KathDMD - Brown is in for the fight of his life! Len is on the brink of ousting the entire council it seems. And as for JC and Roxy...I'm glad you enjoyed the Not Suitable for FFN version of last week's episode :)
lovecastle89 -Oh they can be risky indeed! But you read the clean version...
Author's Note - What do Wade and Kala have up their sleeves? I believe this episode will clear things up.
Theme Music : "Faint" by Linkin Park
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 83 : "Failed Strategy"
"Voltron Force!" the announcement came over the com. "Launch immediately!" Tails, Seth and Dariana ran around the corner and stopped at JC's door. Seth banged on it.
"Come on, dude!" he shouted. "There's a fleet tracking the Freighter! We gotta move!" The door slid open, and Roxy stepped out, trying to avoid direct eye contact, followed by JC.
"Let's get to the ships and check it out," he said. "If it's Commander Kala's armada, we'll be ready for them." They all took off running for the hangar. As they ran, Tails looked over at Dariana.
"I was wondering where she disappeared to last night," Tails said with a smirk. Dariana smiled back.
"I have a feeling things are going to get better," she replied. They entered the hangar and ran for their ships.
"Jet Green, ready to fly!" Tails said
"Jet Blue, ready to blast!" Seth said.
"Jet Yellow, good to go!" Dariana said.
"Jet Red, on fire!" Roxy shouted.
"Jet Black, on point, and ready to launch!" JC said. They placed their keys in their voltcoms, and the engines fired up. All five jets took off from the hangar, headed on a course to intercept the fleet.
"We have detected the Alliance ships nearing planet Hydra," the officer on ops said.
"Right on schedule," Kala replied. "Soon we can begin enacting Marshall Wade's plan, and everything will begin to fall into place."
"There is a problem, ma'am," he said. "We have detected the Voltron Force launching from one of their flagships." Kala laughed.
"I've prepared a little diversion for Voltron," she said. "General Soltorn desperately wants to prove herself to Lord Kanji and the Supreme Council. I am prepared to give her a taste of what she craves, provided Maahox can keep the little wench under control." She walked up to the view screen, displaying Planet Hydra. "It's a shame really to waste all that lason."
"Do you still wish to simply take the lason for ourselves, General?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "I have always been a woman of strategy and deduction. It has been my own military conditioning that led me up the ranks on my homeworld. There is a strategic reason behind Wade's plan."
"Which is?" he asked. She laughed.
"Have you ever had the opportunity of witnessing a supernova, sergeant?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yes, once," he replied.
"It's breathtaking," she replied. "So much destruction in such a tiny contained corner of the universe. I imagine when the irradiated lason comes in contact with an equally destructive force…..the results should be almost as spectacular." She laughed.
"Here they come," Tails said.
"And here we go!" Roxy shouted, firing on the approaching fighters, destroying two of them.
"Be careful, team," JC said. "We thought we crippled this fleet back on Quantus. I'm not sure what they're up to, but keep your eyes peeled."
"As long as we keep them from the shipment," Seth said, "everything should be OK. The Hydrans have been notified, and are sending a small fleet to meet the freighter."
"Good," JC replied. "we just need to keep these guys occupied." He fired, and destroyed a few more ships.
"JC," Dariana said, "I'm not sure, but something else seems off."
"What is it, Dari?" he asked.
"The command ship," she replied. "I just got this feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think maybe we need to keep our focus there."
"On your orders, Force Leader," Roxy said with a smirk.
"All yours, but on one condition," JC replied. "I go in with you."
"Agreed," she replied.
"Be careful, you two," Seth said.
"McGovern, you take point," JC said.
"Yes, Sir!" she replied with a mock salute. "Alright, ya scurvy dogs! I'm the captian of his here ship, and it's time to make ya all walk the plank!"
"I thought we agreed ninjas were better?" Seth asked.
"What about Space Pirates?" Tails asked.
"Still doesn't beat ninjas," Dariana replied.
"Well, snart," Tails said. They continued to loop back in a scattered formation, fighting the oncoming fighters. Red and Black made their way towards the command ship.
"OK, Roxy," JC said, "You blast a hole in the outer hull. Then we'll tether in and head inside. If Dari is right, and there's something bad in there, we're gonna need to find it fast."
"Agreed," she replied. She hit the weapons console, and the Plasma Cannon formed atop her ship and fired, blasting a hole through the shielding and through the hull.
"There's our in," he said. "Let's move." Black and Red tethered to one another, then the opening, and JC and Roxy made their way into the ship.
"General!" the Lieutenant shouted, turning to Kala. "We have a hull breach on level thirty-nine!"
