KathDMD - Because of Haggar, Sven is bound to the lion. But it's that bond that allows him to control the lion in ways no one thought was possible. In the future, Voltron itself will evolve, and the pilots will find they too hold a bond to their lions in the same way. Lance mentors Marina. He's hesitant to let go, but with the semester starting soon, and Lieutenant Ellington within ample reach, he's gonna be spending more time at the Academy. As you know, this isn't the last one for Keith and Allura...hehe. And finally...yeah. I needed to end the episode the way i did. Tails is gonna bust them MERCILESSLY!

cubbieBlueMako - The royal family has been in the works for a while...it's a joint effort. ;) No KA this week, but I'm planning on doing some cool stuff in the finale!

Author's Note - It's been tough getting writing done. There's been alot of personal stuff going on in my life that had me down and left me uninspired. That's why I am dedicating this episode to KathDMD, because withoyut my muse, I'm nothing.

Theme Music : "Push the Button" by Amy Lee

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 76 : "The Miran Link"

Cinda laid in bed, tossing and turning. Sweat rolled down her forehead as the visions she had in her dream began to intensify.

"I have to get out of here!" Cinda shouted as she ran through the forest. She ducked branches, fleeting for her life from something chasing her. The shadow got closer and closer. She tripped and fell, and suddenly could not get up. She turned and covered her eyes as a gigantic robeast brandished a flail, and launched it at her….

Cinda awoke, startled. A tingling in her lower back only added to the helplessness she felt from the visions she saw. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, and the tingle began to reach down to her toes. She was still frightened….still breathing heavy, but the discovery of feeling in her toes was a pleasant change. For now, she brushed aside the vision to focus on the fact that her recovery was progressing….though she knew what she saw was more than just a dream.

Christiane sat up in bed, startled. Usually Jeff would be sound asleep, but recently, he'd found it hard to get to sleep, and noticed right away his wife's sudden movement.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"I had a dream," she said.

"Was it a good one?" he asked jokingly.

"I wish it was," she replied. "I was running from someone….or something…" She held her head. "I don't know, it was so strange…."

"It was just a dream," he said. She turned her head.

"It was far too real for that, Jeff," she said. He knew well if she was this afraid, knowing her abilities as a seer, he would never take what she said for granted.

"What do you think it means?" he asked.

"It means something from the past is coming back," she said. "And it scares me."

Merla opened her eyes, and a sly grin appeared on her face. She glanced back and forth as the Drules on the bridge of her command ship worked diligently.

"Maintain course and speed," one of the Lieutenants ordered. "We don't want to be spotted. Keep your distance, but continue following the Alliance ship closely."

"Your Excellency," the general said, "you seem to be in a better mood than usual." She turned her head to him.

"General," she replied, "there are times where brute force is the best strategy, tearing your enemy apart. Then there are times when the best strategy is to tear them apart from the inside out."

"Meaning?" he asked.

"Meaning with the seed that's been carefully planted," she replied, "the Voltron Force will be torn apart from the inside. Then there will be nothing left in our way to stop us from conquering these new worlds!" She laughed, delighted at the thought of her latest plan.

Cinda wheeled into the lounge, and saw the entire force doing what they usually do in between missions…hanging out in their usual cliques and talking about the next world they're about to explore. She was going to find out what Krik and Cliff were up to, but, spotted Christiane staring out the large glass window, and a feeling came over her, compelling her to approach her.

"Lost in thought?" Cinda asked. Christiane shook her head, snapping out of the trance she was in.

"Kinda," she replied. "I had a strange dream last night. I usually don't try to read much into it, but when dreams like this one hit me, it's usually some sort of message."

"What was it about?" Cinda asked. In her mind, she was going back to the dream she had last night as well, and felt curious.

"I was being chased down by a robeast," Christiane said. "It followed me through a thick forest…a place I was completely unfamiliar with. It was about to strike me with an iron flail when I woke from it." Cinda gasped.

"Christiane," she replied, "I had the same dream. The robeast was the one that destroyed Voltron, and almost killed me."

"The beast piloted by General Kovinx?" Christiane asked. Cinda nodded. "There has to be more to it than this. Now I'm sure of it."

"But what could it mean?" Cinda asked. "Is it possible that you are seeing the dream because of the link?" Christiane was slightly startled by this, now remembering the reading she did back in the hospital.

"Maybe," Christiane said. "I usually don't discount visions as vivid as this was." They both looked out the window. "I hope it's just a coincidence."

"Launch the robot fighters," General Binak ordered. "The time for stealth is over. If this plan works, they will not be able to form Voltron, but we musn't underestimate the firepower of their command ship. I want the robot fighters to draw out the Voltron Force while we move in on their command ship. With any luck, our robeast will be able to cut it to pieces before the Voltron Force can even blink!"

