The black coffin ship stood ominously in front of them, a replica of the one that attacked them on Arus.
"Oh no!" Rai exclaimed as the dust finally cleared.
"Please tell me there's not a giant monster in there. Please tell me it's empty!" Shirley begged desperately.
"If it's the same kind of monster that attacked us on Arus, we already know how to beat it," Suzaku reasoned, pulling out his Bayard.
"I don't think so," Lelouch disagreed, as Suzaku's Bayard formed Voltron's sword and Voltron's shield appeared in front of Voltron. "I don't think even the Galra are stupid enough to send the exact same monster against us and expect different results. Hold your ground."
Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then the ship creaked and fell open, scattering pieces like a puzzle. Inside wasn't the same Myzak monster they hoped it would be. This robot was thin, with long, lanky red arms, a chameleon-like head, and long, serrated teeth. Once freed, it lifted its head up, its eyes on its sides rotating to face forward, a sickly green color illuminating them.
Lelouch got a bad feeling in his chest when the beast's eyes landed on them. This was not going to be an easy fight.
Suddenly, the large port in its chest began to glow and fired a powerful blast of green energy, hitting Voltron's shield dead on. The shot was so strong that it pushed Voltron back several yards.
"Definitely not the same monster!" Kallen yelled as everyone braced themselves against the blast.
With a grunt, Voltron managed to extract itself away from the blast by turning to the side. "We need to draw its fire away from the Balmera's surface!" Lelouch shouted as the Defender of the Universe took off from the ground and charged head-on at the beast, sword poised to strike.
However, they didn't get the chance to. The robot leaped into the air and shot at them again, this time from above. Rai barely brought the shield up in time to block it. Everyone groaned as they struggled to hold themselves against it. When the attack wore off, Voltron managed to get airborne again and dodge the next several laser shots, but it was still too close to the surface for their liking. They managed to fly in close and swing at it at one point, but the beast was just as versatile as it was fast and easily dodged them. One of its eyes then rotated about its head and shot another laser at Voltron, causing him to tumble backward. As Voltron took to the air again, they quickly tried to put some distance between them and the robot, but it caught up to them and fired again. The shield managed to hold out against it, but it wouldn't be forever as Voltron was pushed backward.
"We can't hold out!" Rivalz cried.
"Zerith's weakening!" Rai exclaimed, "If the shield sustains structural damage, we're done for!"
"Rai's right!" Milly agreed.
"Oh, Rai is right. I'm the one that said, 'We can't hold out!'" Rivalz argued.
"Rivalz! Watch your footing!" Suzaku called as the Blue Lion caught its heel on a rock, causing the team to lose their balance, the shield splitting and flying off to the side in two pieces.
"Okay," Lelouch hissed between his teeth, "Team Voltron, disband!" At his command, the Lions split apart from Voltron. "Everyone, evasive maneuvers! It can't shoot us all at once!"
But Lelouch spoke too soon as the monster stretched its arms wide open, the inside covered with more laser cannons, and began firing all at once at the seven assailants.
"Okay, it can do that too!" he quickly amended.
At least as separate ships, the Lions could avoid the lasers more easily, but there were still too many coming too fast to get in a clear shot.
Suddenly, a blue laser shot through the cloud cover and hit the beast point-blank in the back, causing it to stumble. It immediately turned one of its eyes on the Castleship, firing relentlessly at it.
Coran, C.C., and Allura grunted as they braced against the barrage of attacks, "Where does Zarkon get these beasts from? And how do they keep finding us?" the princess demanded.
"It was likely used as a backup in case the trap they set for us didn't work," C.C. reasoned.
"Princess, the particle barrier won't last much longer. It's still not at full strength after the blast from the Galra ship," Coran informed her as the screens began glowing red again from the damage.
"Kallen, try to draw its fire! I'm coming in from above!" Lelouch ordered.
"Roger!" Kallen said as she and Aka dove down from below. She fired several shots of her fire cannon, but that seemed to have zero effect on the beast other than drawing its attention.
With its head turned, Lelouch and the Black Lion prepared to fire a barrage of their own but were forced to pull back at the last second when one of the beast's eyes rotated back and shot at them instead.
"We need to find its blind spot!" Kallen said in frustration.
"I don't think this thing has a blind spot!" Rai countered, "It has a thousand eyes!"
"Laser eyes! Laser eyes!" Shirley screamed as she dove to avoid a Galra structure falling over her. Despite this thing fighting for the Galra, it didn't seem to have much care for its surroundings whatsoever.
"Suzaku, maybe you could try and suck it up with your Lion?" Rivalz suggested.
"I don't think that'll work!" the Purple Paladin said, "It's way too big for that!"
Milly suddenly had an idea, "Maybe I can blind it with my supernova!"
"Supernova?" Kallen asked.
"You know, the flash bomb thing I did earlier," Milly explained briefly as she spun around a laser.
"It's worth a try," Lelouch agreed, "everyone, get ready!"
"All right! Let's go!" Milly grinned as her Lion shot out a ball that moments later expanded with light. Everyone heard the monster cry out in confused pain. It seemed to do the job, and the Paladins took full advantage of it.
"Hit it with everything you've got!" Lelouch ordered. The Lions raced forward to obey, lasers flying, and elements flew everywhere. Rivalz even managed to freeze some of the laser eyes shut, but a few moments later, they melted open again. It had been blinded, but that didn't stop the creature from attacking, as it started shooting willy-nilly, hoping to hit someone.
