KathDMD -Didn't expect me to go there? Oh, I GO THERE! Yes, Pollux kept the White Lion and did plenty of tests and research on it. Sven always had a connection to it, but it's connection to Haggar will come into play at some point. Getting to the discussion between Sven and Romelle, you're right. Not many people know why she is defending Lysette or Lotor. Sven is very confused, and that is the point I wanted to get across. As for the final scene...I'm trying not to give too much away. We haven't had any brainstorming session...which is the only way i would divulge the information. Syn is manipulating Alrek. Syn indirectly had a hand in the incident, but not the incident you think! There is a twist that will come to light by the end, I promise!

cubbieBlueMako - Last chapter was a Lion chapter, so I always try to keep the OC to a minimum and the KA to a maximum! I will warn you, it's cyclical, so this week it's a VV episode. Don't worry! When the Lions come back around, KA will surely follow!

lovecastle89 - Sven is a good part of the season's story arc, so of course I wanted to catch some good story from him! But He and Romelle have always been a good part of the Lion Force universe! I also wanted to try and capture Erik a little more grown up, and more vocal a character. Im actually surprised no one picked up on that. i also wanted to show Bandor as a competent leader, and Pollux as a strong force and member of the Galaxy Alliance!

Author's Note -This week we go back to the Yolon Sector to see what the Defender and the vehicle Team are up to! I actually caught fire writing this one, and finished the majority of it in two short hours! My only regret is a lack of ken/Dixie banter, but hey, those two will have plenty more time to work up a ton of sexual tension...er...did i say that? Um...forget I said it. *grins*

Theme Music : "3" by Brittney Spears

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 72 : "The Power of Three"

"So," Jeff said, "how long before we reach our next destination?" Sparks turned his chair.

"Within an hour, Commander," Sparks replied. "The probes we sent out sent back favorable data. Professor Paige is looking over it now."

"Good," Jeff replied.

"The crew has a good feeling about this planet, sir," he said. "So good in fact that they have come up with a nickname for the planet…..Aven."

"I have a good feeling too," Jeff replied. "Keep me advised of any updates. I'll be in the lounge." Jeff left the bridge.

"Aven, huh," Jenny said, looking out the window in the lounge.

"That's what some of the guys who launched the probes are calling it," Cliff replied. "Better than calling it by some meaningless designation. May as well call it something meaningful, especially if it turns out to be a good candidate for colonization.

"You're right," Jenny replied. Cliff gave her a pat on the back, and Krik called him over. As he walked away, Mai approached her.

"Jenny," she said softly, "Do you think Aven might be the one planet we've been searching for?"

"I hope so, Mai," she replied. "I hope so."

"Hey," Mai continued, "Sammy's come up with a new drink everyone says isn't half bad. Want to come try it with me?" Jenny thought for a moment, then turned to the young Sea Tem pilot with a smirk.

"Alright," Jenny replied. "But just one. We're gonna be launching soon, and we all need to be in top form, right?" Mai smiled and gave her a little mock salute.

"Yes, ma'am!" she said. As they made their way to the bar, Jeff entered the lounge. He walked up to Cliff and Krik who were talking.

"So," Jeff said, "everyone's come up with a nickname for the planet already?"

"I'm pretty confident this is going to be a good find," Cliff replied. "Krik seems to think so too, with the exception of his usual jitters."

"Jitters?" Jeff asked.

"I want to say that everything will go off without a hitch," Krik said. "But I had this weird twinge as Cliff and I were talking about the launch. With the Drules making their presence out here, it's safe to say we may run into trouble."

"We got them to turn tail and run last time," Jeff said, "and we'll do it again if we have to."

Merla keenly kept her eye on the main veiwscreen as the command ship moved slowly towards their destination. Someone approached her, and though she noticed more than she let on, she continued her focus.

"Your Excellency," he asked, "why are we still following the Alliance ship? Our orders from Lord Kanji were to conquer the worlds in this sector and expand the Supremacy's reach beyond that of the Alliance, not to continually clean up after an Alliance exploratory fleet!"

"Lord Kanji has been in constant communication with me, General," she replied nonchalantly. "Why does that seem to surprise you?" The general was taken aback by the comment.

"I….I just assumed…" he started to say.

