Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, here it is and Epilogue will be tomorrow. Italics are either radio convo or telepathic connection
Chapter Ten
Marsh glared back at the princess as her words cut deep through the clouds of loneliness and pain of his mind.
"You're lying!" He roared and stumbled in his footing. A crippling stab flared in his heart again. He couldn't deny Allura's words ignited what was left of his hope. The little spark clawed back from the recesses of his mind where his depression silenced it.
Tremors wracked his hand and he clutched his arm. The older deputy shook uncontrollably then he fell to his knees. Allura saw his tears streaked down his cheek. Alarmed, Allura dashed to his side to support him.
"Naria, Naria." Marsh uttered over and over again between his labored breathing.
Allura pulled the ex-deputy to his feet. The man leaned heavily against the princess. They made in a snail pace walk toward the door.
"Please hear me, Marsh." She didn't mean to send the man to cardiac arrest. She only wanted to give him hope. She glanced sideways and found the man utterly silent and breathing seemed regular once more.
The hunch about Jazia's pendant was still debatable, and until Allura can determine for certain, the pendant was somehow connected to Marsh's own keepsake.
"You must have seen Jazia's necklace since you were working with her every day." Allura implored. She wanted him to recall the possibility he had already seen the necklace around Jazia's neck.
"Curse your words, princess!" Marsh lashed out with a vicious backhand.
Allura's cheek and jaw flared from hot pain as her vision exploded. She was thrown to the floor by his unexpected action. She had automatically rolled away from him when a heavy body slammed behind her. The force had taken the princess off-guard.
The new opponent's vice-grip arms wrapped her tightly enough to squeeze the air out her lungs. Allura was lifted off her feet and the oncoming wall rushed towards her.
Controlling her panic, Allura raised her feet as they neared the wall, and she pushed out with all her strength. She slammed the back of her head against the man's face simultaneously for added measure which further sent the man off-balance as they fell backwards.
The man's arm loosened around Allura which was enough for her to spring lithely backward like a cat away from her new assailant.
It was Geldrin!
He was immediately on his feet and leered at the battle-ready princess. They circled as they eyed each other for weakness. He liked his women with fighting spirit. It made crushing their hopes all the more delightful. Allura took a quick glance at Marsh. The ex-deputy was in the middle of fighting off the two spies despite his condition.
Geldrin rushed forward thinking Allura was distracted but she was ready for his attack. She delivered a hard kick to his unprotected torso and deftly sidestepped to her left.
Without her voltcomm or any weapons at hand, Allura had to rely on hand-to-hand combat techniques. The fight with Geldrin reminded her of Hunk being a heavier and taller opponent coupled with Lance's aggressiveness and Keith's ruthless, calculating moves.
Allura changed her attack to outwit Geldrin. She feinted to her right and Geldrin took the bait which enabled Allura to deliver a nerve-numbing jab. A self-defense technique Pidge taught her when faced with heavier and battle-hardened opponents. Her finger found area and as a result, his right arm drooped like a wilted leaf.
"Need any help, Geldrin?" Fellin flung a snide remark, throwing the princess a lecherous glance that was enough to chill Allura's bones.
Geldin only grunted and pivoted on his heel to grab a handful of Allura's hair from behind. The princess quickly and struck with a hard punch to his throat. The crushing blow to his windpipe left him to gag and he fell to the floor, unconscious.
Instincts spiked at the back of Allura's mind and spun at her heel to catch sight of Fellin's roundhouse kick, she darted closer and landed an uppercut to Fellin's chin. The punch wasn't enough to deter Fellin's aggressive attacks. It only made him angrier. The princess lashed out with a succession of counter-kicks and he backpedalled once more.
More of Allura's training came to fore as she let her mind guide her back to the last sparring memory with Keith before he left Arus to track down Black Lion, a couple of years ago.
In the meantime, Havran and Marsh grappled on the floor. The ex-deputy proved he still has some last fight in him and countered Havran's wrist lock.
Havran drove at hard punch. A labored breathing answered him and pummeled Marsh with more punches. The former deputy crumpled at his midsection. Havran hurtled a final punch to the ex-deputy's face.