"It's not enough!" Rai exclaimed, "even when it can't see us, fighting this thing is like fighting an entire fleet at once!"
"We need to aim for those laser eyes and take them out!" Suzaku shouted, barely dodging a random shot from the monster.
"We'll cover you from up here!" Allura said as the castle's shields started firing at the beast from above. This was a mistake, as the creature had finally got its full vision back and had turned its assault on the castle. The shields were still heavily damaged from the ion cannon earlier, so the castle lost ground quickly.
Coran started to panic as multiple screens started popping up, the castle's condition dwindling with each attack taken. "We've lost the spectral generator! Going to reserve! There's a fire in VIN bay three! Suppressors on! Suppressors out! Princess, this ship is being torn apart!"
"We're taking heavy fire up here! We're in trouble!" Allura shouted over the sound of the alarms blaring, inwardly starting to panic as well.
"Princess, pull back! Get out of its range, now!" Lelouch ordered harshly.
"We will not abandon you!" Allura countered stubbornly.
"You're not. We're about to pull out anyway."
"We are?" Shirley asked.
"We can't hold out. We have to," Lelouch promptly explained, "Lions, to the mineshafts! It's the only place the monster can't get us."
"Roger that!" Rai nodded, flying towards the closest one. The other Lions were quick to follow his example.
"Heading into orbit!" Allura said as the castle pulled back into the atmosphere.
Rivalz and Milly followed after Rai, while Lelouch, Suzaku, Kallen, and Shirley retreated into another shaft. As the quartet landed, they spotted Shay and her family at the bottom with them. They quickly exited their Lions and approached them.
"What is happening?" Rax asked anxiously.
"There's a monster up there that Zarkon sent to destroy us," Kallen informed them as the Balmerans' faces morphed into shock.
"A monster?" Shay asked, sounding devastated, "Will Zarkon's savagery never abate? Perhaps our people were never meant to be free."
"No! Shay, don't give up," Shirley furiously tried to reassure her friend. "It's true, Zarkon's power grows with every planet he conquers, but he's weakened by every being that fights back."
"Fight back? Against a monster like that? How?" Shay asked desperately.
"I don't know, but we can beat it. Tell her, Suzaku," Shirley begged.
"Can we?" the Purple Paladin asked skeptically.
"Yes, we can! This is our first mission, and we're not going to fail," Lelouch said stubbornly, determined to see this through. "We can beat it. We just need some time to come up with a plan."
"See? I told you we can! Thanks, Lulu," Shirley smiled. Suddenly, everyone gasped as the ground beneath them began to shake, loud groans echoing from the tunnels around them, rock and debris falling around them.
"Hey, do you guys feel that over there?" Kallen asked through her comms to the other party.
"Yeah, we feel it, all right!" Rivalz answered back, hearing the same shaking and groans from the other tunnel.
"It's that sound again. What is that?" Milly exclaimed as the shaking continued, seeming to get stronger.
Lelouch and his group jumped back as large cracks formed close to them.
Rax gently laid his hand on the ground, sorrow showing on his face, "That great noise comes from the Balmera itself. Our home crumbles beneath our feet. The Balmera is dying."
"Oh no..." Shirley gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.
"Coran, Allura, C.C., are you there?" Lelouch asked through the castle's communications.
"We're here, Lelouch," C.C. responded.
"The Balmera—"
"We already know," Coran interrupted as he brought up a screen of the Balmera's heat signature. It continued to give way to cold, dark blues and purples, "Our scanners are showing the life energy draining from the Balmera."
From their hiding place, Rai pressed a button on his gauntlet, pulling up an identical image of the Balmera. This time, the color was disappearing rapidly. "How does that happen?" Milly and Rivalz watched the image with concern as well.
"Removing crystals from a Balmera is like removing a vital part of the mighty beast. The Balmera needs time to regenerate itself to stay healthy, but the Galra's greed may have cost this noble Balmera its life."
Back with Shay's family, Lelouch had also pulled up the image on his gauntlet, face looking grim. It was not looking good for the Balmera or its people.
"So what exactly is going to happen?" Suzaku asked.
"Its core will collapse, destabilizing the entire skeletal structure. Anything or anyone remaining on the Balmera at that point will be crushed into dust." Lelouch and the others gaped at the revelation, though the Black Paladin was quick to recover.
"How long before the core collapses?" Lelouch asked urgently.
"Probably a matter of hours," Coran regrettably answered, "The mighty organism willingly gives itself to all, but not all return its kindness."
Back on the castle's bridge, Allura steeled herself, seeing that this was slowly becoming a worst-case scenario. They had to act quickly if they were still to save the remaining Balmerans. "Then our time is short. We'll evacuate the planet. We need to get all the Balmerans to the Castle of Lions before the planet implodes."
"Okay, that sounds like a good plan," Kallen agreed through the screen from Lelouch's gauntlet. Rai was looking through on a separate screen with Rover hovering next to him. "But how on Earth do you plan on landing the castle with that monster on the surface? It'll shoot you down the tick that it spots you."
"We're going to need a distraction," Suzaku said.
Lelouch nodded, "We'll engage the beast in our Lions. With it distracted, Allura, C.C., and Coran will land the castle and load all of its citizens."
"Or," Rivalz interjected from Rai's screen, "we could load Balmerans into our Lions, a few at a time, and shuttle them to the ship. You know, no engaging the ferocious, laser-eye guy. How long would that take?"