"In fact," she continued, "Lord Kanji has full confidence in my strategy to take these worlds in the name of our kingdoms. Now on top of all that, he needs to find a new general."

"I don't understand what you…" he started to say as in one motion, she pulled a dagger from her person and stabbed him in the chest. He fell to his knees, and as she withdrew it, he slumped to the floor and bled out. She wiped the blade clean and resheathed it.

"Continue our present course," she shouted. "Notify me as soon as we are in range of their destination." She looked down at the fallen general and shook her head. "And get this useless pile of dying filth off the bridge."

"All units, launch!" the announcement came over the loudspeakers. All three teams launched from the Defender and headed for the planet below.

"It looks pretty good from here," Jenny said.

"Yeah," Rocky replied, "but looks can be deceiving."

"The Commander said to perform some preliminary scans to further confirm the probes' findings," Cliff said. "Based on that, the Defender is planning to land on the surface."

"It can land here?" Jenny asked.

"The Defender can safely land and navigate in certain bodies of water," Krik said. "We just need to make sure it's safe."

"I see," Jenny replied. The teams made their way to the surface, skimming over a large body of water in the northern hemisphere.

"It doesn't look too bad up close," Ken said. "How are things looking down below?"

"There is some sea life," Shannon replied. "Nothing that would endanger us or the ship."

"Aside from some strange rock formations," Cliff said, "we don't see anything out of the ordinary. No signs of intelligent life."

"No Drules either," Hutch laughed.

"Don't go jinxing us, Hutch!" Marvin scolded. The teams then assembled at a point near the water's edge. Cliff contacted the Defender.

"Commander," he said, "we've completed our preliminary scans, and found it's safe enough for the Defender to land. Lock on to our coordinates."

"Thanks Cliff," Jeff replied. "We'll see you when we land." Cliff climbed out of his vehicle and joined the others. Krik walked up to him.

"The Defender will be landing here in a few minutes," Cliff said. Jenny walked up to them.

"I can't wait for Jeff to get a closer look at this," Krik said. "It isn't paradise, but it's definitely what we're looking for." Jenny nodded, then something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

"What was that?" she asked. Cliff and Krik looked at her, and she turned to walk to the edge of the water. The went to follow her.

"What did you see?" Cliff asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied as they approached the shore. She squatted and looked deeply into the water. "I could have sworn…." Out of nowhere, tentacles popped out of the water and grabbed all three of them and pulled them into the water.

"Captain!" Shannon shouted. By the time they ran to the edge to save them, they had been pulled under. "We have to save them!"

"We have to warn the Defender first," Christiane replied. "If they land and that thing gets them…."

"Agreed," Shannon replied.

"I'm going to alert the commander," Ken said as he ran to the ARC. Under the water, Jenny, Krik and Cliff struggled to break loose. They got pulled deeper and deeper as they faded into unconsciousness. Before she passed out, Jenny thought she saw a figure in the water fiercely fighting off the beast.

Jenny awoke lying on the ground in a cave. As she opened her eyes, she noticed a small campfire nearby. She tried to get up and noticed Krik and Cliff nearby, still alive but unconscious. She crawled over to them and tried to wake them. They stirred, but neither would awaken.

"They're still recovering from the poison," a deep voice came from behind her. She turned quickly and scuffled to her feet. When she got a good look at them, she saw it was the figure she had seen fighting the monster.

"Who are you?" she asked. The man turned away from her.

"It's not important.," he replied. "What is important is that I get you and your men back to the surface so that you can leave this planet."

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want us to leave? We're explorers on a peaceful exploration mission. If this planet is already populated…"

"The monster that attacked you is one of many," he replied. "Long ago, the planet was aglow with life, and its people lived in peace and safety. Then a great evil came. It devoured the planet, allowing these beasts to destroy all life. They are shadows of death. As long as life exists on this planet, the evil will endure. I have spent years battling it…but in the end, the only way to stop it will mean the end of the very lifeblood of the planet."

"I don't understand," she replied, "but if you can get us back to the surface, we will do as you ask. You can escape with us if you like." He did not respond. He only began to walk to the nearby pile of kindling and fed the fire.

"Rest," he said. "The journey back will not be easy, and I hope your friends recover quickly."

"Sir!" Sparks shouted. "I'm receiving an incoming message from Cadet Hunter! He says that Cadet Owens, Captain Keats and Captain Jack were pulled into the water by some creature under the surface!" Jeff gasped, then clenched his fists.

