KathDMD - Is it sad I had to remind you what the Void was? And believe me, this will be an awesome episode, as well as the one to follow!
selena devargo - Oh don't worry, help is on the way!
Author's Note - It may seem like everyone's running, but don't worry. It's all part of the plan...
Theme Music : None
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 85 : "For The Alliance"
"I understand your concern, Commodore," Captain Brown said. "We are returning to port immediately as ordered. But why am I hearing that the Council is thinking of decommissioning the Legacy? She just came out of the shipyard!"
"We are simply running an investigation, captain," Commodore Mitchell replied. "We want to get to the bottom of what exactly happened out there."
"I can tell you what happened, Commodore," Brown said. "The Drule Supremacy happened! They came in and blew up a whole damn planet!"
"But how, is the question," Mitchell replied. "The Legacy and the Voltron Force wasn't able to stop the attack on the lason shipment." He leaned on the desk, looking intently at Brown throught he screen. "People from those surrounding planets are asking questions, Captian. What am I supposed to tell them?"
"Tell them the truth!" Brown shouted.
"Tell them that Voltron can't protect them?" Mitchell argued back.
"Of course not!" Brown retorted. "But you can't start tearing apart ships trying to find out why the enemy is the enemy! With all due respect, Commodore, these attacks have come with a level of strategy I have never seen in the Drules! If you want to investigate why we failed, don't tear apart the equipment, look into the minds of those of us that saw the incident first hand!"
"Oh we plan to, Captain," Mitchell replied. "We plan to. Once you dock, I want yourself, your crew, and the Voltron Force brought in for intense psychological evaluation. I want to not only know your stories, but your state of mind during the conflict."
"Speaking of states of mind," Brown said, "why wasn't the Bogart sent out to assist us?"
"The Space Marshall strictly ordered the Bogart to stay here on Earth for its own safety," he replied. "I will expect your arrival within the hour. Mitchell out." The com ended.
"Lenora would never do something like that," Brown said to himself. JC and Roxy came onto the bridge. Brown turned around. "Ah, Lieutenant Grend and Lieutenant Truvall. I just received word from Commodore Mitchell that once we return to Earth, we are all to report in for psychological evaluations."
"Why's that?" JC asked. "If you don't mind me asking, sir."
"Apparently, the Council wants to launch a full scale investigation of some sort," Brown replied. "Personally, something seems fishy to me. They've relieved Space Marshall Hawkins of command, and the reasons behind it don't make a lick of sense to me."
"Is there anything we can do?" Roxy asked.
"Just prepare yourselves and your ships for when we arrive," he replied. "Chances are our welcome will be a bit less than stellar."
"Understood, Captain," JC replied. They saluted him and walked off the bridge.
"It's just as bad as we thought," Roxy whispered.
"We'll be arriving within the hour," JC replied. "We have until then to make our move."
A large command ship, similar in form to an Alliance Stellar Class vessel, moved slowly through the quiet of space. As they approached an area devoid of stars, the ship slowed down.
"Bring us to a full stop," Wade ordered. He stood up and walked towards the viewscreen. He squinted his eyes at the view, trying to outline it in his mind.
"What is it, sir?" the first officer asked.
"This, Dhaz, is where we begin our search," he replied. He turned away and looked at the Drule on the tactical station. "Set forward arrays for a mild to moderate blast at the phased area in front of us." There was a pause while his orders were carried out. He turned around and squinted again. "Fire!" The ship fired its forward lasers at the nothingness, and they stopped abruptly. None of them, with the exception of Wade himself, noticed the energy being dissipated around the force shield, the tiniest arcs of current dancing on the surface before once again going dark. A smirk formed on his lips.
"I'm not sure I understand," Dhaz replied.
"I don't expect you to," he replied. "After years of studying the technology, I have trained my eyes to spot the subtleties. Imagine if I had no way of finding my way back. Imagine if I had mass produced this technology and had no way of retrieving it should it become lost. You must always be prepared for any contingency, and be quick to recover if disaster strikes." He pulled out a controller and pressed a button. Nothing happened.
"And this?" Dhaz asked.
"It was a thought," Wade replied. "As I suspected, Cloak has changed the access frequency. But as he has probably already guessed, I am out here already devising a way to open the Void and retrieve what I want from it."
"What's that, Sir?" Dhaz asked.
"All in time, Dhaz," he replied. "The Void Generator is going to keep us out for now, but with the generator itself being cut off from its primary source of energy, an issue ironically created by Voltron himself, there now is a weakness in the grid." He walked up to the screen and squinted again. "Circle the field carefully. No doubt Cloak is aware of the field's weak point, and has done everything he can to protect it."
"Who is Cloak?" Dhaz asked.
"He's a man who wishes to not exist," Wade replied. "And soon, he'll get his wish."
Several hooded figures approached the North Gate of Galaxy Garrison, escorted by Commander Mike Stormclaw. As they approached, two guards stopped them.