"Have they boarded the ship?" she asked.
"I'm detecting one human and one Arusian," he replied.
"Since they seem so bent on finding out what we're up to," she said, "let's show them." She hit the com. "Maahox, we have guests aboard. Would you be so kind as to send them a welcoming party?"
"I'm already steps ahead of you, General," Maahox replied happily. "The Soltron robeast has already picked up their scent, and will find and eliminate them easily."
"Are you sure she is willing to follow our orders?" Kala asked.
"She is aware of the alternative," he replied, grinning from ear to ear as he held up a small electronic box with a single red button.
JC held up his Voltcom and looked at an image that appeared in the holoscreen.
"I'm getting some sort of reading," he said. "It's actually getting stronger." They made their way into another hallway.
"You mean it's heading for us?" Roxy asked.
"I'm thinking whatever it is, it's meant for us," he replied.
"Ah good," she replied, the pistols appearing in her hands. "I was almost afraid the Drules weren't gonna put up a fight." They approached a steel door, and heard pounding.
"Whatever it is," JC said, "it's behind that door." Twin katanas emerged from his wrists, and he held them at the ready. When they door smashed open, a woman stepped in who was half woman, half scorpion.
"Blast it!" Roxy shouted, firing immediately. The beast dodged out of the way.
"You think you have the power to stop me?" she asked. Roxy gasped.
"What the flack?" she shouted.
"You talk?" JC asked.
"I do more than that, human!" she shouted, swinging her tail and knocking JC backwards, sending him flying into the bulkhead.
"JC!" Roxy shouted. She gritted her teeth, and turned to fire. The beast ran fast, expertly dodging the blaster fire. "Hold still you son of a…" The beast turned and reached out their hands, and claws shit from them, hitting Roxy head on and knocking her backwards to the ground.
"Hydra shall be the first to fall!" she shouted. "Soon, the Fourth Kingdom, and the entire Supremacy shall defeat Voltron, and put an end to the Galaxy Alliance!" She walked up to Roxy and picked her up by the neck and pinned her against the bulkhead. JC sprung to his feet. "Say goodbye, Arusian scum!" JC swung and smacked her tail, slicing through one of the barbs on her back. She reeled backwards in pain, dropping Roxy. JC pulled Roxy out of the way and began running back to the ships.
"We're not gonna defeat her this way," he said. "Not with just the two of us."
"She said Hydra will fall," Roxy coughed. "What the hell does she mean?"
"It means we need to warn the Hydrans," he replied. "we may have found out exactly what Dari was worried about." They closed their masks as they entered the opened area, and floated out of the opening in the bulkhead, heading for their ships. JC heard a bang. "She's catching up!"
"Get into the ships," Roxy shouted. "I've come too far to lose." They made it to the ships, and back into the cockpits. As they sped away, Soltorn leaped into open space. A beam fired at her from the command ship, and within moments, her size grew to gigantic proportions. A mask appeared over her lower face, and she let out a primal yell.
"Maneuver us between the freighter and that fleet," Captain Brown ordered. "I don't want one single ship to get close to that lason!"
"Sir," the Lieutenant shouted, "I'm receiving a transmission from Lieutenant Grend."
"Put it on the screen," he replied. JC appeared on the screen.
"Captain," JC said, "we discovered a possible robeast aboard the command ship."
"Will your team be able to handle it?" he asked.
"I hope so," JC replied, "but there's another problem."
"What is it?" Brown asked.
"They mentioned that Hydra would fall," JC replied. "We suspect they may have some sort of catastrophic plan to attack Hydra. You've got to warn their government!"
"Will do," Brown said. "And the Legacy will try to back you up by taking care of these fighters."
"Thank you, Captain," JC replied, and the com ended.
"Get the Hydran Ambassador on the com," Brown ordered. "We need to start evacuating people as soon as possible, and have as many as we can take cover in shelters."
"Whatever that beast is," Roxy said, "it's powerful!"
"But we have a few other tricks up our sleeve," JC replied.
"So what are we waiting for?" Seth asked.
"Right," JC said. "Ready to form Voltron! Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The jets flew 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.
"Tails," Roxy asked, "can you give us an analysis on that thing?"
"Carbon-based life," Tails replied, "combined with armor that is not humanoid-based, but irradiated with haggarium!"
"That explains why the weapons were mostly useless," JC said. "Let's see what happens when teamwork if firing on all cylanders. Seth, let's ice this scorpion!"
"Form, Aquatic Bow!" Seth shouted. Voltron reached upwards and pulled down, and a column of water formed, then froze into a bow. Voltron began rapidly firing ice bolts at the robeast.