"Take us down," he ordered.

"But sir…" Sparks said.

"Do it!" Jeff demanded. "Alert the teams and get them back to their ships. I want any available security detail to head to the lower decks for a possible diving operation. I want to know what that thing is and how to stop it. One way or another, we're going to find those pilots!"

"Yes, Sir," Sparks replied. The helmsman overheard the order and continued their descent.

"What in the seven hells are they doing?" Shannon remarked. "Hunter! Didn't you warn the Defender not to land?" Ken popped out of the ARC.

"We have orders to get to our ships," he replied. "The Commander is landing the Defender to try and find Jenny and the others." Shannon let out a sigh.

"You heard the order," he said. "Everyone back to your ships." They all ran for their ships, and watched as the Defender made its way through the atmosphere, slowly touching down in the water.

"The Alliance ship is landing on the planet's surface, Your Excellency," one of the Drule officers said.

"They must have made a find," she replied, slowly getting up. She paused for a moment, staring at the screen. "There's something else down there. Something powerful. I can feel it." She turned to the helmsman. "Take the ship down. Launch our fighters. I want to engage the Alliance ship before they have a chance to harness the energy of whatever exists down there!"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and the ship began its descent.

"It's as if all the energy of the planet has converged in one spot," she said softly to herself. "An energy source like that could turn the tables in this conflict with the Galaxy Alliance!"

Krik and Cliff began to come around. Jenny walked over to them.

"Finally deciding to join the land of the living?" Jenny asked. As Cliff's eyes opened, he let out a chuckle.

"One hell of a bloody hangover," he commented. "Where the hell are we?"

"It looks like we are underground," Krik replied.

"Way to go, Captain Obvious," Cliff said.

"Some sort of beast grabbed us," Jenny said. "That man over there saved our lives. Apparently the planet is crawling with these things, and we need to get to the surface and escape the planet before it gets worse."

"How could it possibly get worse?" Cliff asked. Suddenly the ground shook. The beast came out of the water nearby and crawled its way towards them.

"It looks like a giant squid!" Krik shouted.

"You need to get to the surface!" The man said as he grabbed a spear from the ground and ran to confront it.

"Wait!" Jenny shouted. "Come with us! We can save you!" The man turned for a moment.

"You don't understand, young one," he replied. "The life that existed on this world is no more. I am the lifeblood of the planet…not the shell you see. I am one with the planet….and the planet is dying! You must escape now!" Jenny hesitated, but Cliff grabbed her arm.

"Owens!" Krik shouted. "We need to find our way to the surface quickly!"

"Follow the trail I've marked!" the man shouted. "Escape while you can!" They ran, while the man twirled the spear. "Now….we end this."

"Sir!" Sparks shouted. "I'm detecting a Drule Ship! It's the one from the other day!"

"Not again!" Jeff shouted. "Voltron Force, take to the skies! Stop that ship!"

"Don't waste time!" Merla shouted. "They appear to be down three men! Launch the Robeast! We can destroy them before they can form Voltron!" The bay doors opened, and a metallic robot with heavily armored limbs dropped from the sky and landed on the surface.

"The Drules launched a robeast!" Rocky shouted.

"We can't even form the sub-units!" Ken shouted.

"Land and Air Teams, focus on the ship," Shannon shouted. "Sea Team, let's try to distract that robeast!"

"Better than just sittin' around, right lil bro?" Chet asked.

"Who you callin' little, bro?" Eddie replied. "Just cause you're two minutes older…"

"Enough!" Mai shouted, exasperated. "We have to stop the robeast and find Jenny!" The teams began their attack. The Sea Team circled the robeast, and it flailed around, trying to swat them out of the sky.

"Our firepower isn't doing any good," Shannon said. "We need Voltron."

"Look!" Krik shouted as they saw a light ahead. "It must be a way out!" The three ran, but then came face to face with another one of those monsters.

"Look out!" Cliff shouted. They jumped out of the way as it swung at them. "Run!" The three managed to dodge and weave around the tentacles and get past it. They ran out of the cave to find they weren't very far from the Defender.

"Get to the ships!" Jenny shouted. "It looks like the Defender's under attack!" She stopped and picked up a rock.

