cubbieberry - No need to get dizzy! At least, not until you take the time to finish this chapter! As for Lance, don't forget in "In The End" by KathDMD (and I encourage EVERYONE to read that story, as well as everything that came before it!), Lance was being considered for the position. nearly three years later, we are here, and the Academy was just finished being built. That's the time frame you need to grasp. *grins*
KathDMD -Ciroc? Better take stock in it little lady! This coming episode is gonna blow everyone's mind! You already know how long it is, and it is a handful! So sit back and relax and read...then scoot to the edge of your seat and shout at the screen! Yes, it's that intense. But...would I really kill off my favorite character? #WatchTheWatch
Author's Note - This is it. In Word, it was 26 pages long, and nearly 8500 words. I suggest you grab coffee, tea, or in #DWC fashion, your favorite alcoholic beverage, and get ready to spend alot of time reading this one! I guarantee you'll love it!
Theme Music : "Unforgiven" by Metallica
Disclaimer - Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo.
Episode 65 : The Unforgiven
"I'm not exactly thrilled that we could be flying into a trap," Lance said.
"What other choice do we have?" Larmina asked.
"I just hope Pidge is able to come up with those access codes," Vince said. "Cause if he doesn't, it's gonna make getting to the outpost a lot more difficult."
"Tell me something I don't know," Lance replied.
"It could be worse," Hunk said.
"How could it possibly be worse?" Lance asked.
"We could be stranded on a planet with absolutely no pizza," Hunk replied. Lance covered his face with his hand.
"Guys," Daniel said, "I have a message coming in." He opened the com, and a disguised voice spoke.
"Voltron Force," it said, "it seems we have a common goal."
"Who is this?" Daniel asked.
"Just a friend," it replied. "A friend who happens to have the codes to get through Outpost 9's defenses."
"How do we know we can trust you?" Daniel asked.
"Because without you we have no hope of getting there to rescue Lieutenant Fabrere," it replied. "I will contact you again once you reach Outpost 9." The com went dead.
"Lance," Daniel said, "did you get all that?"
"Loud and clear," he replied.
"Question is," Daniel said, "do we trust them?" There was a brief pause.
"If Pidge doesn't get back to us by the time we reach their defenses," Lance replied, "then we'll give it a try." They continued on towards the Outpost.
"Sir!" one of the Drule soldiers shouted, saluting General Kovinx. "All of the missiles were intercepted by the Alliance forces!"
"And what of the cruisers?" he asked.
"Destroyed by the Voltron Force, sir," the soldier replied. Loken gritted his teeth.
"And the robeast?" he asked.
"Defeated by Voltron," the soldier replied, cowering. Loken stared him down, then grinned.
"Unexpected," he replied. "But that robeast wasn't fully equipped for the task of stopping Voltron. No. It needs a little something else." He walked over to a cabinet and opened the door, pulling out a small box. He set it on the desk, and carefully opened it. An eerie purple glow emitted from it, and the lights in the room began to dim, as if the energy were being drawn out of them. "This….will be what puts an end to Earth's Voltron once and for all. And as for their investigation…" He turned and looked at the soldier. "I've decided to spare the life of our little spy after all. Provided they can perform one last task."
"What might that be, sir?" the soldier asked.
"I want the access codes for the Defender," he replied, grinning ear to ear.
Beta formed the Electric Chain and tried to lash the water monster. The chain pulled through the liquid, as it should, and fell limp to the ground. This was followed up by the beast hitting Beta square on and knocking it backwards across the nearby park and into a building.
"This isn't working," David shouted.
"I don't know," Morgan said. "Can we freeze it?"
"No," David said, "but we might be able to contain it." Beta dodged another attack and began grabbing as much of the building debris as possible and tossing it into place.
"Lemme give ya a hand there, Rackens," Aidan shouted. Alpha dug into the pavement, and began cutting blocks of concrete and asphalt out of the ground and throwing them into place as well. The monster lunged at it, and the wall held….just barely.
"That thing's not gonna hold for long," Morgan said.
"What now?" Aidan asked.
"We need to muddy the waters," Lisa said as Gamma flew in.
"Benton and Kaga," Aidan said. "About time you showed up."
"The water is filled with microscopic robots," Lisa said. "The more solid we make the water, the slower they move. Then we can use the device the professor gave us to stop this thing."
"Let's lead it towards the beach," Morgan said.
"What for?" David asked. "It's no time to think about sun tans and ocean sunsets."
"Sand, you yutz!" Morgan replied. "We can muck the water with some sand."
"We're gonna need to lead the horse to water," Aidan said. "Get ready to form Voltron." The three robots took off into the air. "Guard Dimension! Go!" The robots broke apart, and reconfigured. "Form feet and legs!" Alpha and Beta formed the feet, and Gamma the upper legs. "Form arms and torso!" The torsos stacked upon one another, arms folding into position, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma on top.
"And I'll form the head!" Taye shouted. Voltron raised his arm, and the energy field exploded. Voltron slammed down to the ground and stared at the freshly created dam, waiting for it to break.
"Let's hope that thing'll follow us," Aidan said.
"This is it," Vince said. "I'm inputting the codes now." Vince began transmitting.
"Prepare for anything, team," Daniel said, sitting on the edge of his seat. Suddenly, the field dropped.
"Well, what do ya know?" Lance said. "I knew it would work."