Marsh's vision blurred to white before returning to a tilted view of the room. He was passing in and out of consciousness as he saw Havran's greedy fingers wrapped on the handgrip of his compact blaster.
The former deputy forced his last bit of strength to wrestle the weapon away from the spy but his energy was spent and dark spots formed before his eyes. With his breathe already shallow and ragged, he failed to avoid Havran's sucker-punch.
Marsh's vision clouded once more as they fought over the weapon. Havran's punches to his unprotected solar plexus also winded Marsh further. The ex-deputy slumped to the floor. He weakly rolled to his left, hoping to warn Allura before it was too late.
"Princess…." He trailed softly and passed out before he could complete his warning.
Havran leveled the weapon and fired.
A blue beam streaked out.
Allura dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Fellin straightened up. "Took your time." He heaved a breath.
Havran holstered Marsh's tranquiller gun. "Quite a fighter." Havran eyed Fellin's injuries. "Too bad her knight in shining armor was blown to bits by the Cleaner."
Fellin wiped the blood off his swollen lip and unceremoniously carried Allura over his shoulder like a sack of potato. "She didn't hit me that hard." The stocky spy limped toward the door.
"The Voltron Force will be breathing down our necks if you bring her." Havran pointed out.
"Let's move." Fellin grumbled and knew Havran was right. They left Geldrin's body lifeless on the floor. "She's our ticket off this planet." He added.
"And the Cleaner?" Havran asked. He hurriedly followed behind a limping Fellin as he carried his carried his royal cargo.
"Call the constabulary." He chuckled at his growing idea. "Let them handle him. Stun him enough so he'll be around when they do arrive and not bother us as we make our escape off this planet. He's too slippery for them." He added and left Havran to do what he was told.
"We can leave the princess with a Drule Intelligence officer here too." Havran suggested as they raced down the stairs with the unconscious princess and headed for the parked vehicle.
Fellin dumped the princess at the back of the vehicle and slid to the driver's seat. "I thought there were no DI agents operating in this planet?" They've commandeered Marsh's vehicle and drove away at top speed.
"He's not our usual contact," Havran answered thoughtfully. "His Drule computer codes were different. I didn't think the group was even active."
"What are you talking about? There are other Drule Intelligence groups?" Fellin brusquely asked trying to concentrate on their high speed get away on rugged terrain.
Havran gripped the dashboard so hard, his knuckles were white. The vehicle nearly toppled over the side to a steep ravine below when Fellin made a very sharp right before finding the road again.
Fellin glared back at him. "Well, you were saying?"
"Leave the princess to The Faceless." The slight man struggled to activate his seat harness. Fellin's maniacal driving in hairpin curves will be the death of him.
"The Faceless. Those things exist?" Fellin understood dragging the princess will cause more trouble for them the longer she was in their custody. "Call the Faceless," he decided. "We'll hitch a ride to our auxiliary site in this province and disappear."
"His bio-signs disappeared?" Lance repeated, keeping his voice low and neutral as his mind ticked off the top five usual scenarios. "This isn't unusual for him, you know." Lance looked away at the blurring vistas from the vehicle's window as he listened to Pidge's report.
The red lion pilot had joined Chief Andros and his constabulary team heading for Oliyar province. Their driver utilized every shortcut, every underground tunnel which the public has no knowledge in order to cut the travel time. There was still no answer from Keith. Lance wasn't too worried about his best friend but his instincts told him his friend was in a jam.
Pidge, the green lion pilot busily manning Castle Control, turned to his seatmate for new updates. Vince was trying to contact Keith on another channel when the Voltron commander's bio-signs went dark, the moment they've lost communications with him 15 minutes ago. They haven't been able to link up with Keith since then. The new cadet still shook his head.
"We still don't know if there was a frequency embedded in those thermal spikes scrambling Keith's internal bio-monitor." Pidge spoke while his fingers typed more codes on the keyboard to boost the Castle's signal. "We still can't raise him, but we'll keep trying."
"Incendiary devices," Lance concluded.
"We thought that too." Pidge answered. He sent Keith's last known position to Lance's voltcomm device. "Hunk also found the princess's voltcomm." He continued and as the red lion pilot showed Chief Andros, Keith's last position on the map.
