Hello everybody. Okay, the final is on horizon and I dared to take one more risk with Haggar here. As known, I haven't seen an episode of the series, so I haven't a clue of Haggar's abilities. I know she can use quintessence to create her own powerful magic, so I dared to give her the ability to use her power to protect herself from the dying atmosphere on the planet. As the powerful witch she seems to be, I have seen no reason, why she shouldn't be able to protect herself from it, at least for a while, by using her abilities as a witch or as a scientist. I hope it has been a fitting decision, too. As I said, I try to create a story, which could be fit in the Voltron Universe, so I hope I haven't made too many or too big mistakes so far.

!WARNING! Graphic description of violence within this chapter

Last Fight

The operation was in full action, as they reached the chosen extracting facility on the planet. The decay of the world had increased terribly withing the last days. The acid, which Acxa had found on her first visit in the canyon was now also floating around other open ground, not as thick as in the canyon before, but due to the Galran structures with the same results. The metal showed slight signs of corrosion. It seemed, that the attack had managed to bind forces as planned, because they spotted troops and fighters leaving the area to join the battle, which left the facility with less guards than before. Pidge, Acxa and Ronan had taken position at a simple fence. Some ruins were to be found on the areal, due to Ronan parts of an former exploration station. It seemed, that the Galras had build up their extraction facility within the gates of this station, after they had razed the former structures. But they had kept the fence. AMRASU had taken an observing position on higher ground to have an eye on the area. He would be the backup, if needed. It was a modular extraction facility. Skilled workers were able to build up the modules to a full operating facility within four weeks.

Acxa was checking the area with an infra-vision device, as Keith and Krolia joined them. Ronan used his implant to check the area. He pointed with his arm at the structures.

"The bigger module complex is the extraction unit. The smaller second complex is for storage. The raw quintessence isn't stable after extraction. Normally it would be refined for further use, but due to the handling protocols I have seen as I hacked the systems, the raw essence is stocked in special containment units. After that they were brought to this part of the facility to 'cool down', whatever this means. And then, they were brought to the shipment area."

The team turned their heads to a small cargo hall, also made from modules. Even with a battle around, they could see droids loading two freighters under the supervision of a handful Galras.

"These ships look different. They don't seem to be standard transporter."

Keith voice was stoic, but Ronan noticed a little surprise in it.

"They aren't. No pilots, automatized ships, used for short distanced on secured routes."

Krolia also observed the scenery.

"You need less personnel, more staff for the fighting troops."

Ronan nodded at Krolia's quote.

"And it makes our work easier. We only have to read out the navigation protocols of the ships. If possible, we can place some detonators at parts of the load and send them on their way to the facility ship."

Pidge was checking her equipment again.

"They haven't even tried to build up a proper defense system around it."

Keith sounded worried. He searched for other parts of any kind of security system, but he didn't found anyone.

"There was no need for them, Keith. This facility was build two or three months ago. The planet was dying, the colony razed and almost any remaining people dead or captured. The old fence and Galra presence is enough to keep most people away from this place."

Ronan's voice was filled with sadness.

"And it isn't SO simple. A low voltage is placed on the fence. We have to bypass the part, we want to cut through, otherwise an alarm would be activated."

Keith nodded at Ronan and shared looks with all of them. One after another nodded at him. He was about to give the start signal, as his mother released a surprised gasp. She pointed at Acxa's blade and stared at the Galra in disbelieve.

"We have found a solution. A honorable solution."

Acxa was blushing at her answer, The others could even noticed it through her visor.

"How?"

Total surprise and disbelieve was in Krolia's voice. Acxa blushed even more, but Ronan laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing is impossible for a family."

The baffled and almost shocked faces made the man chuckle a bit. He pulled Acxa in a little hug, which only doubled the size of the questioning eyes around him.

"We can tell you the whole story, when this mission is finished."

He release Acxa out of his embrace and took out a cable to bypass a part of the fence. He offered Keith a part of the cable.

"Shall we?"

They managed a clean take-out of the few guards around the freighters. As soon as the personnel was down they started with the preparation and the hacking. Acxa was on the first freighter, hacking the system, Ronan on the second. Krolia, Keith and Pidge were inside the storage hall to search for more data and to place detonators on the tanks with the raw quintessence.

"Strange..."

Acxa's voice sounded worried as she used her com to contact Ronan.

"Something must be wrong with the navigation data."

