Voltrex - There are a lot of things in the next two episodes that will be brought to a close. But some things will be left to become plot bunnies for next season. The best way to know is to tune in!
KathDMD - You know I made a promise to you I'd have this out tonight. My word is my bond. And it is definitely an edge of your seat cliffhanger! But I think the first of many revelations will shock and entertain you. I do hope you like it. :)
Author's Note - The beginning of the end of Season 1. It makes me happy that everyone is enjoying this series so much. This episode is both exciting, and sad, but it begins to tie in everything.
"All the promises I made...just to let you down. You believed in me, but I'm broken."
Theme Music : Lost in Paradise, by Evanescence
Disclaimer - Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins is the property of KathDMD.
Episode 25 : This Is It
Dariana sat up suddenly and she felt a tug of uneasiness surround her. It was then she realized she was no longer in her body, but seeing through the eyes of Kovinx. She blinked several times, and a strange loss of control came over her as Kovinx stood up and walked out of her room. Dariana looked around the hallways, recognizing the architecture similar to the catacombs of the Castle of Lions. It wasn't until she arrived in the control room that she realized where she was and what she was doing there. As she walked into the room, a young man approached her. For now, she merely observed…saving her strength for when she would need to communicate.
"Kovinx!" he said walking up to her. "I was afraid this would happen! Minister Gerod will be furious!"
"Slow down, Coran," Kovinx said. "What has happened?"
"Prince Alfor has run off in Black Lion!" he replied. Dariana blinked for a moment, as this did not seem out of the ordinary to her, but she felt Kovinx tense up.
"Say nothing to the minister or the others," Kovinx replied. "I'll bring the Prince back." Kovinx ran to the chute marked with a number 5 and leaped in. She grabbed the handle and swung, spinning all the way to the bottom. As she dropped into the shuttle, her outfit materialized around her, and the hatch closed, sending the shuttle rocketing through the tubes leading to the desert beyond the mesas. As it came to a stop, a platform hoisted Kovinx from the shuttle and deep inside another ship….the Yellow Lion. She sat down in her seat and gripped the handles, making a few last tests before reaching to her chest. She pulled the key pinned to her uniform and placed it into the console. The left cover slid to the right revealing the key, then everything slid to the left, locking in place. The matrix filled with the air and sand of the desert, and the nexus crystal came to life, powering the gigantic beast. Yellow let out a roar as it ran out of its lair, then took off into the air as Kovinx pulled the controls.
"Everyone thinks Alfor has gone too far," Kovinx seemed to say to herself softly. "You and I know better, child." Dariana felt a sudden shock of realization. "Don't be afraid. I know you are there. I felt you from the moment Olan began caring for me. To you, this is all a dream…a shadow of the past. To me, this is reality. There are so many things you need to see in this lifetime in order to understand who and what you are. You see…Haggar was tainted by the Old Ones. My own flesh and blood sacrificed her soul to the Defender, but turned what was left into the Great Evil we fight to contain. That great evil is not a kingdom, an empire, or Haggar herself. It is the darkness within your own heart. A darkness that exists within all of us." Kovinx flew Yellow down into the canyon and landed next to Black. She lowered Yellow's head to ground level, and walked out of the ship.
"Alfor!" she said. "You know your advisor is gonna have the entire royal national guard out here looking for you, right?"
"You know I have to train as much as the rest of the team," he replied. "I didn't build the lions to sit in the dens and collect dust. You know as well as I do that she's still out there. She could be watching us right now. If the Doomites discover the ancient ruins and defile the ground on which Voltron is raised, there will be dire consequences!" Alfor walked up to her and looked her in the eye. "I will avenge my father's death, and the deaths of your friends."
"Your father's wish was to keep you safe," she replied. "While your advisor would have you locked in a room for the rest of your adolescent life, I swore on your father's grave I would train you. The only request I have of you Alfor is that you trust me enough to let you know what's right and what's wrong. You can still lead, and still take direction. We are a team."
"Unity is at our core," Alfor said, still looking her in the eye. "That has always been my father's motto. Always been Arus' strength. One of the founding principles Voltron was built on….and now rebuilt. Alright, let's get back to the castle. I can already her Gerod flipping his wig over this."
"You're friend Coran is just as up in arms!" she replied laughing. "Between the two of them, one of them is gonna have a stroke!"
"Coran will grow out of it," Alfor laughed. "He's still bummed about the lion spirits rejecting him and that roommate of his. Give him time. He'll never be as uptight as Gerod!"
"We better get going then," Kovinx said. As they walked back to the lions, Kovinx began whispering to herself again, sure Alfor wouldn't hear her. "Remember this, Dariana. Pass on what you have learned. That is the way you fight the darkness." Dariana suddenly felt as if she were being jerked from where she stood….
"Dari!" Roxy shouted as she pulled Dariana into a sitting position. Dariana opened her eyes, their bright yellow hue almost glowing as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Dari, dammit you were wailing like a banshee! What happened? Another dream? Were you able to control it?" Dariana looked at her.
"This is beyond anything I imagined," she replied. "Roxy, Kovinx….talked to me."
