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, and the story itself.
RL2, MaraJade, Cornholio, it's good to hear from you again. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. There's probably two or three left now, and I'm hoping to have it done by Christmas, and to have a new one started for the New Year.
Star Tron: Hidden Dangers
Chapter 13
"Captain, the Doom fleet is splitting up," Mordock reported.
Driscoll turned toward his science officer, crossing the bridge to the Benzite's station. "Flanking maneuver?"
Mordock touched a series of controls. "It doesn't appear so, sir. It looks like…"
"One group's heading for Arus, the other is on a direct course for the wormhole," Jacobs cut in. "They're launching two invasions at once."
A heavy silence descended on the bridge. Driscoll slowly turned back to the command area. "How big is the wormhole force?" he asked.
"One hundred and seven capital ships, sir," said Mordock. "Assorted cruisers and battleships, with star-cutter and fighter escort. A force of thirty-seven cruisers and battleships is approaching Arus."
"Your orders?" Gredar rasped.
Driscoll stood there a moment, stunned. He, like his mentor, didn't believe in a no-win scenario. But this seemed to be just that. His duty was to defend the Federation, and that meant abandoning Arus to the Doom onslaught, which he knew the Voltron Force and their scattered allied forces would be hard-pressed to repel, even under the best of circumstances.
But though his duty was clear, the choice was far from easy. The Sol system, he knew, had more than enough defenses to turn back the Doom assault. If there were even ten battle-ready starships in the system, that would be enough. But were there even those ten? And if there were, wouldn't Starfleet have sent them?
"What do we do, Captain?" Jacobs asked.
Driscoll turned to his tactical officer. "Order the Timberwolf to pursue the group headed for the wormhole, and send a priority-one warning to Command. We will remain to assist the Arusians."
"Captain, our priority is the Federation," Jacobs replied.
Driscoll's eyes flashed in anger. "Do not ever presume to question my orders on my bridge, Lieutenant-Commander. I will assume full responsibility for the consequences of my orders, now follow them!" As soon as he said that, he regretted it, but there was no time to explain his reasoning now.
Jacobs stiffened, surprised by the severity of the Captain's response to her statement. "Yes, sir!" she replied crisply, relaying the messages to the Timberwolf while Lt. Curtis swung the ship around to follow the Arus-bound force.
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Aboard his command ship, Kozal watched the form of Planet Arus loom larger on his viewer. In a few minutes, he'd be leading his task group into battle, with their first priority being the capture of the airfield.
Lotor had been certain that both Starfleet ships would follow his own group through the wormhole, so Kozal was caught off-guard when one of the robot soldiers called out, "Commander, a starship is approaching from behind."
Kozal spun to face the soldier. "Which one?"
"The Berlin, sir."
Kozal walked up behind the soldier and examined the display. Where Lotor would have scoffed at their resistance, Kozal took it very seriously. He'd seen the havoc this ship and her sister had wrought on the fleet as they approached Arus, and would not underestimate them.
"Deploy four escort cruisers to intercept, mobility engagement, and shift fighter cover to defend our rear quarter," Kozal ordered. He knew that those four cruisers would be able to do little to stop the starship, but they could slow it enough to allow the main force to reach the planet and begin deploying.
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"Ugh, what happened?" Hunk groaned as he slowly came to.
"Hunk, you okay?" Pidge asked.
"Yeah. A little shook up, but I'm okay," Hunk replied as his Lion lifted off toward the others.
While Hunk was out, the Voltron Force had been able to shift the robeast's attention away from Olessa, allowing the ground troops time to regroup. They were now digging in against the remains of the Konogg Brigade, which were slowly forcing them back into the town.
"Okay, team, form up," Keith said. As the others gathered, he led them a bit a way from the robeast. "We've got to hit this thing from different angles at once, with different types of weapons. That seems to be the only way to damage it. Anything else just passes right through."
Everyone acknowledged his statement, knowing exactly what that meant. Taking this robeast down would test their skills to the limit, and require absolutely flawless coordination and timing. But what was worse, Voltron was useless to them. The Blazing Sword was only a single weapon, and there was no way it could be effective against this robeast.
As they were positioning for their first attack, however Coran's voice suddenly filled their cockpits. "Doom fleet incoming! Thirty ships plus, with fighter escort!" Even as the advisor spoke, laser fire began raining down on the Lions, forcing them to break formation and dodge around the sky. The situation was becoming downright grim.
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At the airfield, Commander Wright saw the Doom fleet approaching, and ordered his men to prepare for action. As the enemy formations drew nearer, the hastily-installed defensive batteries opened up, joined by supporting fire from the Castle of Lions. It was some tricky shooting though, because they had to be careful not to hit the Voltron Lions, which were dodging around among the Doom ships, striking as they were able between evasive maneuvers.
