KathDMD - I really am glad you enjoy this story so much. I like writing it because most of the characters are OC, so it gives me a lot of liberty in how I write them. Not set to a mold. But a lot of other readers don't see it for what it is, and from what I can tell, aren't reading it. And it is a shame. Putting this much effort into something and it sits...you know. :/

Author's Note - My muse is missing. I just want her back.

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 111 : "The Voyage Home"

"Hotaru, Daisaku, and I went to the same engineering academy," Tetsuya said to Lisa and Aidan. "The contest that started it all was the last of its kind. The Derinja came….in swarms. Seems the Drule Empire had found out about Terra's technological advances, and wanted to take it like they did many of the worlds in the Middle Universe. The three of us won the top three prized in the competition, Daisaku taking First Place to me…in more ways than one. But when the Derinja began to invade, the three of us, along with another member of the competition, decided to fight back. We were able to repel the attack, but our robots were severely damaged."

"So what did you do?" Lisa asked, genuinely interested.

"The only thing we knew," he replied. Repair them so that we could fight them again when they came back. And we knew they'd be back."

Naturally," Aidan snarked. Tetsuya frowned.

"Hotaru's dad had a workshop he didn't use, complete with spare parts and all the tools we needed to make repairs," he said. "But he found out about it. Instead of stopping us though, he took it upon himself to assist us with modifying the robots into gladiators. He had spoken to an Earth scientist by the name of Loring. He said he'd discovered a way to modify the robots in such a way that they could combine into a super robot more capable of handling attacks the likes of which the Drule Empire was launching. Hotaru's father implemented the designs in order to help us save the planet, but at a cost."

"What cost?" Lisa asked.

"He means the Garrison contract," Aidan replied. "Galaxy Garrison commissioned what they later called the 'Albegas Project' in order to counter the threat the Derinja and the associated Drule Empire posed to the Middle Universe. It was an attempt by the Galaxy Alliance to thwart the Drules on another front. The contract ran for two years, where Galaxy Garrison would supply funding for building and maintenance on Terra, and at the end of the two years, the Garrison would take possession of the project."

"And those bastards kept their word," Tetsuya snarked. "They came in two years later and removed us as the pilots and replaced us with wet behind the ears cadets."

"I resemble that remark!" Aidan snapped. Lisa elbowed him.

"What my husband is trying to so eloquently explain is that he is the captain of that force," Lisa said. Tetsuya frowned.

"No wonder the robots are in need of modifications and repairs," he said angrily. Aidan was about to snap back, but Lisa cut him off.

"Tetsuya," she said, "We were able to stop the Derinja, and destroy their home world of Grand Deram. For a time, the Terran people lived peacefully."

"For a time?" he asked.

"The Drule Supremacy has of course tried to re-establish their foothold," she replied. "But with their new leaders, and additional complications both here and afar, their robeasts are more powerful, and Voltron isn't strong enough to fight them off. Hotaru took over for her father, and was able to make the modifications to Alpha and Gamma, but without the blueprints for Beta, she is finding it near impossible to modify it."

"Does she know you're here looking for me?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "We offered to look. And if we don't get everything together before the next attack, all of Terra will be in danger." He stared her down for a moment.

"I spent years being bitter of what the Garrison did to us, and our planet," he said. "But I spent even more years bitter over Hotaru's decision to marry Daisaku. I came here to escape it all, and you want to drag me kicking and screaming back to that?"

"I'm asking for your help," Lisa said. He sighed.

"Let me pack up, and we'll go," he replied. As he turned around to walk into the other room, he spoke once more. "By the way, what kind of ship did you come here in?"

"You have got to be kidding me," Tetsuya griped as they climbed out of the shuttle and headed for Alpha. "How the hell are we going to get off the planet if the Garrison is looking for you? They'll shoot us out of the flacking sky!"

"We made modifications to it," Aidan said. "And you got one of the best damn pilots in the universe flying it."

"I'll believe it when I see it, 'Captain'," he replied with a frown. Aidan climbed into the pilot chair and strapped himself in.

"Just hang on," Aidan said, tapping a few buttons and pulling a lever. "It's gonna be a bit bumpy until we've cleared the Outer Perimeter. It's not like we're flying in Space Dimension." He began keying something into his Voltcom.

"What the hell is that?" Tetsuya asked.

"Remote starter," Aidan snarked, and the engines came to life.

"Lazy bums," he snapped back as Alpha took off into the air.

"Keep an ear to the radio, Lis," Aidan said. "I'm gonna try to keep a low profile so they don't see where we took off from, but if they spot us, I wanna know where their fire is coming from."

"Got it," she said, keying commands into the console. "Well, that was fast."

"Don't tell me they're on to us already," Aidan snapped back.

"We're being fired upon," she replied. She keyed in a few more things, then a puzzled look appeared on her face. "Wait a sec…that's not an Alliance ship."

"What the flack is it?" Aidan asked.

Colonel Dillin tapped a few buttons on his datapad, and a communication channel opened up.

"Colonel," the voice said, "are you aware that the Black mecha has just taken off from the surface of the planet?"

"General Dari," he replied, "our forces have been a little preoccupied. It appears the Garrison's Project Defender Voltron Force has gone AWOL. So not only does it appear our forces went on a wild goose chase clear into Canadian territory, but the Legacy has yet to dock here, and I have had to send a small fleet to deal with that. As you can see, we are a bit too preoccupied to deal with your little Terran problem."

"If that ship returns to Terra, and you haven't at least tried to stop it, Lord Kanji will not be pleased," Dari said. "Are you sure you want that on your head, Colonel?"

"The High Council of the Drule Supremacy has ordered me to keep everything in line here," he replied. "I have orders to keep the Alliance Council sated, and prepare for Marshal Wade's Arrival. I don't have time to chase down outdated mechas." Dari grew furious.

"Fine!" she shouted. "I will blow them out of the sky myself! And if you won't back me up, then I shall make sure to report my findings to Lord Kanji himself!" She abruptly ended the transmission. Dillin slammed down the datapad, almost cracking the screen.

"Drule ingrate," he muttered. "When I become Commander of the Galactic Army, She's going to be the first one court martial….or executed.

"It's a Derinja shuttlecraft," Lisa said, still keying things in to the console.

"What the flack are the derinja doing this far from home?" Tetsuya asked.

"Not just any Derinja," Aidan said. "It's General Dari."

"General Dari?" Tetsuya asked. 'But he's dead."

"It's his daughter," he replied. "Dumbass doesn't believe her father died from injury complications. She thinks we executed him."

"That's complete crap!" Tetsuya said. Alpha got hit by another barrage of laser fire that shook the entire ship.

"Tell that to her," Aidan snarked.

"She's a pretty good shot, Aidan," Lisa said. "Gonna have to be really good to avoid it."

"Then I guess I better live up to my rep, right?" he laughed. He pulled the controls, and Alpha began to weave in and out fo the line of fire as they went.

"I see something else entering the Outer perimeter," Lisa said. "Something large….oh crap, it's the Legacy."

"Are they on our side?' Aidan asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I can't get a response from them. They're not drifting though. They seem to be on a course for Earth.

"Are they firing on us?" Aidan asked.

"No," she replied

"Good," Aidan replied.

"Good?" Lisa asked.

"One less thing to worry about," he snarked. They continued on, Dari's ship in close pursuit.

"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.