"Cadet Owens!" Krik shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Buying you time!" she shouted. "Go!" They ran, and she hurled the rock at the pursuing monster, then ran in another direction. Instinctively it followed her. "Come on, Jenny, you can do this." She ran as fast as she could, then came to a stop when two more of them popped up in front of her. She turned to run, but the one following her caught up. Just as they were closing in on her, Krik's ship opened fire, and Cliff flew down to her. She grabbed on, and the ship carried her away. Cliff made his way back to the CJE, and Jenny let go, climbing into the cockpit. She put on her helmet and powered on. One of the beasts appeared.

"Now it's my turn," she said, firing a blast that hit the beast head on, sending it flying into the woods. The CJE took off, and the three headed to join the others.

"Jenny!" Mai shouted with excitement. "You're alright!"

"No time for reunions," she shouted, pulling the levers. "All units in formation!"

"All units, form Voltron!" Krik shouted. The ships flew into formation, shooting into the air and locking into place. "Form feet and legs! Form arms and torso!"

"And I'll form the head!" Jenny shouted. The doors opened, and Voltron's eyes lit up with power. The Falcon came screaming downward, locking into place on Voltron's chest. Voltron reached above him, powering up, following several punches to the air.

"Stop them!" Merla shouted frantically. "The power is still down there! Knock Voltron out and destroy their command ship!" Voltron landed in front of the beast and took off running at it, and they locked up.

"This thing is tough!" Rocky shouted.

"But we're tougher!" Jenny shouted back. Voltron pushed hard, and sent the robeast flying backwards to the ground. Voltron went to advance, but several tentacles grabbed his legs and pulled, causing Voltron to trip and go down. Several of those monsters latched on to Voltron, holding him down.

"Dude!" Eddie shouted. "What's that?"

"Dude, isn't that that stuff your mom used make after that weekend in Kyoto?" Chet asked.

"Dude!" Eddie shouted. "She's your mom too!"

"It's the monster that dragged us underground!" Cliff shouted. "It's trying to tear us apart!"

"The robeast is getting away!" Krik shouted. "It's heading for the Defender!"

"Sir!" Sparks shouted. "The robeast is heading right for us! Voltron is down!"

"The Drule fighters have us pinned down!" Jeff said. "Open fire! All forward arrays on that thing!" The Defender launched all forward missiles and fired all lasers at the beast. It seemed to slow him down, but he fired back, knocking out several of the Defender's cannons. "We need to do something!" The doors to the bridge opened, and a wheelchair rolled in.

"Cinda?" Jeff asked. "What are you doing here? You should be in your quarters! Or in sick bay!"

"I'm not going to lie there and let my team go down!" she argued. She rolled over to the tactical console. "Move!" she shouted, and the weapons officer slid over. She began keying in commands. "I'm redirecting the Magna Laser on the port side to fire. Keep the robeast to starboard!" The bridge went quiet. Then Jeff looked at them sternly.

"You heard her!" he shouted. "Do it!" The Defender focused fire on the robeast, keeping it to starboard. Cinda closed her eyes, concentrating for a moment, then opened them, hitting the final button. The cannon fired.

"We gotta get loose!" Ken shouted. Just then, the blast from the Magna Laser hit the beast holding Voltron's right arm. Voltron reached to his left and ripped the beast off its left, slinging it off to the right.

"Form Spinning Laser Blades!" Jenny shouted. Voltron pulled the blades from its shoulders and sliced through the tentacles holding his legs. Voltron got to his feet and ran in the direction of the Defender. Jenny screamed as Voltron leaped into the air and took several swipes at the robeast. Pieces of its armor fell off, and a lucky blast from the Defender hit it, sending it flying backwards. Voltron launched one of the blades into the air, and it sliced through one of the Drule Command Ship's engines.

"Engine four has been compromised!" the officer said.

"We have to get that power source!" Merla shouted.

"If we don't escape now, we might not have a chance!" the officer shouted back. Merla closed her eyes, and felt something different. When she opened them, she sighed, exasperated.

"Get us out of here," she said. "Explaining this defeat to my husband will be bad enough. Explaining it to Lord Kanji…." The ship turned and took off, the remaining fighters in tow. The blade made its way back to Voltron. He charged at the beast as it was getting up, knocking it down again. Voltron leaped into the air, grabbing the returning blade.