"Her voltcomm was left outside beside Blue last night. There were no signs of anyone setting foot inside the lion, no signs of tampering." Pidge completed his report while his concern for his teammates shown through his eyes.
"I think it's high time we consider coming up with biometric locks for our voltcomms," Lance suggested while reigning in his annoyance out of his voice. "Every bad guy seemed to have a knack for taking out these first."
"I'm also thinking of including another built-in tracer for our suits too in case something else fries our voltcomms." Pidge added Vince gave his senior officer a small smile. "Maybe I can have some specs ready for you to check on later," Vince volunteered quietly.
Pidge nodded and was very grateful for the help then signed off. They continued working in silence just as Hunk buzzed in to report all the survivors accounted for and he's in talks with Counselor Magan in coordinating efforts to mobilize more housing units ready for occupancy for the affected Arusians.
"Hunk, the master engineer, how goes at your end?" Pidge asked as he noticed Hunk's worried expression.
"I don't remember being this stubborn as a cadet." Hunk threw a glance over his shoulder when Daniel came into view, loading construction materials to an antigrav cart. "I was really hoping Daniel was going to find this opportunity rewarding too." He muttered as Counselor Magan came to his side.
"As Allura had said, give the cadets time." Pidge encouraged his big hearted friend who could never turn down the prospect of sharing some of his prefab design ideas to Counselor Magan.
"Please send our gratitude to the Princess for having Hunk on board with the housing designs." The counselor was smiling tightly though which made Pidge wonder.
"Will do, Counselor. "
"We gladly accept the help but," Counselor Magan chose his words next so as not to offend the robust Voltron yellow pilot, "you must understand, Arusians will prefer Arusian designed homes too." There he said it.
Pidge fought the grin off his face.
Hunk began to look at away from the camera, "It's not?" He was unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.
"I leave it in your capable hands, Hunk. Castle Control out." Pidge imagined his friend was mentally modifying his suggested designs after hearing Counselor Magan's remarks.
"I think this is also an opportunity to discuss with the princess and Coran the benefits of a shield for the town too and for the Castle." Pidge pondered quietly, studying the town's schematic on screen.
Vince smiled at the prospect of new projects. "I can't wait to start drafting some more specs."
Pidge turned to the young cadet in surprise, "You understand shield design basics?"
"Just browsed some texts especially those taught at the Academy," Vince answered with a shrug. "Baltans have different shield technology, right?"
Pidge nodded. "I'll send word to my homeworld and maybe Coran will write a security package deal of some sort." He was serious again. "Any change on Keith's vitals?"
Static came in through the communications system as Keith gingerly treaded his way to the entrance of the castle. "Keith, come in, Keith?" Pidge's worried tone cracked through the static.
"Hold on, Pidge." Keith adjusted his comm signal. "Can you hear me?"
"We're finally reading you loud and clear, and your heartbeat has leveled off." The green lion pilot let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Dr. Stoker." Keith scanned the stairs for other surprises. "Marsh left a lot of gifts at the forecourt for unwanted visitors." His visor sensors read nothing but he decided to tread carefully and reached the base of the stairs.
Keith climbed up the stairs swiftly and approached the landing with caution. The rest of the second wing of the castle was open to the elements with only bare beams and a few walls waiting for the right gale strength to knock them over.
He turned right to the corridor which was structurally sound as Pidge continued with his report. Keith's visor read two bodies in the first room to his left where light spilled out of the doorway. He spotted Marsh sprawled on the floor while the other man already flat-lined.
"She's not here." Keith's voice was flat. He remembered Allura telling him there was another man in the van with her. He surveyed the room for some evidence but the bare room only held destroyed murals, cut ropes on the floor, and a very clean yet strange looking crest on the wall.
Keith dropped to one knee and noted the purple discoloration of the man's left arm. "She used your technique." He directed his activated visor cam on the affected arm for Pidge and Vince to see at Castle Control.
Pidge recognized the fatal technique. "He had only a few minutes before he would eventually expire if that broken windpipe didn't finish him first."
Keith's lips drew to tight line. He knew Allura never wanted to take a life in combat but if her life was in danger, she wouldn't hesitate protecting herself.
"See, if you can find any of his known associates and his background." Keith panned once more to the crest on the wall, "and find out who this castle belonged to."
