Chapter 4: Return of the Lost Knight
The following night, the Arusians moved in the castle for a party and conducted a ceremony. The Arusian King was narrating the battle with Myzax.
"The monster fell from the sky! It was an epic battle, but the Voltron Team was victorious!"
A stack of Arusians consisting of two tossed an empty beverage at the other stack consisting of five, causing them to topple to the stairway. The Arusian King saw the scene and was displeased.
"No. I said, "the Voltron Team was victorious!"
Then, the stack that fell rose up while the other stack fell down. Then, the Arusians cheered in glory before Allura spoke up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for that wonderful production. It saddens me that we must leave tomorrow, but we must continue our battle with Zarkon and spread peace throughout the universe."
Then, she turned to the king before speaking as she held her hands out to him.
"Your Highness, please accept this gift. This will allow you to contact us anytime you need help. Arus will be the first planet in the Voltron Alliance."
Then, the Arusian King held it to the air as if it was a badge and shouted.
"Hoorah!"
Amidst the crowd, Jenny, Keith, Lance, Belle, and Hunk saw the scene.
"I have a good feeling about those little guys."
"We ought to get something like that."
"Like what?"
"You know, like, a cheer. Like, a team cheer that we do."
Belle only scoffed at this.
"What are we, a bunch of cheerleaders?"
However, Lance was thinking of an idea.
"Mm-Hmm. Yeah, okay. How about, uh... 'I say Vol' and you say 'Tron.' Vol!"
Jenny recognized her cue and took it.
"Tron!"
"Vol!
"Tron!"
However, Keith ended up confused.
"Uh, it's Voltron, isn't it?"
Jenny and Lance turned to him.
"You really don't know what a cheer is?"
"The cheer includes the instructions. I say 'Vol' and you say..."
"'Tron.'"
"Yeah. What she said."
Keith thought he understood, but ended up confused again.
"Voltron?"
"Still not getting it, huh?"
"We'll work on it."
Then, Lance took a drink and instantly cringed as he turned purple before swallowing and turning to Coran. As for Jenny, she ended up getting sick and spat it back in the cup.
"I've been poisoned!"
"Coran, What is this?"
"Oh, this is Nunvill, the nectar of the gods."
Jenny and Lance didn't feel that way, having tasted them to begin with.
"More like the business end of them."
"Yeah, it tastes like hot dog water and feet."
"Yeah, it makes a wonderful hair tonic as well."
As he walked away, Jenny got a realization.
"Wait. We weren't supposed to eat this from the beginning?! Okay, now I am sick!"
Both Jenny and Lance covered their mouths to prevent each other from upchucking as Babak checked with Shiro.
"Are you just as anxious as I am?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure we should be letting everyone wander in and out of the castle like this. It doesn't seem safe."
"I agree. After that battle, who knows where Varek and his officers went. Besides, the Arusians in here are making a mess."
To prove this, the Arusians were flying on a Saucer before crashing into a wall, spilling the food.
"I rest my case."
"Right. Where's Lapis?"
"She's trying to find out what she can from that Galra hitchhiker with Sandra. Personally, I'm surprised Lapis was up to it, considering what she'd gone through."
"Okay. I'm going to do a perimeter check with Belle, just in case."
"Very well. Carry on."
At the pods, Lapis and Sandra were keeping their eye on the hitchhiker back when Myzax attacked. He was sipping his beverage soothingly before responding.
"It seems I owe my compliments to the chef."
"As nice as it is, you can keep your compliments to yourself. That's not what we're here for. Either you give us straight answers or we leave you out on the desert with what's left of that Robeast."
Then, the Galra set it down on the floor before speaking again.
"I trust you want to know what exactly the Empire is working on."
"Of course. It'd be helpful to know your name, too."
"To use it against me in court? I'd rather take my chances with Kaecilius."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hearing this question, the Galra pricked his ears before replying.
"Fine. If you insist. I am Azix of the Blade of Marmora."
That made Lapis shocked, whole Sandra displayed confusion.
"What?"
"The Blade of Marmora... My dad was one of them. He revolted against Zarkon and his Empire."
"That's right. Your father was in fact one of the founding members of the Blade of Marmora, the best there ever was. But, after he was struck down, we were forced to scatter. Then, we began..."
"Uh, hate to break up the history lesson, but what was the Empire working on?"
"Of course. Well, Quintessence is the source of life and power, we've all known that much. But Kaecilius has discovered that it can be altered to suit one's purpose. This particular Quintessence was of a forbidden element."
Lapis knew what it was.
"Dark Quintessence."
"Yes. It was the Quintessence left over from Daibazaal's annihilation. Kaecilius, Haggar, and Zarkon are examples of those who fully wield it. The Druids, however, were only the students. Yet, they've learned to use it as a sort of medicine for their fallen comrades, in spite of Zarkon's apathy towards his soldiers. The first exposure is always toxic. But given proper management, it could also restore a being. Along with its healing and hypnotic abilities, it is said to be capable of another feat: to raise the dead. Recently, Kaecilius has done so to one of our fallen members. And I'm afraid you won't like to know whom."
"I think I do."
"Trust me, you'll be shattered with ache."
Lapis snapped at him.
"Trust you? Trust you?! The last time I trusted you, I was left in that prison for 20 years! On top of that, you've had 10,000 of them to stop him, and you spent all of it hiding! Why should I trust you?!"
Azix only looked down in sorrow and shame.
"At the time, I thought it was the best option. But since you've discovered the Violet Lion... I realized we've made a terrible mistake."
"The understatement of the year."
Azix took a deep breath before finally heeding her request.
"Alright. The one Kaecilius restored... was your father, Zaltron."
Hearing this, Lapis put her hands over her mouth as she began to shed tears. Sandra rushed over to comfort her and glared at Azix.
"Why didn't you do anything, then?"
"If my position ended up compromised, I wouldn't have been alive to tell you the tale."
"You shouldn't have been. Come on, Lapis. It's over."
With that, Lapis and Sandra walked out as Azix watched from afar before sighing in grief.
Outside, Kaecilius, Haxxus, Sendak, Varek, Zarix, and Vaxel were in the bushes.
"Commander Sendak, the sentries are in position around the Arusian village."
"Luck is on our side. Look, the Castle defenses are down. The door is wide open."
Kaecilius and his officers, starting with Vaxel, grew just as eager.
"As is the door for opportunity. But we mustn't wait any longer, or it'll close on us."
"Agreed. With the locals traveling in and out, I doubt it'll be difficult for you to infiltrate."
"I may not have to. Look."
Then, they saw a Galra Drone floating by Pidge's side, much to Zarix's confusion and Varek's anger before Haxxus spoke to Sendak and Kaecilius.
"That human actually repurposed that drone?"
"That human child will pay in blood for this."
"If I can just get close enough to clone its signature code, I can send our Bomb drone in undetected."
"I knew you would not disappoint me, Haxxus."
"But, of course, the true test remains. We must destroy the Paladins of Voltron and take all six of those lions back."
On the balcony, Allura watched over the crowd, including the Paladins.
"Look at them, the new Paladins of Voltron. The fate of the universe is on their shoulders."
Then, she watched as Keith spat the Nunvill on Hunk's eyes, causing him to exclaim before turning to show that his eyes were now lollipops. However, he turned out to be pranking them as Keith and the Arusians laughed.
"I must portray strength, so no one can tell how concerned I am about the fate of our mission."
In response, a mouse on her shoulder squeaked before Allura turned to him as her eyes darted to her left.
"Let's keep that a secret."
Then, the mouse squeaked before hopping down.
"Who else has secrets?"
Then, one mouse caused the other to have chubby cheeks.
"Hunk tried to eat what?"
Then, she laughed before speaking onward.
"That is rather amusing. What other secrets?"
Then, one of the mice ruffled his fur and used his tail like a sword before he knelt to the floor and acted as if it was praising someone.
"He really cares about Jenny? Well, I can see why."
Then, one mouse pretended to be Keith while the other pretended to be Lapis and looked at their tails as if examining them.
"They're trying to learn more about their weapons? Hmm. That is curious. What else?"
Then, that same mouse acted pretty as it blinked its eyes and blush red cheeks.
"Pidge is a what?"
Hearing this, Allura checked on Pidge in disbelief as she took the treats and stuffed them in a bag before he used one of the sticks from the treats as if it was a Q-Tip and cleaned out her ear and smelled it before groaning in disgust.
"Are you sure?"
The mouse nodded its head in response.
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
Meanwhile, Lance and Jenny were recovering from their Nunvill.
"Wow. To think I actually thought it was something you'd drink."
"Well, I guess we should get used to it. Who knows when we'll get back home again?"
Hunk had doubts about that personally.
"Yeah, if ever."
Hearing his doubts, Jenny looked up to him in confusion.
"Whattaya talkin' 'bout?"
"I mean, if this Zarkon guy has been ruling for 10,000 years, how long do you think it'll take for us to fix it? You know, if we live."
"Right. That."
Then, Jenny noticed Lance looking down on the dumps and tried to find out why.
