeing that the acid was the cause of the surface shedding.

"The plan was to evacuate the planet's population to our nearest moon, where we've built a colony to wait out the shedding process, so we got to higher ground and built that Ark. But the Galra came and attacked, led by a vile Commander named Morvok. He robbed us of vital resources and left us with only 1 operational engine, stranding us here." Baujal answered, telling the Paladins about Morvok and what he did.

"You're not stranded anymore, we will save your people." Shiro assured the Taujeerian leader.

"No time to waist, guys, let's get started before the planet sheds completely." Keith told his friends.

The Paladins immediately worked to repair and stabilize the slowly dissolving rocks that were melting through the acid lakes. Pidge and Lance bought Hunk, Shiro and Keith the time they needed to repair the damaged ship: by stitching the rocks with her vine power and freezing the stitches with Lance's freezing power while Hunk worked on fixing the engines enough to get the Taujeerians airborne, which he did.

"Guys, we've got unwanted company!" Keith informed his team and friends, seeing Morvok's ship approaching before it fired at the Ark, destabilizing it.

"Hunk, take the yellow Lion and hold up the Ark! If it falls into the acid, the Taujeerians are doomed!" Shiro told his friend, making him do just that. "Lance, Keith, Pidge, we need to draw the Galra's firepower. Coran, we need you here now! Attack the Galra's ship!"

"I'm on my way!" Coran said through communications before he piloted the castle close to the Galra ship.

But Morvok was overly excited. "Oh I've hit the jackpot! Zarkon will no doubt reward me most handsomely for this. We may actually capture Voltron. I could get transferred back to the Hub. Maybe Zarkon will invite me to sit in his box at the gladiator matches, the ultimate honor!"

The Lions were moving at great speed to avoid the firepower while also blasting the ship. Morvok ordered his troops to fire the Ion Cannon at the Ark but Pidge and Lance used their Lion's Jawblades to attack the ship's hull while Shiro used his to disable the guidance system before Keith cut the Ion Cannon completely off, making it fall into the acid before Coran fired the castle's weapons on the Galra ship.

Hunk tried his absolute best to hold up the Ark but was slowly beginning to ship. The Yellow Lion, sensing that its Paladin needed extra help, unlocked it's latest power: Armored Claws, which used boosters to help keep the Ark from falling into the acid. The other Lions then joined Hunk and successfully put the Ark upright. The Paladins then formed Voltron and formed their sword, which the Lions told their pilots to form a bigger and stronger version of.

"Sir, our weapons are knocked out completely. Should we retreat?" A Galra soldier asked his Commander.

"Never! Aim the ship at the Ark! We will take it out ourselves! To die for the empire is the highest honor imaginable! Vrepit Sa!"

"Vrepit Za!" The pilots said at the same time.

"Prepare my escape pod." Morvok ordered the soldier behind him, revealing his cowardly nature secretly. But it was too late for the cowardly Commander as Voltron cut the cruiser in half lengthwise with a bigger and stronger version of its sword, making it explode with Morvok inside of it, staring with a horrified look on his face before his fiery death.

Voltron then used its strength to get the Taujeerians to safety and to their nearest moon like they planned. After getting the Taujeerians' gratitude, the Paladins and Coran left the system. "I wonder how Allura and Haggar are doing right now?" Pidge asked with concern for her female Altean friends.

"Well, if things go well for them, hopefully they'll be back in a few hours...I hope." Shiro assured her friend with a worried look on his face.

Meanwhile with Allura and Haggar

The two lovers had arrived at the planet the ex-high priestess spoke of and after landing their ship, they were greeted by a small tribe of natives, whom seemed to recognize Haggar through her facial features and welcomed her to their planet. "Welcome back to our planet, Haggar. Our people have told every generation before ours about you."

Haggar smiled at this before speaking. "I'm glad to hear that your people remember me. And this is Princess Allura, my best friend." She said, wanting to honor her lover's wish to keep their relationship a secret until the time was right.

The natives took a knee and bowed before the Altean princess. "Welcome to our planet, princess Allura, it is a true honor to meet you at last. We've heard of your awakening and the return of Voltron." A female native said with a humble smile.

"Thank you so much. And I'm happy to say that with Voltron's return, Zarkon will finally be defeated and the rest of the universe will finally be able to have true peace without being under a tyrant's rule." Allura said with a smile, knowing that with Voltron's return and Haggar's inside knowledge, Zarkon would finally get what he's long deserved.

