Author's Note - The saga continues as the Fab Five once again try to stop the latest plot cooked up by Twyla and General Dari!

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 105 : "Al-Be-Ga-s"

"So when will the modifications be done?" Aidan asked.

"Hopefully soon," Kelly replied. "Hotaru started on Gamma as soon as it was docked. She built it herself, and knows the systems like the back of her hand."

"And Beta?" he asked.

"Beta is a bit more complicated," she replied. "Hotaru said Beta was originally designed by Tetsuya Jin. Though her father did modify the mechas based on Dr. Loring's specifications to form Voltron, the original schematics for the mecha were his. And no one has seen him since the Alliance began protecting Terra and the Middle Universe."

"So she's not familiar with it at all?" Aidan asked.

"She is," Kelly replied, "just not as much so as Gamma. Though I supposed if Tetsuya was still around, the work would get done a lot faster."

"The Garrison doesn't have the resources to find him?" Aidan asked.

"More like we're not exactly a priority for the High Council," Kelly snarked.

"Something wrong back home?" Aidan asked.

"Spoke with Len last night," she replied. "I tried to get access to some of the Garrison's records. She told me the Council froze access to quite a few data centers, citing some sort of security leak. She said the last meeting didn't go well."

"Probably tried to oust her again," Aidan snapped. "Bunch of cronies if you ask me. They found out Carletti was a Wade supporter. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more airheads like that one in the ranks."

"Unfortunately, for the moment, that leaves us cut off from the Alliance….again," Kelly said, lowering her head.

"Hey," he replied, putting a hand on her shoulder, "we've been on our own before, battling the Derinja with nothing but good ol' Voltron and our wits. We can handle ourselves."

"But will it be enough this time," Kelly said, looking up at him. "Ever since Commander Twyla joined forces with the Derinja, their strength and attacks has nearly doubled. It's been a challenge just to document everything that's happened so far."

"Tell ya what," Aidan said, "I'll try my best to track down this 'Tetsuya' for you. Lisa's pretty good at stalking….er….I mean, finding people. I'm sure we can locate him."

"You don't have to," Kelly said, "but if the Derinja are trying to reverse-engineer Voltron, these modifications and upgrades may be the only thing that'll tip the scale in our favor."

"When do you plan on unleashing these replicas on Terra?" General Dari asked. "I want to see them squash the life out of the Voltron Force and their smug little commander!"

"In time," Twyla replied. "As I said, we will need to make modifications, and the black one is in need of repairs from the last battle. We need to be able to contend with the flaws we've discovered in our research."

"Your spies were able to learn much?" Dari asked.

"A great many things," she replied. "From what we've been informed, they are trying to upgrade their robots. Trying to work out the flaws. We need to be able to beat them to the punch."

"By copying their enhancements?" Dari asked.

"By altering them," Twyla replied. "We need to build our counterparts with enhancements that can counter what they are going to throw at us. Yet one things seems to illude us."

"What's that?" Dari asked.

"The secret of Voltron," Twyla replied. "The ability to combine the robots into one unit. Our scientists were able to use schematics discovered during Korrinoth's raid on Balto to create a system to allow the mechas to combine, but they lack something that Voltron has. That is something we need to discover, or at the very least compensate for."

"I want to do more than compensate," Dari said through her teeth. "If this plan fails, It will be the last thing you ever do!" She walked away. Twyla smirked.

"Rest assured, General," she said to herself, "if the plan should fail, it'll be the last thing you do as well."

Aidan walked into the apartment, and Lisa was busy cooking dinner.

"Smells good," Aidan said, inhaling deeply.

"Been having more of those cravings lately," she replied. "Come to think of it, you're home a bit early. Kelly let you out on good behavior?" Aidan laughed.

"Fat chance of that happening!" he replied. "Actually, I need a favor from you." She gave him a look."

"I did you a 'favor' the other night," she reminded him.

"Not that!" he said. He paused a moment. "Not a bad thought, but no. Kelly is trying to locate someone, and I thought you could help."

"What for?" she asked. "Everything OK? Don't tell me Taye is spending too much time with that damn hoverbike…"

"Nothing like that, Lis," he replied. "It's about Beta. It was originally designed and constructed by a young pilot by the name of Tetsuya Jin. Kelly thinks if we are able to find him, and in turn the original schematics for Beta, Hotaru may be able to finish the modifications on Beta faster."

"Ah," she replied. "Maybe I could try and track them down. How long have they been missing?"

"Kelly said he's been MIA since the Alliance took over operations here on Terra," Aidan said. "I wish I had more to go on, with the exception that he and Hotaru were in the same competition, and attended the same robotics academy."

"Then maybe I can start there," she replied. "I'll get on the computer and start tracing him from there. There has to have been some activity from him since then, and if so, there has to be a record."

"What are your orders, General?" the officer asked.

"We have received word that one of their mechas is down," General Dari replied. "We need to strike now!" Unfortunately, our clones are still undergoing repairs, so I managed to commission one of our own robeasts to draw out the Voltron Force. In addition, we will send out a small fleet of ships from Luna to launch an attack on their base. Their attention will be divided, and we will crush the very life out of them!" The small fleet began to descent towards Terra, and the command ship opened, allowing a gigantic metallic beast with a single spike on his head to exit and glide down as well.

"How are the modifications coming?" Kelly asked.

"I have just about finished modifying gamma," Hotaru replied. "I looked over my own plans from when I originally built her…"

"It's a her?" Kelly asked. Hotaru laughed.

