Voltrex - Haggar has some nice robeasts in mind thatmay very well bring back memories of the "Super Robeast". But while your mind is on "Fleet of Doom", focus on the main plot (which unfortunately was NOT the team-up WEP toted). Keith and Allura weren't really the main focus in the end.
Author's Note - Roxy has been through so much that I haven't even mentioned yet. She's been launched into this position, and feels like she's drowning. She doesn't realize the hands reaching down to her to pull her from the dangerous waters. And JC, being a lot like me, while not wanting to give up on her, feels that hope is gone. Will she ever put aside the past and let the future take her?
Theme Music : Going Under, by Evanescence
Disclaimer - Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins is the property of KathDMD.
Episode 18 : Drowning
"Wake up, my Kovinx," Olan said, gently shaking Dariana. When she woke, she saw she was not truly awake, but once again in the dream, trapped inside the head of this little girl. She reluctantly followed Olan, not sure where they were going. She had the odd feeling that she needed to trust him.
"Papa?" she asked, "Where are we going?"
"To see the fruits of our labor, young one," he replied with a smile. "As we speak, the Defender is readying for battle!"
"But Papa?" she asked. Dariana fought with all her might for control. The little girl looked up at Olan, her eyes completely white, without pupils. "Where is Haggar?" Olan stared at her. It looked to Dariana that he didn't want to answer her, or even remember what had transpired. At last, he took a deep breath.
"She has made the ultimate sacrifice for you, my little Kovinx," he replied. "For all of us. Her power is now one with the Defender. The power of her light now shines in his eyes. The very same power that resides in you, my little Kovinx."
"In…me?" she asked. He nodded, smiling.
"Yes," he replied, now shedding tears. Dariana tried to make sense of it all. "You are 'lamia', and a powerful one at that. In time, perhaps you will be as powerful as your mother was." Dariana couldn't help but start to cry. This poor girl…her mother gone, possibly dead, while Dariana's own mother still lived on Nebb, taking pride in her small family. "Aw, little one, don't cry. I'm still here. So will the Defender be." They walked into a huge place, an area with a completely open ceiling. Dariana looked around, but soon became fixated on the gigantic robot in front of her.
"It's….it's…." she said.
"It's the one thing that will stop the evil ones," he said. "The power of light shall overcome the darkness. The Defender shall challenge every last one of their beasts, and be victorious. It is the only way to preserve lasting peace in the galaxy. Voltron….Defender of the Universe."
Dariana woke up, sweating from head to toe. It wasn't until moments later, when her eyes had adjusted to the dim light on the night stand that she realized that Roxy was kneeling at her bed.
"Kovinx," she said. "What on Arus were you dreaming about?"
"I was back there," she replied, "as the little girl. This time I took your advice and took control of the dream. I asked where Haggar had gone. The man…Olan is his name…said that she had sacrificed herself to bring life to their war machine."
"What were they creating?" Roxy asked. Dar looked strait into her shimmering hazel eyes.
"Voltron," she replied, blinking several times as her yellow eyes stared back. "The force from Arus. Olan referred to it simply as 'The Defender'. Haggar's soul was split is some gruesome process in order to power it. He said that Haggar was now the 'light in Voltron's eyes'. Though I was being talked to as the little girl. I wish I knew more about Olan."
"Next time you have the dream," Roxy said, seriousness in her voice, "focus your energy, and try to ask. Try to use the girl to find out not only who he is, but who you are. Maybe then we can figure out where these dreams are coming from."
"I realize I've been keeping you and Tails up because of my screaming," she replied somberly. She lowered her head. "I'm so sorry."
"Kovinx….Dariana," Roxy said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "it's alright. I had extremely bad nightmares growing up. When I went to live with the elders in the caves, and eventually at the orphanage, I would scream in my sleep from the nightmares…from what happened to me."
"You don't have to explain," Dariana replied. "But if you ever find yourself in that place again in your mind, you can talk to me."
"I don't normally talk to anyone," she replied. "Honestly…I don't usually trust anyone."
"It takes time," she replied. "Especially for someone that's been through so much. I'm just glad I found a family here at the Academy. Seth, Sheri, you, and…"
"Don't even talk about him, please," Roxy replied.