"Probably weeks," C.C. bluntly stated, "Days at the very least."
"We only have hours!" Rai added, shooting Rivalz a look that showed there was no room to argue.
"Guys, look, we don't necessarily have to beat this thing," Milly said.
"We don't?" Shirley asked, mildly confused now.
"Milly's correct. This time we don't. We just need to bait it away from the ship. Provoke and evade," Lelouch elaborated.
"Uh, Lulu, here's the thing," Shirley said, a tremor in her tone, "I'm worried that we're going to be really, really good at the provoking part, and then like really bad at the evading part. But if..." she glanced at Shay and her family, before steeling herself, "...if this is what it takes to save Shay and everyone on the planet, then I'm in."
"Shay, can you contact the other Balmerans?" Suzaku asked, turning to Shay and her family.
"I can, but I know not what they'll say," Shay admitted, hesitance in her tone, "Leave the planet? Our home?"
"It's the only option," Allura said through the communications link, "I'm coming down."
"Princess, no! It's too dangerous!" Coran protested strongly. He had already lost his family, his king, and everything else on Altea. He didn't want to lose her too.
"Someone has to be there to lead these people out," Allura argued back, determined to help.
"You're coming down? That thing will spot your pod and blow it to pieces!" Rai exclaimed through the transmission.
"Let me worry about that. You just focus on keeping the creature distracted," Allura reassured them.
"I'll go with her," C.C. said and pressed further before Allura could object. "If something goes wrong, I can take the hit from that creature for you. Don't you remember that I'm immortal? Nothing that beast throws at me will kill me."
"...Fine, suit up then," Allura relented. Though it was true that C.C. made good arguments, Allura was still mildly disturbed not only by the fact that someone would act as a literal living shield but also by how casually C.C. took getting shot out of the sky. She could only wonder how many other painful deaths this woman had gone through for such a strong indifference to such developments.
Minutes later, all seven Lions shot out of their hiding places in the mineshafts. The beast spotted Rai, Milly, and Rivalz first and attempted to fire, only to be blasted by Lelouch and his party from behind. The beast was not amused as it shot back with its chest in retaliation. As the Lions flew off, the creature activated its own jetpacks on its legs and flew after them, continuing to fire lasers from its eyes and arms.
"Okay, we've provoked. Time to evade!" Shirley shouted with determination as she and the Orange Lion narrowly avoided another shot to their left. The beast roared as it barrelled through a rock structure in its path.
Allura and C.C. arrived at the launch bay, where some drop-sled-like pods were waiting, this time with helmets of their own on. The pods were similar to the speeders but mostly only had the front, with little to no back.
"All right, Princess, C.C., we've lured the monster away. It's time," Lelouch informed.
"I'll contact you when we're on the ground," Allura answered as she and C.C. prepped two pods.
"Be careful out there," Coran warned through the intercoms.
The launch doors began to blink before turning red. They opened up, sucking the two women out into a vacuum that launched them towards the Balmera's surface.
The Orange and Blue Lions paused in their assault and watched in awe as C.C. and Allura continued to descend.
"Is that Allura and C.C.?!" Rivalz exclaimed.
The Paladins weren't the only ones to notice. The beast turned one of its eyes on the women and was about to fire.
"We've got to protect them!" Suzaku shouted as he dive-bombed the beast to shift its focus away from C.C. and Allura. The Purple Lion barely avoided a counterattack and felt the lasers skim by its side. Lelouch and the Black Lion latched onto its head and kicked off of it, further agitating it. To the rear, Rivalz used the Blue Lion's ice ray to freeze its head, but it was shattered moments later with its lasers.
The princess and witch continued to fly down into one of the shafts. They weaved around the mining pillars and equipment until they stopped on the ground. Allura looked up in relief to see that Shay and her family were already there.
"We're on the ground," Allura informed the Paladins.
"All right, hurry! I don't know how long we can hold this thing off," Lelouch ordered urgently.
Allura and C.C. ran towards the Balmeran family, "Shay, I'm going to need your help."
"Princess? C.C.?" Shay asked, surprised to see both of them.
"Have you contacted the other Balmerans?" C.C. asked urgently. Then she noticed Shay and her family. They looked sad and dejected. Something wasn't right.
"What is it? What's going on?" Allura asked.
"All Balmerans give thanks for the kindness you and the Paladins bestowed upon us. But, alas, we cannot take leave of our home," Shay informed them sadly.
"What?" Allura gasped, and even C.C. looked taken aback. Knowing that death was at their doorstep, these people were willing to die with their Balmera. It was a way of showing how much they loved and honored the magnificent creature. C.C. had only met a handful of people back on Earth that shared this same conviction and couldn't help the warm admiration she felt despite the situation.
"If our great Balmera's life cycle is over because of us," Shay looked back at her family, "then our desire is to stay with it until the end."
"But you'll never survive!" Allura protested.
"And it's not your doing either," C.C. argued, though much calmer than the princess, "it was the Galra that came here and took what was rightfully yours in the first place. If you must blame someone for this, blame the one behind all this madness. Zarkon himself."
"But it was I who conspired against you when you first came here. And we submitted to their cruelty years ago," Rax countered, "We contacted the others, and all agree, it's not right that you risk your lives for us. Please, away. We ask for no more guilt and shame upon us."
"It is our wish. The wish of all Balmerans," Shay added.
