Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron, Star Trek, or anything else that belongs to WEP or Paramount. What I do own are the crew of the Berlin, (except for Mordock and Scotty), the fighter, Thunderwing, the Drules and slaves that aren't from the series, and the story itself.

Lille, RL2, thanks for the reviews. I always look forward to your feedback.

Crash, you'll be pleased to know that I revised chapter 6. Sorry about the mistakes. And your nitpicks are always welcome. Helps keep me sharp. As far as where I get all the scientific and technological stuff, well, it's what I do. I'm a technology teacher (without a full time position yet, unfortunately), so I know a little about these things. I'm glad to hear others find it interesting.

Star Tron: Hidden Dangers

Chapter 7

Allura burst into the Control Room at a run. As she expected, she was the last to arrive. Keith nodded to her as Coran explained, "We are getting reports of explosions and fires in the harbor town of Shavena."

"Adam's already on the way," Allura said.

"Have there been any reports of fighters?" Keith asked.

"No. It would appear that the Konogg Brigade has mounted another commando operation."

Keith nodded, his jaw clenched in anger. Turning to Pidge, he said, "Get up there and see if you can find anything. Adam can cover you while you scan."

"Right, Chief," the boy replied as he leaped into his launch tube.

As Pidge lifted off and headed for Shavena, Adam called in. "Thunderwing to Castle Control."

"Go ahead, Captain," said Coran.

Adam's image appeared on the main viewer. He was looking off to the side of the plane, his face reflecting the firelight below. "I've got fires in the main harbor area. Four ships… no, five. All burning. Fires are spreading to the docks and support buildings."

"No!" Allura blurted. "Keith, that's all that's left of the Naval Defense Force!"

"Any sign of commandos on the ground?" Keith asked.

"Negative. It's hard to tell with everyone running around down there, but I doubt they'd have stuck around, anyway."

Keith nodded. "Okay, Adam. Pidge is on his way. Cover him while he takes a look around."

"Copy that. Out."

Allura watched on the screen as the images from Thunderwing's sensors were transmitted back. "Keith, I'm going out there."

"There's no point, Allura. If Pidge finds something, then we'll all go."

"Blue Lion's water cannon can help with the fires," Allura reminded him. Seeing his stone-faced indecision, she huffed in exasperation. "Keith, spraying water on fires is about the safest flying assignment I could ask for."

"She's got a point, Keith," said Lance. "And from the looks of things, they could probably use the extra firepower. Well, water-power."

Keith thought it over a moment, and then nodded. "Okay, Princess, go ahead. Lance, you go with her. Hunk and I will stay here in case you need us."

Allura smiled as she and Lance headed for their launch tubes.

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As Lance and Allura raced toward Shavena, Pidge and Adam were scanning the fields and woods around the town for any sign of the Konogg Brigade.

"I don't think we're going to find anything," said Pidge.

"Me either, shorty," Driscoll replied. He looked around and paused a moment to watch the fires burning in the harbor. The flames were so bright on the cruisers that the water itself seemed to burn.

The water…

That was it! All that damage was done in areas adjacent to the water, which meant that if the Konogg Brigade was anywhere around here…

"Pidge! We're looking in the wrong place. We need to scan the coastline."

"Are you sure? What if…"

"Pidge, if they're down there, we can't see 'em anyway. What have we got to lose?"

Pidge shrugged. "Okay. I guess we might as well try."

The two craft angled off toward the coast and split up. Pidge ran north, while Adam ran south, both sweeping in circular patterns.

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"Lieutenant! Enemy craft approaching," the sensor operator reported.

"Identify," Lt. Razin ordered.

"Two contacts. One is Green Lion, the other appears to be the Starfleet fighter. They are executing a sweep. At their current rate of progress, they'll be over us in six minutes."

Razin nodded. Their time was nearly up, but their mission was not yet completed. Once more, Razin cursed Commander Torka for not allowing him to finish the Voltron Force in the woods.

He checked another display, and saw that the ships in the harbor, though burning, seemed to be relatively stable. Their mission had been to sink those five ships. Razin estimated that one more round of torpedoes would finish them.

"Gunner," he said, "prepare a spread of torpedoes. Your targets are the cruisers in the harbor. Fire on my mark."

"Yes, sir," the gunner replied.

"Stand by…"

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Adam and Pidge were circling low over the water, looking for any sign of the commandos. Allura and Lance had by now arrived at the harbor, and were assisting the fire crews as best they could in the chaos.

As Pidge scanned the water below, he saw a number of pale, glowing streaks moving toward the harbor at an alarming rate. "Hey, guys, heads up!" he called. "There's something headed for the harbor."

Adam looked around and saw the streaks, too. "Torpedoes in the water! Clear the docks now!" He pulled the Mustang into a tight turn, switching on his guns and sight. "Pidge, Allura, Lance, try to shoot those things before they hit the docks."

Adam rushed in, phasers blazing, but all his weapons did was vaporize the water above the torpedoes. "Damn, they're too deep for phasers. Use missiles," he said.

Seconds later, Pidge announced, "Space torpedoes!" as the launcher appeared on Green Lion's back and the compact projectiles shot toward the torpedoes in the water. The attack destroyed three and knocked two others off course.

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While the Voltron Force tried to stop the torpedoes, Razin was watching them and grinning. It would only be a few moments now…

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Lance's lip contorted into a snarl as the torpedoes that they hadn't caught up with struck the already damaged ships and docks. Two of the cruisers were blown in two, while the others slowly rolled onto their sides, one falling onto the dock beside it. Other torpedoes hit the piles of the docks, collapsing whole sections into the water. People and debris were thrown everywhere by the explosions.