"He's family, Roxy," she said. "No matter what happens between us all, and to this team, we need to remain a team…need to remain a family."
"You're right," Roxy said. "Well, since neither of us are gonna get some sleep, how about we go run that perimeter scan for Stormclaw?"
"I think that would be an excellent idea," Dariana replied with a smile. They both got dressed, and as they walked to the door, Roxy turned to her for a moment.
"Do you mind if I call you Dari?" she asked.
"Not in the slightest," Dariana replied, an even bigger smile on her face. They left the Dorm to head for the control room.
Haggar walked slowly into the throne room and walked carefully down the long red carpet to the bottom of the stairs to the throne. Atop the throne sat Lotor, being attended to by several female slaves.
"Sire," she said, "I have just received word that your Occult Scientist has been sending robeasts to Earth in an attempt to draw out the Voltron Force."
"And has he succeeded?" Lotor asked.
"No, sire," she replied. "But from what I was able to ascertain from my own visions, it is clear whatever plan he has is meeting with some success." She moved her hands around a small sphere of air, which became a purple smoke, which then became a seeing crystal. "The parasitic machines he has created have been wreaking havoc, and it's only a matter of time before their strength and numbers overpowers that of the Alliance forces!"
"Some wars are finished in a single blow," he said, "and some are won over a painfully long time. His strategy is sound. That's the one reason I haven't had him thrown in the Pit of Skulls."
"The Alliance seems to be struggling since losing Quantus," she said. "Our foothold there has been most crucial to our success, sire."
"Excellent," he said with a smile. "Without a large supply of lazon, they will not be able to build new ships. After smashing their precious exploratory vessel into my tower, and taking into account the damage sustained to their support fleet, I can safely say they won't be giving us much trouble. But there's still the matter of Voltron."
"Yes," she replied. "The destruction of the Explorer has temporarily grounded the Vehicle Voltron. And with this new Voltron occupied with the parasites, that leaves Arus completely open for the taking. One Voltron. And I am already working on the perfect robeast."
"What my father accomplished will be NOTHING compared to what I will bring to the entire universe!" he said laughing.
The entire team entered the control room, led by Roxy, and stopped dead in front of Commander Stormclaw.
"You wanted to see us, Commander?" she asked.
"Voltron Force," he said, "as you know, we have been working on a way to get the lazon from Planet Eptus in the Far Galaxy to Earth for processing. But the catch 22 of not having enough ships to protect the transport has been stalling any efforts to do so." He began to pace. "While the Explorer is no more, the Vehicle Force is available to us. Once we get the replacement generators in place, we should be able to get them back in operation."
"So, does that mean we're going to Eptus?" Roxy asked.
"Not yet, Force Leader Truvall," he replied. "We are experiencing more issues right here at home. We sent a crew out into the ocean floor to examine the ruins that the sentinel came from. Unfortunately, the subs and drones came across heavily aggressive sea life, and worse, what the soldiers and workers that went referred to as a 'monster'. We need to investigate this threat."
"So, what's the problem?" Roxy asked.
"The Voltron ships are not designed for underwater travel," he replied. "Not yet anyway. Only Jet Blue has the ability to traverse underwater areas, only because its nexus core has an affinity to water, and was built to that specification. With the Sea Team vehicles still awaiting a proper fueling station, Jet Blue is the only solution."
"Can the other ships be converted" JC asked out of the blue.
"I already have some highly skilled technicians working on that right now," Stormclaw replied. "Until they finish, I need you, Cadet Derringer, to launch immediately and find out what's causing all this.
"Yes, sir," Seth replied, then ran for his chute. He landed in the cockpit, inserted his key into his voltcom, and took off from the hangar.
"Now," Roxy said, "you said modifications are being made to our ships. How soon will they be done?"
"I haven't been given an ETA," Stormclaw replied, "but you are welcome to go and ask them." Roxy motioned to the rest of the team to follow her, and they walked out of the control room and down the stairs to the hangar. As they entered the hangar, Tails took off running.
"POOKY BEAR!" she screamed, leaping into Chip's arms.