"...No. I won't give up on you," Allura persisted, "I won't give up on any of you, no matter the circumstances."
"But we do not ask this of you. Please!" Shay begged.
"We're here because we want to be," C.C. said, "All living things deserve to live without fear of oppression. And you will receive it."
"I have heard your words. Now let me speak mine. I want to talk to the Balmerans. Can you get a message to them from me?" Allura asked.
"There is no need to speak for you," Shay's grandmother said gently, "You have a unique power within. The Balmera will carry your words," she pointed at the wall Allura had laid her hand against. Underneath her palm, it was glowing blue. Allura gasped and pulled her hand away in shock.
"Speak your heart, child. All can hear you," the grandmother encouraged, placing Allura's hand back on the wall.
Allura closed her eyes and concentrated as she spoke, "Balmerans, this is Princess Allura. You don't know me, but I am here to help. I know what it's like to watch your home planet die. For I come from planet Altea, a planet that has long been destroyed by the Galra. But I refuse to give up. And now, you all have the same choice. You can decide now to devote your lives to making sure this never happens to another planet. I am eternally sorry for what has happened to the Balmera, but I beg you, do not let its dying be in vain. Honor the Balmera's death by refusing to give up. Join me in my fight against the Galra."
From all over the Balmera, the people listened to Allura's words. Words that touched their hearts and filled them with the courage they needed to carry on.
Shay's grandmother placed her hand next to Allura's and looked graciously at the princess, "Your words have touched our hearts."
"Thank you," Allura said, tears filling her eyes.
"No, thank you. You've given us reason to hope again," the grandmother smiled at her.
"Everyone, head to the caves just under the surface," Allura instructed through the Balmera.
From the castle, Coran, with the B.L.I.P.s, was able to see a large number of yellow dots converging towards the shaft entrances. "Princess, your speech must have worked. The Balmerans are moving toward the surface!"
C.C. and Allura just finished leading Shay's family to the exit, with Rax carrying their grandmother on his back. They could make out the castle, barely in the clouds.
"Coran, we're just beneath the surface," Allura informed him.
"Triangulate our position. This is your landing zone," C.C. added as the Balmera shook again. It caused the group to have to hang onto the walls for balance.
"Understood. Readying ship. Castle of Lions, coming in! Paladins, how are you holding up?" Coran asked.
Kallen looped around a set of lasers and now was looking down at the beast from above, "I think we've got him pretty distracted. Are the Balmerans in position?"
"They're making their way to the top," Allura informed from below.
From all over the Balmera, the Balmerans started climbing the ladders to get to the top. Some were even climbing the mining columns and pillars. Men, women, and children were slowly bringing themselves to the surface. All Balmerans paused in wonder as the Castle of Lions landed just outside one of the main shafts.
Allura and C.C. directed Shay and her family up to the final ladder to the top, thousands of others waiting just below them.
Coran lowered himself to the surface in a transport pod that landed underneath the castle. Coran urgently motioned to them as the pod opened.
"Bring them out! Hurry now!"
Just as the words left his lips, though, the Balmera began to shake again. Allura had just finished climbing the ladder when it tilted backward from the tremors, and all the other lower ladders collapsed as well. Large boulders and rock began to crumble down, nearly killing several Balmerans.
"No!" Allura gasped as the surface began to split apart, and the Balmerans cried out in fear.
"It's on the verge of collapsing!" Coran shouted as he ran over to them, "We have to go!"
"But the Balmerans!" Allura cried. Only Shay and her family had managed to make it to the surface. There were still hundreds or even thousands more still trapped below!
"They're trapped! What can be done? Time is short!" Rax exclaimed as the ground rumbled again.
Back on the battlefield, the Lions were scrambling to avoid the incoming shots from the robeast. Each one that missed them hit the Balmera, weakening it further.
"Every hit weakens the Balmera. Have you evacuated yet? What's happening?" Milly asked as she felt herself getting uncharacteristically anxious.
"The Balmerans are trapped. Just keep distracting that beast!" Coran said over the link.
"Uh, do you want us to distract it by dying? Because that's what's going to happen!" Shirley shouted, desperation in her tone.
Lelouch gritted his teeth. This was taking too long. They were slowly getting worn out, and there was no telling how long they could keep the robot occupied before it possibly got bored and attacked the castle again. That meant…
"Paladins, remember when I said we didn't have to beat it?" Lelouch asked. Sounds of confirmation rang in his ears. "Well, it looks like we have to beat it now!"
"We're lost! All are trapped with no chance for escape!" Shay cried, holding her head in despair.
"We can't give up," Allura said, kneeling next to her, and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"But what can be done?" Shay asked desperately. Her eyes, though, were suddenly drawn to a bright blue glow in the castle's direction. Everyone else also looked in its path. They saw that a small section directly underneath the castle was glowing a bright, healing blue.
"The Balmera... The ground beneath your mighty ship appears healed. Its essence thrives. But how?" Shay asked in wonder.
"The castle!" Allura exclaimed in realization.
"Not just the castle, but you as well," the grandmother said as she smiled at Allura. Looking beneath her, the spot where she and Shay were sitting was glowing as well.
"It's true," Coran said, "Your Altean energy combined with the ship's crystal has revitalized this part of the Balmera."
Allura picked up her head, an idea forming in her head as she stood up, "That's it! Maybe we can perform the ceremony you spoke about. We can save the Balmera."