"Talked to you?" she asked. "You communicated?"
"I didn't' talk to her," she replied, "but she seemed to know I was there. Prince Alfor took off in Black Lion, and Kovinx had to chase him down. She had a long talk about teamwork and leadership." She looked Roxy in the eyes. "She told me to listen closely, understand, and learn. Roxy, I know you think you know what's best for the team, but I need to tell you what Kovinx told Alfor. A great leader can lead, but a great leader can always take direction."
"What are you saying?" Roxy asked. "That I'm not a good leader?"
"I'm saying to trust your team," she replied. "Honestly, it's her advice. I'm passing it to you because I think it's what she meant for me to do. We are a part of something big. The Arusian motto is 'Unity is our core'. I want us all to have that unity. For us to have that, you have to let JC know how you feel."
"He knows how I feel," she snapped. She took a deep breath afterwards and sighed. "He just doesn't understand. And neither do any of you. You barely know the things I've been through." She took a deep breath. "I have to deal with this on my own. I can't let myself be caught up in anyone else. I care about the team, Dari, I really do. But don't ask me to allow him past the wall. It's for his own good."
"At least keep the welfare of the team in your mind," Dariana said. "He is a part of this team. If anything, care for him like you do for me or anyone else under your command." Roxy let out another sigh.
"I can do that," she replied. She paused a moment. "So tell me, what was Alfor like?" Dariana laughed.
Maahox began to pace back and forth in the makeshift lab on Quantus. He looked at various screens and keyed in several things, letting out a flustered sigh. He continued to pace, the mechanical eye popping out of its socket and barely keeping up with him as he walked, flustered. Moments later, Haggar and Lotor entered.
"Maahox," Lotor said, calmer than usual. "I have project for you."
"Of course, my lord," he replied. "What did you have in mind?" Haggar cackled.
"I know of the robeast you have been working on," Haggar said. "It is powerful, and destructive indeed. But it requires a brain. It requires something to bring it to life. I believe I have what you need."
"Unless you plan to provide me with the concentration of your evil soul," he replied, "I don't think you could possibly have what I need."
"I know the robeast you created was similar to one used against the lions years ago," she said. "It nearly destroyed them. With enough power, your super robeast could succeed. I have several suggestions…the first of which is this." She held out a crystal that seemed to ooze a purple haze.
"Is this what I think it is?" Maahox asked.
"Indeed," she replied. "But this is much more complex. Nebb houses a wonder of strange technological marvels. Infused with my magic, this crystal can not only give life to your robeast, but empower it in ways you can't possibly begin to imagine!" Maahox's eye floated around the crystal, its pupil dilating as it looked intensely at it, as if studying its properties.
"Fascinating!" he said. "I had knowledge that this power existed, but had no idea how potent it really was!" His grin widened.
"There is one other thing I need you to oversee once this is done, Maahox," Lotor said.
"What is it, my lord?" He asked, still beaming and ogling over the crystal.
"Haggar has been working closely with the team of scientists on Carnus," Lotor replied. "Years ago they constructed for me a marvel of engineering and technology. I see now what it lacked that led to its destruction. This time, it shall not fail." He showed Maahox a copy of the plans. "Construction is almost complete. If used and controlled properly, it will allow me to once and for all crush the Voltron Force!" Maahox looked on the plans with delight, noticing Wade had a hand in it….and army of robeasts at his command.
JC sat alone at a small table outside a coffee shop just outside the confines of the Academy campus. He took a long sip of his mint mocha iced latte, then looked up to see Roxy standing in front of him.
"Grend," she said, "you mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all," he replied. She sat down at the table and looked at him. He took another sip of his latte.
"I know the last few weeks haven't been a picnic for either of us," she said.
"Been painfully awkward, if you ask me," he replied.
"Look," she said, "I'm not here to argue with you or try to make you understand it all. I'm here because we need to pull together as a team. I feel like I let you down in that respect."
"I never give up on this team," JC replied. "I never give up on you, either. Just because you have some epiphany, Truvall, it doesn't mean we're square. You want me to be a team player? You don't have to ask me. I follow your orders. But this isn't about the team. This is about you and me, Truvall. I don't have a problem with the team. I don't even really have a problem with you. It's you who has the problem with me."
"I do not have a 'problem' with you," Roxy said. "Just because we don't get along…"
"There you go again," he said. "Why do you assume I don't get along with you? Dammit, Truvall, you look at everyone else for your problems, when all you need to do is look in the mirror. You make a fine leader, but a pretty crappy human being sometimes."
"What the flack is that supposed to mean?" Roxy said, becoming angry.
"Are you gonna hit me again, Truvall?" he asked. "Is that how you're gonna solve all your problems? Punch my lights out so you can feel better about yourself?"
"You know what, Grend," she said, having enough of this conversation, "I want to make this team work. But I can't force you to be nice to me. You wanna keep being a flacking idiot, then so be it."
"And if you want to remain a snart-nosed brat," he replied, "so be it."
"Drop dead!" she shouted as she stormed off.