Ronan frowned. He had nearly cracked the security protocols, but it seemed, that Acxa had been faster. He kept up his work.

"Maybe I'll have more luck. What's wrong with the data you have found."

Acxa's voice sounded a bit frustrated.

"I'm not sure. It seems, that the files are corrupted and some data got lost, but the diagnose system says, everything is fine."

Ronan frowned deeper.

"What kind of data loss?"

"Almost the whole route for the ship. It ended in the high orbit of the planet."

Ronan's eyes widened in shock at Acxa's quote. Right in this moment, he also cracked the system and the files approached on the inside of his visor. He stumbled backwards and kept frozen on spot for a second.

"Pidge? Keith?"

His voice was stressed.

"Ronan, good to hear you. Something seems to be wrong with the navigation files, there..."

"To your lions, now! AMRASU, backup and cover for the Paladins. They must reach their lions at all cost!"

He had cut off Pidge within her sentence. Now he took two detonators from his belt and placed one on he load of the freighter.

"Ronan, what's the matter?"

Keith sounded worried and confused.

"The files are correct! The ship is in the orbit, cloaked. It's a trap!"

"What!?"

He was already sprinting to the second freighter, but Acxa had started to put one of her own detonators on the load.

"But the energy. Such an device would need a lot… shit!"

Pidge didn't finished her thought. Sirens started to howl. The thin atmosphere changed the sound and muffled it down, but the alarm lights were to be seen on the areal. Ronan got to the emergency console for the freighter and started his one. The machine lifted up, slowly and started to follow its programmed route. Acxa had already done the same with her freighter. Both looked at each other and turned to the storage building, as purple gunfire from three landing ships started. Both ran towards the building, followed by the deadly rays of the ships. Keith, Pidge and Krolia came out of the building and stared in shock at the landing vessels. They all took cover behind a wall, pinned down by the fire of the enemy and watched in shock the Galran troops coming out of the transporters.

"We're trapped."

Keith was about to make himself ready for the last fight, as Ronan placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You and Pidge run to your lions. You won't turn back, you won't hesitate. You got up to the battle, you form Voltron and you end this madness."

His voice was demanding everyones attention.

"But the troops?"

"Do you got the plan, Keith?"

The Paladin stared confused at Ronan.

"I got it, Ronan. I'll give them backup with Acxa."

Krolia laid her hand on his shoulder and Ronan nodded at her.

"No, I help Ronan to deal with the troops here. I owe him that."

Acxa laid her hand on his other shoulder. Ronan nodded at her and she could see him smiling weak.

"Okay, you'll start to run in three, two, one..."

A big explosion ripped the first landing vessel into piece, shortly followed by a second one and a third, which destroyed the other two.

"RUN NOW, AMRASU has got your backs!"

Keith, Pidge and Krolia used the chaos and started to run as fast as they could. They passed the robot, who has made his way inside of the fence, too. AMRASU managed to keep the landing field under heavy fire to cover their escape, slowly retreating behind the running Paladins and Krolia.

Acxa was stunned for a moment by the fireballs before her. She hadn't expected such a heavy attack from the robot, but it seemed to her, that they could also follow the Paladins. But Ronan kept observing the burning fires. He had pulled out his own sword and Acxa noticed, that he was about to tighten his grip around it.

"AMRASU can deal with it, let's follow them."

She was about to pull Ronan up, but the man shook his head.

"He can deal with the troops, but what about her?"

He pointed into the flames. Acxa's eyes narrowed, only to widen in shock again. A cloaked woman walked out of the flames. She could see a glow around her and a glow in her burning eyes. She was wearing an respirator, but no special suit and no other equipment seemed to protect the woman from the acid, the cold and the fire. Acxa swallowed hard. Only a strong and strange kind of magic offered this witch the protection, she needed. Purple sparks approached on her hands as Haggar started to focus her energy. She was about to dart out with her arm in the direction of the running Paladins as Ronan jumped up from his cover. He had made no sound and Acxa was sure, that he was even faster, than the last time, she had seen him running toward an enemy. He reached the witch, before she got the chance to strike against the fleeing Paladins, but she managed to dodge his strike. She tried to throw the buzzing energy against the man, but even from distance, Acxa could see her surprised face, as Ronan managed to escape the lightning with a quick roll. He jumped up, instantly and darted forward, his blade lashing deadly at the head of the witch. Haggar barely managed to escape the strike and so both opened a deadly dance.