"What ceremony?" Rax asked, confused.
"In the days of old, when Alteans were given the gift of crystals from a Balmera, we would repay its sacrifice by performing a ceremony," Coran explained. "A sacred Altean would reinfuse the Balmera with quintessence. In this way, we had a symbiotic relationship."
"The Galra have only been taking. It's time we give back," Allura told her advisor as they all started walking to the bottom of the ship. "I can connect with the crystal in the bridge and use the castle's power as an amplifier."
"When your father performed the ceremony, it was on a much smaller scale," Coran said as he walked up to her side, "I beg you. To heal an entire planet, it could take more energy than you possess. You may not... live through it."
"I know you're scared for me, Coran, but I must try," Allura said with conviction.
"Perhaps I can help as well," C.C. said from behind them.
"How? You're not a sacred Altean. You can't perform the ceremony with me," Allura pointed out.
"Perhaps, but if you Alteans can give life force, I can assume that the opposite is possible. No?" C.C. tilted her head toward the princess.
"Well, yes, it is, but I would never think to do such a thing to anyone or anything," Allura said, horrified at the mere idea.
"Well, if I let you use some of mine, you wouldn't necessarily be taking it," C.C. replied, "No matter how much it is, it won't kill me. You might as well use the tools you've been given."
Allura was shocked that C.C. would suggest such a thing. But, realizing that there weren't many other options, she nodded. "Very well, stand here in the center with me," she instructed.
C.C. complied as the Balmerans all placed their hands on the healed surface in a circle formation. All of them closed their eyes in concentration. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the Balmerans had also joined in the ceremony from the mineshafts.
Allura held her hands out, palms up to C.C., who promptly grasped them. Both the women closed their eyes and concentrated. Using Allura herself as a conductor, they connected to the crystal in the castle, and a pillar of blue energy descended and engulfed them. The blue circle of healing energy that surrounded the castle slowly started spreading outward until it almost reached the edges of the castle.
Coran gasped in awe as the ceremony appeared to be working.
As Allura and C.C. continued, C.C.'s hair began to blow in an invisible breeze as the Geass symbol on her forehead lit up. It was red for only an instant before flashing to a brilliant blue, the same as the energy surrounding them.
The Black and Orange Lions froze in mid-flight as their pilots suddenly gasped. Power, similar to what they felt when they first received their Geass, coursed through them. The Geass symbol flashed in their eyes, a bright blue, for barely a moment, but long enough for both Lelouch and Shirley to notice.
This stop forced the other Paladins to spin around and defend them as the robot continued to fire its laser at them. They spun around gracefully as they fired back attacks of their own but had little to no effect.
"Shirley! Lelouch! Are you okay?" Suzaku shouted just as the two pulled out of their trance.
"Yes," Lelouch gasped out.
"I'm good!" Shirley shouted as she charged the beast and managed to hit the port in its chest, but it didn't seem to do anything.
"Guys, this isn't working," Kallen shouted as the beast began to rotate, shooting out lasers like a sprinkler for a grass lawn, "We'll never take this beast down in our Lions."
"Well, forming Voltron didn't work, either," Rai pointed out.
"Not without some way to shoot all those laser eyes at once," Rivalz grunted as he narrowly dodged another laser.
Shirley gasped again, but this time for a completely different reason, as she felt her Lion growl. Looking to her right, a port began rising from her dashboard, with a keyhole inside. The mental nudge came again, like a mother Lion encouraging her cub to take its first steps.
"Wait-what? What are you trying to tell me?" Following her gut, Shirley pulled her Bayard out of its little magic pocket of her armor and held it up, not entirely sure what she was doing yet. "Guys! Guys, something's happening! I-I think there's a way to take down all those laser eyes at once."
"Well, what is it?!" Milly asked urgently.
"Well, uh, do you remember how Voltron formed that sword with Suzaku's Bayard? I think my Lion's telling me I can do the same thing with my Bayard."
"Are you sure?" Suzaku asked.
"Well, we're about to find out!" Shirley said as she raised it and aimed for the keyhole, "Form thingy!" She shoved it into the port and twisted… and nothing happened, "...It didn't work!"
"Because we didn't form Voltron yet," Lelouch replied.
"Oh, right, right!" Shirley said quickly, mentally kicking herself for forgetting, "I knew that!"
"Guys, whatever we're planning, let's hurry up and do it," Rai shouted as he flipped around another laser, barely missing a second one.
The robeast below suddenly turned its head behind it, spotting the castle, along with the growing area of blue healing energy. It raised its arms and started levitating towards it.
"We got to defend the castle! Everyone, follow me. Form Voltron!" Lelouch ordered. The Lions lined up with him and the Black Lion and began to ascend towards the sky, trails of their colors forming behind them. In a flash of light, the Lions roared and began to shift until the familiar Defender of the Universe was formed again.
The robeast roared as it raised its arms to fire a concentrated shot from all of the eye ports at the castle but never got a chance to shoot, though as a blue laser hit it square in the face from above. Voltron landed between the robeast and the castle.
As he rose to his full height again, a thin object morphed to life in his hands. It was long and slender. He held it out in front of him in Aka's mouth and pulled back with Zerith. A single arrow made of pure energy appeared between them.
As the robeast recovered from the attack, it brought its arms together again to form the same concentrated attack, aiming at Voltron. Just as it fired, Voltron released the arrow it was holding. It hit the robeast's attack head-on, exploding on impact and disrupting the rest of the assault as the monster cried out in pain.