"Yes, Sir," One of the officers replied. The Drule ships picked up speed and headed for the Defender.

"Long range scans are picking up a large Drule command ship heading this way," Sparks said.

"Is it the same one we encountered a few days ago?" Jeff asked.

"Possibly, Commander," he replied. "They're launching robot drone ships. Should we open fire?"

"Not yet," Jeff said. He walked over to the com. "Voltron Force to the launch area immediately! Identify the oncoming vessels. Open fire only if attacked." He turned to Sparks. "Bring us about. And open a channel to the vessel. I wanna know which one of the Supremacy's generals we're dealing with this time."

Alarms began to blare, and the force heard Jeff's order over the com.

"We need to get moving," Christiane said. Cinda nodded. But as they turned to run, Christiane suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"Christiane!" Cliff shouted running to her. He turned and noticed Cinda slump over and also fall out of her chair. "What the devil is happening?"

"We have to go!" Shannon shouted. "Sammy, get ahold of sickbay…"

"I'll make sure they're taken care of," Sammy replied. As they ran out the door, he walked up to the girls and leaned over them, placing the back of his hand on Cinda's forehead.

Cinda and Christiane awoke in near darkness. They struggled to get up. As Christiane got to her feet, she looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked. "Is this….a dream?"

"It's Shaylar," Cinda replied, climbing to her feet. "But it must be a dream." She turned to look at Christiane, and Christiane looked back at her, standing on her own two feet.

"I guess the only question now is WHY are we here?" Christiane asked. They both heard a maniacal laugh from nowhere.

"A Miran telepath and a Seer," she said. "I wasn't expecting a two for one, but since you're both here…." Cinda heard a blaster charging.

"Look out!" she screamed as she pushed Christiane out of the way of the blast. They rolled to their feet and began running.

"What is it?" Christiane asked.

"It's the beast!" she replied. "We have to keep running!"

"But what if we stop running?" Christiane asked. Cinda turned her head to look at her.

"The dream will end," Cinda replied. They continued to run, and Christiane came to the horrible realization of what it meant to end the dream.

The Voltron Force, minus Christiane, launched immediately. The robot fighters almost instantly opened fire. Expecting it, the force scattered and began their attack. The fleet drew them away from the Defender, and the Drule Command Ship inched closer.

"Drule Vessel, this is Commander Jeff Aki of the U.S.S. Defender," Jeff shouted. "Identify yourself!" A Drule general appeared on screen.

"I am General Binak," he said. "You are trespassing in Supremacy Territory."

"Trespassing?" Jeff scowled. "This is unexplored territory! Neither one of us has been here before! You can't just claim something you've never seen!"

"The Drule Supremacy can claim whatever they choose!" Binak replied. "If you will not leave by choice, then we shall remove you by force!" The transmission ended.

"Your orders, Sir?" Sparks asked.

"Put the shields up and get ready for a fight," Jeff replied. "We're not going anywhere."

"Commander, Aki," a voice came over the com.

"What is it, Professor?" he answered.

"I need you to come to sick bay immediately," Professor Paige replied.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment," Jeff replied hastily.

"Your wife and Sergeant Kirigas have lapsed into a coma," he replied. Jeff's eyes widened. He looked over at Sparks.

"Lieutenant," he said, "maintain your position. If they open fire, you have my orders to commence a counter attack. Keep me abridged of the situation. I'll be in sick bay." Jeff ran from the bridge, and everything went silent.

"We have to do something," Christian shouted as they ran. "We can't run forever."

"I know that," Cinda shouted back. "What did you suppose that voice was back there?"

"I felt a dark energy," she replied, "but without making contact…."

"I felt the same thing," Cinda said. "Whatever it is, it brought us here. And we have to find a way to stop it."

"You said this place was Shaylar," Christiane said. "You've been here before?"

"It's a forest on my homeworld," she replied. "There's not much in the way of dry land on Mira, but where cities weren't built, lush forests abound. And it looks like whoever brought us here is trying to turn those memories of home into a twisted nightmare." They skidded to a stop at the edge of a cliff.

"A cliff?" Christiane asked.

"We must have run the wrong way," Cinda replied. "We're trapped!"

"Cinda," Christaine said, "this is your dream. You should be able to change it."

"I can't," she said, clenching her eyes shut.

"Yes, you can," Christiane replied. "Focus. Concentrate. We know none of this is real, but we know everything was created from your mind. If you will it hard enough, we can escape!" Cinda felt unsure, and heard the approaching footsteps of the beast. She suddenly grabbed Chritiane's hand and pulled her, both women jumping off the edge. The ebast came to a stop and looked over the edge, a Drule woman sitting lazily on its shoulder.

"Accursed dreamer," she said with a slight scowl. "You can't run forever. This may be your dream…but it's my nightmare." She laughed as she watched the two girls float down to the ground below on what looked like a small cloud.