"Follow up!" Jenny shouted. Voltron came down with a mighty kick, stomping the robeast. "Form Blazing Sword!" Voltron combined the blades above his head and pulled downward, forming the sword. The beast got up, pulling some sort of staff from nowhere. It charged at Voltron, but with the armor damaged, The Blazing Sword was able to slice through the staff, and the robeast top to bottom.

The old man continued to fight the beast in the cave. He managed to sever several of its tentacles, and went to stab it in the head. It managed to wrap a tentacle around him, stinging him as he drove the staff into its head, killing it. The beast fell, and he fell to the ground with in. Blood began to ooze from his mouth.

"I am the life of the planet," he muttered. "The embodiment of all that was left. With my death comes the end of the evil…..the end of your power here….Syn….." He collapsed, and the ground shook violently.

Voltron pulled back, and the robeast split in two and exploded. With that, the entire ground beneath them shook and began to split.

"What's happening?" Shannon shouted.

"The end of life," Jenny said to herself. "Captain Keats! We have to get the Defender off the planet!"

"What's happening?" he replied.

"The planet is breaking apart!" she shouted. "I'll explain later!" Jeff overheard the conversation on the com.

"You heard that!" Jeff shouted. "Fire all jets and get us in the air!"

"Our systems were compromised in the attack," Sparks replied. "Engineering is reporting system failures. We don't know if we'll have enough power to achieve escape velocity."

"I know what does," Jenny said, pulling the control lever. As the Defender rose from the water's surface, Voltron went beneath it and lifted as hard as it could. Both rose out of the water and into the air.

"Our power levels are draining fast, Jenny!" Ken shouted.

"We have to get the Defender away from the planet!" she shouted. "Reroute all power to the thrusters!"

"We got this, boss lady!" Chet shouted.

"As usual, we got the hook up!" Eddie shouted. Auxiliary thrusters emerged from Voltron's lower legs and fired, causing them and the Defender to lift off even faster. As they escaped the atmosphere, the planet began to crack open. Magma flowed onto the surface, and the remaining beasts became engulfed in it, burning to death. The Defender was far enough away when finally the planet itself broke apart, and an energy blast emanated from it in the form of a bright light, enveloping everything for a few seconds….then the planet was no more.

"It's gone," Jenny said, Voltron hovering nearby. "Aven…."

Jenny, Krik and Cliff sat at a table in the lounge. Jenny was running her fork through her food, unable to eat.

"I can't imagine anything more evil than the Drules," she said. "That man spoke of some great evil. What could possibly have happened that created those creatures, or warranted the destruction of an entire planet?"

"Sometimes there is no reason," Krik replied. "Sometimes evil is evil for its own sake. No one is meant to understand it."

"I've seen a lot of things since joining the Voltron Force," Cliff said. "This was a first for me. A man that claimed he was the life of the planet?"

"There are stories back home that speak of a spirit of the Earth," Jenny said. "The spirit protects the planet in ways we can't understand. Bringing balance. Perhaps the balance of this world was tipped so great that it needed to annihilate itself to restore some kind of order."

"Way too deep for me, love," Cliff laughed. "I'm sure there's some scientific mumbo jumbo explanation for what happened back there, but for now, let's focus on the road ahead."

"Agreed," Krik said. Mai approached the table.

"Jenny," she asked, "we never got to share that drink. You want to join me?"

"Yeah," Jenny said. "I think I will. I think I need it." She got up from the table, and Mai grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bar.

"Cadet Islu really likes her," Krik commented.

"I don't need a sixth sense to notice that one," Cliff laughed as they both began to finish their meal.

"Unidentified fractal," one of the Garrison tactical officers said over the com, "please state your intended course and entry code." The man piloting the fractal squinted as his slate colored eyes turned bright red.

"Intended docking course, Lower Manhattan," he replied. "Access code five, one, five, three, five."

"Your fractal designation is not on record," the officer replied. "Please be ready to show security your credentials as soon as you arrive." The com closed. The man grinned.

"You humans are too trusting," he said. "Too easy to manipulate." He took a deep breath. "It's here. I can feel it. After thousands of years, I will finally be whole again…never having to exist in this corpse shell….and free to control the universe once more! And if the humans want identification….they will know the power of Syn."