Stunned but not about to give up, the robeast readied another concentrated attack, and Voltron moved to dodge it and draw it away.
"A single shot isn't enough! We need to try something else!" Lelouch shouted as Voltron turned and twisted to avoid the lasers that flew toward him.
Then, from inside her Lion, Shirley's screen zoomed in on the robeast, and multiple targets locked onto it, aiming at the eyes.
"Are you guys seeing this?" Shirley asked.
"Roger that!" Kallen exclaimed, and she could feel all of the other Paladins agreeing.
"Let's see what this thing can do. Engage!" Lelouch shouted as he thrust his controls forward.
Voltron fired another arrow, but this time, it split mid-air into a dozen smaller ones, each hitting one of the robeast's eyes perfectly. The robeast stumbled back from the barrage, and its arms fell to its sides, purple lightning flickering around them.
Allura and C.C. had not moved from their position underneath the castle as the glow of quintessence continued to grow greater still, tiny sparkles of energy rising up from the ground around them.
Allura suddenly let go of C.C.'s hands and thrust herself to the ground, hands slamming the surface. C.C. stumbled backward, body feeling weaker and more lethargic than she'd felt in a while.
Once Allura's hands hit the Balmera's surface, the light spread out even further, engulfing the entire landscape and exterior of the creature. It spread like a tidal wave from the sea, sweeping up sand and shells in its wake.
The Paladins all gasped in awe as they watched this occur.
"Guys, it's… beautiful!" Milly breathed as every pillar and curved surface was spread with blue. None of the Paladins denied it. It was the most incredible thing they'd ever seen!
The light continued to spread all around it. Even from space, one could see the wave of life energy rolling across the Balmera's surface. Within moments, the quintessence faded, absorbed into the creature it was saving.
However, despite this victory for Allura, the robeast wasn't finished yet. Even with its severely damaged arms, the monster lifted its head and roared at its foe, dragging itself to its feet.
Once upright, the large port in its chest glowed brightly as another massive laser was unleashed at the Paladins. Unlike the other times, though, Voltron wasn't deterred. After flying high to avoid it, the juggernaut zoomed downward and charged the beast head-on, even as it fired another laser to try and stop him.
With a victorious yell, Kallen wrenched her controls forward as Voltron pulled back its fist. With a swing, Voltron buried Aka's head in the robeast's chest. In a flash of light, the robeast was propelled backward over the mineshaft with the Balmerans still inside and landed with a broken thud on the other side. Smoke trailed out of its open mouth in defeat as its eyes flickered off.
The pillar that surrounded Allura slowly shrunk until it disappeared back into the castle above. C.C. was still standing shakily to the side as Allura's form slumped forward and fell to the side.
Shay ran over and gathered the princess in her arms, her father rushing to steady C.C., whose legs almost gave out underneath her.
"Princess, are you all right?" Shay asked as she propped Allura up in her arms. Coran raced to their side, his heart hammering in his chest.
Allura groaned as her eyes slowly flickered open, "Did it work?" she asked weakly.
"Yes. The Balmera lives," Rax said as he put his hand on the ground. "It thanks you."
Despite feeling weak, Allura smiled. The ceremony had worked. The Balmerans were safe, along with the creature they called their home. Having disbanded Voltron and landed, the Paladins ran up to them, relieved to see that everyone was okay and alive.
They stopped short, though, as the ground rumbled beneath them, but it wasn't coming from the Balmera. To everyone's horror, the robeast had risen again, like a zombie rising from its grave.
"No!" Allura gasped in terror as the beast charged its chest cannon to full power. It planned to wipe out the castle and everyone within the vicinity!
But it never was able to complete its plan, as the ground underneath it shifted, and the Balmera cried out, this time in anger rather than pain. From beneath the robeast's feet, large crystals gathered and rose around it, holding it to the ground. It gathered up around its torso and latched onto its arms. The chest cannon that had previously been charging broke out as crystals emerged. With a final roar, attempting futilely to free itself, the robeast was fully encased in crystal, imprisoned forever.
It took everyone about five ticks to process what on Earth they had just witnessed. It was one of the scariest and most incredible things they had ever seen.
"No. Way..." Suzaku whispered in awe.
"The Balmera just saved us," Coran realized with a smile.
"Look at the crystals!" Allura exclaimed joyfully as tiny blue gems grew and formed from the ground. They began to cover the entire surface, sparkling like a tranquil lake along the surface. It was indeed one of the most beautiful sights the Paladins had ever seen.
Nunnally would love this, Lelouch thought with a smile and made a mental note to bring his sister here to see this for herself someday. And she would see it! Even if the pods proved unable to cure her blindness, he was positive that somewhere out there, there was a civilization, medicine, or technology that could do so. As well as heal her legs. His sister would be whole again. He wouldn't stop looking until his dying breath.
Lelouch was torn from his thoughts when he heard Rivalz behind him. Turning around, he blinked when he saw the Blue Paladin on the ground, petting and scratching the dirt.
"Oh, who's a good Balmera? You are! Who ate the big monster? You did! Yes, you did! Yes, you did!" Rivalz grinned as he continued to scratch the planet's surface.
"Rivalz, what are you doing?" Kallen asked in disbelief.
"What? It's alive," Rivalz defended, "and it wuvs my scwatches."