"I'm happy to return here, but I have to speak to your village Elder. Could you take us to him, please?" Haggar requested, wanting to severe her link to Zarkon now before he tries to contact her forcefully again.

The natives complied with Haggar's request and took the 2 lovers to the village Elder, who was looking at Haggar with a knowing face, as if he could sense her intentions. "Hello, Haggar, I welcome your return and have sensed your mind. Is it true that the Galra Emperor has a mental link to your mind?"

"Yes, Elder, Zarkon contacted me through my dreams while I slept and that was when I knew that he wouldn't stop until I was forced back to his side. The only way I can prevent that is to severe the link between he and I permanently and you and your mystics are the only ones who can do it. Will you help me?" Haggar requested, wanting the link between her and Zarkon severed permanently to keep him from tracking Voltron, the Paladins and Allura.

"Of course we will, Haggar. 10'000 years ago you helped treat the people of my village, especially the children when they became sick by a life threatening illness and had found a way to cure them and save their lives. And for that selfless deed, we will help you, as a means to repay your debt the way my people promised all those years ago." The Elder humbly said with a smile while revealing Haggar's selfless and Noble deed of saving the village children 10'000 years ago, making Allura smile after hearing the kind act her lover did for the village children.

The Elder quickly gathered his mystics to perform a ceremony to help free Haggar from Zarkon's mental hold over her...while requesting Allura to stay by her Haggar's side the entire time, as the ceremony required the loved one of the person the ritual was being performed on.

Haggar laid down and the mystics gathered around her and performed their magic, which sent a green energy light around the purple skinned Altean before 2 ghost-like hands touched her head as her eyes closed. At the Midway part of the ritual, Haggar began thrashing in pain as her mind was being invaded.

At Zarkon's ship

The evil Galra Emperor was using his Druids to get into Haggar's mind and was beginning to feel his link to her weakening. "No!" He yelled.

"Sire, it is it?" 1 of the Druids asked his lord and master.

"My link to Haggar's mind is weakening, I can feel it! She must have found someone to help her fight off my link! I WILL NOT LET HER SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS!" He yelled before concentrating on getting into Haggar's mind hard.

In Haggar's mind

The Altean sorceress was on Altea, seeing everything exactly the way it was before she'd left the planet, including herself in her 14 year old body. She looked around and began to feel like this was all real. The first thing she saw was the familiar ship that took her offworld, where her parents were waiting for her to enter.

"Haggar, come on, we can't be late or your new school will not accept your membership." Haggar's father reminded his daughter.

Haggar, with the knowledge of her older self, suddenly realized that she had the chance to finally live the life she wanted with Allura. She looked at the royal palace and back to her parents. Her mother looked at her with and knew what she was thinking...and strangely smiled before nodding to her in acceptance.

But her father had a different look. "Young lady, I won't repeat myself, get on the ship now!"

Haggar looked at her father and had a look of determination on her face. "No father, I'm not leaving! I'm staying on Altea and I'm going to live with Allura! I'm not leaving her! This plan you have for me…it isn't worth it if I can't be with Allura! I'm going back to Allura and I'm going to tell her I love her and that I'm staying with her!" She yelled before she began to run to the palace to go to Allura.

"Haggar, get back here now, young lady! HAGGAR, I SAID GET BACK HERE NOW! YOU'LL LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER, DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Haggar's father yelled before he suddenly disappeared.

Haggar continued to run until she was at the palace doors and broke the doors down with surprising strength as if they were nothing. She ran past all the Alteans in the palace, including King Alfor himself, who was shocked at seeing her back due to him hearing about her parents' idea of leaving the planet with her.

Haggar finally made it to the door that led inside Allura's room and quickly opened it but when she entered, she found that Allura was nowhere to be found before beginning to look for her. "Allura? Allura! Allura, where are you?" She asked while looking for her girlfriend but soon found her... laying on the floor...with blood pouring from her body, making Haggar shocked before her body suddenly turned back into her full grown self. She then saw the body of the 1 she loved and saw that she was laying beside Pidge and her team, but they were all dead and their blood was at Haggar's feet before she heard a familiar voice that she now hated most.