"Hey, you okay?"
Lance responded in a deadpan voice.
"Yeah. Just fine."
"Hey, what do you think the chances are of us landing on a nacho planet?"
"Well, there's only one planet with Veradera Beach, pizza shack looking over the water and the garlic knots and my mom's hugs..."
Remembering these precious moments made him tear up a bit before he took off.
"I'm sorry. I think this Nunvill is getting to me. I gotta go."
Then, as soon as he took off and cried lightly with Coran noticing, Jenny 'dropped' the cup she held.
"Uh-oh. I think it got to me, too. I'll go with Lance."
As Jenny followed Lance, Allura talked with Pidge.
"So, Pidge, we haven't had a chance to really talk. Tell me about yourself."
"Hmm... Well, I like peanut butter, and I like peanut butter cookies, but I hate peanuts. They're so dry. Also, I sweat a lot. I mean, in general, unrelated to the peanuts."
Babak overheard this and wanted to join in.
"Ahem! I couldn't help but hear the two of you talk. Mind if I join in?"
"Not now, Babak."
Hearing this from Allura, Babak grew disappointed.
"Very well, then."
Then, Babak walked away before hiding behind the staircase.
"Was Babak a ladies-man back in his day?"
"Well, of course. But it was a long time ago. Anyway, I was thinking of something a little more personal."
She then winked at Pidge before speaking again.
"We have a lot in common."
"Like what?"
Allura was caught off guard before she spoke again.
"Oh, well, both of us had our fathers taken away by Zarkon."
"Yeah, but I'm getting mine back."
Hearing this, Allura gasped in sadness before Pidge apologized.
"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to—"
"No, I understand. I just want you to know that you can confide in me. If there's anything you ever want to talk about... Anything."
Allura waited for an answer before Pidge spoke.
"Hmm? Okay, I do have something to tell you."
"I had a feeling. What is it?"
Allura braced herself for the news, but didn't quite get the one she was looking for.
"I'm leaving Team Voltron."
Allura grew shocked at this.
"Wait, what?"
"Lapis and I decrypted the information from the Galra ship about where my family might be, or at least where they were. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving tonight."
"Pidge, you can't. You're one of the six Paladins. You have a sacred trust to defend the universe."
As Allura spoke, she grabbed Pidge's arm. However, Pidge pulled it away from her.
"My first priority is to find my family! I thought you of all people would understand. If you had a chance to get your father back, wouldn't you?"
Then, Allura gasped once again before Pidge apologized.
"I'm sorry. I should go tell everyone else."
Then, Pidge walked out of the castle just as Shiro caught up with Belle outside.
"So. It's, uh, pretty empty out."
"Yeah."
Then, the two of them blushed before she spoke.
"Hey, Shiro?"
"Hmm?"
"If I'm being honest, I've, ahem... got a crush on you."
Hearing this, Shiro began to blush as well.
"Well. That's, uh, good to know."
Just then, Pidge walked up to them.
"Guys? I need to talk to you."
As Pidge walked up to them, Haxxus hid in plain sight as he copied the drone's code with his gun.
"Signature code cloned."
Then, after Shiro, Belle, and Pidge walked into the castle, Haxxus pasted the code onto the bomb drone, causing it to mimic the color.
"Bomb activated."
Then, the drone went into the castle toward the main hangar.
Meanwhile, as Lance sat in the main hangar, Jenny arrived and sat by him.
"Hey. Mind if I use your lap?"
"Sure. But wouldn't you rather use a pillow?"
"This is fine."
Then, Jenny laid her head on Lance's lap.
"Hey. You remember? Last year when sis went missing, I was just like this?"
Lance smiled as she cradled her hair.
"Yeah."
"I was so crushed that you didn't stop pestering me to come over to your house until I agreed. You were willing to go through all of that trouble just to make me happy. It was more than I deserved."
Then, Jenny and Lance walked into his cabin and was welcomed by his family and got into the middle of a dart war, to which she joined in. Later on, Jenny and Lance were in the same bed with his cousin, Nadia, in between them snuggling.
"I got to hang out with your family and have fun with you guys. And most importantly, you were there for me. Well, you and your sis. It was the best night I've ever had."
"Yeah. It really was, huh? Except it wasn't my sister; it was my cousin."
"Oops. My mistake. Anyway, you told me something that day. That if I ever need to get my head straight, I'd come to you. Always. I want you to tell me what's with you. I just can't stand seeing you like this. That's all."
Then, Lance and Jenny heard Coran step in.
"Mind If I join you?"
"No. It's okay."
"How far away from Earth do you think we are, guys?"
"Let's take a look."
Then, Coran walked toward the panel and opened up the star map then he scrolled over from Earth to Arus.
"Earth is over here. And we're all... the way over..."
"You ever notice how far the planets are from each other, Coran?"
"Yes. Haven't you been paying attention?"
"Yeah, but I mean, like, they're really, really far away. Like, say, Earth. It's so far, I can't even see it. The... The blue oceans, the white clouds, green grass... I... I-I can't see any of it."
Coran and Jenny figured out what he meant by it.
"We get it. You miss Earth. I do, too."
"I understand. I miss Altea."
"I know we're supposed to be brave Paladins and Defenders of the Universe or whatever, but, honestly, I just want to go home."
"If I could go home, I would."
Then, Jenny placed her hand on his as she laid her head on his lap.
"I know what you mean. Ever since we've left, I really wanted to go back. I get excited for Space a lot more than I should be, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten where I was born."
"Wow. You must be really strong to hold it in."
"Me? I'm not strong. No way."
"You kidding me? Ever since we landed on Arus, you've been fighting the Galra like it was second nature for you. On top of that, you were always so happy. How can you be smiling all the time?"
"Well, most of the time, I was faking it."
"What? Why would you do that?"
"It's like, I thought I had to act cheerful because I never wanted anyone around me to feel sorry for me."
"Wow. Mind blown. And that was kinda clichéd, too."
"Heh. Yeah. Truth is, I've always missed rain and splashing in puddles. All that jazz, you know?"
"Yeah. Me, too."
"Rain?"
Jenny offered to explain the concept to Coran.
"It's when water falls from the sky. Sometimes, it causes lightning to appear. We call that a thunderstorm."
"Oh, we had that on Altea. Only it wasn't water, more like rocks. Razor-sharp and boiling-hot. Oh, they could knock a hole right in your head."
"Sounds fun."
Jenny felt it to be out of the ordinary, yet interesting at the same time as she made a quip.
"Yep. That weather really sounds like it 'rocked.' Hehe. Get it?"
"Yeah."
Lapis and Sandra were at the hall trying to make sense of what Azix had told them.
"Why? Why would Kaecilius revive my father, only to put him under his control?"
"I'd say the strength and skill he has under his disposal. Between him and Sendak, how much more could he need?"
"It's not funny, Sandra. This is serious."
"I wasn't being funny. I was being methodical."
Lapis only leaned on the wall as she grunted. However, in doing so, she spotted the drone floating towards the main hangar. Then, as it floated by them, Lapis and Sandra got suspicious.
"Where's Rover going? Isn't it always with Pidge?"
"We better follow it. Something tells me this isn't the same Rover we know."
At the halls, Allura, Babak, Shiro, Keith, Pidge, Belle, and Hunk were going over Pidge's plan to leave. As expected, it didn't sit well for any of its members as Shiro and Belle spoke up.
"Pidge, no."
"Why?"
"The download from the Galra ship was enough to at least get me in the right direction to start my search. I have a pod all ready to go."
No doubt Keith was frustrated, but none more so than Babak.
"You can't leave."
"You can't tell me what to do!"
"Oh, can't I? If you leave, Voltron can't be forged!"
"So? That's what the Violet Voltron's for, isn't it?"
"That's not the point! The point is without them, we can't defend the universe against Kaecilius, let alone Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family. All these Arusians have families. Everyone in the universe has families."
Then, Hunk butted in his rebuttal.
"Yeah, I have a family. They live on Earth. I want to be with them. Is-is that, like, a thing that can happen?"
Allura grew concerned about this.
"You want to leave, too?"
"Of course I do! Look, Voltron is super-cool, don't get me wrong, but I never signed up for a lifetime in space, fighting aliens."
"None of us did. But we have to take the hand that's been dealt to us."
After Belle spoke with Hunk, making him a bit homesick, she turned to Keith to see how he felt.
"What about you, Keith? Do you want to leave?"
Being asked this, Keith was lost in thought, mostly from his worry over what would happen to Earth if they did leave.
"Honestly, I don't know what to say about it."
Babak, however, begged to differ.
"I do! You're putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the entire universe! Compared to the stars, they amount to nothing!"
Allura and Shiro felt he was taking it too far.
"Babak, stop!"
"And why should I?"
"Because that's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced."
Babak scoffed at Shiro's Words of Wisdom.
"Is this really the time for another lecture, Shiro?"
"We'll discuss this later."
Ignoring Babak's aggressiveness, Shiro turned back to Pidge.
"If you want to leave, we won't try to stop you. But, please, just think about what you're doing."