"Hya!" the beast shouted, swinging her arms to smash the bolts, the last crushed by her tail. "Pitiful!" She turned and launched a flurry of barbed nails at them.
"Brace yourself!" JC shouted. They had no time to move, and most of them embedded into Black.
"Structural integrity holding," Tails shouted, "but these barbs are laced with something, and it's trying to short out the systems!"
"Keep trying to reroute," JC ordered. "It's out move. Seth, Dari, full jets. Take us in!" Voltron fired its boosters and headed right for the beast. It tried to shoot them again, but Voltron avoided it, turned and punched the beast. It in turn grabbed Voltron, and the two wrestled openly in space.
"Watch out for that tail!" Tails shouted. The beast tried to strike at them over her shoulders, but Voltron dodged left and right to avoid it as they held on.
"We have to break free," JC shouted.
"Ignite Jet Torch!" Roxy shouted. Red let out a giagantic blast of fire, searing the beast and causing it to let go.
"Dari!" JC shouted.
"Form Blazing Chargers!" Dariana shouted. The handles appeared in Voltron's hands, spikes attached. Voltron fired them at the beast, but the beast caught them.
"Zap it!" JC ordered. The electric current flowed through the chargers, but the beast resisted, grabbing the chains and pulling, whipping Voltron around and slinging him away.
"Dari, Seth, we need to regain control!" JC shouted.
"Working on it!" Seth replied. The boosters fired, and they came to a stop.
"I'm finished messing around with this thing," JC said. "Form Blazing Sword!" Red clanked against Green at the hip, and pulled away, the energy beam forming the sword. Voltron flew back towards the beast.
"Bracing for impact!" Roxy shouted. Voltron swung, and it was blocked when the beast pulled a sword of their own. They pushed against one another, sending them backwards.
"This thing is insane!" JC said.
"This thing has power levels I have never seen before!" Tails shouted. "Best I can do, boss, is say focus on the tail!"
"Sir!" the Lieutenant shouted. "One of their fighters launched something that attached to the freighter!"
"What?" Captain Brown asked. "Give me a visual." The screen switched, showing a device attached to the hull.
"It's a detonator!" he shouted. "It that goes, it's gonna take the entire shipment with it! Are the Drules insane?" He looked over at the Lieutenant. "Inform the crew. Get them off that freighter!"
"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant replied. As the escape pod launched, several Drule Ships fired some sort of tractor beam at the freighter.
"Are they trying to take it?" Brown asked. "There's no way they can tow that much….oh no. Oh no!" He turned to the Lieutenant again. "Message the Hydrans. Get the evacuees as far away as possible! Be ready to move the Legacy out of range of the freighter in case they do plan to detonate."
"Yes, sir," he replied.
"It's extremely skilled," Roxy said. "It's almost as if it spent years training!"
"How dare you call the supreme leader of the Fourth Kingdom an 'it'!" she yelled. She blocked once more, turning upwards, knocking the Blazing Sword out of their hands, then turned and punched Voltron hard, sending it flying backwards end over end.
"What the flack?" JC shouted. Soltorn went to pursue them for the kill, but stopped for a moment. She frowned, then headed back towards the command ship. The beast shrunk in size, and entered the cargo bay, and the ship began to move away.
"They're leaving?" Seth asked.
"But it had us beat!" Tails said. "By all calculations, we should be space junk!"
"They're not exactly retreating," Dariana said softly. "Look." Voltron turned and watched as the freighter was pulled into place and released. The ships took off, but were shot down by the Legacy. The freighter was caught in Hydra's gravitational pull.
"Can we grab on to it?" Brown asked. "Is there any way to stop it?"
"Negative, Captain," the Lieutenant replied.
"Is there anything we can do?" JC asked.
"We don't have enough power," Tails replied. "Even with Roxy's speed boost, we wouldn't be able to make it in time, let alone stop it." The freighter crashed into the ocean and sank to the bottom quickly. Upon impact, the detonator exploded. The seabed cracked from the mighty explosion, and the core of the planet erupted into the sea, shooting into the air like a thousand volcanoes erupting at once.
"Dammit, Tails, what's happening?" Roxy shouted.
"The end of the world," Dariana said softly. As the ships backed away, and Voltron followed suit, they watched as Hydra tore itself apart from the inside out. Within moments, a gigantic explosion occurred, and debris scattered all around them…leaving nothing left of Hydra.
"They destroyed the entire planet," JC said in shock.
"Millions of people," Roxy said, "if not billions, gone in the blink of an eye."
"Wade," JC said, clenching his fist. "He shouldn't be allowed to live."