"Pooky Bear?" Tangor said, laughing. Tails planted at least a dozen kisses on Chip's face.
"It's a pet name, Tangor," Zandee said, trying to contain his own laughter. "Give the poor guy a break!" They both looked at one another seriously, then both started laughing hysterically.
"Alright, that's enough outta you two!" Roxy shouted, staring them down. "We need to get this conversion done as soon as possible. What is the ETA?" Tangor and Zandee composed themselves, and Tails finally released Chip long enough for him to answer.
"We should have the conversions done in the next hour or so if all goes well," Chip replied, turning bright red. Tails kept smiling at him, practically beaming. "That's if these two lunkheads would keep working!" Tangor and Zandee frowned and continued working.
"Sounds good, Stoker," Roxy replied. "As soon as the work is done, contact me immediately. We want to be able to launch as soon as the modifications are completed."
"Yes, ma'am!" Chip said, saluting. Roxy turned to leave. JC nodded to Chip as he left as well, followed by Dariana. Tails walked up to Tangor.
"You better not give my Pooky Bear any trouble!" she shouted, poking Tangor in the belly. He stood almost two feet taller than her. She walked away, then stopped to turn around quickly and stick her tongue out at him. She walked away, and Zandee looked at Tangor, trying his best not to laugh.
"Alright, that's enough," Chip said. "Get back to work on those bulkheads. I'm going to modify the pressure sensors." They returned to work.
Seth pulled a few levers to his left, and the ship crashed into the surface of the water, and dived clean below. The ship seemed to switch propulsion methods immediately, and began to move effortlessly through the water. He checked his sensors as he got closer and closer to the site.
"Derringer to the Garrison," he said, "everything seems pretty quiet down here do far. Ship is handling nicely down here, and I am almost to the ruins." As he approached though, something suddenly rocked the ship. "Hang on, something seems to have got me." He pulled up the sensors and RadialTrac. He saw a giant octopus grabbing the rear of the jet, preventing it from moving. "Something's got me. Activating the hull repulsor system." Seth pulled a lever, and hit a button, and the hull sent out a pulse of electricity, forcing it to let go. Seth flew away from it, getting closer to the site. Fish and other aquatic life began to bump into the ship violently and purposefully. "Something is definitely wrong with these fish. I'm getting some really really strange readings." Suddenly, Seth watched as the rubble from the ruins began to glow and start floating in the water. Seth flew around it, then turned around and saw it start to come together, lashed and bonded by seaweed and muck. It came together and formed a giant monster.
"Commander!" Seth shouted. "The rubble formed some sort of monster!" The monster reached out, and a strand of seaweed latched onto the ship and stopped it, trying to pull it in. "It's got me!" He tried using the repulsors, but the beast held on. "I can't shake him loose!"
Roxy walked into the dorm room and sat down on the couch. She put her hands over her face, taking a deep breath, then ran them both up through her long platinum blonde hair.
"What's wrong, Roxy?' Dariana asked. "You seem distressed."
"I'm fine," she replied. "Just tired is all."
"I know the feeling," she replied. "Neither of us has been getting a lot of sleep lately."
"I've been getting more sleep than you guys," Tails said. "Not sure how I sleep through the racket….no offense, Dar."
"It does seem like it's more than that," Dariana said.
"Maybe," Roxy replied. "I'm trying to get used to being Force Leader, but it's hard. JC is being cold, Seth is quiet, and even you guys seem to be annoyed with me."
"No more than usual, Rox," Tails said, giggling. Roxy glared back at her. "See? That's EXACTLY what I mean! You need to relax and stop being so uptight. It's not our fault you're not getting laid!"
"That's enough, McGovern!" she shouted.
"That's enough, McGovern!" Tails replied mockingly. She rolled her eyes. "It's a shame that all the qualities that make you a good leader also turn you into a miserable snart-nosed brat!"
"You asking for a beating, McGovern?" Roxy shouted angrily.
"No, I'm not," she replied. 'I'm asking you to open your eyes and see what's in front of you instead of closing yourself off like you do." Tails stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door. Roxy exhaled and slumped sideways on the couch. Dariana came over to her.
