KathDMD - It's funny you should mention Chip's reaction. There's some foreshadowing there. Dari's dream is about to take a unique turn in the finale. And as for Manset...well, we'll see more of that next season.
animebookchic - Wade is calculating. He's a strategist after Kogane's own heart. Wade always has a plan...and it's usually a big one. As for curve balls...Never been to a game in my life, but actually going to my first the day this episode airs!
Author's Note - Let the Quadra Finale begin! Hope you enjoy!
Without my muse, I am nothing.
Theme Music : "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten
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 103 : "Deadly Force – Part VIII"
"We should be arriving at Dradin within the hour," Tails said.
"I can't wait to get those Drule fighters in my sights," Roxy said.
"Easy, Rox," JC said. "Let's see what kind of fleet we're dealing with before we go in guns blazing."
"JC's right," Seth said. "We gotta be cautious."
"I still have a bad feeling about this," Dariana said.
"What is it, Dar?" Seth asked.
"Even if we do engage Kala," she said, "there's still the matter of Lord Kanji. The dreams and the feelings I've been having….they seem to be getting worse."
"You're with us," Roxy tried to assure her. "Nothing bad is going to happen."
"This man is not like any other Drule leader, Roxy," she said. "It's like Kovinx is trying to warn me. If he's somehow tied to the Old Ones…."
"We've handled Drule threats before," Roxy said, still shrugging it off. "It'll be alright. You'll see."
"I hope so," Dariana replied, still very unsure.
"Guys," Tails said, "I'm picking something up on the RadialTrac."
"How?" JC asked. "We're outside the Kuiper Belt, and far enough into Interstellar Space that we shouldn't be near anything yet."
"I'm getting a fix on it now," Tails said, keying in commands on her panel. "It's….a ship! A big one!"
"Drule ship?" JC asked.
"It's not like anything the Drules use," Tails said, pausing for a moment. "Well, I don't think we're going to have to go to Dradin."
"Why?" Seth asked.
"It looks like Commander Kala just found us!" she shouted. As she said it, the ship opened fire.
"It's the Voltron Force, Commander!" one of the officers said.
"Open fire!" she shouted. "How did they find us? It doesn't matter! We'll finish this here and now!"
"There's no need to waste our time and resources," Wade said, coming on to the bridge.
"But Charles, the Voltron Force…." she began to say.
"Must not get in the way of our plan," he replied. "I didn't want to have to do it, but I have no alternative but to launch this early. With any luck, it will destroy them before they even begin to figure out what we're up to." He touched his weapons cache attached to his cybernetic right arm. "Maahox….begin round two."
"As you command," Maahox replied reluctantly. Ending the com, he turned back to General Soltorn and grinned. "I had hoped to finish running more tests on you before I set you loose on the Voltron Force, but alas, there comes a time when plans must change." She began to come around as the gas around her began to thin.
"What guarantee do I have that you will restore me once I have defeated them?" she shouted. Maahox beamed.
"Your very life is your guarantee, General," he replied. "Thanks to the Haggarium coursing through your veins, as well as your associates, you should have no problem dispatching Voltron. And if you succeed this time, you have my word that I will return you to the Fourth Kingdom unharmed." Without so much as a word, the floor dropped from beneath her, and she vanished from sight. Maahox rubbed his hands together. "And IF you survive, I will return you to the Fourth Kingdom….as my personal slave."
The com sounded in Lenora Hawkins' office. She tapped a button on her desk.
"Hawkins here," she said.
"Space Marshall," the voice said, "we've just received word from security that the Voltron jets launched without prior authorization."
"Where are they headed?" she asked.
"It appeared they were on a course for Dradin," the voice said, "but long range scans detected a large vessel on an intercept course."
"It's possible the threat could be legitimate," she replied. "Put my name on the launch. I don't want the new council thinking I have an out of control team on my hands. Try to make contact with them at once."
"Also, Commander Steele directed the Panthers to intercept as well," he said.
"What?" she shouted. "Tell him to direct them to Dradin! We need to secure that lazon before the Drules attack again!"