"Yeah right," Hunk replied. Lance frowned.
"Let's get in there before they get a visual," Daniel said. The lions pushed forward and continued on. Vince looked down at his scanners and saw something odd.
"Guys," Vince said.
"What's up?" Daniel asked.
"Something just came up on the scanners," he replied. "It looks like a small interstellar craft. It's not a fractal, but it might be a Drule ship."
"Just keep moving forward," Daniel replied. "If it is a Drule ship, it'll call our bluff the minute it's in range."
"You sure it's not the guy who gave us the codes?" Larmina asked.
"Anything's possible at this point," Lance admitted.
"How close are we to the outpost?" Marina asked.
"We should be coming up on it in a few minutes," Vince said. "Why?"
"That," Marina said, pointing. All the pilots looked ahead and saw a small fleet of ships flanked by a gigantic winged robeast.
"Um, guys," Vince said, "I just did a scan of that thing. Its power levels are off the charts. There's dark energy emanating from that thing."
"Yep," Hunk said, "It's a trap." Lance frowned again as they stared down the enemy.
A dark figure moved through the corridors of the Defender. It moved carefully, with the agility of a cat. He carefully held up his arm, and a device came out of it, peering around the corner. Tech Sergeant Bhed walked up to the doors to Main Engineering, and keyed in access codes that allowed him to enter. As the doors closed, the figure slipped in undetected and continued to follow the engineer, snapping pictures as he went. The Tech Sergeant walked up to one of the consoles and began keying in commands. The figure stayed in the shadows, but watched him intently. Another of the engineering crew approached him.
"Hey, Bhed," he asked, "What are you doing down here so early? Making the last minute adjustments before we launch?"
"Yeah," he replied, scratching his neck. "The thermocouplers were overheating a bit in the last test run of the auxiliary engines. I'm trying to get them back to maximum efficiency without having to divert excess coolant to the system."
"Well," the young engineer replied, "You've been doing this a lot longer than I have. If you need any assistance, I'm always willing to learn a thing or two." Bhed paused and looked at the young engineer, a scowl at first, but it soon melted into a half smile.
"Sure," he replied. "Take these readings to Commander Aki and let him know of my findings. Once you return, I'll show you how to regulate the coolant properly."
"Yes, sir!" the young man said, saluting. He left the room, heading to the bridge. Bhed turned back to the console. He then pulled out a slip of paper, and began keying more things into the console. Then he started writing things down on the paper. The dark figure began snapping pictures of it all. Bhed then suddenly turned and walked quickly for the door. As he turned the corner where the dark figure was, he was suddenly gone. Without so much as a pause, Bhed continued on, and out of Engineering. At once, the dark figure reappeared out of thin air. He walked up to the console, then began keying in things of his own. He then tapped his forearm several times, and in a flash, his appearance changed….now looking exactly like Tech Sergeant Bhed.
"What do you mean you?" Stormclaw said in shock. "I know Space Marshall Hawkins said there was something special about you, but…."
"Sir," she said softly, "I am a lamia. A witch. Just like Haggar. For a long time I didn't know what I was, but found that my history is forever linked to Voltron. It was the power of a lamia…her very essence…that brought Voltron to life. It only makes sense that the only remaining lamia willing to make that sacrifice….should."
"I won't allow it," Mike replied. "Talk of witchcraft and sorcery. I know Voltron is special, but you can't expect me to believe there is something mystical about its existence." She held out her hand, and a ball of ice, surrounded by snow formed, glowing gently with a blue light.
"Commander," she said, "I have the power to stop this. But I can't do it if you don't have faith in me. If you choose to stop me, then that is your will. I'm still an officer under your command. But if we don't stop the Supremacy here and now…." She closed her fist, crushing the ice, and all power emanating from it died. "…it will mean the end of everything." He let out a sigh.
"Do what you must," he said with a heavy heart. "You have my full support….I just wish it didn't have to come to this."
"My father had faith in Lady Kovinx," Allura said. "She helped Dr. Loring complete his work. I have faith in Dariana, her granddaughter. I will be with her until the end." She placed a hand on Dariana's shoulder.
"We must act quickly," Dariana said. "The ships can't interlock, but if we can move them into position in the hangar, that should be enough." He nodded his head. With the push of a button, the door unsealed, and the blinds went up. But out of nowhere, sirens blared.
"What the devil is going on?" he shouted. He activated the com. "Security! What is happening?"
"Commander!" the voice said. "The Drules have regrouped, and are moving in to attack the Garrison!"
"All hands to battle stations!" he shouted. "Arm the Magna Lasers! Get the remaining fighters in the air!" He turned to Dariana. "Without you, they can't form Voltron."
"Hopefully they can distract them long enough for me to do what I must," Dariana replied. "Then the Vehicle Team can unite once more to stop them." They all left the room, running to the hangar.
The team braced themselves as the wall finally gave way, and the monster rushed at them like a tidal wave.
"I'd say it's following us," Morgan said.
"Head for the beach," Aidan ordered. "Fire all available weapons arrays, but maintain defensive stance. I don't want that thing tackling us before we make it to the goal." Taye punched the controls, and Voltron sprinted for the beach. The beast whooshed at them, hitting against them, knocking them forward. Voltron tumbled forward, rolled, and got back on its feet running. "Damage report?"
"Minimal," Lisa replied. "Guard Dimension is allowing us to take the blows."