As the enemy fleet came closer, it became obvious to Wright that their destination was the airfield. He'd been expecting them, as the airfield would prove invaluable for landing troops and armor that would be difficult to offload elsewhere, let alone with any speed.
Wright turned to his lieutenant. "Alert the men: stand by to repel assault forces. They're going to try to rout us from the inside." He knew that it was unlikely the relatively undermanned defensive force could hold the field for long in the face of any determined attack, but then, he had a surprise up his sleeve, as well.
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"Commander Jacobs, lock torpedoes and stand by full spread," said Driscoll. On the viewer ahead of him, the four Doom cruisers were approaching quickly. Within a few seconds, they'd be in range to fire their deadly lazon missiles.
Jacobs programmed the torpedoes and tensely awaited the firing command. She knew they'd get one shot at this, literally. If they missed, the Doom ships could destroy them before they could load another round of torpedoes into the tubes.
Driscoll stared at the screen, watching the enemies approach. They were holding too steady, as though they wanted the starship to fire at them. Something was nagging at the back of the Captain's mind. Something ominous.
"Reduce salvo to six torpedoes. Keep four in reserve, prepare to fire on my mark," Driscoll said. He waited a few more seconds, quietly counting down to himself.
"Fire!"
The six torpedoes exploded from the starship's launch tubes, spreading out and heading for their targets. As they did, the Doom vessels dodged swiftly to the side. Two of the six torpedoes struck their target, the cruiser falling into a spin, its engines dead. The other three rushed the starship, lasers and missile launchers blazing.
"Point defense!" Gredar called as Driscoll yelled, "Launch remaining torpedoes!"
"Hard 'a port, all back port impulse engine!" Driscoll added, aiming to turn his ship away from most of the missiles. The lasers flashed against the starship's shields as the vessel's phasers lashed out at the missiles. Two more cruisers were crippled, each with two torpedo hits. The third came around, maneuvering for another shot as the missiles detonated, too far from the ship to cripple it, but the enriched warheads did plenty to weaken the Federation ship's shields.
"Captain, those were topaz missiles!" Mordock shouted as the bridge shook with the force of an earthquake.
"Naw shit, really?" Driscoll shouted back sarcastically. "Guess they're not holding back anymore," he added to no one in particular. "Where is that sonofabitch?"
"Starboard quarter, close aboard," Jacobs replied.
"Reset phasers and fire," Driscoll ordered. "Helm, swing us around to his bearing."
"Reset phasers, aye," said Jacobs.
"Aye, sir, coming about," said Curtis.
"Firing!" Jacobs announced.
Everyone on the bridge watched the screen as crimson lightning tore into the Doom cruiser, its hull erupting under the barrage, before a massive explosion from within the bowels of the ship tore it in two.
"Good shooting," Gredar hissed.
"Damn good," Driscoll concurred. "Mr. Mordock, status of the enemy fleet?"
"Wormhole invasion group is out of sensor range."
"Timberwolf reports they've engaged the fleet just beyond the orbit of Pluto. No reply from Starfleet yet."
Driscoll cursed. "What's the Arus force doing?"
"Arus group has commenced bombardment of friendly defensive positions. It appears they are clearing landing zones."
Driscoll looked at the helmsman. "Mr. Curtis, park us in low orbit over the planet. All stations, prepare for surface bombardment." He walked over to the science console. "Mordock, what's the Voltron Force doing?" he asked.
"Voltron Force is under fire from enemy warships," Mordock replied.
"I have reports from the Castle of Lions of a robeast near Olessa," said Jacobs.
Driscoll paused. The rest of the enemy fleet seemed to be ignoring the Berlin and focusing on the landings. The starship would be able to remain in orbit and pick off the attacking ships as they made their landing runs. Except…
"Captain, I'm having trouble locking onto the enemy ships. They're using some kind of ECM field that is deflecting our targeting sensors," Jacobs reported.
"Manual targeting," Gredar commanded.
"No effect. Still unable to target," Jacobs replied.
Driscoll nodded. "Looks like we need to get FAC'd up." He turned and strode toward the turbolift, stopping for a moment at Jacobs' side. "I'll mark the targets for you; all you have to do is zero in and fire."
Jacobs nodded. "Understood, Captain."
"Captain!" Gredar called after him, startlingly loud, given his usual low growls and snarls. "You should remain on the bridge."
Driscoll stopped and spun to face his first officer. "Someone needs to mark those targets for Jacobs, and Thunderwing's the only auxiliary craft we have left." He turned back and entered the turbolift. As the doors closed, he added, "We'll talk later, Commander."
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Commander Kozal watched the airfield grow steadily larger as his ship drew nearer. "All hands, prepare for landing. Assault teams to main hatches! Stand by to deploy!" he commanded. As he did, defensive fire began to rise from the airfield, slamming against his ship.