Acxa was frozen on spot. She watched Ronan and the witch fighting, but it seemed, that no one was about to get the upper hand. She wanted to help him, but how. She could see, that the man tried his best, but unlike Freyda, Haggar was able to match him. AMRASU's fire had stopped since a while and Acxa hoped, that they had already reached the lions. A loud roar in the distance proved her hopes. But also Haggar noticed, that she had failed to get a grip on Voltron.

A screaming curse escaped her lips and she threw a ball of buzzing energy at Ronan. Acxa screamed a warning as she saw him dodging the strike, but it was too late. The witch had created a second ball behind her back, throwing it at Ronan's landing point. The man was swallowed by the energy with a painful scream.

Acxa jumped up, shooting with her blaster in rage at Haggar, but the witch teleported herself out of the line of fire beside Acxa and stroke her down with a forceful blow against her head. Acxa felt down and she saw the witch above her, ready to finish her, but instead of a final blow, only a painful scream was heard. Through her own fog of pain, she could recognize Haggar's confused and painful look. Her left ear and her left cheek got a deep cut. Haggar turned around in rage. Ronan was standing a few meters away, still darting with his arm towards the witch. The man had thrown his sword at her, but he hadn't hit her perfectly.

Haggar rushed to him and he managed to block some of her strikes, but her magic had hurt him too much. She finally landed a hard blow and he got down on his knees beside a glooming part of a landing vessel. She walked to him with a satisfied smile and started to shock him with her magic. A dangerous glow came to her eyes.

"Interesting."

Haggar's voice was muffled from the respirator and from the dying atmosphere. She increased her power, which made Ronan scream and winding.

"Yes, it explains your abilities, but how."

Her purple lightnings grew brighter and his screams became tortured shrieks.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll find it out, sooner or later. I may have failed getting the lions, but I found you."

She stopped shocking him and pulled the moaning man up, easily.

"Yes, I can feel the quintessence burning in you. All I have to do is, to find out, how this could be possible. This secret could be… useful."

"NO!"

Acxa managed to roll over to her blaster. She shot it at the head of the witch, but Haggar turned aside fast enough to escape the deadly ray and held Ronan before her as a shield. Terror clawed the Galra, as she recognized his painful broken look behind the visor.

"No way, General. This is my prize for today and you won't take it away from me."

Acxa's eyes widened in shock. Haggar was laughing and so she missed the reason why. It was the look in Ronan's eye. She heard his voice in her com.

"For Abby."

He pushed himself and the witch backwards with far more strength than Acxa had expected. Her horrified scream died in her throat as she started to ran. Both the witch and Ronan landed on a sharp falchion like part of one of the destroyed ships. The metal cut easily through the back of the witch, impaling Haggar. Her punctured lungs didn't allowed her a last scream. But the metal cut also through Ronan. Acxa heard his scream in the com as the metal cut its way through Ronan's chest near his right shoulder and the collar bone. She was at his side instantly, trying to stop him from winding in pain.

"Ronan, no. Try to hold still."

She didn't waisted a moment for the limb body of the witch and took her blaster. She managed to fix the screaming man good enough to cut him off with the part of the scrapped metal.

"Don't move, Ronan. And stay with me."

Her voice was shaking heavily. Acxa recognized, that his voice was getting weaker. She started to rip out a repair gel and began to seal up the suit around the metal. She only hoped, that some of the stuff would also stop the bleeding a bit, but she couldn't pull off his suit here. His screams got weaker and weaker, as a giant flash at the sky blinded Acxa. Suddenly her com was filled with cheering voices.

"Emergency call, Extracting facility six. Man down, I repeat, man down. Evacuation requested immediately. Area NOT secured."

She didn't took notice of the shocked answers and questions and continued sealing the suit. Ronan had stopped screaming and this fact let her panic grew.

"I'm sorry."

Acxa hesitated to answer and doubled her speed with her work. She knew voices like his. Far too well.

"I did something stupidly brave. I'm sorry..."

She was finished and placed his head and chest in her lap to prevent the metal from moving. She saw AMRASU breaking through the fence in the distance.

"Acxa? Did we make it stop?"

She pressed her bloody hand at his helmet and started to sob.

"Yes Ronan. But it's still a start."

She felts his body going slack in her arms, as the green lion approached above them.