However, Pidge was still adamant on his decision.
"I'm sorry. You're going to have to find someone else to pilot the Green Lion."
As Pidge walked away, Belle ran to her and grabbed her hand.
"Wait. I'm going with you."
That surprised Pidge as well as everyone else.
"What?"
"Belle... why?"
"Jenny would've wanted to go with you. It wouldn't be right if you go out there alone."
Then, Keith stepped up next, followed by Hunk.
"I'll go, too. I lost my family before. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"I'm in, too. Who knows? Maybe we'll find them by the next month that way."
Then, it came down to Shiro as all looked to him.
"I'll go, too. They were a part of my crew. And if I've learned one thing, it's that it's the crew we're fighting for."
Seeing how quickly agreed to it, Belle smiled as she looked to Pidge.
"You see, Pidge? None of us ever forgot about your family. We'll find them together. As Team Voltron. No exceptions. Besides, Jenny told me your father would be pretty amazed to have a crew of your own."
Pidge began to tear up before hugging Belle.
"Thank you, guys. So much."
As Belle returned the hug, Allura smiled at their willingness to work together while Babak grew angry at the meaninglessness of it all.
"Pfft! You really want to waste your time?! Fine! Just fine!"
"Don't you see, Babak? They're willing to do it together. Why isn't that good enough for you?"
"It's good enough when Kaecilius' head is on a platter."
With that, Babak stormed off as Hunk gave his thoughts about Babak.
"Wow. And I thought Keith was the edgy one."
Back at the far halls, Lapis and Sandra were sneaking behind the disguised Bomb Drone. When it entered the main hangar, Jenny, Lance, and Coran were walking out of it as the drone came in.
"Hey, Rover."
Then, the drone went up to where the crystal is, making Lance and Jenny suspicious.
"Wait. Where's Pidge?"
"Hold on. That's not... Oh, no."
Just as the drone flared red, Sandra spoke up.
"Don't let it get the crystal!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Jenny snapped out of her stupor in time to use her chain blade to impale the drone, causing it to leak a purple light substance as the blade returned to the bayard, shutting it down in the process as Jenny sighed while Coran became surprised.
"Phew!"
"Now what's a counterfeit drone doing here?"
Sandra explained her curiosity as well.
"I don't know. But I doubt it means anything good."
Suddenly, the drone turned itself on again and resumed countdown, much to Jenny's annoyance.
"Second wind?! Come on!"
This time, there wasn't any time left to disarm it. So, Jenny did the next best thing she could think of. She ran toward Coran and Lance and acted as a human shield for them while shoving them away.
"Guys, look out!"
Then, the drone exploded, engulfing them in a purple light as it caused the entire castle to shake. After the tremor, the team decided to look into this as Hunk spoke up before Allura and Shiro.
"What was that?"
"It sounded like it came from the hangar."
"Let's move!"
At the main hangar, there was dust. As it cleared away, Lapis, Sandra, Coran, Jenny, and Lance were on the floor. When they looked up, they saw a barrier around them as well as Jenny's marks glowing.
"What the—?"
"Whoa. Are you doing this?"
"I dunno. Maybe."
Then, as the barrier disappeared, along with her marks' glow, Jenny felt heavy and her arms gave out before Lance grabbed her and cradled her in her arms.
"It's okay. I got you."
Jenny moaned before she spoke.
"It's weird. I feel so weak all of a sudden."
Lapis knew the answer as the drone, or what was left of it, leaked a glowing purple substance.
"Dark Quintessence. That was a Quintessential Bomb."
"But that'd mean—"
Sure enough, when Coran looked up, he noticed the crystal still intact, but there was a taint of Dark Quintessence on it.
"Oh, no."
And it seemed to be spreading as Jenny groaned louder, making Lance worried as Coran explained.
"What's happening?"
"The Dark Quintessence is overtaking the crystal's life force and forcing it to assimilate its own. As for Jenny, it's having a diverse effect on her. If we don't cure her and soon..."
As Jenny groaned, two purple light scars appeared over her eyes as it glowed pink. Lance was now getting scared for her as Allura, Babak, and the others arrived.
"What happened?"
Then, as Allura saw the drone's remains and the infected crystal, she was stunted.
"The crystal!"
Then, she and Babak noticed Jenny's condition as she was held by Lance.
"Jenny!"
"Oh, no."
Belle ran over to her and cradled her alongside Lance.
"Come on, Jenny. Jenny!"
Jenny weakly turned to Belle as she replied hoarsely.
"S-Sis..."
Belle turned to Babak and demanded to know what was happening.
"What is it doing to my sister?"
"What Dark Quintessence always does to any being who makes contact: It's poisoning her."
They gasped as Jenny gave a pained yell while her scars extended to her neck.
"We have to get Jenny to the infirmary."
"That won't work. The crystal is being corrupted. For all we know, it could kill her rather than help her."
Lapis knew what to do to fix it and turned to Allura.
"I know someone who can fix this, Allura."
"Are you talking about the Galra hitchhiker? He could've been the one who tipped them off."
"Believe me, I can't stand to see him, either. But if Jenny's got any hope of surviving this, it's with him."
Of course, Allura hated the Galra. But she also couldn't stand to see her friends hurt or worse. At that moment, the Arusian King arrived with a bigger problem.
"Lion warriors, our village is under attack! We need help!"
In an attempt to help, Keith spoke up, only for Allura to remind them of a certain obstacle.
"Let's get to the lions!"
"You can't. With the crystal being corrupted, they'll be sealed in their hangars. There's no way to get them out. We're defenseless."
The Arusian King was beginning to grow desperate.
"Will you not help us?"
"We'll help you. We just..."
Then, Jenny screamed in agony as the scars began reaching her chest, particularly over the two bumps.
"Jenny!"
Then, Lance hugged her tightly in an attempt to soothe her. However, Jenny only sobbed on Lance's shoulder.
"It hurts... so much..."
Hunk felt bad about this situation.
"This is bad."
Sandra decided not to let the situation affect her as she turned to Coran for a solution.
"So, what's the plan?"
"We have to get a new crystal to get the Castle working again. But, to get a new crystal, we need a ship."
Fortunately, as luck would have it, Pidge had an idea.
"The pod I was loading, we can use that! I left the bay door open."
"I can use the scanner on the pod to see if there's a Balmera nearby. Hunk, Sandra, you come with me. I'll need someone big and someone clever to help me carry the crystal."
"A Balmera?"
"It's where the crystals come from. I'll tell you about it on the way!"
As they ran off, Keith and Lance exchanged each others' plans.
"I'll go see what's happening with the Arusian Village."
Lance then stood up with Jenny in his arms before Allura spoke to Keith.
"Yeah, and while you do that, Belle, Babak, Shiro, Lapis, and I will see what we can do to help her."
"I'll go with you, Keith. I brought this on the poor Arusians."
Then, as they took off, Lance stood up and held tightly on Jenny as he flung her over his shoulder.
"This time, it's personal."
Back at the docking bay, Pidge was with Coran, Sandra, and Hunk.
"It's our first bit of luck. There's a source not too far. We won't need a wormhole to get there, thankfully."
Then, as the map charted a course, Pidge explained the modifications to them.
"I made some modifications to the shuttle. The first change is a cloaking device that I reverse-engineered from the invisible walls on the training deck."
Sandra felt it was a nice touch.
"The element of surprise. Nice."
"The second is a tank of booster fuel that I mounted on the fuel line."
Coran felt especially concerned about that part.
"Using during flight would turn the whole pod into a bomb!"
Hunk whimpered from this as Pidge second guessed herself.
"Okay. Maybe you shouldn't use that modification after all."
With that, Sandra spoke up about the last modification.
"What's that last one?"
"That's actually a sonic pulse emitter. Like an EMP, except it sends out Sonic Waves."
"You never cease to amaze me, Pidge."
"We ready to hit it?"
"Right. Let's go."
With that, the pod activated as its cover closed and took off for flight.
"Good luck."
Then, Sandra and Hunk gave her a thumbs up before they took off to the Balmera.
At the Castle, Lance carried the groaning Jenny as Belle, Shiro, Lapis, and Babak followed.
"Don't worry, Jen. Help is on the way."
However, at the entrance, they found Sendak, Kaecilius, Zaltron, and the sentries walking toward them. Lapis recognized the armor walking beside them and gasped.
"Dad..."
Upon hearing her words, Babak grew surprised to hear this and turned to Lapis before Zaltron.
"You know him?"
"Of course I do. He was my father. But now, whatever Kaecilius has done, he's nothing but a hollow shell, now."
"Well, I can see the family resemblance."
Then, Shiro and Belle turned to them before speaking.
"Guys, you have to go."
"Find the prisoner and ask him how to help Jenny."
"But what's going to happen to—"
"Go. Now."
Hearing this from Belle, Lapis grunted in frustration before she agreed.
"Alright. Let's go, guys."
With that, Lapis and the others took off, but not before getting one last look at her father. Then, Zaltron spoke to Shiro and Belle.
"I've come for Voltron. Give it to me."