"Taking fire from the base!" one of the crewmen reported. Kozal nodded. The ship was beginning to shake as the heavier armaments zeroed in. "Hold course. Return fire." He ordered. "Show me the Lions."
The image on his screen changed, and he saw the five Lions continuing to dodge as the rest of the ships in the formation fired at them and at the entrenched defenders on the ground. For the time being, Kozal had ordered his fleet to maintain formation and provide cover for the capture of the airfield. Every so often, one of the Lions would come around and fire, seemingly at nothing. But upon occasion, two or three blasts would strike the same point and there would be an explosion. Of course, Lotor had warned him about the special robeast Haggar had sent to Arus. But still, it was a curious sight.
Suddenly, his ship shook violently and pitched forward, straight at the side of the landing area.
"What happened?' Kozal demanded.
"Fire from the Federation ship, Commander. Main power is fluctuating, navigation systems do not respond."
"Brace for impact!" Kozal shouted, strapping himself into his command chair as the surface of the airfield grew frighteningly large, and the defensive guns continued to rake his crippled cruiser.
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Captain Driscoll rolled inverted and crossed over the field, watching the lead cruiser hit the landing deck, slide across it and tumble off the far side, leaving a blackened gouge in its wake.
"Good hit, Berlin, he's down. Stand by for new target," he said.
"Acknowledged," came the reply in Jacobs' voice.
Driscoll was acting as a FAC, a Forward Air Controller, for the starship, directing the vessel's phaser and torpedo fire since the starship itself was unable to lock on. He had come in on the lead battleship and strafed it, then the Berlin locked onto the flares and explosions his phasers caused, and the greater firepower of the starship was brought to bear for the kill.
Flicking his plane upright, he banked and turned hard, vapor trails streaming from his wings. "Target up," he announced as he bore down on another ship and fired, his phasers stitching a trail across the conning tower. Seconds after he cleared the ship, two photon torpedoes cut it in two. Driscoll tore straight into the formation, tagging one ship after another, each strike followed closely by a barrage of phasers or torpedoes from on high.
Now the enemy ships were firing back at him, realizing that a shot from him meant imminent death from above. Driscoll began dodging and weaving as he flew, his nimble fighter dancing around the sky. On one pass, he crossed very close to Lance.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Lance said.
"You watch it. I had the right-of-way!" As he retorted at Lance, he banked and downed two fighters that were coming after Red Lion.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Lance asked, suddenly beside him.
Driscoll was about to reply when he noticed another cruiser just ahead. "Can't talk, gotta shoot! Berlin, target up!" he said as he squeezed the trigger, peppering the cruiser with phaser strikes.
Seconds later, Lance just barely dodged the photon torpedo that blew the cruiser in two. "Forget this! I'm safer with the robeast!" he said as he turned back toward the rest of the Lions.
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With Kozal down, the Berlin picking off the ships, the intermittent attacks from the Lions, and intensifying defensive fire from the Castle of Lions and the airfield, the invasion force was dwindling fast, and the formations fell apart. It was every ship for itself.
On the ground, survivors of the downed vessels took up their arms and tried to aid the ground assault, but reinforcements had arrived in Olessa from the other regions, and they were now an immovable force, well entrenched and holding the city tenaciously. Most of the Doom Tanks were lost in the crashes, and those few that could be brought to action were quickly silenced by the defenders' weapons.
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The robeast, in its battle with the Lions, had moved away from the city and was now tramping around in the middle of a forest.
Keith turned his Lion toward the robeast again, and saw Allura lining up on it as well. "On my mark, Princess!"
Allura was lining up on the back of the beast, and Keith was coming from it from the right, slightly in front. Keith counted down mentally, timing the shot.
"Now!" he shouted as Black Lion let loose a blast from its plasma cannon. Allura let loose with a flurry of ion darts, which passed through the beast, but Keith's plasma cannon blast struck home, knocking the robeast back as a flurry of small, red projectiles exploded against its face, sending it tumbling to the ground.
Thunderwing banked into formation with the other two Lions, its triple-tube micro-torpedo launchers still glowing.
"Keith, look!" Pidge said.
All of the Lion pilots looked at where the robeast had fallen, and saw some sort of generator pack on the creature's hip, totally smashed and spewing sparks.
It took a second for the significance of that to sink in. They looked at the creature…
"The mask's down!" Lance said.
"Good shot, boss!"
As the robeast struggled uneasily to his feet, they got their first look at him. Its head was a featureless mass with a band running across it where the eyes should be. The body was lean and gangly, almost skinny, but the arms and legs were massive, the forearms carrying blades on them. The legs from hip to foot were encased in some kind of steel boots. The creature's color and skin texture was not unlike a pomegranate, purplish-red and leathery. It carried a battle axe that looked like an oar, the top end blunt and heavily-built.
"Where does Haggar find these things?" Hunk asked.
