KathDMD - Yeah, Hunk had to cover for Keith there. And yes, Keith has two sisters. As for the nexus...read on!
cubbieBlueMako - I'm glad KA are together too. They were never really apart ya know. As for the ring, you may need to go back a few seasons for a refresher.
Author's Notes - Who is this Drule stranger? Seems awfully familiar to me...
Disclaimer - Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and all associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and all associated characters are the property of selena devargo.
Episode 108 : "Stolen Identity"
Keith walked into Allura's room, and felt a soft breeze blowing from the open doors to the balcony. He slowly walked across the room and out the doors, spotting Allura there, looking out over forest and nearby town. He hesitated a moment.
"I appreciate what you did out there," she said without turning her head to look at him. She loved him with all of her heart, but the frustration with his actions were in front of her. She didn't want him to see it. "I'm also glad you kept your word."
"You haven't given me a reason not to," he replied. "I've returned in one piece, as promised."
"You know I wasn't happy with the plan at all," she said. "And I'm not happy you needed to lead that woman on."
"If we didn't rescue Emissary Phage," he replied, "we risked causing an interplanetary incident." He came forward and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You know I was the only one who had Malva's trust…enough for her to lead me into Castle Doom itself."
"Oh, so you know her name now?" she scolded. Keith swallowed, and thought for a moment.
"I found out quite a bit about not just her, but about the new ruler of Doom," he replied. "She's been an apprentice of Haggar's for as long as she could remember. Her own memories are vague about anything before her enslavement. The biggest piece of information we learned was that Haggar reports to a Drule Overlord known to them as 'Lord Kanji'." Allura gasped, and turned to him.
"His name appears in the Arusian archives," she said. "We'll have to look up more detailed information, but in my studies of Arusian history, and it's relationship to the Drules, the Empire was once separated kingdoms and planets. A single Drule was able to conquer and control them, forcing the planets to combine into a collective that we now know of as the Drule Supremacy."
"I'm hoping the more we learn about this 'Lord Kanji', the better," he replied. She turned away from him again and let out a sigh.
"You didn't kiss her, did you?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "As usual, I remained focused on the mission at all times." She turned around and made an inquisitive face at him. "And about you, of course."
"You better have," she said, a smirk forming on her lips. "And what of this Drule prisoner you brought back with you?"
"I'm not sure," he replied. "He doesn't remember a thing about his life. He said something about losing something of his, and that it might have something to do with his memory."
"Then we'll look into it more tomorrow," she said, walking back into the room. Keith passed her on the way in, and she closed the balcony doors. "I'm just glad to have you home." He heard the locks click, and she turned around, looking him dead in the eye with a mischievous smirk.
"What's going on?' he asked. She walked up to him and pushed him onto the bed.
"What do you think is going on?" she asked with a seductive smirk. She climbed on the bed, straddling him.
"I take it this means you forgive me?" he asked with a smirk of his own.
Malva walked down the dark halls within Castle Doom on her way to Haggar's lab. As she walked she continued to play with the ring on her finger.
"Why do I feel so strange," she said to herself. "I keep hearing this voice calling out to me, and I don't know why." She looked down at the ring. "I must be losing my mind. Perhaps I will have Haggar look at it. But I fear she may destroy it." She took a deep breath, then pushed open the big door and walked inside. She took several steps before dropping to one knee and bowing her head.
"Ah, Malva," Haggar said.
"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied, then looked up at her.
"While Lord Kanji has not been pleased with the emissary's escape," Haggar said, "he is interested in the Predator. I wish to unleash the Predator on Arus."
"A brilliant idea, Your Excellency," she replied. "But what would you have me do? Surely you have a task for me, as you summoned me here."
"Yes," Haggar said. "While the Predator is a grand achievement is the design of Dark nexus, there is an even bigger project in the works. And this project concerns you, my young apprentice."
"Oh?" she asked.
"With haggarium flowing through your own veins," Haggar said, "you have become quite powerful in your own right, my apprentice. I dare suspect you may sometime soon harness the powers within you."
"I have yet to cast one spell," Malva replied. "I do feel the infection growing stronger within me, but in terms of magic, Your Excellency, I have felt none."