Shiro answered back as they got their individual weapons ready.
"No. You're not getting in."
"Then you will die."
Then, Zaltron got his sword ready before he lunged toward Belle while Sendak lurched his giant hand toward Shiro and grabbed him before pulling him closer to him. As Sendak tried to smash him afterwards, Belle clashed her energy blade with Zaltron's sword. For a while, they held their swords together until Zaltron punched Belle in the chest and prepared to strike with his sword as he turned around. Before he could slash her, though, she was able to block it, only to be sent to where Shiro was as she spoke first.
"Wow. He's pretty tough."
"But we can do better!"
Then, Shiro activated his energy hand again before running towards Sendak and slashing at his gauntlet while Belle tried to move faster than she dared to be. However, Zaltron was able to keep up with it. Just when she was about to slice him downwards, Zaltron caught her blade with his hands as Shiro and Sendak clashed their fists together.
"I see you spent some time with the Druids. They do love to experiment. Too bad you didn't get the latest model."
Then, Sendak launched his hand to push Shiro away. At the same moment, Zaltron tosses Belle toward Shiro, causing the both of them to bump into each other. After rubbing their heads, Belle noticed Sendak's hand approaching.
"Giant hand incoming!"
Then, they got out of the way as Sendak lurched himself closer toward them and tried to chop their necks, only for Shiro to grab him and toss him away just as Zaltron ran toward Belle and tried to slice her downward, only for Belle to repeat his maneuver as she somersaulted backwards and sent him flying. However, he recovered and both opponents charged toward each other and pointed their weapons at each other with Belle and Zaltron's swords at each other's necks while Shiro and Sendak's hands were near their necks, creating a sort of standstill. The three of them breathed heavily while Zaltron made a deep metallic breath. Then, Haxxus spoke up.
"Let him go, or your friend won't make it."
Then, Lapis dropped to the floor on her knees as she looked up to Zaltron, who showed no signs of recognition as he and Sendak slammed Shiro and Belle to the floor beside her. Then, Kaecilius smiled as he walked toward them.
"Using a dead man to capture the Quintessence's most powerful weapon. How ironic. But it matters not. In the end, I shall destroy all, and the plan will be complete."
Then, Pidge witnessed Kaecilius, Zaltron, and Sendak walking to the main hangar.
"Oh, no."
Back at the castle, Lance and Babak had finally taken Jenny to Azix, much to the latter's surprise.
"There you are."
"What is going on out there?"
"Events that regrettably, at this very moment, require your help."
Babak motioned to Jenny, whose scars have now traveled to her legs. Azix stood flabbergasted before accepting.
"Bring her in immediately."
"Like we need your permission."
Then, Lance set Jenny to lay down on a bed as Azix and Babak got to work, although the latter was using tools.
"Jenny isn't responding. We must run diagnostics on her system— eh, vital statistics. Oh, my tools— they're all wrong!"
"Fortunately, we don't need any tools to remove this Dark Quintessence. If it ever became too much for our men, we have a simple procedure for this sort of thing."
At the village, the Arusians were watching as Vaxel, Varek, and Zarix laid waste to the village. At that moment, Allura and Keith arrived.
"What's happening?"
"Look! Attackers!"
Then, Varek noticed Keith and smiled as the latter lunged at him with a roar, worrying Allura.
"Keith!"
Then, Keith got his sword ready as he and Varek darted at each other. As they fought, Keith jumped above his swing as he swung at his head, slicing his cheek, leaking a purple light substance. As Varek swiped it off his face, he noticed the substance had been leaking from him.
"All right, then."
"You're done, Varek! You hear me?! Done!"
However, Vaxel only laughed at his words.
"You think I'm done? You're wrong, Paladin."
"What?"
Just then, Zarix, and Vaxel joined Varek as he spoke.
"Did you really think we'd have caused this destruction just to fight the Paladins? No. Our mission has been to capture the lions at any cost. Especially if it means taking your castle."
As Varek laughed, Keith tried to warn Allura.
"Oh, no. They tricked us! It was just a diversion to separate us from the Castle defenses!"
Meanwhile, Kaecilius noticed the Dark Quintessence had finally taken root in the Balmera.
"Behold, mortals! The Age of Justice!"
Then, the castle flared purple and showed Galra symbols on the monitors before purple light spread throughout the castle.
At the cell, Babak, Lance, Jenny, and Azix noticed the purple lines spreading.
Outside, a dark purple Phoenix hovered above the castle as Keith tried to find out his endgame.
"So, you take over the castle along with whoever's inside. And then what?"
Varek smirked something deadly at Keith.
"Can't you guess? Then I kill you."
Then, the Phoenix shrieked as it fired lightning at Keith, Allura, and the Arusians. As it fired, Vaxel, Varek, and Zarix laughed haughtily before they vanished as their laughters echoed away, leaving only Keith in the fiery field. After it'd stopped, Keith had noticed that Varek and his officers had disappeared. Then, he communicated to Allura.
"We need to get in that castle, now!"
Meanwhile, due to the phoenix's shriek, Jenny shrieked as the scars glowed brightly, making Lance panicked as he spoke up.
"Well, whatever you gotta do, do it now!"
Then, Azix simply held his hand over her chest as the glow dimmed and morphed into a black orb in his hand, which attracted the dark essence and sealed that inside the orb, allowing Jenny to finally breathe without pain again. Then, Azix placed it inside a container, the black matter turning into a purple glowing substance. As Jenny drifted to sleep, her scars now grey, Lance grew unmistakably scared.
"No. No, no, no! Jenny, don't do this to me!"
"Calm yourself, Paladin. She's not dead, yet, but recovering. It's taken a dire toll on her body. She needs her rest."
Despite this, he didn't hesitate to hug her.
"Jenny. I'm never letting you go again."
As Lance held Jenny tightly, Babak turned to Azix.
"How do you know about this Quintessence?"
"That knowledge has been passed down to us. It stemmed all the way to... to Zaltron."
Then, Babak had an idea and asked Azix something.
"Tell me. Is there a procedure to reverse-engineer the Dark Quintessence to its purest state?"
Hearing what Babak asked, Lance became very confused.
"Wait. I thought you said it was poisonous."
"Under normal circumstances, quite. But if I could reverse-engineer it, it'll help Jenny recover before they can get the ship to take off. And from the looks of things, we'll definitely need it."
Then, at the hangar, Kaecilius saw the six monitors revealing all of the lions at their bays.
"Perfect. The lions are at their bays. Initiate the particle barrier and commence launch sequence."
Outside, the barrier began to close as Keith and Allura, riding his red hovercraft from when they were entering their lions toward the castle. However, the Phoenix began to fire lightning at them, forcing Keith and Allura to jump into the barrier as the hovercraft slowed up and did a slide to get to the other side just before it closed. After they were successful, they skidded to a stop.
"Phew! Looks like we're in."
"Good. Because if we don't do something and soon, they'll take Voltron to Zarkon!"
At the castle, Varek, Vaxel, and Zarix appeared beside Kaecilius in black mists.
"It's done. But the red paladin and the princess have got in just in time."
"It makes no difference. Once Voltron is delivered to Zarkon, the Paladins and the princess will be made examples of. Make contact with Emperor Zarkon."
Then, Haxxus contacted Zarkon, who smiled at Kaecilius.
"Kaecilius."
"Our mission is complete. We've captured the Altean Castle, along with all six of the lions. We are currently preparing for launch and will be delivering them all to you posthaste."
"This news is most pleasing. You have done your duty. Vrepit Sa!"
"Vrepit Sa! Haxxus, prepare the castle for takeoff."
"Yes, Kaecilius."
Then, Lapis struggled to break free and snapped at Kaecilius.
"You can't do this! You have no right!"
Then, Kaecilius retaliated by electrocuting Lapis until she fell to the floor before he spoke.
"I have every right. You mortals have blighted this universe for too long. Now you must pay the devil his due."
Then, after making sure she wasn't detected, Pidge made contact with Lance and Keith.
"Lance. Guys. Can you hear me?"
"Pidge, is that you?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm inside the Castle. Kaecilius has taken over and he's preparing for launch. He's got Belle, Lapis, and Shiro."
Keith heard that part and grew angry.
"Those monsters..."
"Pidge, listen. If they've started the launch sequence, then we don't have much time before liftoff to stop it."
"What do I have to do?"
"You have to get to get down to the main engine control panel and disconnect the primary turbine from the central energy chamber. If you can do that, Kaecilius will have to reset the whole system. That might give us enough time to meet up with you and find a way to stop them."
With that, Pidge looked at the map and ran toward the door and forced it open.
"Here, Rover."
Then, River followed him and floated above the endless ledges.
"Okay, Rover, here we go."
Then, Pidge jumped from ledge to ledge while using her jet pack to keep from falling.
At the hangar, Kaecilius spoke to Haxxus.
"Run the main cluster activation sequence."
"Activation sequence initiated. Powering up for launch."
At the main engine, Pidge stumbled upon a big ball of light.
"Okay, Allura, I'm near the turbine. I think it's started."