"We need to pull ahead for this next trick," Aidan said. "Sky Dimension!" Voltron split apart and reconfigured, Gamma on bottom, Alpha in the middle, and Beta forming the head. "Take us up and take us for a spin….literally."
"One tornado, coming right up!" David shouted. Voltron took off into the air and spun, causing a cyclone to form, kicking up the sand on the beach furiously. As the water crashed onto the sand, the flying particles merged with the water, and turned it into a slow moving muck. Voltron stopped spinning.
"Alright Lisa," Aidan shouted, "activate that device!" Lisa plugged it into the console and turned it on. An energy wave emitted from Gamma that hit the muck, and it came to a stop.
"It worked!" Lisa shouted. "They're neutralized!"
"Not done yet, team," Aidan shouted. "Denjin Dimension!" Voltron reconfigured to Electroid mode, Alpha forming the head. "Form Blazing Sword!" Voltron held up its hand, and the symbol for Alpha, Beta and Gamma formed in the energy field, which solidified into the sword. Voltron came down at the hardened muck and swung twice, slicing clean through it. Moments later, the muck exploded, leaving nothing but sand.
"Great work," Aidan said. "And good job, Lisa."
"You weren't so bad yourself, Dalloway," she remarked.
"Alright, enough of the bloody mush already," David said. "Let's get back to the base and report to Kelly." Voltron took off, heading back to the Terran base.
Lysette woke up, still chained to the wall. She looked carefully at the guards nearby.
"Hey!" she shouted. "My arms are starting to hurt. You wouldn't want your golden goose to bruise too much, do you?"
"Pipe down!" one of them shouted. "The last thing we want to hear is your mouth!"
"Who's gonna make me, you?" she asked. He came up to her to shout in her face. Then out of nowhere, she used the chains to hoist her legs up and grab his neck and snap it. The other one was about to come at her, but she kicked the first one into him. She lifted her foot, and pulling off her shoe, retrieved a key from it. She managed to unlock one arm. The second guard got back up and fired at her, but she got her one arm loose, and moved out of the way. She managed to free the other arm, and dodged another blast. She pulled the blaster from the corpse of the first guard and shot the second one dead. She got to her feet, and blew on the end of the blaster.
"Not bad," she said with a smirk. "Now to get out of this place and try to get some help." She ran from the room, hoping to find an escape.
"There's no way we can take out that robeast like this," Daniel said. "But we need to take out that small fleet first. We don't need the added distraction. Scatter and take them out."
"With pleasure," Lance said, taking off from the group.
"Let's blow some stuff up!" Hunk shouted, taking off in another direction.
"I might have the best chance at distracting the beast," Vince said.
"We gotta stick to the plan," Larmina warned him.
"Believe me, Larmina," he said, "I'm not impulsive. But I gotta do this." Green took off in the direction of the beast.
"Dammit, Vince!" she shouted. She let out an exasperated sigh. "Boys…..ugh." Blue took off in another direction. The team avoided fire the best they could, taking out the ships in the fleet one by one. They weaved in and out of the fray, blasting them to pieces. Vince flew past the beast, and it instinctively turned to chase him.
"That's right," he said. "Follow the signal like a good little robot." His voltcom sprouted wires which interconnected to the weapons console of the lion.
"Weapons are online," Marina said.
"Then by all means, Lieutenant," Lance said, "fire at will." Marina pulled to console to her and took aim. The tail cannon fired rapidly at the ships, destroying them easily as they passed by. Yellow hurled its tail hammer at one of the ships, smashing it in half.
"That's smashing the competition," Hunk joked. Daniel fired on the other ships repeatedly, then looked carefully on his scanners.
"Vince?" he said. "Where are you?"
"The dope ran off to distract the robeast," Larmina repled.
"He's gonna get himself killed," Daniel said, exasperated. One of the ships came at Black, and Daniel barely had time to react.
"Look out!" Larmina shouted, firing a Frost shot at it, stopping it cold. Black turned and hit it with its tail, smashing it to bits.
"Thanks, Larmina," Daniel said.
"Just pay attention," she replied. Suddenly, the ship they saw earlier flew by, and opened fire on what was left of the Drule fleet.
"I will handle the fleet," the voice said. "Concentrate your efforts on the robeast."
"Who are you?" Daniel asked again.
"Just do it!" the voice shouted. The com went dead.
"Kinda creepy," Larmina said.
"No time to ponder it now," he replied. "Let's find Vince and bring it together." Daniel hit the com. "Lance and Hunk, follow us. We're gonna take on the robeast."
"What about the fleet?" Lance asked.
"It's being taken care of," Daniel replied. "Just help us find Vince so we can form Voltron and kick this robeast's sorry butt." The Lions took off in the direction of the last known location of the robeast.
As the robeast followed Green, Green turned abruptly and fired boomer blades repeatedly at it. The robeast tried to deflect them, and several managed to pierce its armor and stick into it.
"Come on, Vince," Vince said to himself. "Long as I can keep up the power, I can keep this thing busy, and maybe even take it out." The beast reeled back, then let loose a blast of dark energy from its wings that hit Green head on, knocking it backwards. Vince lost consciousness, and Green began to drift. Just as the robeast went to attack again, the other lions came at it and tried to bite and claw into it.
"Tear it apart!" Daniel shouted.
"Believe me," Lance said, "I'm trying."