"In time," Haggar replied. "For now, my special project will be needing special attention. I want you to go to it. Study it. Determine its strengths and its weaknesses, if any. I want you to know it better than I. And when the time comes to unleash it….you will have total control." Her eyes widened in fascination, and she bowed to one knee again.
"I won't fail you, Your Excellency," she replied. She looked back up at Haggar with a wicked grin on her lips. Her pupils disappeared, and her eyes took on the shape of Haggar's for a moment, with an eerie purple glow.
"So you don't remember anything about your life before being taken prisoner?" Pidge asked.
"Unfortunately, no," the Drule man replied.
"Memories don't just disappear," Pidge replied. "At least, not usually by accident. Perhaps they are repressed?"
"You dealt in psychology as well?" Daniel asked.
"Nah," Pidge replied. "I'm just going by what I've seen in movies." Daniel facepalmed.
"You said you had an object," Daniel said, "something that was taken from you. Can you remember at all what it was?"
"I honestly…." He started to say, then he bent over, seemingly in pain.
"Dude," Daniel asked, "are you alright?"
"I want to remember…." he said, "….so hard…."
"Easy does it," Pidge said, helping him up. "Don't sweat it. We'll figure it out. For now, since you can't remember your name, we'll call you John."
"John?' he asked.
"Back on Earth, it's the name they give unidentified people," Daniel said. "John Doe."
"Earth…." he said, holding his head. "I…remember being on Earth. Someone…..argh, I can't remember!"
"We'll use that as a start," Pidge said, keying something into the data panel. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
"Our other issue is this 'Kanji' guy," Daniel said.
"This much I can tell you," he replied. "I remember hearing the other prisoners talk about him, as if he were more powerful than…..than…."
"Zarkon?" Daniel asked.
"Zarkon is dead!" he shouted, then held his head.
"Easy," Daniel said. "I'm sorry."
"No," he replied, "I don't know why that sparked something in me. All I know is Lord Kanji is pure evil, and one way or another, he must be stopped."
"I have a feeling Haggar is going to be sending the Predator Robeast back to Arus," Daniel said. He turned to Pidge. "We barely escaped Doom because of that thing. Vince said the thing is powered up, even more than before. Something about a cluster of…"
"Nexus," Pidge said.
"Don't you mean Nexuses?" Daniel asked. "Or Nexii?"
"No, Daniel," Pidge said. "The plural of Nexus is Nexus."
"Whatever it is," Daniel asked, "do we stand a chance of stopping it?"
"That much dark energy concentrated in one place," Pidge said, "it's gonna take a lot to counter that. It may be a question for Vince. I can sit here and give you cold statistics based on the science of Voltron. But the mystics…I'm sorry, Daniel, I got nothin'."
"As soon as Vince wakes up tomorrow morning," Daniel said, "we'll have a talk and try to figure out how to counter that thing. Right now, all we got to go on is a powered up Boomerang Shield, and the last time we tried that, it was no longer effective."
"Strategy," Pidge said. "You just have to think up a strategy."
A young, tall and skinny Drule man walked up to an apartment door. He felt an eagerness inside of him, as if he wanted to be here and stay here badly. He reached out and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" the young Drule woman inside shouted.
"It's me!" he shouted. She did not recognize the voice at all.
"Who's me?" she asked, scared yet angry.
"Dammit, Sergeant," he replied, "cut the crap and open the door!" She reluctantly opened the door. She saw the tall Drule officer in front of her. "The Space Marshall is gonna be livid when they find out we all slept in! Did you have another one of those nightmares again?" She blinked a few times in disbelief.
"Um…" she replied, "yeah."
"Well continue to keep it quiet," he replied, almost in a whisper. "If the Commander finds out about the racket or worse, the visions, you'll get expelled. Or worse!"
"I'll try," she replied, still confused.
"Oh, by the way," he continued, "I heard some of the last human colonies in the near universe are about to fall. Finally, the Empire will have control of the entire galaxy, and we won't have to fight over new planets anymore." She looked at him, disguising her confusion with a smile.
"That's great news," she said through her teeth. He smiled back.
"I better get going," he said. "See you in the repair hangar later!" He smiled again, pointing at her as he walked away. She breathed a sigh as she closed the door, locking it behind her.
The young Drule opened his eyes and sat up in bed.