The aftermath of the battle involved cleaning up the rest of the Balmera's surface and uprooting as much of what remained of the Galra equipment as possible. The Paladins also helped the Balmeras get resettled back in the tunnels. It took almost the whole day, and no one returned to the ship until nightfall. Allura and C.C. had been rushed back inside by Coran and ordered to rest as they worked despite Allura's protests. C.C. was more nonchalant about it but certainly didn't say no to it either.
Most of the Paladins had returned to the castle, and Lelouch had looked particularly anxious to return. The only one that hadn't joined them yet was Shirley. She and Shay were perched on top of the Orange Lion, enjoying the view of the stars and the glowing light of the Balmera crystals.
"Thank you for honoring your vow to return," Shay said with a smile.
Shirley turned and smiled back at her friend, "I should be thanking you. You made me understand what's most important. Zarkon and his Galra Empire are destroying lives. I'm a part of a team that can change that. I know that now. So thank you."
Shay smiled back before a glow in the distance distracted her, "What is that?" she asked, alarmed.
Shirley turned to look as the sun rose above the horizon, painting the planet with a golden glow, "It's the dawn of a new day..."
Shirley returned to the castle shortly after that. Watching Shay see her first sunrise was a beautiful moment. It made Shirley remember how many things they took for granted back on Earth.
The thought of her home made the Orange Paladin pause in her step slightly as she exited her Lion. She missed her mom and dad, but she also couldn't help but think of all the people in Japan that were waiting for their return. Lelouch told them they would return soon, but how long would that be exactly? Soon could mean weeks or even months. She sincerely hoped it wouldn't be years.
"Ah, Number Five," Coran's voice rang through the Lion's hanger, "if you will, please report promptly to the bridge. We're having a brief meeting."
Shirley blinked, curiosity and worry rolling in her gut. Had something happened? Did they have to leave for another planet now?
When Shirley entered the bridge, she was surprised to see not only Coran and the other Paladins but also C.C. and Allura.
No, wait… Lelouch wasn't here yet, either.
"Princess, shouldn't you be resting?" she asked when she entered.
"I will, Shirley," Allura answered, "but Lelouch insisted we all meet here on the bridge."
"Why?"
"If we knew, we'd tell you," Suzaku shrugged, looking a little confused as well. "It needs to be quick, though. Shirley's right about you needing to be in bed, Princess."
Allura groaned. While she appreciated that they all cared, their insistence was starting to annoy her. She was also annoyed that they weren't saying the same to C.C. However, the immortal looked like she'd partway recovered already. It must be an immortal thing.
"Speaking of Lelouch, where is he? He's the one who wanted to have this meeting so-"
Rai was interrupted when the bridge doors opened again. Everyone turned to them, and the Paladins all gasped at the person who entered the room.
It was Lelouch, but his outfit was completely different. He still adorned his Paladin armor, but the white had been painted a pitch black, and the black outlining that would identify him as the Black Paladin was now tinted in bold gold color. Around his shoulders and down his back was a long, sleek black cape that was curved at the top. Finally, for the cherry on top, in Lelouch's hands was a very familiar-looking mask, black just like the cape, with a dark tinted front and spikes rising up from the top.
"Whoa! Lelouch, when did you-"
"I started working on it with C.C. shortly after your stay in the cryopods, Rivalz," Lelouch answered.
"Lelouch, I'm confused," Allura admitted, "why are you wearing that?"
"It's his Zero costume," Kallen answered, "or, at least very similar to it, obviously minus the Paladin armor. But that mask and cape are definitely Zero's."
"So this is the form you take with your group back on Earth," Coran mused, "I'll admit, the cape adds a nice touch. I, myself, am quite fond of them."
Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle at that statement. He had a feeling the Altean might like it and was glad he was correct.
"Lelouch, this is great and all, but why do you have that on?" Milly asked.
"Coran," Lelouch addressed, seeming to ignore Milly's question, "I was wondering. Is it possible for this castle to broadcast across the entire universe? Seeing how it can pick up any distress signals, can I assume it's a 'yes'?"
"Yes, you're correct," Coran nodded, "this castle's signal can reach across the entire astral conflux if we wanted it to."
"Even so, the Galra can pick it up?" Lelouch asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"Well… yes, I suppose so," Coran confirmed, though a little hesitant now.
"Perfect," Lelouch grinned.
"Whoa, Lelouch, hold on!" Rai exclaimed, "You haven't answered Milly's question. What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm planning to… introduce Zero to the universe, particularly the Galra," he answered casually.
"What? Why?" Suzaku asked. Several noises of confusion were heard from the other Paladins as well.
"Well, for one, we do intend to return to Earth very soon. But the Galra's territory continues to grow closer every passing varga. Even if we returned right this very tick, we simply wouldn't have enough time to prepare Earth for an invasion, considering the… complications that will arise once we get there."
"Britannia, right?" Kallen asked with a frown.
"Correct," Lelouch nodded before continuing, "Also, something Rolo said when we talked to him and his crew caught my attention. He mentioned that there are several others out there fighting against the Empire. None of it appears to be very organized, but it's better than nothing. While we were on our way here, I discovered that the castle's footage has the entire battle with Sendak, and our Lions have also recorded every battle we've been through until now."
"Okay, that's cool and all, but I'm still not following," Rivalz admitted.