"Got it." Pidge answered after a few minutes.
"That was fast." Keith had been searching along the length of the corridor and the other two vacant rooms for clues when Pidge came back to report about Geldrin's background and work history but no clues to his connection with Marsh or the castle.
Pidge began relating next the castle's history, the war satellite project called "Arus Eyes" and the eventual destruction of the project, entries about the last royal family residing in the castle just as the Zarkonian Wars broke out, Marsh Nev's impeccable GA record, his subsequent employment at the constabulary and lastly, the maintenance of the underground military facility.
Keith returned to where he found Marsh after finding nothing of importance in the other rooms. He strode to the corner bed where the ex-deputy was still unconscious.
He was taken aback by Marsh's connection to the place and the significance of the castle. He began to share some information he found about Marsh's wife when they visited the constabulary yesterday.
"The crest and what's left of the castle was the only shrine to remember his wife then," Pidge's commented through the comlink.
"I believe so. Can you give me access to the underground facility?" Keith checked the man's pulse again. It was still steady and his breathing was now regular. He searched the other man's pockets for a key but found nothing except the pendant. He was torn between finding the princess and exploring the facility when he heard the approaching constabulary sirens.
"Sorry, Keith. We don't have it on records. According to the archives sidebar, half of the blueprints were ordered to be destroyed and the file that we have doesn't show any access points from the castle to the facility," Pidge answered.
"Thanks. The constabularies are here. We'll probably take a look at the facility in another time." Keith immediately filled in Andros and Lance of the details he knew so far when more men entered the room.
Later, at the castle grounds, as Marsh was being transported to a med-speeder, he urged the medical staff to bring him closer first to the Voltron team before they left the premises.
"In case those spies took my vehicle." He said weakly, handling Keith his computer tablet. Soon, Marsh was loaded up to the medic vehicle.
Keith and Lance strode immediately for the Castle of Lions vehicle as Lance showed to Keith a signal lock on the tracker. The Black Lion commander gunned the engine and the vehicle further zoomed downhill, reaching a fork on the road. Lance pointed left and Keith followed the rugged and sharp hairpin curves of the terrain for the next half hour.
Jazia stirred, disoriented in the dark, cold teleporter room. She was relieved to be alive. The personal transport device built-in to her constabulary suit proved to be invaluable for saving her life again.
The ringing in her ears hadn't subsided and the red spikes danced across her eyes while everything else seemed to be spinning again. The low level lighting of the room brightened considerably when the room's sensors identified another individual shuffling towards her spot.
The bent figure's knees creaked and the frail body shifted from standing to kneeling position. A thin and wrinkled arm appeared under the robe, reaching out to give Jazia a cup of water.
A couple of deep breaths and the world stopped spinning. Jazia soon heard the shallow, labored breathing of the other person. She gratefully took a sip from the offered cup and slowly sat cross-legged on the teleporter pad. She lowered the cup and smiled back at the person whose face was hidden in the shadows. Jazia didn't mind it at all. She knew she was there and reached out; the other's arms drowned in robes wrapped Jazia in a loving embrace.
The quiet spell of remembrance between them was broken when a chirp from Jazia's Drule communicator signaled an incoming call. The shrill chirp frightened the bent silhouette and Jazia felt the bony frame under her embrace quake even more. The person weakly tried to break free from Jazia's embrace before letting out a strangled wail.
Jazia froze at the sound and released the person. She had heard those same wails of hopelessness during her times of searching the slave dungeons in several of Doom's occupied planets. She had gone out hunting for the only person she wanted to save and hearing the woman's wails sent a stab to her heart.
"Stop!" She screamed. "Mother! You're safe. You'll always be safe!" Jazia tried to stand and grab hold of the fleeing woman, but the sounds of scampering feet and a door whooshed to a close told her she was alone in the room. She gazed at the door and straightened out. She felt helpless trying to save her mother from those unhappy memories.
"Who is this?" She barked in a stern Drule accent when she had a moment to collect her bearings. She was satisfied hearing a gulp at the other end.
"I…we…" Havran trailed. He didn't expect it to be a woman on the other end.
"Speak up!" She was furious this person knew her communicator codes.