"Haggar." The voice of Zarkon said evilly, making Haggar look up at him and seeing his bayard in his hand, dripping blood from the blade. "Do you see now? You were not meant to have any friends or the Altean princess, you were born to SERVE ME! And this is the fate I plan for the Paladins and her... before I kill you... unless you were to rejoin me and take your rightful place as my high priestess."

"NEVER! YOU ONLY WANT ME FOR MY POWER! IF I GAVE THAT POWER TO YOU, VOLTRON WILL FALL UNDER YOUR CONTROL AND NO ONE WILL BE LEFT TO OPPOSE YOU!" Haggar yelled at the top of her lungs as she glowed dark purple and fired a stunning blast at Zarkon, which he easily defected before grabbing her throat.

"Exactly! This universe is mine and it will continue to be mine for all eternity! And with Voltron under my control, no one will ever oppose me again! This isn't a request, Haggar. You will rejoin me and help me regain what is rightfully mine... unless you don't want to know what happened to your parents." Zarkon said with an evil smile, not denying anything Haggar said and using her parents' deaths to manipulate her.

"I don't care, Zarkon, I JUST WANT YOU OUT OF MY HEAD!" Haggar yelled as she tried to elbow Zarkon's arm to make him let go but he just squeezed harder, choking her.

Suddenly, an astral projection of Allura had appeared before them and she encouraged her lover to fight off Zarkon's hold over her. "Haggar, my darling princess, fight him. Don't let him take you. You've changed, you're not what he made anymore! Please, my darling, remember the promise we made. We vowed that we'd marry and live happily as wife and wife. Please, my darling, fight him...for me... and our love and happiness."

That was all Haggar needed to regain her strength and fight off Zarkon with an explosion of magic before unleashing all her power to send Zarkon through a purple portal, back to the real world. "I SEVER ALL LINKS THAT YOU HAVE WITH ME AND CAST YOU OUT... FOR ALL ETERNITY!" She yelled as Zarkon was sucked into the portal, leaving Haggar's mind forever.

Back at Zarkon's ship

The Galra Emperor suddenly felt his head throbbing in pain before he fell to his knees and getting back up a few minutes later. "HAGGAR, I WILL HAVE YOUR POWER BACK BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!" He yelled before opening a comlink to his most trusted spies. "All of you, head to the last location of Haggar's parents. I have planted a seed of wanting in her mind that will lead her to her parents' corpses... and when that happens, she will be in my grasp."

Back with Allura and Haggar

Haggar opened her eyes and saw that she was back in the real world, with Allura holding her right hand. She immediately sat up and Drew her lover into a tight embrace as she began to cry. "Allura." She cried, happy that she was finally free to embrace her princess again.

"Shhh. It's alright, Haggar, I'm here." Allura said while comforting her princess as she cried for a little while.

When Haggar finally stopped crying, she passionately kissed Allura, as the mystics and Elder were outside. They finally separated and the lovers thanked the natives for their help and requested that they link their minds together so they could contact each other and know their location from anywhere in the universe, which they gladly did but told them it would take several weeks to fully control at will.

After saying goodbye to the natives, the 2 lovers left the planet and Haggar kept Allura in her lap the whole flight as they made out passionately for the whole flight until they were back at the castle. Once they were in their bedroom, they saw Pidge, sleeping beside their bed on a comfortable couch. "Pidge must have wanted to be here in case we came back, my darling." Allura whispered, so as not to wake their friend.

"She must have been so worried about us and thought that we wouldn't come back, especially since she heard what you said before we left, which means they must have helped the Taujeerians and took out the Galra in their system. She must have wanted to sleep in here for the night, just so she would wake up and hope to see us in the morning." Haggar whispered before she grabbed a blanket from a drawer and put it over Pidge gently.

"Well, let's not disappoint her, my darling princess." Allura whispered softly before they changed into their night clothing and climbed into bed, snuggling close together and sharing 1 last passionate kiss for the night before falling asleep. But Haggar couldn't get what Zarkon said about her parents out of her mind.

There you go, my friends, the chapter is finally complete. Should I do the Space Mall episode or skip it, because I have 3 chapters planned that will involve Haggar investigating her parents' deaths and getting captured by Zarkon and eventually rescued by Allura and her Paladins that will end up with Haggar and her princess having their 'first time' if you know what I mean. Rate and review. See you soon, my friends.