"Then you'll have to hurry. Cross the catwalk to the main column in the center."
As per her advice, Pidge saw the control panel as she knelt down.
"Okay."
"Now open the hatch. Find the central computer control hub and enter the following sequence."
That's when Pidge stumbled into a conundrum.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Which one is it? All the labels are in Altean!"
At the hangar, the ship was ready as Haxxus spoke to Kaecilius.
"Kaecilius, we are ready for launch."
"Then launch."
At the main engine, the turbine began charging up.
"I can't tell which one it is! Allura? Allura?"
In the castle grounds, Allura and Keith were feeling a tremor.
"I've lost connection with Pidge! Oh, no! It's taking off!"
Kaecilius snickered in triumph, unaware of Pidge's potential obstacles as she got her bayard ready.
"Whatever."
Just as she slammed it in the panel, Pidge was knocked back before the orb shrunk.
Then, Haxxus delivered the bad news, angering Kaecilius.
"The main engine just shorted out!"
"What?!"
Then, he walked to the monitor and saw Pidge and Rover running from the main engine. Kaecilius growled before turning to Zaltron.
"We have a saboteur. Find him and destroy him. I want nothing of this pest left alive. Understand?"
"Understood."
Haxxus then found a trace of a signal from within the castle.
"Kaecilius, I've received a transmission generating from somewhere inside."
"Play it back."
Then, Haxxus did just that, playing Allura's voice.
"There's not much time before they get the ship running again. You must shut off the particle barrier so we can get in."
"You got it. Tell me what to do."
"The particle barrier generator is beneath the main hull."
"She's telling the intruder how to take down our defenses."
"Yes. But she's also giving away his location."
"And make sure no harm comes to Jenny."
Kaecilius growled as his suspicions were proven correct. She was the foreign Altean after all.
"So it's true. Zaltron, seek out Jennifer and the paladins, and annihilate them all."
Zaltron bowed to Kaecilius as he took a knee.
"Vrepit Sa."
As he walked out, the drones followed Zaltron out. As they did so, Kaecilius turned to Varek, Vaxel, and Zarix as Sendak turned to Haxxus.
"As for you three, deal with the intruders from outside the castle."
Then, they vanished in black mists before Sendak spoke up.
"Repair the engine. Emperor Zarkon has commanded us to bring him Voltron. This ship will rise before day's end."
In the cell, Jenny was still unconscious as she recovered from the Dark Quintessence that had previously invaded her body while Babak examined it.
"Hmm. Surprisingly stable."
Lance felt it was unnecessarily labeled as he spoke to Babak.
"Stable? Uh, hello? It almost killed her, remember?"
"Well, this variety was not meant for Alteans to begin with, which is rather unfortunate since our Quintessence reserves are at an all-time low. Our severely outnumbered warriors have been rapidly burning through our stockpile of late as the Galra Empire continues to run us ragged and grind us down. Normal Quintessence is in such short supply in this universe due to Kaecilius' operation, and Zarkon seems to have his scarred claws buried deep in all the planets' surface. But, if we can successfully restore the Quintessence, or even produce a synthetic form, we can manufacture all the Quintessence we'll ever need."
"Honestly, I'm not into that. I just want her back."
Just then, Lance received a transmission from Allura.
"How is Jenny doing?"
"She's fine, but she's still unconscious."
"Alright. Pidge, have you made it to the generator room?"
Meanwhile, Pidge was exploring a room full of purple lightning arcs with Rover.
"I'm in. This technology's so advanced. I don't know if I can figure it out."
"Yes, you can. The lives of your fellow Paladins are at stake. Jenny's life is at stake. You can't give up, especially when she hasn't given up on you."
That gave Pidge a flashback with her family.
Back on Earth, Pidge was eating dinner with her family as Sam spoke to Matt.
"Hope you enjoy your home-cooked meal, Matt. After our launch to Kerberos tomorrow, we'll be eating freeze-dried peas for the next two months."
"Don't lie. I know you love those peas, Dad."
"It's true. Those Garrison chefs really know how to genetically manufacture a delicious vegetable."
Katie only sighed at the thought of being left out.
"I wish I could go with you guys."
"Just you wait, kiddo. Something tells me that you're going to have your own crew someday. You're going to fly with them to worlds so far away, we can't even imagine. I bet my bottom dollar you're going to be a part of something that makes the whole universe sit up and take notice."
At Jenny's house, she and Belle were out on the front porch watching a starry sky.
"It's really beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It really is, sis. I'm just sad I won't be able to go with you."
"Hey, don't worry about it. That's what you're in the Garrison for. Who knows? Maybe by the time I get back, you'll be a copilot in no time."
Jenny smiled at the idea.
"Yeah. At least this way we'll be together."
"There, you see? A silver lining."
Then, Jenny showed a look of worry. Belle took notice of this and rubbed her head.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."
Then it went to the next five months when the news broadcast a terrible incident involving the four members, Shiro, Belle, Sam, and Matt.
"The Galaxy Garrison mission to the distant moon of Kerberos is missing, and all crew members are believed to be dead. The Galaxy Garrison has said the cause for the crash is a mystery. It is, indeed, a sad day for all humanity."
Then, it showed Jenny at home watching this tragedy and began to cry herself to sleep, thinking about her lost sister. Then, after she cried her heart out, she sat up straight and got to thinking. They said it was a mystery. That was all the more reason she has to look into this, especially if it meant fully joining the Garrison.
The next morning, having become a ranked member by means of coincidental nepotism if not guilt about losing her, Jenny was taking a tour of the facilities when she heard Iverson snapping at someone.
"Those feeds are classified! I could charge you with treason for hacking into them."
Then, Jenny noticed Katie getting sacked by Iverson as he tossed her out the door.
"Where's my family?"
"Escort Miss Holt off the premises and make sure every guard knows she's never allowed on Garrison property ever again."
"You can't keep me out! I'll find the truth! I'll never stop!"
Then, Jenny watched as the guards took her away in confusion before she walked into his office and knocked on his door.
"Uh, 'scuse me?"
"What?!"
Then, he realized he snapped at Jenny Shaybon, little sister of Belle Shaybon, and immediately retracted his anger.
"Oh. Uh, Jennifer Shaybon, is that right?"
"Uh, yeah. What was that about?"
"Oh, sorry. It's just that miss Holt has been hacking into classified feeds."
"Well, she said she was looking for the truth. What exactly is the truth?"
Iverson took a deep breath before he permitted her inside the room as he spoke.
"Come inside. I have to show you something."
With that, Jenny stepped forward inside, hoping she'd at least get one step closer to finding her sister. Unbeknownst to the both of them, a girl with raven hair and purple eyes began listening in on them as she looked from the corner.
"Okay, look. There was no crash. It was a cover-up story to keep the press from peeking over our shoulders. At least, according to Admiral Sanda. On top of that, there's no evidence of it. Almost like it vanished without a trace."
Jenny was half-relieved and half-scared. On one hand they were safe, but on the other, they could be who knows where.
"Okay. Do you have any theories?"
"That's just it. We have no clue, either."
As unfortunate as this was, Jenny didn't see it as a bad thing. Just another obstacle she can jump through. At this point, speculation is the best she could do.
"Okay. Thank you, sir. I'll let you know if I have any ideas."
As Jenny walked out, she went past the girl who had a look of intrigue over her as the former noticed Katie peeping out of her own corner and went outside with Katie following her as she tried to hide her tracks. Then, once she was outside, she called Katie out.
"Okay. I know you were hiding."
Katie grew surprised at this, but didn't let that stop her from making sure she's heard.
"Look, I meant what I said. I'm never gonna stop until I find the truth!"
"Whoa, just chill out. I'm not against that. I was helping you... I guess?"
"Huh? But why?"
"Well, you know Belle Shaybon? Well, she's my older sis."
Hearing of this, Katie grew surprised as she acted giddy.
"Seriously? You're her sister?"
"Yeah. They're still looking into this whole mess. But I'm gonna find the answer for myself. They'll see."
"I guess great minds think alike, huh?"
Then, Jenny got her hand out to shake Katie's before they commenced a handshake.
"Yeah. Anyway, I'm Jenny."
"My name's Katie. It's great to meet you. Or, you know, it would be if I didn't get sacked from the Garrison."
"Don't worry. I'm gonna find out whatever I can about the Kerberos team. I promise."
What neither of them noticed, however, was that the raven-haired girl was watching them from far away and held a single tear as her hope became reinvigorated.
Back at the ship, Pidge had snapped back to reality.
"Okay. Talk me through it, Allura."
"Shutting down the barrier from this room can be dangerous. Remember, the barrier is also a weapon. So, stay away from the energy arcs."
"Don't touch the giant lightning bolts. Got it."
"Now, what I'm going to need you to do is—"
Suddenly, Rover shoved Pidge out of the way of a dark energy arc from Zarix as she did a short scream.
"Stand still, you fleshbag!"
As Pidge ran away, Allura tried to reach her.
"Pidge! Hello? Are you there? Pidge, what's going on?"