"Identification, please," one of them said.
"These people are with me, Sergeant," Mike said. "The ambassadors wanted a tour of the North Gate, and I chose to personally escort them."
"I'm sorry, Commander," he replied, "but I'm under orders from Colonel Dillin to not let anyone in or out of the gate without identification."
"Yes, I understand completely," Mike replied. "But I do technically outrank Dillin, you know."
"That said, sir," he replied, "I still can't disobey orders, even if you yourself tell me to."
"Very well," he replied. He showed his credentials, then walked past them. The first of the three figures approached the guard.
"If you will please," he said. The hooded figure raised their hand, but there was nothing in it.
"I don't understand," he said.
"My identification," the hooded figure responded. Suddenly, a flash came from their wrist, and a shotgun blaster formed, and shot the guard point blank in the chest, sending him flying backwards. The second one went to go for the alarm, but one of the other hooded figured grabbed him. The guard turned and pulled his blaster, but the figure grabbed his wrist, wrenched the blaster from his hand, then twisting his arm, swung hard and punched him, clocking the guard in the face, knocking him out cold. He fell to the ground. The first and the second walked up to one another.
"That went well," Jon said as he pulled off his hood. The first figure pulled off their hood as well.
"Hit him with a stun setting," Lenora replied. "He'll be out for a few hours."
"They're gonna report me as AWOL, you know that right?" Mike said.
"It doesn't matter at this point," Alrek said from beneath his hood. "I believe Commodore Mitchell has no intention of reinstating anyone at this point. Besides, we have more friends on the outside. Let's get moving." They pulled their hoods back on, and Mike led them through the North Gate, then down the road into the city.
JC and Roxy walked into the room where Tails was still tinkering around.
"Able to find out anything else, McGovern?" JC asked.
"Just a transmission from Commodore Mitchell," she replied. "You know he ordered us full psych evals? I'm not gonna pass one of those things!"
"Pull yourself together!" Roxy laughed.
"If what Captain Brown said is true," JC said, "we have less than an hour to act. Has Seth or Dari let you know of their progress?"
"I haven't heard from them since they left, JC," Tails replied. JC raised his voltcom to his face and tapped the com button.
"Derringer, you guys alright?" he asked.
"We're still in the hangar getting things ready," Seth replied. He then lowered his voices. "The sergeants will be breaking for lunch soon. If you're planning something, this will be the time."
"Move fast," JC ordered. "McGovern, Truvall and I will meet you in the hangar shortly. You ready for this?" Seth looked over at Dariana, and she nodded.
"Oh, we're ready," he replied.
"You have five minutes," JC said. Load up and get ready to move. Grend out." He ended the com. "Come on, guys. Tails, break the com. And by break, I mean short circuit the Legacy's com system. That'll probably buy us some time to escape."
"You got it, chief," she replied.
"Also," JC replied, "we need to come up with a way to disable tracking."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I don't wanna be followed," JC replied. The three got up and left the room.
Mike, Len, Jon and Alrek walked into a meeting room, and the three removed their cloaks.
"Been a while since I've been here," Mike commented. "We used this building a lot during Wade's occupation. I know the Council is gonna come looking for us, so I'm hoping our stay here will be brief."
"If I am correct," Alrek said, "our allies should be here shortly."
"And who exactly are these allies?" Jon asked. No sooner did he say it that than three people walked into the room, two of them armed to the teeth with blasters and explosives.
"I hope we're not late to the party," Lysette said, putting away her blaster. "Never any booze left when you're late."
"Admiral Fabrere," Lenora said, "and Ambassadors Coran and Romelle?"
"At your service," Coran replied.
"The Council is manipulating the Representatives in the Senate," Romelle said. "Planet Pollux and her people have been, and will always be loyal to you and your government, Space Marshall."
"So, what's the plan?" Jon asked.
"I was actually hoping Lenora had a plan," Alrek replied.
"We have to find a way to get the word out to people," Lenora said. "Right now, the Council has everyone eating out of their hands."
"The Council is not gonna look so good if it keeps up these shenanigans," Lysette said. "Now, I heard from Dillin himself that the Voltron Force and the Legacy are being recalled, and that the entire crew is undergoing psych evals. I'm telling you, in the days since they relieved you, Len, it's gotten bad."
"I believe it," she replied. "Until we have enough people on our side, launching an attack on the Garrison to try and take out the Council would be ridiculous."
"Where are your children, Lenora?" Romelle asked.
"Safely on their way to Dradin," Alrek replied. "Maria agreed to watch over them there until we stop what's going on. It'll be safe there."
"Yeah," Lysette added, "ol' Manset owed me a favor." She laughed.
"We need a place to lay low," Lenora said, "and launch a campaign to convince the people what the council is doing."
"And I know just the place," Lysette said with a smirk. "Come with us." They ran out of the room and through the halls, coming out the front of the building to a sight Lenora thought she'd never see again…..the White Lion.