Author's Note - My eyes look, but do not see. My ears listen, but do not hear. My words they speak, without repose. I reach for it, but nothing's there.
My muse is gone.
Theme Music - "Invincible" by Kelly Clarkson
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 125 : "From Alpha to Omega : Part III"
The communications officer turned to look at Lieutenant Centa, who seemed deep in thought.
"Lieutenant," he said, "Commander Twyla is on the Ultrawave requesting to speak to you."
"Put it on screen," she replied calmly. Within moments, Twyla's image appeared on the screen.
"Lieutenant Centa," Twyla said, "I have just received word that the robeast has been destroyed."
"You have heard correct, Commander," she replied calmly. "However, everything is still going according to planned. By this time tomorrow, Voltron will have been eliminated by the explosive smuggled aboard the Red Mecha, and we will be free to do with Terra as we please." Twyla stared at her for a moment in silence, then a small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Be careful who you trust, Lieutenant," Twyla replied. "I should hope those under you would learn a valuable lesson from the loss of your most recent subordinate." One of the officers on the bridge, who had spoken to Centa earlier, slinked down in his chair, trying to avoid attention.
"I assume you have been clued in on my little side project," Centa said. Twyla nodded.
"I am actually impressed you were daring enough to attempt to recreate the circumstances," Twyla replied. "With the Omega Comet gone from existence due to the time loop that was created by the anomaly, it would be difficult to replicate that much mass."
"On the contrary," Centa said, "I have found the perfect massive structure to use to help reopen the anomaly, as you have so coined it."
"What is it?" Twyla asked, listening intently. Centa grinned.
"The combined remains for Grand Deram," she replied.
Kelly walked into the hangar where Hotaru and several members of the repair crew were working on repairing the damage to the gladiators.
"How bad is the damage?" Kelly asked. Hotaru pulled up her welding mask and walked over to Kelly.
"No worse than I've ever seen," she replied. "The usual wear and tear from repeated physical bows, but none of the systems were badly affected. I'm still running a full diagnostic as a precaution though."
"Good," Kelly replied. "Provide me with a full report once the repairs have been made."
"There is one thing I wanted to ask though," Hotaru said. "What is to be done with General Dari?"
"Why do you ask?" Kelly asked.
"She did help us stop the fleet," Hotaru replied. "If it wasn't for her, we would not have been able to configure the EMP to take out their drones and claim victory."
"There's still the matter of the sabotage," Kelly said. "I can't just forget about that." Hotaru sighed.
"I understand, Admiral," she replied.
"Unless I have proof that someone else besides her did it," Kelly said, "my hands are tied. I have to follow Garrison regulations." Kelly herself let out a sigh. "Has Tetsuya found anything in his investigation?"
"Not yet," Hotaru replied. "but I'm hopeful."
"If he doesn't find anything out soon," Kelly said, "I'll be forced to send my report to Space Marshall Hawkins. Once it's in hers and the Council's hands, no one will be able to overturn their decision."
Tetsuya tapped the buttons, entering the code to lower the forcefield. He stepped into the cell, and saw General Dari sitting on her bed, studying a book.
"Hello, Luxina," he said. She nodded in acknowledgement. He walked over to her and sat down. "I take it you heard the plan worked?"
"I'm glad," she replied. "I know it won't change things, but for the moment, at least, you are safe."
"Then tell me what you know about the sabotage," Tetsuya said. "Luxina, this is your life we're talking about."
"It's not just my life, Jin," she replied. "There's more at stake than you realize. I wish I could tell you who sabotaged the data center, but I can't. You need to understand…my honor means more to me than my life. I can't tell you what you want to hear, but I won't lie to you. You know I didn't do it."
"Then point me in the right direction, Luxina," he said. "While we've found no evidence you were in the data center, we didn't find any evidence of anyone else there either."
"Think, Jin," she said, looking him dead in the eye. "Where did you find me?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"After you discovered the data center had been sabotaged," she said, "where did you find me with the knife?"
"We found you in Med," he replied.
"If I were running the investigation," she said, "I would begin my search there." She stood up, still looking him in the eyes. "I'm telling you, I was in Med the entire time. Any evidence you need to draw your conclusions will have to be there." She sat back down, defeated. He stood up and began to walk out.
"I'll head to Med now and check things out," he replied. "I'll see what I can find out. If I can't find out who sabotaged the data center, maybe I can at least prove you never left Med." He waited for the forcefield to drop, then walked out, the field coming back to life shortly after stepping through the doorway. She sat back down on the bed and picked up the book she was reading and continued to read….the title on the cover reading Paradise Lost by John Milton.
Alarms began to sound as Kelly came into the control room.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Have the Drules launched another attack?"
"We're not sure, Admiral," the officer at the station replied. "Long range scans are showing unidentified large objects moving through the Terran system. They don't appear to be ships, though there are unidentified metals within. They could be asteroids or meteors, but there is nothing to suggest that they are so, most notably, their trajectory."
"Where is it all heading?" she asked.
"The mass of fragments seems to be heading within fifty thousand kilometers of terra and proceeding through the system to the edge of known space," he said.
"Then it will not be colliding with Terra or any other planets in the system?' she asked.
"No," he replied. "But it's trajectory is very similar to another event that happened nearly two years ago.
"What's that?" she asked.
"The Omega Comet," he replied. She paused a moment, lost in thought.
The last time the Omega Comet was spotted, Christiane told us the Drules had used it to create a rift in time, Kelly thought to herself.
"Alert Commander Dalloway and the Voltron Force," she ordered. "I want them back here and in their ships as soon as possible. I want those chunks of whatever examined at close range. I will not risk another incident to occur if the Drules are planning to use this against us."
"That's great news, babe!" Aidan said, giving Lisa a hug.
"If we're lucky," Lisa said, "in a week or two our baby will finally be here." Suddenly, their communicators went off. Aidan tapped his voltcom.
"Dalloway here," he said.
"Commander," a voice came over the com, "you and your wife are needed back at the base. The Admiral needs your team to check out a group of unidentified objects detected flying past Terra."
"We're on our way," he replied, turning off the com. "You sure you're alright to do this?"
"yeah," Lisa replied. "The nurse insisted I continue working, and that it's safe."
"Alright them," Aidan said. "It should be a standard mission. Get a visual and be back in time for dinner."
"Let's hope so," she laughed. As she turned, another twinge hit her, and she bent over slightly, holding her stomach.
"You sure you're alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Aidan," she replied. "Let's just get back to the base and get suited up for the mission." Along with the twinge, something inside her clicked…as the trigger inched closer to its mark.
To be continued….