"We have Princess Allura for you." Havran went right to the point. "Perhaps we can do a trade?"
"You played a wrong game with me when you blew your domicile, low life!" She strode off the teleporter pad.
"Wrong judgment call that, I can see but I…I was protecting our interests." Havran scraped a decent explanation but he knew he was digging his own grave with every word he said. "Do we have a trade?"
"What do you need?" She went to her quarters thinking of what she will do when the princess wasn't her agenda. She reached out for her Drule uniform just as an arthritic hand swatted the contemptible uniform away.
Jazia sighed and let the wardrobe fall on the floor. She muted Havran's comlink to deal the present situation first.
"Mother," she turned to where the woman was still hidden under the semi-lit room and draped her arm around her mother's frail shoulders. "I don't want you see me in this uniform." She guided the bent figure back to her own quarters.
"I know the nightmares will come back if you do." She passed her hand on console near the door. "Remain here for a while. I have business to attend to and I'll return shortly, please," She pleaded. Immediately, the wall opposite the bed shimmered to play a video of Jazia exploring a woodland trail. She was smiling and dancing under the sun. "Arus is beautiful, Mother," The recorded audio sang out. "So this is Oliyar, your birthplace. I can't wait to visit the castle you've told me as a child."
"Stay here and watch the video." Jazia kissed the elderly woman who sat contented. The deep expression lines that have etched on her face due to her hard life being a Planet Doom's thrall, softened. "You will set foot on Arus again." Jazia's clasped the withered hand with the Drule slave symbol and gave a gentle squeeze. "I promise."
Returning to her room, Jazia quickly changed into her Drule uniform. She set her helmet in place which hid her chestnut hair and a faceplate slid up to cover her Arusian features. She removed her contact lenses and her eyes blazed Drule amber-red. Soon, she left for the ship's control room, half-listening to the spy's request.
Using the ship's sensors, she was able to trace the spies' location. She brought up a real-time feed to her monitor and noticed a couple of mountain tunnels away, an approaching vehicle at high speeds. She knew it was the Voltron Force. She cut communication without replying, and then headed briskly back to the teleporter room.
Back on the ground, "Well?" Fellin grumbled as they waited by the mouth of the cave under the angry Arus sun. "What did she say?"
"She cut communications." Havran was surprised and tried calling the Drule agent again.
Fellin's anger boiled once more. "You are useless!" His shouts stirred the princess to consciousness, lying near the mouth of the cave too. She jumped out of her skin when a Drule woman appeared in front of her.
Fellin was ready to give Havran another punching bag lesson as Jazia noiselessly materialized behind the spies. She stunned them and the men dropped like rocks on the ground.
Allura paled recognizing the black on scarlet hues of a Drule Intelligence agent uniform. She tried to stand but her limbs were still numbed from the effects of the stun beam. The Drule woman bounded the men's hands and feet. She turned her attention to Allura; her cape billowed around as the women regarded each other. The princess favored now her left leg, leaned on the cave wall for support.
The Drule woman maintained a non-threatening distance away from the princess. "I'm not here to harm you, Princess."
"You can't be Commander Kala," Allura realized another possible new enemy before her, "because she and Wade merged to become a Robeast."
"An unfortunate turn of events for her," she moved toward the spies to check their binds, "She was terminated." Vela contemplated which of the men; she was going to bring to her ship for questioning.
"Who are you?" Allura's sudden curiosity lashed out toward Vela's guarded mind.
"Vela." The Drule woman's automatic response had completely taken her aback as if she and Allura were long-time friends. She suspiciously regarded the Arusian monarch. She can feel a tell-tale subtle mental power emanating from the princess, trying to break through her mind.
A puzzled expression ran across Allura's countenance, wondering at the feeling of familiarity she was sensing from the other woman. "You have a different agenda, running against Lotor?" She mentally chided herself not to be distracted. She knew all Drules wanted her or any of the Voltron members terminated when given a chance.
Vela heard the disbelief clinging to Allura's words and recognized the princess was a high value prize if she was still working for the Drule Empire however; she refrained from divulging this tidbit to the princess.
"My business is not with you or Voltron." Vela pointed at the bound men. "But with these two."