"Girl pilot, girl robot, Admiral," she replied.

"I'm gonna have to hold that one over my husband's head," Kelly laughed. "please continue."

"I managed to integrate the weaponry chosen by Sergent Benton's and Seragent Kaga's voltcoms," Hotaru continued. "Seargent Benton will wield the Wind Staff, a mechanical staff that is imbued with the element of air. Sergeant Kaga on the other hand will retain the essence of Gamma, which is the element of water. Her weapon of choice with be an Aquatic Bow."

"Is there a reason for the elemental enhancements?" Kelly asked.

"I take it you were never privy to the details behind Project Defender?" Hotaru asked. Kelly frowned. "It was part of Dr. Loring's designs. It was one of the few secrets he and my father shared about Voltron, conceptually. While it's still not known, even to my father, what brings the combined mecha to life, we have at least determined that its link to the pure elements of nature, in much the same way the Lions of Arus are, has something to do with it."

"If you believe this will naturally enhance the Gladiators," Kelly replied, "then you have my support." Suddenly, the base shook, and the alarms sounded. Kelly ran to the controls. "Something is headed this way! It looks like a Drule attack fleet!"

"Do you want me to stop work on Beta and bring it back into operation?" Hotaru asked.

"Do what you have to do to get it back to functioning," Kelly ordered. "I know we need to get these modifications completed as soon as possible, but if we don't stop this attack, none of it will matter." Hotaru nodded and began feverently putting the removed panels back together. Kelly walked over to the console and hit the button.

"Aidan," she said, "gather your team and get to the control room on the double."

"Lisa," Aidan said, "we need to go. Kelly wants us all at the base."

"What about the search?' she asked. "I'm so close to finding him."

"It'll have to wait," he replied. "The Drules are launching an attack."

"We'll be right there," Morgan said, turning off the com. She snapped on her voltcom, and a black and blue uniform materialized around her. "David, wake up! We have to get to the base!" He turned over, half asleep, squinting his eyes."

"Seven hells," he replied, "can't Kelly let us get even an hour of sleep?"

"She said the base is under attack," she replied. "I hope it's not another robeast." He sat up and snapped his voltcom on, a black and blue uniform materializing around him.

"Then I guess we better get moving," he replied. They then ran out the door.

"Don't tell me you didn't hear that!" Kelly scolded.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry, babe. I'll be there right away." The com ended. He stood up from his crouched position, a bit frustrated. "How in the heck am I gonna get this flacking thing working if the Drules keep interrupting me." He let out a sigh and pushed the hoverbike into the garage. He shut the door, then tapped his Voltcom, and a black and red uniform surrounded him, and he ran for his ship.

Aidan and the team ran into the control room.

"Alright," Aidan said, "what are they throwing at us this time?"

"Everything but the kitchen sink, as usual," Kelly replied. "David and Morgan will remain here assisting on defenses until Hotaru can piece Beta together enough for battle."

"You mean it's in pieces?" David questioned.

"Some of the exo-armor was removed to perform upgrades," Kelly replied. "Without the schematics, Hotaru's had to work from scratch."

"Understood," Morgan replied. "Do what you gotta do, and let us know when it's ready." They ran to the controls and started working the defense system.

"The robeast they dropped hopefully isn't too tough," Kelly replied, "but we have a fleet of Drule ships that are already hammering the base. The shields will only hold so long, so we've gotta take them out first."

"Alright," Aidan said. "Taye, you and Lisa assist them with taking out that fleet. "I'm going to confront the robeast and see what's going on with it." They took off through the doors. Jet Alpha took off and landed inside Alpha, and Jet Gamma took off and landed inside Gamma. Their cockpits locked into place, and the two mechas took off into the air, pausing for a moment before entering their launch chutes. The Mechanical doors opened, and Alpha took off. The underwater bays opened, and Gamma powered up and slashed out of the lake and into the air.

"Let's see how well these ships do against the new modifications," Lisa said, cracking her knuckles.

"General," the officer said, "as you planned, the Blue Mecha has not launched! They cannot form Voltron!"

"Good," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "Now we can pick them off one by one with the robeast."

"Only one of the mechas is flying to confront the robeast," he said. The Red one has stayed behind."

"The Black Mecha is facing the robeast alone?" she shouted. "They think our robeasts are weak and pathetic. Maybe this time their cocky commander should have to contend with a real challenge." She turned to leave.

"General?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

"Taking my personal shuttle to Terra," she scowled. "Our robeast needs a brain."

Alpha landed just outside of town and approached the robeast, trying to size it up.

"Doesn't seem so tough," he said to himself. "Exo-plate armor, Deuterium power source, nothing special." He cracked his knuckles. "Piece of cake." He ran at the beast, and the beast fired several missiles at him. Alpha dodged it and locked up with the robeast. The beast fought hard, but Alpha was able to overpower it and toss it to the side. The beast rolled to its feet.

"A total pushover," he said with a laugh. Then Alpha was hit with several laser blasts from behind that made it stagger forward. As Aidan forced it to turn around, her watched as the approaching shuttle maneuvered to and hovered over the robeast. The spike moved back, and the shuttle gently docked. He then heard an all to familiar voice on the com.

"This is how you view the Derinja?" General Dari asked. "As a league of pushovers? Lambs to the slaughter? Well, now, Commander, this robeast has some new claws. And it's high time you knew exactly who you were dealing with."

"General Dari?" he asked. "Don't make me do this. I WILL stop you."

"You better," she growled. "Because I'm going to kill you."