"Energy levels are dropping rapidly," Larmina said. "We can't keep this up."
Come on, Vince, snap out of it! Daniel thought to himself.
The robeast swung around, and knocked Larmina off. When he turned back, Red swung to the front.
"How about a taste of something spicy!" Marina shouted. "Lion Torch!" Red shot flame into the beast's face, which sent it reeling. The Lions released their grip. Green stopped drifting and began to move.
"Vince," Lance shouted, "Are you ok?"
"Dizzy and weak," he said weakly. "What about the fleet?"
"Taken care of," Daniel said. "We need to form Voltron. Larmina, are you still with us?"
"Appreciate the concern, oh Great One," she replied. "I'm fine."
"Then Let's Voltron!" Daniel shouted. The Lions turned and flew in formation. "We'll need to conserve energy. Standard formation. Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The lions moved into position and began reconfiguring.
"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron powered up, and each lion let out a mighty roar.
"It's regaining its sight," Lance said. "Dan man, now would be a good time to move!"
"Nope," he replied. "For once, I think we need to stand here and wait." The robeast took off at them at intense speeds. Just as he was about to strike, Voltron reached behind him, grabbed the wing, and whipped it at the beast like a boomerang. The beast was knocked backwards end over end. Voltron charged at it and tackled it, falling end over end, landing on the surface of the tiny asteroid housing Outpost 9. Voltron rolled away from the beast and got to its feet, catching the wing and replacing it.
"Incredible!" Vince shouted.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Daniel shouted as the robeast got to its feet.
Robot fighters launched and began taking out the attacking forces. JC saw the action overhead and turned to the team.
"We need to get back to the ships," he said. "I don't think the Commander was expecting a second wave attack this soon." They began to run back towards the hangar.
"What about Dariana?" Seth asked. "She's still with Queen Allura and Commander Stormclaw."
"She's probably heard the alarm too," JC replied. "Just get to the ships." They continued running, but Seth decided he was going to find Dariana, and instead headed for the elevator.
Bhed made his way towards the eastern exit of the Garisson. As he turned the final corner heading to the lobby, something hit him in the head, knocking him out cold. From the shadows, a figure appeared….that of Bhed. He reached down to the real Bhed and confiscated the paper he had been writing on earier. He then continued towards the lobby. Just then, and explosion rocked the doors of the lobby, and a swarm of Drule soldiers entered. Behind them walked a larger than average Drule man, walking with a sense of purpose.
"Leave no stone unturned!" General Kovinx shouted. "I want any and all Voltron vehicles destroyed! I want any Garisson official brought to me dead or alive! Move!" The Drules began to search, and Bhed, or at least the figure pretending to be Bhed, approached the General. The General looked down on him with a scowl. "Did you retrieve it?"
"Yes," the man said. "Yes I have. It's all here, just as you ordered."
"The defense codes to the Defender," Loken laughed. "Now with one shot, we can take down the very flagship of the Galaxy Alliance!"
"There's just one problem," Bhed said, looking up at Loken. It was at that moment Loken finally paid attention to a feeling he had been ignoring. He took a step back as Bhed raised his hand and threw it down. A plume of smoke filled the room, and the Drules began to choke. Loken covered his face and ran at Bhed, but Bhed dodged him skillfully.
"Who are you?" Loken asked. "You are not Bhed!"
"You're right, I'm not," the figure said. "I'm the one who's gonna take you down!" He shifted form to that of the dark figure, and he ran at Loken. The two began to fight, Loken barely able to catch his breath from the smoke that filled the room. It was when he finally pushed the figure back hard that he waved his arm. A strange yellow glow surrounded his hand, and a twist of wind filled the room and sucked up the smoke. He waved it at the figure, and the wind struck the figure, knocking him into the wall. Loken approached him. He tried to turn invisible, but Loken knew now. He grabbed the figure by the neck and held him against the wall, looking like he was holding nothing.
"Tell me who you are," Loken demanded. "You can't fool me any longer, Baltan slug!" He became visible, and Loken ripped off the mask, showing the face of none other than Chip Stoker.
"A soldier for the Galaxy Alliance!" he eeked out.
"Well, 'soldier'," Loken replied, "I guess you'll come with me to find the hangar as a hostage." He punched Chip in the gut and tossed him over his shoulder like a rag doll, then continued further into the building.
"Alright," Mike said, "everything is in place. Are you sure this is going to work?"
"It has to," Dariana replied. "It's what I've been destined to do. It's the only way." She waved her arms. "Step back, please."
"I have faith in you, Sergeant Kovinx," Allura said.
"I will always remember this," she replied. Energy began to flow from her hands, but suddenly, someone burst through the doors.
"You!" Mike shouted. He pulled a blaster, but Loken threw Chip at him, knocking him down. Allura tapped her wrist, and the bracelet around it expanded up her arm, and formed a complete set of pink armor. She held out her hand and formed a bow, firing rapidly at Loken. Loken dodged out of the way, then turned and reached out to her, and a blast of wind wrapped around her and pulled her across the hangar. Dariana turned to him.
"Enough!" she shouted. She outstretched her arms, and the entire area around them turned to ice and froze. The ice crept up his feet and legs, encasing him in it. After a moment of silence, the ice cracked, and shattered.