"Marsh was right. There are spies in Arus and they're working for you!" Allura's ire reared its ugly head, shortening the space between her and Vela in two strides, which only made Vela, strike the princess down.
Allura was on the ground before she even realized it. She gasped. She was caught unprepared at the viciousness of the Drule woman's automatic response. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. Allura rolled to her feet, ready to defend herself.
"They're not working for me, Princess and please, I do not wish to fight you." Vela read Allura's battle stance. "They," she glanced at the tied men, "may have the information I need," Vela answered.
"On what?" Allura didn't believe Marsh before but now, she wanted to root out every spy left on her planet.
"It's a Drule matter which does not concern you," Vela said dismissively.
Allura saw the woman was getting ready for teleportation. She had to do something. "It concerns me when Drules are hiding on my planet!" She leaped toward Vela just as they all teleported back to Vela's cloaked ship.
Keith almost missed a curve and nearly careened into a rock face before straightening the vehicle on the road.
"I thought I was the crazy driver in our team." Lance commented, glancing at his friend.
"Sorry, I just sensed Allura's panic moments ago. How far are we?" Keith took a deep breath and eased his grip on the wheel.
Another mile, just through the next mountain tunnel and we'll be there." Lance checked the readout on the monitor. "Don't worry about her. We all trained her to be one tough cookie." He had to admit though, he was worried for the princess.
Keith stepped on the accelerator, and the vehicle surged forward on the rugged road. They finally reached their destination and pulled up behind the abandoned vehicle. They only saw an unconscious man in bounds by the mouth of the cave.
Keith tried not to grind his teeth in frustration, half-listening to Lance reporting to Andros of what they've found in the cave.
After ending his call with the chief, Lance searched for clues inside the cave using his Voltcomm. The multi-purpose device beeped.
"Teleportation residuals." Keith added and concluded his findings to Pidge.
From the Castle Control, Pidge used the readings and fed it to the Castle sensors, but traces were so corrupted and weak to pin-point a stable signal.
With nothing else to find, Keith took the spy to the back of his vehicle while Lance drove the second vehicle on their ride back to the north castle. "Allura, where are you?" The Voltron commander's words reverberated through the bond.
Vela stiffened. The princess apparently made a bold jump just before teleportation lock and was re-materialized on the pad too.
She swung her arm but Allura had ducked away; the hasty movements made the princess lose her footing. The teleportation pad was a raised platform, and Allura tumbled to the floor. She rolled to her feet and took stock of her surroundings. She's inside a…
Keith's eyes widened and slapped his Voltcomm. "Hunk, exit Arus' atmosphere and set your scanners for a Drule ship!"
Upon reaching the north castle, Keith deposited the spy into Andros' care just as Lance rejoined him in the Castle of Lion's vehicle. The men listened tensely as Hunk reported having established geosynchronous orbit and making a slow circuit of the planet. Lance guided Keith to the shortcuts Andros' team had taken earlier to cut their travel time back to the Castle of Lions.
Vela stepped off the teleportation pad. "What do you hope to gain here?" Her annoyed tone sliced through the low hum generated by the engines. She raised her hand over a square pad interface. "There is nothing to see beyond this room." She knew the princess will commandeer her ship; even if Allura wasn't well-versed in Drule operations language, a crash landing was still a crash landing in any culture.
The computer initiated the lock out sequence of the room's only exit and all display screens went dark. Her other hand leveled a compact weapon on the princess. Vela's fingers flew across the computer interface and there was a slow tremor traveling through the floor. She had initiated her engines to engage to move out of the planet's orbit and headed for one of Arus' moons. The autopilot took the controls and the navi-computer completed the rest of the commands. When she was finished, she waited for the princess to say what was on her mind.
Allura's Plan B stalled so she stuck with Plan A. "I'm appealing for you to see reason because this man," she pointed at the stunned spy, "is Arusian. He and the others will answer to Arusian Law." She set her jaw, preparing to jump away from her spot at moment's notice.
"Very well," Vela conceded to the prickly situation. She re-holstered her weapon and cut Havran binds. Every minute the princess stayed in her ship, the more chance that the Voltron Force would find her. She has to do this quickly. "Since you are concerned of his treatment, you can observe the interrogation."