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Razin grinned as he watched the destruction unfold. The Voltron Force was milling around, no doubt watching the fireworks display he'd put on for them.

Razin badly wanted to order a missile volley fired at the Lions, but decided against it. Even if he was successful, his orders were specific: Do not engage the Voltron Force. And Commander Torka was far more demanding of discipline than rewarding of success. "Return to base," he ordered. "Maximum depth."

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"If those torpedoes came straight in," said Lance, "whoever fired 'em should be this way." Everyone formed up around Lance as he led them out to sea, looking for whatever was responsible for the destruction of Shavena harbor.

But after half an hour of searching mile after mile of empty sea, the Voltron Force returned to the port. The attackers had escaped again, but there were still plenty of fires to fight. Keith and Hunk had already arrived by the time the others got there, and Black Lion's pilot wasted no time in organizing the team.

"Allura, Hunk, start working on the center area of the docks. Create a lane so that they can get fire equipment to the ships. Lance, you and I will evacuate the injured and anyone trapped in the fires. Pidge, you start sweeping the harbor and get people out of the water. Adam, get upstairs. I want you up top helping us coordinate and covering us in case those fighters show up."

Without a word, the team went to work. Smoke and flame reduced visibility to zero within half a mile of the docks. Flying on instruments alone, and Adam's direction, Allura and Hunk made pass after pass over the intact sections of the piers, spraying water and dumping wet sand dredged from the harbor floor.

For their part, Keith and Lance circled low through the murk, following their sensors to areas where people were trapped by the inferno, pulling out as many people as could climb into their cargo bays, and the mouths and legs of the Lions. The townspeople established an impromptu triage center in the town square, while others joined in to help quench the blazes, right down to passing buckets of water.

Aboard the ships and on the docks, people got ahold of communications gear and helped direct the Lions' efforts, while every boat of any size was mustered to help douse flames, rescue victims in the water, and carry injured people to safety.

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As the sun rose over Shavena, the Voltron Force and the townspeople finally had the fires under control. Many areas were still blazing, but the fires were no longer spreading. During the night, people from other villages, including a detachment of Starfleet engineers from Olessa, came to help. A cloud of smoke still hung over the town, extending thousands of feet into the sky as the Voltron Force formed up and prepared to head home. As they flew over the docks, the extent of the damage left them speechless.

Shavena harbor, which was small to begin with, had been effectively destroyed. The five cruisers, the parts of them still above water, anyway, were charred and gutted by fire. Smoke still rose from them and from the burned out hulks of dockside buildings. The piers themselves were gone, only the piles remaining above water. For hundreds of yards in any direction, buildings were damaged by smoke and flame, and some continued to smolder. A film of ash, lubricant, and debris floated on the water. And bodies. Dozens of bodies, sailors and civilians alike, floated amongst the detritus on the water's surface. It was the most grisly scene of destruction the Voltron Force had ever beheld.

"My God, there's nothing left," Adam murmured. He wondered just how many ships had attacked that night.

The others merely continued to circle the area, unable to find any words to communicate what they were feeling. Their expressions ranged from tears to angry scowls.

Finally, Keith said, "There's nothing more we can do here. Let's go home." The others fell into formation, and the Voltron Force returned to the Castle of Lions.

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While the Voltron Force was fighting the fires in Shavena, another fire was blazing on Citrine II.

"You want to what?" Kozal demanded.

"You heard me, Kozal," said Lotor. "Why do you think I've summoned four fleets?"

"Those ships will never make it past Voltron and the starships!" Kozal shot back. "You're handing a death sentence to every man you send!"

Lotor was furious. Never had one of his commanders ever dared to question him so openly. "How dare you presume to speak to me that way?" he said. "You will follow you orders, Kozal, or so help me, I will throw you into the Pit of Skulls myself! Those ships will be ready to move on schedule. No excuses. Do I make my self clear, Commander?"

Kozal leapt to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table so hard, the other side jumped up. The other commanders looked at him in alarm, more than a few believing that he was about to attack Lotor.

But he had no choice. If he didn't obey, Lotor would simply have him replaced with someone who would. One way or another, Lotor would have his way.

So, with a conscious effort, he controlled his temper and simply nodded. "As you command," he said, not making eye contact with Lotor.

"That's more like it," Lotor replied with a sneer. "Now go, all of you," he said, looking at the assembled fleet and fighter commanders. As they filed out of the room, Lotor and Kozal stared at each other until the Commander disappeared from sight.

The fool, Lotor mused. Challenging me in front of my command. How dare he? But Lotor, indignant though he was, couldn't help but acknowledge that Kozal knew his business. He was the type of man who could be a valuable ally, and a dangerous enemy. His men loved him, perhaps too much. And that could be very dangerous. Kozal would have to be reined in, and if he resisted, there was only one alternative.

"Kozal does not believe the invasion will succeed," said Haggar, coming forward from the shadows.

Lotor grunted.

"You would be wise to seek his counsel, rather than forcing your will on him," the witch advised. "His experience would be an asset. That is why your father assigned him to this base."

"Kozal is a fool who has outlived his usefulness," Lotor replied. "I am perfectly capable of carrying out my father's plans."

"And you have such an exemplary record already," Haggar replied sarcastically.

"Silence, witch!" Lotor commanded, eliciting a yowl from the blue cat at Haggar's feet. But still, he knew Kozal was right. If Voltron teamed up with the starships, it was unlikely enough of his own force would survive to reach the target for the invasion to be successful.

But then, not all of his invasion assets were on Citrine II.