"Yes, Space Marshall," he replied, and the com went dead.
"I just hope the Voltron Force is able to handle whatever that vessel is," she said to herself. "I have a bad feeling about this whole thing." She sat down, and her eyes momentarily fixated on a newspaper clipping stuck to the corner of her desk….an article announcing the capture and trial of Sky Marshall Wade from nearly a decade ago.
"Evasive maneuvers!" JC ordered as the ships split up and flew around the vessel, avoiding laser fire.
"This is it, guys," Roxy shouted, poised and ready to strike. "We take out Kala, and their whole command structure will fall!"
"Concentrate on the underbelly," Tails said. "I'm detecting a weakness in the hull about thirty meters from the stern."
"Look out!" Seth shouted. Red and Green swerved away from one another just in time to miss a large beam of flame that shot past them.
"What the…" Roxy said.
"Soltorn and the robeasts," Tails said. "They're back."
"They're just a distraction," Roxy said angrily. "They're here to keep us from attacking the ship and stopping Kala!"
"Look!" Seth shouted. They watched as the panthers flew by, attacking the command ship.
"Those dirty rotten…" Roxy said, avoiding a freeze blast from Iceorb.
"We can't deal with that now, Rox," JC said. "We have to stop Soltron once and for all."
"We have no choice," Dariana said, trying to reassure her. Roxy sighed.
"Everyone in position," JC ordered. The ships moved into position. "Ready to form Voltron! Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"
"Let's go Voltron force!" they shouted. The ships flew in wing formation, then switched to start 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 back, his eyes lighting up with power.
"Voltron Force!" Soltron shouted. "You may have come close to beating us last time, but this time you won't be so lucky! Fear the awesome might and power of the Fourth Kingdom!" The three robeasts flew at Voltron and let loose several energy blasts. Voltron took off, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Come on guys," Roxy said. "We've done this before, and we can do it again!"
"But Roxy," Tails said, "There's something different."
"Haggarium," Dariana blurted out. "I can feel the dark energy from here."
"Our power levels are all over the charts," Tails said.
"JC, I don't know if I can keep us stabilized," Dariana said. "I will do my best."
"I trust you," he replied. "Come on, team! Let's bring Soltorn down for good!" They turned and flew at them again.
"Get them!" Soltron ordered. Iceorb and Solan charged at Voltron. As Voltron drew closer, JC gripped the controls tighter.
"Roxy, get ready!" he shouted. Moments later, Voltron reached forward.
"Ignite Jet Torches!" Roxy shouted, as flames shot from Red, hitting Iceorb in the face. Voltron spun around, barely missing a right cross from Solan.
"Your turn, seth!" JC shouted.
"Form Aquatic Bow!" Seth shouted. Voltron held out his hand, and a column of water formed, freezing into a bow. Voltron reached back and fired bolts at Solan, several hitting it head on and solidifying its chest and knocking it backwards.
"Now to break things up!" Tails shouted. "Form Throwing Axes!" Voltron reached behind him and pulled a pair of throwing axes and sent them flying. They stuck into the robeasts, but were easily removed. "Barely a scratch!"
"It's the haggarium," JC said. "It's weakening our attacks." He gritted his teeth. "Dar, it's now or never."
"I'm trying," she said, trying hard to focus. The robeasts, wounded but not out, fired simultaneously, and hit Voltron before he could move out the way. The beams collided and exploded in a ball of flame. There was a moment of silence as the robeasts looked on at their kill. Then a surge.
"Form Blazing Sword!" JC shouted. Voltron flew at top speed out of the flames and smashed through Iceorb and sliced through the middle of Solan. They came to a stop, and they watched in the reflection of the sword as the two robeasts fell apart and exploded.
"No!" Soltorn shouted. "I won't let it end this way!" She turned and ripped the scars over her eye socket, and it started to open.
"Oh no you don't!" JC shouted. "Eye beam!" Voltron's eye beam fired at the same time a beam of energy shot from Soltorn's eye. The beams met, and pushed against one another, struggling for control.