Suddenly, Varek appeared and proceeded to attack them with his Dark Quintessence-filled fist before Keith clashed his sword with his fist, resulting in a shockwave, knocking the both of them away, whilst also revealing Klaizap to have hidden under the hovercraft Keith and Allura rode on earlier. Then, Keith looked to see Varek had disappeared.
"Varek. He's disappeared again."
Meanwhile, Allura had an idea.
"Wait... the mice. Maybe they can help."
Then, she began telekinetically speaking to the mice.
"Friends, I need your help."
With that, the mice, who have heard her voice, immediately went to help.
At the hangar, Lapis could only watch as Kaecilius watched over the monitors while Shiro and Belle were unconscious. Just then, Lapis heard squeaking and turned to see the mice. Upon being relieved, she whisper-yelled at them.
"Mice! Thank goodness."
With that, the mice got to work on dismantling the cuffs and were successful. Then, Lapis reached for her blade and chucked it at Kaecilius, who grabbed it from behind him, earning her gasp of surprise.
"Don't think I'm not acutely aware of the element of surprise."
Then, Kaecilius chucked the blade at the ground by Lapis' feet before she picked it up.
"I don't know how you broke free, but seeing as you are so desperate for a family reunion, I'll at least give you a head start. You can join in the intruders' plans, but you will be defeated. Make no mistake."
Lapis glared at him before she looked back to her friends and walked out of the door.
"We'll see about that."
As she walked out, Kaecilius turned back to the monitor with a deadly smirk.
Meanwhile, Pidge and Rover were under attack by Zarix and his drones. As he fired, Pidge took a look through his device and noticed an open vent.
"My only way out is two floors up? Seriously?"
Then, Pidge yelped as Zarix shouted near him.
"You cannot escape me while Dark Quintessence flows through my veins!"
However, Pidge found a way around that as he activated a hologram.
"Let's try this."
Then, Pidge ran out on the ledge when a drone was about to shoot him.
"There!"
However, Zarix foresaw this ruse.
"No, you dolt! I forbid you to—"
It was too late. The drone fired at the energy arcs, causing lightning to strike near Zarix and at the drones.
"Ugh, for the love of— Obviously, this is why there are leaders and followers."
Then, Zarix noticed Pidge escaping and tried to snatch him with his claws, but missed. In retaliation, Zarix fired his lightning at the arcs, causing them to hit Pidge on the back and hit the floor as he laughed.
"Game, set, and match."
Then, they heard a feminine voice.
"Not even close!"
"What?"
Then, Zarix ended up shot in the chest, knocking him back. Pidge looked up to see Lapis.
"C'mon, hurry!"
Then, Pidge shot her bayard at the wall near the vent and retracted it to go up with Rover following her.
"Whoa! Can't believe that worked!"
"We're not out of this yet. Come on!"
With that, Pidge and Lapis walked into the vent as Zarix glared at the drones.
"You stay and guard the generator. I've got a pest problem to take care of."
With that, Zarix vanished in a black mist, just as Pidge and Lapis appeared on the training deck after forcing the vent grating open. As they ran to the door, Vaxel spoke on the monitor.
"Well, well. I'm surprised you've managed to make it this far. Too bad that this is where you've reached the end of the line."
Then, suddenly, two drones and Vaxel emerged through the glass and landed in front of them. As the drones fired, Pidge used her arm device to see that the path of the Labyrinth was presently unactivated, making Lapis intrigued.
"What are you doing?"
"The invisible maze. Let's see them get through this."
"Good plan."
Then, Pidge and Lapis ran toward the three as they attacked. Then, as Vaxel was about to reach for Pidge, she activated the barrier, causing Vaxel to lose his right arm in the process, as did the drone, causing him to yell in pain. Then, as the two remaining Galra are trapped, Lapis, Rover, and Pidge took off for the vent with Vaxel glaring at them before disappearing in a black mist.
As they crawled in the vent, they found themselves being shot at by Vaxel, who reappeared within the vents. Then, he successfully shot at Pidge in the back, causing her to tumble before falling, much to Lapis' horror.
"No!"
Then, Vaxel held his sword close to Lapis' neck.
"Your turn."
As he prepared to strike, a green blade came up and hit the ceiling, much to Lapis and Vaxel's surprise.
"What?"
Then, Pidge pulled the blade down, causing it to hit Vaxel in the head, causing him to fall before vanishing in a black mist. Then, Lapis hopped from ledge to ledge to catch up with Pidge who was losing her grip. When she stumbled back, she noticed Rover had held her up.
"Rover. Nice save, buddy."
Rover beeped before Lapis caught up with her.
"Pidge! Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks to this guy."
Rover beeped again in concurrence before they went back to the quest.
Then, Pidge opened up one vent grating and saw that no one else was in the halls before sighing and taking her helmet off as she spoke.
"That was too close. We'll have to be more careful if we want to help Jenny."
That made Pidge remember the time she spent with her.
At Jenny's dorm, Katie was standing in front of Jenny, confused about a certain detail to blending in: a haircut.
"I don't see how this is supposed to help me blend in."
"Well, they already recognize you with your hair. So that's gotta be the first thing to go. And, believe me, I wouldn't suggest this unless I knew it'd work. Can you trust me?"
Katie showed an anxious look on her face before a girl spoke up from afar.
"I'd take her up on it, if I were you."
At that moment, a girl with short raven hair and purple eyes appeared by the doorway, catching the two of them by surprise as Jenny spoke.
"Eek! Ayame, I can explain!"
"It's okay. You don't have to explain anything. I understand."
"Wait. So you won't tell Commander Iverson?"
"Why should I? Katie was just trying to find her family, and he just kicked her out for it. Besides, if they're out there... my brother might be, too. If it means getting him back, then I'll help you."
"Wow, Ayame... thanks."
With that, Ayame looked to Katie before she spoke as the latter took a deep breath before agreeing.
"So, you ready for this?"
"Why not? It's my first day of school."
Jenny and Ayame smiled at this as the former helped out.
"That's the spirit. Now, hold still."
With that, Jenny held her hair in place as Ayame cut out the hair which soon fell to the floor.
Later, Lance and Hunk were seeing the results placed out.
"I made it! I'm a fighter pilot."
Then, he did a dance just as Jenny and Katie arrived.
"He's the guy you want to be with?"
"Well, he may not look like much, but he's recently helped me through a rough time. I love him for that."
Then, Lance finished his dance.
"Hasta la later, Keith! And look, you're my engineer."
"Cool. Uh, can I do that from the ground?"
Lance gave a look that said, "really?" at Hunk before looking at the results.
"And our copilot is Jenny Shaybon. Yes! And our communications officer is... Who the heck is Pidge Gunderson?"
Then, Jenny spoke up far away to answer.
"He's my friend."
Lance turned to see Jenny and "Pidge" as he grew surprised.
"Seriously? He's your friend?"
"Yeah. It'd be great if he could join in."
Seeing as they had never met him before, Lance spoke with Jenny about a certain detail.
"What does Ayame think about this?"
"Don't worry. She okayed it."
"Well, in that case... welcome to the team, Gunderson. I'm Lance, your fighter pilot."
Then, Hunk did a friendly handshake with Pidge.
"Hey, I'm Hunk."
"We got a lot of great times ahead, so we should probably start bonding now."
"Sure. I don't see why not."
Then, Jenny and Pidge heard Iverson talking with his officer.
"Security for the Galaxy Garrison's mainframe is our first priority. It's been breached once. And by a girl, no less."
Hearing this made Jenny snicker.
"That was you?"
Pidge nodded at her as Iverson spoke up.
"It cannot happen again!"
Then, he walked past Jenny and Pidge as they used their left arms to do a sign off.
"Wrong arm, cadets."
Then, they corrected their mistake as Lance and Hunk did a sign off as well. They breathed a sigh of relief as Lance talked again.
"Hello? Pizza? Girls? Astronauts?"
"Sorry, we weren't really listening to that. We just heard that the mainframe got hacked... by a girl."
Jenny snickered as Lance did a bit of that himself.
"That does sound funny, doesn't it?"
"Anyway, I've got to help Pidge get ready. See you at the simulator."
Then, after a few steps, Jenny stopped and spoke to Lance.
"Oh, and Lance? If you're planning on rubbing them in my face, you've got a real death wish. I'm just sayin'."
Then they walked away with Lance perplexed.
"What's her problem? I'm just suggesting that we make them jealous."
"Dude, I don't think she paid attention to that."
Back at the halls, Lapis tried to snap Pidge out of it.
"Pidge? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Lapis. It's just... I haven't always been there for my team. But, despite that, she was always there for me. I can't let her down."
Then, Pidge put her helmet back on before they made a break for the cell.
Meanwhile, back at the cell, Azix was plucking a single hair from Jenny before placing it in the vial, reversing the polarity of the Dark Quintessence in the vial as Babak took notes.
"I'm getting close. We should be able to complete it before one of his acolytes arrive here."
"I hope so. Jenny needs us, just as I've grown to need her."