Allura didn't expect the Drule agent to agree quickly and pondered if this was a ploy to get her to lower her guard. Vela made no untoward action when Allura crept behind the console next to her.
The princess glanced at the console's interface. The display was dark but she saw a few Drule characters chasing each other across the display before disappearing in the hibernation mode of the systems. From the corner of her eye, Allura noted Vela had injected a drug to force the spy to wake up from the stun effects.
Vela shot the princess a sidelong glance; Allura was peering down at the console as if trying to make heads or tails of the Drule runes.
The princess was about to move toward the secondary wall interface when she halted. She returned her own steely gaze back at Vela.
"See anything interesting, Princess?" Vela gestured for the other woman to join her now that the spy was stirring to wakefulness. "The room is on lockout. Those displays won't respond even if you touch the interface." She waited for the princess to stand beside her.
"You're flying solo in this mission." Allura observed, striding next to the agent.
"Do you think that makes me weak, Princess?" Vela directed their attention at the spy who was getting his bearings in check.
"No," Allura answered. She can tell the Drule woman was a formidable fighter in the way she carried herself.
Havran looked around in fright, noticing he was all alone with an imposing Drule Intelligence agent, glaring with her scarlet-amber eyes at him and standing beside her, is Princess Allura.
His gaze flicked between the two women, trying to assess the situation. The princess stood like she and the Drule agent reached a cautious agreement, and the Drule agent was leading this interrogation.
"Yes, you are on your own," Vela said menacingly at Havran. "Tell me of your dealings with this scientist?" She drew a pocket-sized holo toward the spy and the little instrument showed Maahox's grisly appearance.
Vela's keen crimson-amber eyes flicked on Havran face as she easily noted the facial tick.
"Don't know the guy." He flat out answered and gazed straight at her which enabled Vela to see his pupils dilate in his effort to mask the lie.
"Your eyes just betrayed you." She leaned closer. "Maahox has plans for Arus. What are they?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Havran shook like a leaf, noticing the Drule woman's eyes flamed red from within.
"Very well, I'll let the princess choke it out from you."
Havran gulped. He still had a poor ace up his sleeve, and he wanted to use it as a distraction to get off this ship. Perspiration steamed from his nape down to his spine as he prepared his little bait.
"It can't be a Drule plant inside the constabulary," Havran mused aloud, glancing at Allura's already tense expression. "A plant won't be able to change complex codes here and there without getting caught. Someone with knowledge of making a mirror-program can trick the constabulary's system and you left one. You have to be there too."
Vela clamped her gloved hand around Havran's throat and easily raised the man with only one arm. A short electrical charge issued forth from her glove. "Stop wasting my time! Give me Maahox' codes!"
Havran squirmed in pain but the electric shock wasn't enough to addle his senses. Allura started to grab Vela's other arm to make her stop but Vela's head swiveled to her instantly stopping any effort to interfere. The princess gasped under her breath when her gaze traveled up from the faceplate to the Drule woman's scarlet eyes. The other woman's eyes were cold.
"Okay, okay." Havran surrendered his foolhardy stubbornness.
Vela turned to Havran and released him. The spy landed with a thump on the floor. He turned to rivet his eyes at the Drule woman with fascination. He knew Drule males were superior in strength, he didn't know their females were too. Vela threatened the spy with another electric shock but he quickly spilled Maahox' codes.
Allura memorized the codes for future use just as the ship's silent alarm came on. Red lights blinked in the room signaling Vela that the proximity alarm sensors read an approaching vessel.
Vela cursed under her breath. She had an inkling this was coming. She simultaneously stunned Allura and Havran and activated the teleporter pad. She unlocked her systems and dashed out to the bridge. She had just taken her seat when she saw the Yellow Lion angled away from Arus' first moon. She tensely watched as the lion craft disappeared from her ship's sight, and accessed her teleportation control to remotely beam the princess and Havran off her ship.
Keith and Lance had just arrived at the Castle Control when Hunk completed his sweep on the first moon which came negative. He was on his way to the second moon.
"Vince, stay at Castle Control. The rest of us to the lions!" Keith led the pod launch tubes when Larmina called in.
"Larmina to Castle Control, Princess Allura is back!"