"Get bent," he replied under his breath. He took another sip of latte, but as he did, something flew through the air and landed in his ear. He smacked the side of his head, looked and his hand, shrugged, then took his latte and left as well.
The alarm sounded early that morning. The team ran to the control room, and did not hesitate before leaping into the chutes, powering on the jets and taking off. As they shot into the sky, they heard Commander Stormclaw over the com.
"Team, listen up," he said. "Early warning satellites hand shown a small base on one of the nearby moons near Quantas. Reports indicate something was launched from there on a course for Earth. You need to intercept it and stop it, then try to get a more thorough report of the base."
"You got it, Commander," Roxy replied. "Alright, team, be ready at a moment's notice. Not sure what this thing is, but we might need to combine quickly if we want to stop this thing."
"Already dealing crappy strategy?" JC said smugly.
"Excuse me?" Roxy asked.
"You don't even want to survey this monster," he replied. "You wanna do what Aroxia Truvall always does. Rush in with guns blazing and take out everything in sight, even at the expense of other's lives."
"Dude!" Seth said. "That was a bit uncalled for!"
"Yeah, dude," Tails replied. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm just pointing out bad strategy when I see it," JC replied. "Sorry if I don't wanna die out there, or watch any of you die either."
"That's not gonna happen," Roxy said affirmatively. "Put your damn feelings where they belong Grend, and follow flacking orders."
"We'll see," he said smugly. It wasn't long before they were in scanner range of the robot flying at them.
"What is it?" Roxy asked.
"Sensors show it's a robeast," Tails replied, "mostly mechanical. The energy source is unfamiliar. I can't tell what it's power levels are like, but it seems armed to the teeth."
"Then let's give it a proper welcome," Roxy said. 'Ready to form Voltron. Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron Force!" everyone but JC shouted. The jets flew in formation and scattered, shifting to diamond formation.
"Form feet and legs!" Roxy shouted. "Form arms and torso!" Voltron arched back as the energy field exploded, and its eyes glowed with power. Voltron stared down the beast.
"He matches us pound for pound, Rox," Tails said.
"Roxi," Dariana said, "something's not right about this.
"Then let's make it right," Roxy shouted. "Form spinning laser blade!" Voltron made a half circle, and the blade formed in its hands. Voltron launched it at the beast, and it was able to easily dodge the attack. It fired a blast from its eye that hit Voltron square in the chest and sent him flying backwards.
"Trying to adjust thrusters to regain Attitude control!" Seth yelled.
"We have to deflect it!" Roxy yelled. The spinning laser blade returned, caught by Red, Red held it out like a shield to deflect the blast. "Push it back!" Voltron flew towards the beast, blocking the blast until they crashed into it, forcing it to stop firing. "Now give it back to him. Eye Beam!" Voltron fired its eye beam, and though it hit the beast, it made very little impact.
"This thing has double plated armor!" Tails replied, keying in commands. "Lasers won't penetrate it!"
"Then let's try and fight it with some brute force," Roxy replied.
"Be careful, Roxy!" Dariana said. "It appears more agile than most of the robeasts we've encountered." Voltron avoided another blast from the beast and led it into a nearby asteroid belt.
"dari!" Roxy yelled. "We need to hit him with one of these smaller chunks!"
"Form Blazing Chargers!" Dariana shouted. The spiked handled formed on Voltron's hands. He fired one at one of the small asterpoids and it wrapped around it and dug in.
"Pull!" Roxy yelled. They yanked hard and sent it flying at the robeast. It hit it and send it flying down to the surface of the moon. "We got it grounded, now let's take it out!" Votron landed on the surface as the robeast got up. "Form Blazing Sword!" Voltron reached to its hip and pulled the energy that became the sword. Voltron ran at the monster and went to swing the sword, then came to a stop inches from the robeast's face.
"What the crap?" Tails said.
"Why did we stop?" Seth asked.
"We don't have control of our systems any longer," Dariana said softly.
"Who's doing this?" Roxy asked.
"Me," JC said, an evil grin forming on his lips. Voltron put away the Blazing Sword and stood down.
"Dammit Grend!" Roxy shouted. "What the flack are you doing? This isn't a game!"
"This is far from a game, Truvall," he replied. "For if this were a game, it would be game over for you. I'm taking you back to Lotor. It is what you want, isn't it Truvall? You want to be face to face with the man who had a hand in cutting your mom down, right?"
"Grend, stop it!" Roxy shouted.
"You want to see the man," JC said. "You want to look him in the eye and know what it felt like when your mother had her throat cut and choked to death in a pool of her own blood?" For the first time since they met, Roxy began to cry…tears pouring down her face.
"For the love of all that's good and descent, stop!" she shouted.
"It's no use," Dariana said. "She tried to warn me."
"Now, oh great leader," JC said, "You can have your wish. And when he's through with you, you'll never have to worry about me or my feelings again." He laughed as Voltron took off into the air for Quantus. The robeast followed. Roxy banged on the controls, but they were dead. As JC laughed, all he heard was the buzzing in his ear….the buzzing of a little fly bringing nightmares to life.