Just then, the purple colors changed from purple to blue, much to the joy of Lance and Babak.
"It is done."
Lance and Babak grew joyful knowing the operation was a success.
"Yes!"
"AHA! Thank the ancients!"
"Now, we just need to inject it."
Just then, they heard dull footsteps and looked to see Zaltron stepping forward as Azix spoke in surprise under his breath.
"Zaltron."
Then, Zaltron drew his sword as Azix tried to reason with him.
"Zaltron, you must listen to me. You were a noble warrior who fought for the freedom of all beings in the universe."
Then, Zaltron grabbed Azix by the throat and pinned him to the wall as Lance panicked.
"Whoa!"
"I fight for my own kind! My own planet!"
"Don't you remember? Daibazaal was destroyed millennia ago. To keep this kind of Quintessence inside you out of reach."
Zaltron began crushing his neck as he glared.
"I will kill you."
Azix wasn't going to give up, though.
"So be it. I'll follow you to the ends of the universe, old friend."
Hearing that phrase, Zaltron released Azix as he fell to the floor, gasping for air that would've been denied him. Then, Zaltron places his hand over his head as he remembered everything he had been through, ranging from Zaltron's time with Babak to his final clash with Kaecilius. Then, Zaltron lifted his head up.
"Azix. Your voice. I have not heard it since the universe fell."
Lance drew a breath of relief as Zaltron turned to see Jenny with grey scars all over her body in horror.
"What... have I... done?"
"It's not what you've done, old friend. But it is what you can fix."
With that, Azix gave Zaltron a vial of blue Quintessence as he recognized used it.
"Divine Quintessence?"
"Yes. This came as a surprise to me as well. All I needed was one head of hair from her."
Lance grew curious about this variant of Quintessence before Zaltron explained.
"Divine Quintessence? What's that?"
"The only thing that'll jumpstart Jenny's body from her slumber."
Zaltron then looked to Jenny before injecting the Quintessence in her arm. When he was finished, Jenny's scars began to fade as her eyes opened in a bright white color.
In her coma, she saw a bright planet with a green, grassy field with blue skies above her. Then, she heard a feminine voice speak behind her.
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?"
Then, Jenny turned to see a woman with blue hair, and blue eyes in a white robe. As she walked toward Jenny, the latter asked questions.
"Who are you? And what am I doing here?"
The woman placed her finger on her lips before speaking.
"My name is Alphus, and this is Planet X."
Jenny blinked her eyes.
"Alphus... and Planet X?"
"I know you have more questions, but they'll have to wait. What I can tell you, though, is that you are capable of many great things."
Then, the instant Alphus touched her belly with her finger, Jenny glowed bright and her light overtook the planet and Alphus.
Meanwhile, back on Argus, she coughed a bit before waking up to see Lance, Babak, and Zaltron.
"Whoa. Who's the big robot dude?"
Then, Lance immediately hugged Jenny out of joy.
"You're okay! I'm so happy."
Jenny was surprised for a moment before smiling and returning the hug.
"Yeah. I'm back."
"Huh? Back from where?"
"Oh. Don't worry about it right now. What's going on?"
Zaltron gave her the report as far as the Castle.
"Kaecilius has taken command of the castle. So far the launch has been delayed, but we don't know for how long."
Babak knew that it was easy to guess what it meant as he spoke before a voice responded to him.
"Then it seems time is of the essence."
"On that, we agree."
Upon hearing said voice, they turned to see Lapis and Pidge by the door as Jenny and Lance spoke to Lapis.
"Guys!"
"What took ya so long?"
"Don't worry. We know the way."
Back at the main engine, Haxxus was working in the generator while Sendak got to work at the hangar.
"Powering sub panels."
"Sub panel energy transducer is go."
"Aye, sir. Opening pathway to link with bridge. Initializing main cluster reboot."
As Haxxus worked, Pidge scanned the panel and got access.
"Gotcha."
Then, Pidge got to a section to power up electricity.
"Initializing complete. I'm set for main power up."
"The bridge is go."
"Power up."
Then, Haxxus powered it up as Pidge took notice and did the same.
"And up, and up, and up. I would not want to be touching a metal surface when this thing overloads."
Then, Haxxus noticed the problem.
"Sir, something is wrong."
Then, the core overloaded onto the metal surface, causing Haxxus to be electrocuted while Pidge jumped off in time and landed in front of him while Lapis, Lance, Jenny, and Zaltron went through the door that led to the engine. At the same moment, Zarix appeared beside Haxxus and could tell he was having problems.
"Now what?"
Then, he took a look at the group as his eyes widened with Zarix speaking first before Haxxus spoke to Pidge.
"No. Zaltron?"
"You're the ones causing all this trouble? Led by a child?"
"I'm not a child. I'm a Paladin of Voltron."
Haxxus got out his blade as Zarix spoke before he did.
"Makes no difference."
"Let me tell you something, child. We are soldiers of the Galra Empire. Nothing stops us but triumph or death."
Lapis and Zaltron glared at Haxxus next as they drew their weapons.
"Funny. The Blade of Marmora has that same policy too."
"Except only one of us will be victorious."
Then, Zarix and Haxxus began attacking the group with Pidge dodging Haxxus' sword and Lapis clashing with Zarix's magic. Pidge shot his bayard at Haxxus, only for him to grab his line and use it to swing him toward the panel. Then, Lapis saw this as Zaltron blocked Zarix's blasts at her while she ran to help him. At that moment, Haxxus prepares to slay Pidge.
"Nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide."
Then, Lapis yelled as she got her dual swords out and prepared to attack, only for Haxxus to block them with his one sword. Unfortunately, he was overpowered and sent to the chasm below before Lapis got her chain blade and caught Haxxus before pulling him up.
"You're gonna be locked up for a long time."
Then, she set Haxxus down all tied up in purple energy bands from her chain blade. As she did so, Zaltron got pushed back by Zarix's blasts.
"You will not escape my might."
Then, he realized it was all too easy for him.
"Wait. You pests are up to something."
Just then, Rover beeped at him, allowing Pidge to trip him and sent him staggering back to where Haxxus would've fallen and looked to see Rover ramming him in the face. After he was hit, Zarix clutched onto Rover, who then deactivated itself causing the both of them to fall.
"No!"
Then, Zarix fell as his yell echoed.
"No!"
With Rover and Zarix gone, Pidge shouted as she reached her hand out for it while Jenny and Lapis held her back.
"No!"
"Stop, Pidge!"
"Calm down. Rover wanted this. To keep you safe. Don't forget what that meant."
With that, Pidge couldn't help but sob at the loss of his friend as Lapis and Jenny held her as Lance held his head down in respect for Rover. After all, it's not something any drone would do. Just then, Kaecilius spoke in the panel.
"Haxxus, report in."
Seeing as Pidge and the others were occupied, Zaltron spoke to Kaecilius.
"Haxxus is under the custody of the Blade of Marmora, and you're next."
"You're all fools! All your stunt did was buy them time, but this castle belongs to the us! You will turn yourself over immediately."
Lapis spoke back to Kaecilius in anger, having seen Rover's sacrifice.
"And why would we do that?"
Sendak took his turn to speak next as he introduced an ultimatum.
"Well, then, maybe your leader can convince you."
Then, Shiro spoke on the panel as Sendak taunted Lapis.
"What do you want?"
"Your friend wanted to hear from you."
"Shiro?"
"Lapis? Lapis, don't listen to—"
Before he could finish, Shiro ended up electrocuted by Kaecilius, causing Jenny to cringe while Pidge closed her eyes in disbelief as Lapis began to shout while Zaltron took his breath of anger.
"Stop, Sendak! Leave him out of this! It's me you want!"
"That's right. Only you can end this. Turn yourself in. Their suffering is in your hands, especially yours, Zaltron."
Then, Zaltron stormed off to the door, to the confusion of Lance.
"Hey, where you going?"
"Attend to your fellow Paladins. There is something I must do."
Pidge, Jenny, and Lapis tried to change his mind.
"Like what, taking on Kaecilius all by yourself?"
"Who knows what that creep could do?"
"You can't be serious, father. What if he takes control over you again?"
"I have been foolish not to see what history has proven over and over again. That the Blade of Marmora and the Galra Empire will never mend their ways. If there cannot be a diplomatic solution to this perpetual conflict, then I must not allow more darkness to fall on this or any world. Kaecilius must be destroyed."
Meanwhile, Keith and Allura were walking in the halls and sneaking along the walls. When Keith peeked past the wall, there was no one present.
"Okay. No one's here yet."
Then, Varek appeared behind Keith.
"Think again, Paladin."
In a swift motion, Varek fired his streak of lightning on both of them, causing them to cringe in pain as Varek smiled.
"You've been running around making messes for too long, and now I'm going to siphon the life from you."
Then, Klaizap noticed Varek and ran toward him as the latter smirked.
"I can't wait to watch you die."
Suddenly, he heard Klaizap's yell as he thrusted his weapon at Varek, only for it to lightly poke him before clattering to the ground. After such an attempt failed Klaizap, Varek laughed at this.