"You dare challenge a master of wind with your meager frost magic?" he shouted. He waved his arm, and random objects sprung to life and flew at her. Dariana's eyes turned white, and she formed a circle with her arms, a shield of six inch ice formed in front of her, the items smashing into it, protecting her. It dropped and shattered, and she stared right at him.
"I can keep this up as long as you can!" she shouted. "As long as her spirit lives in me, you cannot harm me!"
"The spirit of a lamia is no match for my will!" he shouted. He backhanded the air, and she was struck, sent flying into the wall. He ran at her, pinning her to the wall by her throat. "I have been honing my skills decades before you were a glimmer in your father's eye!"
"You wouldn't recognize your own child if you stared her in the face!" she shouted back. "She gave life to you! She showed you mercy! She spared you the same way her mother spared her! A Kovinx brought Voltron to its knees. Now it's time a Kovinx brought Voltron back to its feet!" She reached out and began chanting. He squeezed her throat tighter and tighter, but she continued to eek out the words.
"Why do you continue?" he shouted in her face. "Why don't you just give up?"
"Because my father never gives up!" she shouted. He looked into her fading white eyes, and his grip began to relax. His face changed from a grimace of strength to that of sadness and confusion. He felt it…and she knew it.
"You…." he said.
"Hello, father," she replied.
"You would sacrifice yourself to stop the Supremacy?" he asked. "Why? Why would you turn your back on your own people?"
"Because they are not our people, father!" she shouted. "Don't you see? You and I share a legacy they don't understand! They don't believe in you! They fear you! They fear us and our power!" She reached out to Voltron once more. "I would rather bring life to a champion of peace than allow a legacy of fear to control me!" She began to chant again, but this time, he placed his hand on hers. He suddenly felt a warmth in his body he'd never known. His eyes opened for the first time...as he felt not only the embrace of his daughter, but the love of his mother.
"My child," he said softly, "I did this to her. I destroyed the one thing that she brought to life…the sacrifice she made for me. This should be my burden, not yours."
"You can't stop it, father," she said. "My soul is already beginning to sever. In moments, I may not even remember who you are. The things this process has done to us….turning Haggar into a twisted mess, destroying grandmother completely….and now, what it will do to me, I can't even begin to fathom."
"She spoke to me," he replied. "She spoke to me in ways you can't possibly imagine. I may not have understood the words until now, but now I know." He focused, and his hand glowed with hers. "It doesn't have to end here, my daughter. I am more powerful than you understand. You are strong, like me, but my will is stronger." He focused even harder, and an energy flowed from them and into the vehicles. Loken felt his chest tearing apart, but he stayed on his feet.
"Father, please," she said, crying. "You don't have to do this!"
"She sacrificed herself for me," he said. "She meant for me to do the same for you. Forgive me." He let out a mighty shout, and a wind so violent pushed her backwards and away from him. The wind enveloped the ships, and flowed through the entire hangar, then a light emitted from the center of it all. And in a flash of light….it was over.
"Are there any weaknesses?" Lance asked.
"If we can remove the wings, we might have a shot," Vince said weakly. "But with that much power, we can't even get close enough to it without draining our energy." The robeast charged at Voltron, and Daniel took the initiative. Voltron turned and blocked with his shoulder, then used the robeast's momentum to flip it up and over, sending it to the ground.
"Can you charge the Boomerang Shield with energy?" Daniel asked. The robeast got back to its feet.
"Negative," Vince replied. "This thing is too powerful. I'm having a tough time shielding us from it."
"How do we stop it?" Daniel asked.
"We give it a hand," Marina shouted. "Form the Blazing Sword!" The robeast fired, and Voltron leaped into the air to avoid it.
"Form Blazing Sword!" Daniel shouted. Red and Green clanked together and pulled apart, the beam of energy forming. Red turned upwards, forming the sword. Green let out a mightly roar.
"Hand the sword to Vince," Marina said. "Have him launch a Lion Head Attack. As long as he can keep a return momentum, he should be able to slice off the wings. But we need to distract the robeast."
"Without Vince, that's gonna be tough," Lance said.
"You got a better idea, McClain?" she asked. Voltron passed the sword to Green and reached to the side. Green's head launched. The robeast turned to look, but Daniel connected his voltcom to the console and moved like lightning at the beast, grappling it. An energy field surrounded them.
"Daniel!" Larmina shouted. "The power levels are draining! We can't hold on much longer!"
"I feel like a fried egg down here!" Hunk shouted.
"Just a bit longer," Daniel said, holding on for dear life. "Cone on Vince!" Green swung back and sliced off both wings, and Voltron pushed back, sending the beast reeling backwards. Green's head reattached. "Cutting it a little close there, Magic Man."
"It's not as easy as it looks," Vince replied. Green handed the sword back to Red.
"Then let's finish this with a little speed!" Daniel shouted. Voltron ran at the beast, and it tried to block. In a split second, Voltron leaped over the beast, turned, and stabbed the beast through the back where the wings had been connected. A bright glow emanated from the sword, and Voltron immediately pulled and swung several times, slashing the beast to pieces. He turned around, and the pieces fell to the ground, exploding on impact.
"Now let's head to the outpost and save Lieutenant Fabrere!" Lance shouted. Voltron took off in the direction of the Outpost's main building.
The last ship defeated, the lone ship landed carefully near the outpost. The cockpit opened, and a small battalion of Drule soldiers ran towards it, blasters drawn. Upon arriving at the ship, they saw a figure skillfully leap down from the cockpit to the ground below. As he lifted his head, his bright yellow eyes gleamed, and the soldiers hesitated.