Jeff ran into sickbay. Professor Paige and his assistant turned to look at him.

"How are they?' he asked. "What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure," Paige replied. "From Sammy's account, the girls literally collapsed in the lounge. No explanation. I've run tests to see if anything changed in their physical makeup, or if anything was affecting them, but everything seems normal. The only oddity I found was that their brain wave patterns seem to match each other."

"What does it mean?" Jeff asked.

"It means that they are both actively dreaming," he replied, "and that they are experiencing the very same visions. I can't explain it at all." The ship shook violently. Jeff reached for his com.

"What's going on up there?" he asked.

"The Drule vessel has commenced attack on us," Sparks replied. "Shields are down to seventy percent, and per your orders, we have opened fire in counter-attack. But we now have an even bigger problem."

"What?" Jeff asked.

"They've launched a robeast," Sparks replied.

After landing below, both girls turned to look back up at the cliff, and saw that the beast was gone.

"Where did it go?" Christiane asked.

"I don't think it's finished with us," Cinda replied.

"Cinda, we have to find a way to stop it," Christiane said.

"But how?" she asked.

"Remember I said this was your dream?" Christiane asked. Cinda nodded. "You can control it. We may be trapped here, but in the end, you have the power to defeat whatever is holding us."

"I'm not sure I can," Cinda said.

"I want you to take the strongest memory you have and focus on it," Christiane said. "I want you to make that an anchor. I want you believe you have the power to manipulate this place as much as the memory." Cinda closed her eyes, and through her own fear, remembered something so real to her that it made the fear vanish.

"Ah," a voice said behind them. Christiane turned to find Merla once again sitting atop the robeast's shoulder laughing. "You think that if the dream can be controlled, you can just walk out of here? You're both fools! It's my nightmare, and only I control where it goes!" Cinda turned, and a blaster appeared in her hand and fired, barely missing Merla, but knocking her off the beast. The beast went to come at her, but she fired on it, wounding it in the shoulder, then the knee. Christiane tuned, and Cinda nodded, and a blaster appeared in her hand as well. Together, they fired at the heart of the beast, and knocked it backwards, causing it to disintegrate before their eyes.

"You don't belong here!" Cinda shouted. But Merla got up and wiped a tiny stream of blood from the corner of her lip. She reached out, and both Cinda and Christaine were sent flying backwards, being pinned to two trees, unable to move.

"Maybe I don't belong here," she said, "but soon, it won't even matter." Cinda and Christiane began to feel as if they were suffocating, having the very life squeezed out of them.

"My power is growing," a deep voice came from nowhere, whispering in Merla's ear. "Daughter of the Seventh Kingdom….I have twisted your ancestors into creatures of destruction. I call to you now to do my bidding! Forsake thine enemy, and forsake thine own spouse….and take your place as my servant!"

"No…" Merla eeked out. She released the girls, and they fell to the ground. "It can't be….no….someone has opened it!" She suddenly vanished.

"What happened?" Cinda asked.

"She had us where she wanted us," Christiane replied. "And then she just stopped. 'Someone has opened it,' she said."

"Now that she's gone…" Cinda said.

"It's time we wake up from this dream," Christiane said with a smile.

Christiane and Cina opened their eyes and struggled to sit up. Jeff ran to them.

"Chris!" he shouted. "Cinda! You're alright! One minute we were watching you gasp for air, and the next…"

"It's alright," Christiane said to him with a smile. "It's over, for now." The ship shook. "What was that?"

"The Drules are attacking," he replied. "Sparks said there's a robeast out there."

"They need me to form Voltron!" Christiane said, standing up.

"You can't go out there!" Jeff said. "You're still weak!"

"If I don't," she replied, "you know what will happen." After a moment of silence….an eternity staring into one another's eyes, Jeff nodded in agreement, and she ran from the room.

"Cliff!" Jenny shouted. "Even with the Strato Fighter at full power, we don't have enough to keep the robeast away from the Defender!"

"Keep trying, love," he replied. "The robot fighters are almost done. Maybe if they can take out the command ship…"

"Cliff, look!" Modoch shouted. "It's Chris!"

"Talk about calling it close!" Cliff said. "Glad to have you back."

"Enough chit chat," Christiane said. "We need Voltron."

"Cadet Owens," Krik said, "take the lead."

"Right," she replied. "All units, prepare for assembly. Air team, separate!" The Strato-Fighter separated.

"Sea Team, separate!" Krik shouted, and the Aqua Fighter separated.

"All units, form Voltron!" Jenny shouted. The CJE spun into position and took lead as the remaining ships moved into position. "Form feet and legs! Form arms and torso! And I'll form the head!" The CJE locked into place, and the bay doors opened, revealing Voltron's face. The Falcon glided downward and connected to Voltron's chest, completing the formation sequence. Voltron powered up, reaching into the air above them, and followed up by a series of air punches.