"You can ask her later, Hunk. Right now, it's time for the big guns!" Keith said, drawing his controls in as the fusion systems came online. "Activate interlocks. Dynotherms connected. Infracells up, megathrusters are go."
"Let's go Voltron Force!" the team chorused as they pulled into a vertical climb.
"Form feet and legs," Keith called as Blue and Yellow Lions formed up. "Form arms and body! Thunderwing interface!" The little fighter slid into Black Lion's back as the other Lions locked into place. "And I'll form the head!" With a mighty roar, Voltron stood poised to take on the robeast.
Now without its cloak, this robeast was as vulnerable as any other. But it was far from finished. It raised its sword and charged. "Dodge it!" Keith yelled. Voltron jumped aside, narrowly avoiding the blade as the robeast plowed by. Suddenly, it rounded, trying to catch Voltron unawares. "Grab!" Keith yelled, and Voltron's left arm caught the robeast's sword arm by the wrist. "Fire!" His right arm came up, and Red Lion's flamethrower spewed flaming geyser into the robeast's face.
It stumbled back, dazed, as Voltron clapped his hands together. "Form Blazing Sword!" Keith commanded, and the great blade appeared as Voltron spread his hands apart. But as Voltron lunged for the kill, the robeast brought his own sword up, blocking and then parrying Voltron's strike. Knocking the blazing sword aside, the robeast struck out with its bladed forearm, creasing Voltron's chest, and the great defender staggered back.
"Keith, if he hits us like that again, he'll penetrate our armor," Allura warned.
"Adam, reinforce the shields!"
"Already did. He cut right through it."
"Then we've gotta finish this," Keith said. The robeast came at Voltron again, but this time, he was ready. As the robeast closed in, Voltron flew up into the air, somersaulting over the robeast. As he came down, Keith yelled, "Strike!" The Blazing Sword came down, cutting directly down the robeast's spine.
The Doom construct threw its head back and screamed as it exploded, and flaming debris was strewn across the countryside. The team cheered their victory as Coran's voice came across the comm channel. "Castle Control calling Voltron."
"Go ahead, Coran," said Keith.
"Radar shows no more Doom vessels in the area. Ground forces are still engaged, but they report that the battle is in their favor."
"Copy that. We'll help out however we can," Keith replied. A few moments later, Voltron separated, the five Lions and the Mustang forming up over the remains of the robeast.
"Keith, I'm gonna need you're help. The rest of the Doom ships went through the wormhole, and as far as I know, Timberwolf is alone. And if there's a robeast…"
Keith didn't need any further explanation. "Okay, team, form up with the Berlin. Let's go teach Lotor a lesson about messing with Voltron!"
"Sounds good to me," said Lance.
"Yeah, let's go!" said Pidge.
"Let's finish it," Hunk agreed.
"We're with you, Adam," said Allura.
"Shit hot. I'll see you guys up there." He stood the P-51 on its nose and rocketed upward, lost from sight in seconds.
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He nearly ran off of the turbolift onto the Berlin's bridge, skirting the tactical console as he headed for his seat. "T.J., that was some good shooting. Gredar, status?"
"No Doom vessels remaining within sensor range. Some attempted to flee."
"And you took care of them, I hope?" The Gorn's rumbling growl was all the confirmation Driscoll needed. "Any word from Starfleet or Timberwolf?"
"No, sir," Jacobs replied.
"Okay, Mike, set course for the wormhole, as fast as practical. The Voltron Force should be forming up momentarily. They're going to accompany us in case of robeasts." He looked pointedly at Jacobs, hoping she got the message. He'd known that there was no way Voltron would leave Arus unless the robeast were destroyed, and the enemy fleet was at least under control, if not wiped out. That was why he hadn't pursued the main fleet through the wormhole.
"Voltron Force is forming up now," Mordock announced.
"Great. Curtis, engage."
On her captain's command, the great starship, flanked by her feline allies, headed for the wormhole. All aboard her knew that what had happened up to now was just the prelude. The real battle was about to begin.
A/N: A Forward Air Controller (FAC) is someone, usually a pilot, who directs attacks by aircraft. This can be done either from the air or on the ground. "Shit hot" is pilot-ese for "good", also used as an expression of approval. It is sometimes said as "Sierra-Hotel", which uses radio code for the letters "S" and "H", and is also more appropriate for polite company. The triple-tube micro-torpedo launchers are designed after the M-10 rocket launchers used during WWII.
The line "Can't talk, gotta shoot," was actually uttered during a dogfight by then-Captain Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group in WWII. He was describing a large group of German aircraft he came upon, and when asked by squadron-mates where he was, his answer was "Can't talk, gotta shoot" followed by the sound of his guns as he shot down a German Bf-109 fighter. The line was used in a war bond campaign, and has become rather famous among fighter pilots.