"I don't know whether your hesitation is out of loyalty or stupidity," Lotor said with a smirk. The leader of the battalion stepped forward, blaster still trained on Lotor.
"Sire," he said, a slight creak in his voice, "you must come with us."
"Must I?" Lotor replied, still smirking, crouched, looking right at the battalion leader.
"You have been labeled a traitor by Witch Haggar and Lord Kanji," he replied. "You must stand trial for this."
"I am your rightful master," Lotor scowled. "Not that ragged old woman, and certainly no fiend from the outer realm. The way I see it, you have two choices. You either take your men and move from my path, or you all perish." The leader hesitated. Some of the men began to desert, some running. Then one of the ones that stood their ground opened fire. Lotor leaped into the air and drew his sword. The ones that remained fought valiantly, but Lotor moved quickly, avoiding blasts, and cutting off blasters, and at times, the arms attached to them. In moments, the battalion leader and the remaining troops lay dead or wounded on the ground. Lotor resheathed his sword, then turned back towards the outpost. It was then he caught sight of something.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here," Haggar said. Lotor stared her down.
"I know you have her," he replied. "I've come to take her back. Don't make me go through you to get her."
"She is an heir to the Arusian throne!" Haggar shouted. "She is worth more to Lord kanji than you could possibly imagine! Your father was right, you have gone soft. Pathetic and weak!" She looked him in the eye and gasped. "You….this is much worse than even your father imagined!"
"You might see my thoughts, Witch," he said, "but it won't stop me from taking her back!"
"Then you can see why I can't," she replied. "And I won't let you take her." She raised her hand. Lotor went to grab his sword, and suddenly, he fell to his knees in pain, holding his head. "For years, the princess clouded your judgment, and yet you continue to let matters like this make you weak in the face of a challenge! You're pathetic human side has turned you into the very thing you and your father loathed! Now that very side of you…the side I can twist and contort thanks to the power of my own essence inside of you…will tear you apart! I can take the very air from your lungs, and the very blood from your veins! Your soul belongs to me!" Suddenly, Haggar felt a thud against the back of her head, and she slumped over, falling to the ground, unconscious. Lysette threw down the crowbar in her hand and looked over at Lotor.
"What took you so long?" she asked him. He carefully got to his feet.
"As if defeating an entire army isn't good enough?" he said with a smirk.
"Let's just get the hell outta here," she said. They both ran for his ship. As they climbed in, they saw Voltron approaching. Lotor handed her a communicator. "Lieutenant Fabrere to the Voltron Force."
"You're alright!" Marina shouted. "But how?"
"Wait!" Lance shouted. "I know that ship! That's Lotor's personal craft! What's he doing here! He needs to be arrested and sent back to Bastille 12!"
"Calm your jets, McClain," Lysette said. "This man saved my life."
"But why?" Marina asked. After a moment of silence, Lysette answered.
"He's my husband," she replied. The force remained in shock as the shuttle took off. "Marina, please notify Commander Stormclaw that I have been rescued, and will arrange transport back to Earth from Dradin. Once I am home, I'll contact you again. Until then…." The ship took off into hyperspace, and was gone.
"We were working with….Lotor?" Lance asked.
"Wait a second," Larmina said. "What did she mean, 'husband'?"
Seth forced the hangar doors opened and ran in, Jeff and the entire Vegicle Force behind him. They saw the carnage around the hangar. Jeff turned and saw Chip laying on the floor and ran to him.
"Chip!" he shouted. "Chip, ol' buddy! You alright?" Chip moaned and opened his eyes.
"Jeff," he replied weakly. "the spy…."
"Chief Engineer Bhed," Jeff said. "We found him passed out in the hallway headed for the east wing, along with the shield codes for the Defender."
"I confronted General Kovinx," Chip said. "He….was too strong…"
"Just relax," he said. "You're gonna be alright." He looked up at Rocky. "Get on the com and get a med team down here stat!" Rocky ran to the nearest com station. Seth looked around frantically, then saw Dariana's body against one of the walls, twisted and contorted. He ran to her and rolled her over carefully. He tried to listen for a pulse….a breath….any sign of life.
"Dar, please be alright!" he shouted. "Please!" He tilted her head back, and began to perform mouth to mouth, not feeling even the most shallow breath from her. But at once, when his lips touched hers, they began to feel warm. In that moment, he felt her kissing him, and a feeling of joy and relief spread over him. When he released her, her eyes opened, and she looked into his. Her mouth developed into a smile, her white and pointed teeth prominently showing.
"Seth…." She eeked out.
"You're alive," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
"My father," she said. "What happened to my father?" He looked to his left, closer to the vehicles, and saw the body of General Kovinx, also lying motionless. "Please, help me to my feet."
"You're hurt," Seth said.
"Please, my love," she said, "help me." Taken aback, he helped her to her feet, and they made their way over to where Loken laid. She looked down at him, tears in her eyes. "There was good in him. Dammit, Seth, there was good in him. He sacrificed it all in the end to save me." She buried her head in Seth's chest, and he held her closely. The Vehicle Team spread out and looked over the damage. It was then Jenny saw something near the CJE.
