KathDMD - While Jon still has a natural grudge against the Viking, rest assured, Len only has one "man". I made Stebbins out to be pretty cool, as the Bogart is a very highly technical security ship. And everything happening is about to come to a head the moment Soltron arrives...

Megazord Prime - Oh believe me, it's more than interesting!

Author's Note - Without my muse, I am nothing.

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. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo.

Episode 412 : "A Sign of Apocalypse"

"Any progress on the communications grid?" Captain Brown asked.

"Still working on it," the communications officer replied. "Every virtual connection has been rerouted, and untangling this mess has been a virtual nightmare."

"Then virtually fix it!" Brown ordered.

"Sir, with all due respect, you should try to make heads or tails out of this," he replied. "Would you like the bridge to have a sample of what the crew has been forced to listed to by the perpetrators?" He tapped a few buttons, and the sound came over the loudspeakers.

"And I was like, baby, baby, baby, oooh, like baby, baby, baby, nooooo…." Blares over the loudspeakers. Everyone, including the captain, covers their ears in horror.

"Dammit!" Brown shouted. "Turn that classical snart off!" The communications officer tapped a few buttons, and it stopped. Brown shook his head in disgust. "Keep working on it. If we don't find a way to communicate the Garrison, they will either send a search party….or shoot us down."

"Yes, captain," he replied, turning back towards his work.

Captain Stebbins led the Space Marshall and the others into the meeting room. With a brief hum, it was locked down tightly.

"You may speak freely now," Stebbins said, sitting down behind his desk. Lenora walked up to JC and his team.

"Lieutenant Grend," she asked, "what did happen on Hydra?"

"We escorted the freighter, as well as the Legacy, to Hydra, ma'am," he replied. "With the attack on the base on Quantus prior to our departure, we felt we couldn't and shouldn't take chances with the shipment."

"Fair enough," Lenora said. "What happened when you arrived on Hydra?"

"We were approaching the planet," JC continued, "when sure enough, we were attacked by a large fleet of Drule ships led by Commander Kala's flagship."

"The Renegade," Lenora said. "I'm familiar with it. We've had large fleets that were able to cripple it, send it running, but could never seem to destroy it. It's said to be one of the strongest ships in existence."

"They launched an attack on the freighter," JC said, "and we launched from the Legacy in response. Captain Brown did all he could to protect the shipment, but the drones managed to take out the majority of our robot fighters, and they were able to damage the freighter enough that it lost all navigational control."

"Lost navigation?' she asked. "Are you saying it wildly crashed on Hydra?"

"While Lieutenant Truvall and I went aboard the renegade in order to stop Kala," he continued, "we ran into a robeast. It looked like someone or something had been transformed into a monster. We left the ship, and when it grew to robeast size, we had formed Voltron to confront the robeast."

"And then what happened?" she asked.

"As I said, with us distracted with the robeast," JC continued, "the stinger ships managed to send the freighter into freefall. Kala's ship emitted some sort of tractor beam, and pulled it on a course with an ocean fault. On impact with the ocean floor, the shock cause a lason explosion so enormous that it fractured the crust of the planet down to its core." He looked over at Tails.

"The whole planet de-stabilized," Tails said. "before we knew it, the people were trying to evacuate and….boom. Until I actually took a few seconds to run the numbers through my head…I was completely shocked."

"At that point," JC said, "the robeast and Kala's ship backed off and made an escape. We stayed to assist the survivors, then sent a report to the High Council."

"Captain Brown asked for reinforcements," Roxy said, "but the Council said they couldn't spare the Bogart. This was the result."

"And the Council proceeded to transmit a report saying that the fault was the Space Marshall," Stebbins added. "We were pretty sure that one or all of the Council members were trying to oust the Space Marshall, but this pretty much confirms it."

"The question is, what do we do now?" Jon asked.

"What any good tactician does, Jon," Mike said. "We wait for the enemy to make their move. Then we strike!"

"With Voltron?" Lysette asked.

"No," he replied. "At least, not yet. If it's one thing I learned about Voltron, it is best used as a defensive weapon, not an offensive one. At least, that's one of the fundamental things the late King Alfor left in notes to Dr. Loring."

"Then what?" Lysette asked.

"If Wade is coming, we'll know about it," Mike said. "I do think when the time to strike is right, we will send a small force into the Garrison to detain the council and shut down communications. While that is going on, we spearhead Wade."

"Sound plan, Commander," Lenora replied.

"If we're not using Voltron," JC asked, "what are we going to be doing?"

"You're still Garrison Military, Lieutenant Grend," Mike said. He looked over at Sven and Alrek. "I want Sergeant Holgersson to lead the squadron through the Garrison's South Gate, and make your way into the main complex, taking the High Council by surprise. I'll let the sergeant come up with the details, but you, Voltron Force, will be the squad accompanying the Sergeant and his father."

"Yes, sir," JC replied with a nod. The rest of the team agreed.

"The Admiral, the Vice Marshall, and I will take on Wade," Mike said.

"You know you're not keeping me out of this fight, right?' Lenora said.

"I'm sure Jon will agree with me that putting you at risk right now isn't good for the Alliance," Mike said.

"I do agree," Jon replied.

"Neither is doing nothing," she said. "Whether you like it or not, I'm Wade's target. I will ALWAYS be Wade's target." She looked over at Jon, looking him in the eye. "I'm finished hiding, Jon. I have to finish this. I have to finish this any damn way I can.

"General," one of the bridge officers said, "we are detecting an Alliance ship nearby."

"Put it on the viewscreen," Kala said, standing up from her chair. She walked towards the screen and studied the ship. "It's different from the one we saw in the Hydran system. But it's definitely Alliance. Wade's little stooge was supposed to call back all alliance ships. This ship being out here means either we've been betrayed…or that ship is disobeying orders. In either case, we need to take action."

"What are your orders, General?" he asked.

"Do you need to ask?" she growled. "OPEN FIRE! And while you're at it, have Maahox complete his series of tests on general Soltorn, and launch her at that ship! I want it torn to pieces!"

"Yes, ma'am!" he said with a salute. Immediately, they opened fire.

"What the hell?" the first officer said. He got on the com. "Captain to the bridge! I repeat, Captain to the bridge! We are under attack!" He closed the one way com. "While we wait for the captain's orders, raise the shielding, get the forward arrays online, and let's show these Drule bastards what this warship can do!" Moments later the two ships were exchanging fire.

"Something's gone wrong," Brown said as he heard the announcement.

"Can anyone hear us in here?' Roxy asked.

"No," he replied. "That was a one way communication. The ship shook."

"I didn't feel anything," Seth replied.

"No, Seth," Dariana said, "It was extremely slight, but I felt it."

"The stabilizers aboard the Bogart are a prototype," Stebbins said. "This ship can take a beating, and no one spills their drink."

"So what's going on then?" JC asked.

"I suggest the Space Marshall and I get to the bridge to find out." Stebbins replied.

"Grend," Mike said, "Take your team back to the hangar and wait in the ships. We may need you to back up the ship."

"Yes, sir," they said, and the door opened, allowing them out of the room.

"I hope it's not an attack by Alliance forces," Len said. "I don't want to think about having to shoot down any of our own." They ran out of the room as well, on their way to the bridge.