"You really thought you could hurt me with that toy? You're going to have to do much better than that."
Just then, Varek got shot in the back by a blue blast, which was revealed to be from Lance as he ran toward them.
"Haven't you ever heard of 'distraction?'"
As Varek glared at him, he vanished in a black mist before heading to Keith and Allura.
"You guys alright?"
"Yeah. Talk about timing."
"How's Jenny doing?"
"Well, it's a long story. What's Klaizap doing here?"
As Lance pointed to him, Keith and Allura responded at the same time.
"It's a long story."
At the hangar, Sendak taunted Shiro and Belle.
"I'm impressed that you and Lapis had managed to escape. Perhaps it might be worth the trip to your planet to see if the rest of your kind have your spirit. Of course, they will all end up broken, just like you. Now that we have Voltron, every planet, every race, all share the same fate."
Then, Zaltron spoke up.
"There's only one who will serve a worse fate, Sendak: yours!"
With that, Zaltron slashed a bright pink energy blast at Sendak, forcing him to block and went after Zaltron in anger, only for him to be thwacked by the Knight out of the room as he confronted Kaecilius.
"Kaecilius. Today, you will answer for your crimes against Altea, and against the universe."
"The only beings who have committed crimes, Zaltron, are you and every mortal in existence. They must all perish!"
With that, Kaecilius lunged at Zaltron as he did the same and the both of them teleported out of the hangar as Pidge, Jenny, and Lapis went in as Sendak slowly awoke. As Pidge ran over to Shiro and Belle, she tried to wake them up.
"Shiro, Belle, wake up. It's me, Pidge."
Then, Lapis shoved Pidge out of the way and got caught in Sendak's claw as he spoke.
"You really thought your father could defeat me?"
Then, Sendak noticed Keith, Lance, and Allura as they got ready to fight.
"Stand back!"
Just then, Jenny fired a blue blast at him, causing him to release Lapis as Belle and Shiro snapped out of their sleep and proceeded to fight him, despite their hands being tied. However, they were knocked away before Keith began attacking Sendak, who guarded with his claw before he used it to grab Keith and slam him to the floor. Pidge took the opportunity to sever the pink line connecting his socket and the claw, causing it to be disconnected, much to his fury.
"No!"
As they fought, Allura got to work on the panel that was there. During the fight, Pidge tossed his bayard at Sendak, electrocuting him as it wrapped around his foot. Then, Keith and Lapis attempted to slash at him, only for Sendak to catch the blades and hold them back with his one hand before Allura finished.
"Keith, Lapis, now!"
Then, they shoved Sendak under the crystal before a barrier activated. Sendak pounded in the barrier in defeat before Lapis took a look through the monitor and saw Zaltron fighting Kaecilius at the castle grounds.
Outside, Kaecilius prepared his energy blade from his right hand, only it was a scythe. Then, Kaecilius roared as he lunged at him and tried to hack at him, only for Zaltron to clash his sword with the scythe and slide it down his side diagonally. In the process, the Dark Quintessence leaked from where the cut had been made. Then, Zaltron at Kaecilius and planted his sword by his neck.
"It's over, Kaecilius."
However, Kaecilius glared at Zaltron as his eyes flared pink.
"No!"
Then, he blinded Zaltron before vanishing in a black mist. When he looked again, he was already gone. Zaltron yelled out at the sky in frustration as it echoed around Arus. Lapis saw this and tried to speak to him via Castle speakers.
"Father. Leave him for now. We have to get the Castle back in order. But the next time we see him, he'll be done for."
Then, Zaltron turned back to the Castle and walked in.
"Very well. The Castle's well-being takes top priority. For now."
Meanwhile, in the castle, Keith freed Belle and Shiro as Jenny got herself ready.
"Okay. Here goes."
Then, she placed the palms of her hands together and formed a blue-white energy sphere before she thrust it at the crystal, causing it to eradicate any trace of Dark Quintessence from it and changed the Castle back to normal. As for the Phoenix that occupied it, it changed color and disappeared within the castle walls. Babak took a look at the systems and saw then beyond peak efficiency.
"Amazing! I don't know what you did, but everything is beyond their normal limits!"
Then, Jenny took a deep breath before she talked with Lance.
"Nice job."
"Thanks. But you should really be telling that to Alphus."
Hearing this, Babak became surprised as he turned to her.
"Alphus...? Where did you hear that name?"
Seeing that Babak had become interested, Jenny explained what happened.
"When I was unconscious, I saw... I saw a beautiful planet. Life thriving everywhere. I thought I was in Heaven. But... the lady who lived there told me it was somewhere called 'Planet X.' It's far out of reach from anywhere, especially the Galra. I don't understand. Was that Oriande?"
Although he couldn't answer that one, Babak had a question of his own.
"Could be. But just to be sure, how did Alphus appear to you?"
"In a dream, I guess?"
"I meant what did she look like?"
"Oh. Well, I can tell you that she had blue hair and eyes. She was so beautiful."
As Babak widened his eyes, he became very struck with surprise before Jenny spoke onward.
"By the ancients..."
"She also told me I can be capable of doing great things. Then, she just touched my belly and, poof! I'm back."
Lance grew more amazed at this new person.
"Well, whoever she was, she really helped us out."
Babak knew who she was.
"Of course she did. Alphus would never turn a blind eye to righteous Alteans."
Seeing how casually Babak mentioned her, Jenny became intrigued herself.
"Huh? Why would she? Better yet, who is she?"
"The Goddess of Light in the universe that once resided in another reality before she chose to live on Altea. We had feared she'd perished with our home. But, given what you've just experienced in your coma, we just might have a huge leap ahead of Zarkon."
Later, at the sleep chamber, Allura had gotten acquainted with Zaltron and Azix, thanks in part to Babak.
"This situation would've been worse if they hadn't helped."
"Princess Allura, I'm aware that you are skeptical of my motives. But I can assure you that I will fight for the sake of the universe and defeat the Galra Empire for good."
"Zaltron, you are right. I am a bit skeptical. But you've more than proven your worth by fighting alongside us. You're welcome to stay in the Castle with us, at least for the time being."
Seeing the two of them shaking hands, Babak smirked at their equal defiance against Zarkon as he and Azix spoke.
"Well, I guess rebellion runs in the family."
"That it does, Babak. That it does."
Meanwhile, Jenny saw that a pod is set up and became curious.
"So, what's with this pod?"
"This pod is actually meant for you. After a day in here, you should be fully healed."
"But why do I have to go in there? Aren't I better now?"
"While the Divine Quintessence gave you a boost in durability, you still haven't fully recovered from the Dark Quintessence. It's necessary."
Knowing how heavy a toll Jenny nearly paid from that Quintessential blast, Jenny sighed before speaking up.
"Can I just say something first?"
In compliance, Babak nodded before she turned to Pidge and spoke.
"Pidge. We can't thank you enough for all you've done. Especially not me. I can't help but feel that you're meant to be a part of our team. So, again, thank you."
"Aw, I didn't do much. Actually, I didn't really do anything to help you."
"Aw, come on. That's not true."
"Huh?"
"I heard you were going to leave the team."
Pidge felt embarrassed about not telling Jenny.
"So... You know about that, huh?"
"Yeah. Sis told me. But then, she convinced you to stay. And... I'm really glad she did."
Then, Jenny began to tear up.
"Because, if you'd left... you... you would've left me to die..."
Then, she hugged Pidge as she began to sob on her.
"But you stayed! Lance and the others may have helped me get off my feet, but the truth is, you saved me! Because by staying, you gave me the strength I needed to keep on living! I would've given up a long time ago if it wasn't for you!"
As she sobbed on her, Pidge smiled.
"I had to stay. Dad used to tell me how close he was with his crew members. They were like family. Now, I understand what he was talking about."
Jenny sniffled as she tried to speak.
"Y-You mean it? You promise you won't leave?"
"I promise. Let's stop Zarkon for all of our families."
Then, Jenny hugged her tighter as she gratified her, inadvertently crushing Pidge.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Okay. I'm getting crushed, here."
Then, Jenny stopped hugging Pidge in embarrassment.
"Oh. Sorry."
Then, Jenny walked in the pod and laid on her back as the pod closed on her with her tears eyes eyes shut and her lips smiling before she spoke softly.
"See you tomorrow."
With that, the pod activated, sealing Jenny in its cold embrace before Keith then turned to Pidge, as did Lapis.
"Good to have you back on the team."
"Yeah. Jenny is lucky to have a friend like you."
Pidge smiled back just as Hunk, Coran, and Sandra walked in with the new crystal to notice the group.
"Whoa. What happened here?"
"Is Jenny okay?"
Lapis explained their condition to Sandra, seeing as she wasn't around for that.
"She's fine now. In fact, she's just recovering in the pod."
Shiro wanted to know their situation as well before Hunk explained.
"What's up with you guys?"
"We've got something to tell you about what's going on at Balmera."
Then, Hunk noticed Zaltron beside Lapis before Babak answered him.
"Hey, who's this big robot dude?"
"Well, it's an equally long story."