"What the hell is that?" she asked. Dariana looked over, as did Seth. They all watched as the vehicles glowed with an eerie blue light. Flashes emanated from them, focused on a single spot on the CJE. Ken tried to get closer, but the flashes radiated so much heat that he had to back off.
"It's some sort of energy," Ken replied. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"What on earth is it?" Jeff asked, approaching it. Christiane put her hand on his shoulder, looking at it with a smile on her face.
"It's life," she said. Within moments, all the energy focused into one final flash, then stopped. Silence filled the hangar for a moment, then the sound of scurrying footsteps were heard coming from the CJE heading to where Dariana and Seth were. It wasn't until it came into view that Dariana gasped. Tick scurried up to Loken's body and stood on his chest. Its eyes glowed an eerie blue, then out of nowhere, Loken gasped for breath. Tick's eyes returned to normal, then he turned his head to Dariana and let out a few mechanical sqeaks, as well as a few steady ticking noises, then ran to her, scurrying up her body, then transforming, latching on to her voltcom. Loken's eyes fluttered open, and he carefully got up off the ground. The team froze, stunned. Dariana walked up to him.
"How…is this possible?" she asked. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
"It was her all along, my daughter," he replied. "She wasn't destroyed when she tried to split her soul. Her memories and her power remain as part of the aether. She not only lives within the vehicles….within the gladiators…within the jets…..but within you. But the heart of those memories…they are inside your little friend there." She looked down at her forearm, staring intently at Tick. "She used us as a conduit to reactivate the piece of her within Voltron. I now realize why the Supremacy feared her power so much. My will is but a speck of dust compared to hers. Haggar's soul was ripped apart when she sacrificed herself. But her…she chose the path her power took. She was that powerful. She knew exactly what would happen, and willed it. And it wasn't through her strength, but in the one thing she showed me….mercy."
"Father…" she said, hugging him tightly. They suddenly felt the building shake. Seth's voltcom began making noises, and he tapped it.
"Where the flack are you, Derringer?" Roxy shouted.
"Handling a situation in the hangar," he replied.
"The robeast is back!" she shouted. "And it's ten times more powerful! We need Voltron! Find Dari and get the flack out here!" The com ended. He looked up at Dariana.
"This is my fault," Loken said. "The beast has been retrofitted with a Haggarium-laced nexus. The armor has been strengthened. While not impossible to defeat, it was rebuilt to destroy Voltron completely." He took a breath. "There is a chance. This Voltron has been re-energized. Perhaps the residual energy will be enough to cut through the armor, but you will have to act quickly. Set your weapons to a frequency modulation of .07." He walked over to Jeff. "I surrender myself. You may take me into custody." Jeff looked him in the eye, then waved over two security guards who then cuffed Loken, and took him from the hangar. Dariana stood there in tears, but Seth approached her, as did Commander Stormclaw.
"We have to get out there," Seth said to her. "They need us." She looked at Seth and nodded.
"We'll get this straitened out later," Mike said. "Voltron Force, to your ships! Launch!" The teams took off running, but Jeff grabbed Christiane's arm.
"Are you sure you're OK with this?" he asked her. She looked back into his eyes.
"I have to," she replied. Somehow, he knew, and understood. She took off running with the others, and Jeff and Mike assisted the med crew with Chip.
"Every last robot fighter is gone!" Tails shouted. "It's just us three left!"
"Then we better step it up, team," JC said. The three ships maneuvered skillfully, taking out ships, and taking turns at firing on the robeast, and dodging his blasts.
"That robeast is impossible!" Roxy shouted. "Without the others, we can't even make a mark!" Just then, they saw a small fleet heading for them. "Oh snart, what now?" Tails looked at the RadialTrac.
"It's Seth and Dari!" Tails shouted. "And it looks like the Vehicle Team is with them!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Roxy shouted. "JC, let's link up and take this thing down once and for all!"
"You got it!" JC shouted. "Ready to form Voltron! Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The jets flew into the air in wing formation, then switched to a star formation as the energy field took hold.
"Form feet and legs!" JC shouted. "Form arms and torso! And I'll form the head!" Voltron arched its back as the energy field dissipated, its eyes lighting up with power.
"Permission to form Voltron, Captian Keats?" Jenny asked.
"Granted," Krik replied. "All units, form Voltron!" The ships settled into formation and took off into the air, the energy field mysteriously surrounding them.
"Activate interlocks," Jenny shouted, working the controls. "Form feet and legs! Dynotherms connected! Form arms and Torso! And I'll form the head!" The CJE connected, and the bay doors opened, Voltron's eyes lighting up with power. Dixie flew upwards, then strait down into position, the Falcon locking onto the chestplate of the Strato Weapons Module. Voltron reached up into the air, the power field dissipating.
"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted as Voltron punched the air twice, then powering up.
"The interlocks are holding!" Cliff shouted.
"Thank goodness," Krik replied. "I have no control though."
"I have a bunch of shiny new buttons and levers," Jenny said, cracking her knuckles. "Awaiting orders."
"Look out!" Krik shouted. The robeast came at them. Jenny pulled the controls, and Voltron lunged backwards, the beast missing them.
"This is gonna take some getting used to," she said. Jet Voltron came at it from behind and tried to grab it, but was shocked by the energy shield surrounding it.
"Dammit, let go!" Roxy shouted.
"We can't!" JC shouted. "The controls are jammed!"
"No," Dariana said. "The energy field is trying to modify the ships' energy structure. I'm rerouting power around the outer hull." Suddenly, Voltron broke free and drifted backwards.