"You know," Dariana said, "My mom always told me you should never try to be anything more than yourself." She placed a hand on Roxy's shoulder, and Roxy looked up at her. "Is this who you really want to be?" Dariana walked into the other bedroom and closed the door.
Alarms blared as the team ran to the control room and stopped in front of Stormclaw.
"Team," he said. "Derringer has run into something huge. I don't know if it's possible, but we need to get Voltron down there."
"Have the modifications been completed?" Roxy asked. Chip ran into the room.
"Modifications have been completed," he replied, "thankfully ahead of schedule."
"Perfect," she said. "Let's go, team!" Tails ran to Chip and give him a kiss on the cheek. She hit the button on her voltcom, and her uniform appeared. The team ran to the chutes, dropped in, and soon after, launched from the hangar.
"Snart," Seth said to himself, "It's pulling me in." He fired missiles back towards it, but the seaweed line didn't break. Suddenly, he saw other ships on his RadialTrac. A compartment appeared below jet Green, and launched several green axes that sliced through the seaweed, freeing Jet Blue.
"About time you showed up," Seth said. "Was afraid I'd have to face this thing solo."
"No time for sentiment," JC replied. "We need to get down to business."
"Right," Roxy replied. "Activate Interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The ships pushed through the water as if they were in the air, and moved into diamond formation as the energy field took hold.
"Form feet and legs!" Roxy shouted. "Form arms and torso!" Voltron's head appeared, and he arched back as the energy field exploded, his eyes lighting up with power.
"Eeew!" Tails said. "What is that thing?"
"It's made of mostly rocks and mud," Seth replied, "and a bit of seaweed….I think."
"Can we burn it?" Roxy asked. "I mean, we're under water."
"We need to use that to our advantage," JC said. "We can freeze it." Voltron leaped up as the monster tried to snag it with seaweed, narrowly missing him. Voltron landed behind him and tried to grab on, but the monster elbowed him hard, then turned and landed a lucky hit that sent Voltron flying backwards into a rock bed. Voltron got up, but the monster lashed his arm. Voltron pulled hard, but could not break, or overpower the monster.
"Derringer," Roxy said without thinking, "can we freeze this thing?"
"If I can get my weapon out," he replied, pulling the console.
"Well guys," Roxy said, "Let's cut our boy some slack. Keep pulling until I give the word…..NOW!" Voltron went from pulling to flying at the monster. They landed a punch which knocked it down.
"Form Aquatic Bow!" Seth shouted. Votron reached behind him and pulled pulled a column of water that turned into a bow of ice. Voltron pulled an arrow and fired at the beast. He fired several more in succession, and upon impact, crystalized and froze the water around it, encasing the monster in a block of ice.
"Now let's get this thing to the surface," Roxy shouted. Voltron put away the bow. "Form Raybeam Whip!" Voltron pulled the Raybeam Whip and lashed onto the monster. Voltron flew towards the surface, the iced beast in tow. As Voltron left the water, he pulled hard and sent the beast into the air.
"Form Blazing Sword!" Roxy shouted. Voltron reached to his him and pulled the energy beam that became the sword. In one clean motion, as he pulled out the sword, he swung and sliced the ice chunk in half, and it disintegrated and exploded as it hit the water. Voltron put away the sword.
"Chalk one more win for the good guys!" Seth shouted happily. As they celebrated, a small swarm of what appeared to be bugs left the ice chunk and flew off.
Seth walked through the cafeteria lunch line, and saw dariana sitting by herself, seemingly lost in thought. As soon as he got his food, he came over to the table and sat by her.
"Hey, beautiful," he said. "What's going on? You seem lost in thought."
"Lots of things, actually," she replied. "Remember the dreams I've been having? They seem to become more vivid as time goes on. I'm afraid sometimes I think I may be going mad."
"Nah," Seth replied confidently. "Not you. Not the cool, calm and collected Dariana Kovinx." He smiled. "Besides, we always seem to handle your dreams when they get a little too real."
"I know," she replied softly. "But there is something else that troubles me that I am debating on telling Roxy."
"What's that, Dar?" he asked.
"The sensors picked up a clean explosion," she replied. "But Tick…he picked up something extra…"