"Hold on, team!" JC shouted.
"I don't know….how much longer….I can…." Dariana said, focusing her might, her eyes whited out, her voltcom sparking like crazy.
"My whole life…..everything I have….my future rests….on your….destruction!" Soltorn shouted as she pushed harder, the beam finally knocking Voltron backwards.
"Spinning Laser Blade!" JC shouted. Voltron motioned a half circle, the blade quickly forming in his hands. Voltron immediately threw the blade at Soltorn, hitting her head on and knocking her backwards. Dariana fell weak and collapsed.
"Dari!" Seth shouted. "JC, I'm not getting a signal from yellow!"
"We have to finish this now!" JC said. "Form Blazing Sword!" Voltron flew full speed at Soltron, Red meeting Green, drawing the sword. Tails watched closely as their energy levels diminished as they drew closer and closer to their target. And in a split second, Soltorn winced as the sword pierced her gut, coming out through her back.
And in that moment, time stopped.
The members of the Drule High Council looked at one another in confusion. The meeting had been called without much advanced notice, the seats of the Second, Fourth, and Seventh kingdoms notably absent, with Korronith's seat taken up by the Witch Haggar. Seemingly lost in thought, as if her attention were divided, she sat quietly, yet eerily.
"Does anyone know what this is about?" King Dharlok of the Tenth kingdom asked.
"I see no sign of Skath or Merla," King Bhorn remarked. "I'm not liking this one bit."
"What you like or don't like does not concern me," Kanji said as he walked into the room. The remaining council members sat down. Kanji turned and stared directly at Bhorn, who was trying to avoid eye contact.
"Lord Kanji," Queen Larinska asked, "you called us here on short notice. While we are honored by your presence, we wish to know the reason for the urgency."
"My reason is simple," he replied, still fixated on Bhorn. "I have sat back and watched the Voltron Force stretch themselves thin across the galaxy. I have also watched the Galaxy Alliance defeat us at every juncture."
"Lord Kanji," Larinska spoke again, "many of the kingdoms have chosen to stay out of Korronith's war with the Galaxy Alliance."
"And it is that unwilling spirit that condemns the entire empire to death!" kanji shouted, slamming his hand on the table, Bhorn's chalice spilling on the table in front of him. The blood red liquid rolled down the table and trickled over the side. "I told you one way or another, the Kingdoms of the Supremacy would unify. And that is exactly what I will do."
"And if we refuse?" Lord Vyrketh of the Eighth Kingdom asked. Kanji walked up to him and pulled his sword. He stabbed it through the table in front of him, the blade exiting the table between his legs, inches from his manhood.
"You have no choice," Kanji replied, gritting his teeth. "Blood has already been spilled in this war." He pulled the sword out and resheathed it. "Our bretheren across the galaxies….throughout the universe….have shed their blood and given their lives for us! Now it is time we joined together in unity to take what is rightfully ours and crush our enemies for the glory of the Drule Empire!" Haggar stood up. She stepped back and he raised his hands. "Every Drule in every corner of the universe will hear my call….and they shall call me…..MASTER!" He dropped his arms, and an uncontrollable wave blasted over them, their minds being cleared of all thought….except that of unquestioned fealty to Lord Kanji.
Time broke free, and a wave hit both Voltron and Soltron, blasting them apart. She reached down and cradled her wound, thinking this was the end. Voltron's eyes went dark.
"What's happening?" JC shouted, pulling the controls frantically.
"We have no power at all!" Tails shouted, trying to determine the cause. "It couldn't be the haggarium. I don't understand it."
"Did we stop her?" Roxy asked. "Is Soltorn dead?"
"I don't know," JC replied. "But Voltron is without power. No sensors, no communication, nothing. Just the juice in our voltcoms."
"What about Dari?" Seth asked. "Is she ok?" he tapped the com. "Dariana? Are you alright? Baby, say something? What's going on?" Dariana sat up from her slumped position and took a deep breath. She then opened her eyes with a sinister look on her face, her eyes glowing bright red.
"The end…."