"Alright team," she shouted, "Let's get that robeast away from the Defender!" Voltron flew at the robeast and grabbed it, tackling it away from the Defender. The Defender continued to open fire on the Drule Command Ship.

"Owens, watch out!" Krik said as the beast's right hand became a drill and stabbed into Voltron.

"Screw someone else you overgrown drill bit!" Dixie shouted. "Jenny, let's give 'em a blast!"

"Electro-thermoblasters!" Jenny shouted. The chest plate fired, blasting the beast clear. "Dixie, you ok?"

"Snart face scratched my flacking paint job!" Dixie scowled.

"Here he comes again!" Cliff said.

"We got this," Christiane said as Voltron grabbed the drill arm and held it back. Voltron swung around and threw the beast.

"Form Spinning Laser Blades!" Jenny shouted. Voltron reached to his shoulders, pulling the blades and charging them up. He threw them quickly, one after the other, and they sliced through the beast's left arm, cutting it off and destroying it. Voltron flew at the beast and caught the blades.

"Form Blazing Sword!" Jenny shouted. Voltron put the blades together as the beast lunged at him with the drill arm. Voltron pulled downward, then as the sword formed, swung around, and dodging the drill, sliced clean through the robest. As Voltron came to a stop, the beast split in two and exploded.

"Now to take care of that command ship!" Jenny shouted.

"Hold off a second, Cadet," Krik said. "The crossfire stopped."

Merla came onto the bridge looking extremely flustered. General Binak turned to face her.

"Your Excellency," he said, "We have their command ship pinned down!"

"Turn us around and prepare to jump to hyperspace," she replied nervously.

"But sire…" he started to say. She turned and pinned him against the bulkhead by his throat.

"I said now!" she shouted in his face. She quieted down. "Set a course for Earth. Nothing in the universe is more important than this, do I make myself perfectly clear, General?" He gulped.

"Crystal," he eeked out. She released him and walked off the bridge.

"If the watch has been opened by anyone by Kanji," she whipered, "there may be no force in the universe to stop it. It will wipe out not just the Alliance, but the Supremacy as well. I have to find it…or share my parents' fate." The command ship flew away.

The Voltron Force gathered in the lounge to relax. But for some, there was no relaxing.

"We let them get away," Jenny said.

"We're not an attacking force," Krik replied. "We are an exploration force."

"Captain Keats is right," Jeff said approaching the young cadet. "Vice Marshall Hawkins taught us that. If we become an aggressor, we suddenly become no better than them."

"But you know they'll be back," she said.

"And we'll be ready," Jeff replied.

"One thing bothers me though, Jeff," Krik said.

"What's that, Krik?" Jeff asked.

"While it appeared the enemy was retreating," he replied, "I had a feeling that there was more to their retreat than the inevitable defeat. I checked the course charting data, and found that they have plotted a course for Earth."

"Earth?' Jeff asked, his eyes widening. "Do you think we should follow them?"

"You are the Commander," Krik replied. "That's your decision." Over by the window, Cinda sat in her wheelchair and stared out at the stars. Cliff approached her.

"How are you holding up, love?" he asked.

"Better," she replied. "I almost can't believe that Queen Merla tried to use my own fears against me."

"The Drules of the Supremacy are definitely not afraid to stoop to the lowest common denominator," he said. There was a moment of silence, and he looked out the window with her. "I have a feeling that's not the only thing bothering you."

"I'm usually the one saying that," she replied. "Yes, there's something else on my mind."

"What is it, love?" he asked.

"Tsuyoshi," she replied. "We've been trying to keep in touch over the course of these missions, writing letters back and forth. But it's hard. He's the only thing that keeps me going, Cliff, and all I want to do is drop everything and go to him."

"That's not such a bad thought," Cliff replied. "You know I can relate."

"Justine," she replied. He nodded his head.

"It's funny how we find the ones we want to be with," he said, "maybe even for the rest of our lives, and yet our jobs keep us all so far apart. There isn't a day that goes by I don't think about her."

"She's really changed you," Cinda replied. "I think we've all grown a lot since back then."

"I think when we get back to Earth," he said, pausing for a moment, "Cinda, I think I want to propose to her."

"I think that's a great idea," she replied with a half smile. He looked over at her.

"Love," he said, "I bet ol' Hunk is thinking about you too…having the same thoughts and feelings I am about Justine." She teared up a bit, then out nowhere, she placed the palms of her hands on the arms of her chair and pushed hard. The little sensation in her feet and legs gave her the strength to push herself….along with her own thoughts of her beloved Tsuyoshi. Cliff was taken aback as she rose from the chair, and leaned against the glass, staring out at the countless stars around them.

"I'll never give up," she said. "And I know he'll never give up on me."