"Systems are down," Tails said, frantically hitting buttons and pulling levers. "Thirty seconds to restart."
"We might not have thirty seconds," Seth said, watching the beast approach. Just then, Vehicle Voltron reached to its shoulders.
"Form Spinning Laser Blades!" Jenny shouted. Voltron threw them at the beast, and they passed through the energy shield and cut off the beast's arms.
"The modulation worked!" Krik shouted.
"Let's buy the other team a moment to recover and take out that shield," Jenny said. "Ken, where's it located?"
"Thirty-eight meters right of the lower left panel," he replied.
"We got the hookup, girl," Eddie shouted.
"Just say the word," Chet added.
"Solar Combat Spears!" Jenny shouted. Voltron reached down and grabbed the spears and launched them at the beast. They penetrated the shield, and one hit its mark, taking it down.
"The shield is down!" Krik shouted.
"Follow up!" Jenny shouted. Voltron flew up, then came down with a mighty kick, sending the beast reeling.
"We're back online!" Tails shouted.
"Field is down," JC shouted. "Don't waste time! Let's finish this! Form Blazing Sword!" Voltron reached to his hip and pulled out the energy beam that became the sword.
"Form Blazing Sword!" Jenny yelled. Voltron put the Spinning Laser Blades together overhead and pulled down. The Blazing Sword appeared with a blue aura around it. Both Voltrons came at it and swung once each horizontally. The robeast split apart and exploded. A purple light emanated from it and flew off into the distance. Dariana looked down at her arm. Tick's head emerged from her voltcom, making several sharp noises.
"I know," she said softly. "We did good."
"Today we celebrate the heroic deeds of the Voltron Force," Mike said, standing at the podium, both teams, as well as Keith and Allura, sanding behind him. "Thanks to them, the attack on the city was averted, and the Garrison defended." The crowd cheered. "With the return of the Vehicle Team, we will continue our mission to find new worlds to colonize to ease the burden of overcrowding our worlds have felt, as well as continue to defend our worlds against the eminent attacks by the Drule Supremacy. Rest assured, the threat as we know it is far from over. But for all time, our faith will never waver. Because peace and prosperity will always and forever be defended by Voltron….the Defender of the Universe!" The crowd cheered in an uproar of applause. Tails looked up at Seth.
"Where's Dari?" she whispered.
"I dunno," he replied. "She said she had something important to do. Maybe she went to see her father?"
Just inside the building, Dariana paced back and forth. Moments later, someone tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, a smile came upon her face.
"I see you've been busy in my absence," Lenora said, looking back at her. "Come with me. There are a few things I want to talk to you about, Sergeant Kovinx." They walked to the elevator and entered it. The elevator took them to the very top floor, exiting to the hallway leading to the Space Marshall's office. Upon entering, she motioned for Dariana to sit down. She did so as well.
"Your father has agreed to testify against Bhed," Len said to her. Dariana was caught off guard.
"The spy responsible for sabotaging Voltron?" she asked.
"Yes," Len replied. "Miss Kovinx, I can't overlook the actions your father has perpetrated. One way or another, he must answer for his crimes."
"I understand," Dariana replied softly.
"In light of his assistance with the case against Bhed," she said, "as well as the plans to demolish the base that was constructed in the bay, I was able to get the council to concede to an alternative sentence."
"And what have they decided?" Dariana asked.
"He will be exiled to Nebb," she replied. "He will be closely guarded, but he will live the rest of his life, or his sentence, there. I know this would not keep him close to you, Miss Kovinx, but will allow some sort of closure, and allow him to keep in touch with you and your family."
"I understand," Dariana said. There was a slight pause. "Is that all you wish to speak to me about?"
"Actually, no," Len replied. "Something else has been bothering me."
"What is it?" she asked.
"You seem to be an expert on dreams," Len said, half jokingly. "I don't openly talk much about my life, Miss Kovinx. Even some of my closest friends don't know everything about me." She stood up and walked over to the window. "Let's just say, something extremely tragic happened in my life a couple of decades ago. And as the anniversary comes up, I keep having these dreams….these flashbacks of what happened back then. I want to dismiss it. It was something, in hindsight, that affected me in ways I can't even tell you. But everything seems so real…like I'm living through it over and over again."
"I wish I were an expert, Space Marshall," Dariana replied. "I've had terrible things overrun my life practically all my life. I almost lost my father this time…not sure if you understand what that's like."
"More than you know," she said.
"I like to think of dreams usually as guides," Dariana continued. "Sometimes they tell us where to go or what to do. Sometimes they just leave us messages to understand. But sometimes, I think, they are there just as a reminder to never forget." Lenora nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Miss Kovinx," Lenora said. "I will let you know when your father will be transported so that you can say your farewells." Dariana stood up and saluted. Len turned to look out the window. "Dismissed." Dariana walked out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Len let out a sigh. She walked over to her desk and sat down again. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold pocket watch. She opened it up and stared at the face…stopped, and forever frozen at the moment it happened. She slowly closed it, and a single tear dropped from her eye. She gripped the watch tightly and looked up at the ceiling, then opened her desk drawer and carefully placed it inside. She closed the drawer, then grabbed a stack of papers and began looking through them. As she did so, a faint noise she didn't hear began to come from the drawer.
Tick…tick…tick…