"I intended to broadcast these battles, our victories, or rather the Galra Empire's defeats, across the universe. To every signal that can pick up on screen or air. Showing the people this can inspire them to keep fighting and perhaps cause even more to take up arms against their Galra oppressors. It's proof that the Galra aren't invincible, that the Empire can be defeated. With these pockets of resistance that will no doubt rise up, it should distract Zarkon and a majority of his forces to try and suppress those first. It should give us the window of time that we'll need to get to Earth and prepare it for when the Galra do come."
"It should work," C.C. said as she noticed that Allura and Coran still looked a little hesitant to agree. "When Zero made his first debut on Earth, many resistances rose against Britannia worldwide, not just in Japan."
"Lelouch, I'm not saying this doesn't sound like a good plan, but if all you want to do is inspire more rebellion, why not just use Voltron? He's called the Defender of the Universe for a reason," Shirley said.
"That's true, Voltron is an extraordinary weapon, and he does inspire many to rise and fight. However, at the end of the day, Voltron still is just a weapon, a giant robot that only a few have access to..."
He heard the Black Lion growl a little in his mind, sounding offended. You know what I mean, he thought back. Still, he felt the Black Lion huff in annoyance, but she seemed to calm down a little.
"...By having Zero, along with the rest of the Paladins, shown to the universe, it will show everyone that it is the people fighting Zarkon and his empire, not just Voltron. War is fought using weapons, but in reality, it's won by the people who use them."
The rest of the team could see Lelouch's logic. It would be a similar strategy to how he was fighting Britannia, though this time, it would be on a much larger scale. If it worked with Britannia, it should work out here as well.
"Also," Lelouch added, drawing their attention again, "inspiring rebellion isn't the only reason I'm using Zero. Kallen, do you remember what I told you and Black Knights when we first started working together, about why Zero exists?"
"Yeah, I remember," the Red Paladin answered, "you said that Zero is a symbol for two things. A symbol of hope, a shield for the weak, and a symbol for people to fear if they use their power to suppress others."
"Exactly. I plan to do the exact same thing for the Galra. To those fighting against them, Zero will be seen as a beacon of hope, a shield to the weak and the powerless," Lelouch stretched his hand to the left, his cape flapping behind him slightly. "At the same time, to the Galra specifically, he will be an omen of terror for them, and others like them, to fear." He smirked darkly as he used his other hand to put his mask on his head. "I believe it's about time that the Galra experienced that fear. Wouldn't you agree?"
Several different reactions followed from this proclamation. C.C., Rai, and Kallen smirked. Zero was back and ready to hit the ground running. Even Allura looked impressed, though deep down, it wasn't just from Lelouch's strategy and plan. There was a small part of her craving vengeance against the Galra. Not just for the suffering of the people in the universe but for her own. Now they would know at least a sliver of what she felt as she watched her home burn to ash around her.
Shirley was blushing a little as she looked at Lelouch in his costume. She admitted that ever since Zero had saved her and the others from the hotel-jackers, she held a little bit of admiration for the masked being. And now that she knew that that being was her secret crush, she saw Zero not as a terrorist but as a hero. One that inspired her to continue to fight as well.
Rivalz whistled and smirked as well, "Dang, that's dark, buddy," he couldn't help but chuckle.
Milly shivered as she felt a chill run up her spine. Lelouch always had a thing for the theatrics when he wanted to, didn't he?
Despite seeing the logic of the plan, Suzaku couldn't help but be a little disturbed and taken aback by Lelouch's attitude. He remembered his friend always saying that he would never end up like his father. However, Suzaku couldn't help but notice that a couple of the Emperor's traits seemed to leak through to this persona. He really hoped Lelouch knew what he was doing.
The most hilarious reaction, though, was definitely Coran's. The advisor looked visibly spooked as he jumped back and held his arms in front of him like a shield, his eyes full of shock and terror.
After he recovered from the scare, though, Lelouch… no, Zero turned to the advisor, "Prepare the ship for the broadcast. I want every corner of the universe to hear our declaration.
Coran stood up straight and saluted, "Right away, Zero!"
"Your Highness, the Drazil monster has been defeated," Thace reported as he entered the Galra throne room with some other Galra soldiers. Commander Prorok was still there in front of the Emperor, and Haggar had joined him at his right side.
Haggar growled at the mention of the robeast's failure, but she said nothing more.
Prorok barely hid the smirk on his face at the news. It was about time that the witch understood the insignificance of those experiments. If the first one didn't stop Voltron, it was unlikely that the others would. He didn't say it aloud, though, as he didn't wish to provoke the Emperor's ire even further.
Before anyone could say anything else, another Galra reported through the throne room's intercom. "Emperor Zarkon, we're picking up a signal along the astral conflux. It's being broadcast to all frequencies."
"Proceed," Zarkon ordered. Four robot drones flew to the center of the room and projected a violet screen in the middle of them. There was nothing but static for a few moments, but slowly, an image began to form.
When it finally cleared, a single figure could be seen on the screen. A masked figure.
"I am Zero!" the figure proclaimed.
Prorok, Thace, and the other soldiers in the room looked taken aback by the perpetrator. No one was ever bold enough to broadcast themselves like this.
Zero? As in 'nothing'? Thace thought as he stared at the masked man before them.
Haggar had her full attention on the screen, not so much as blinking.
The Emperor himself seemed to remain unfazed by the being but allowed the broadcast to continue running.
At the moment, the message was being played through every radio and screen throughout the universe, to Galra prison camps, military facilities, civilian colonies, and every existing rebel base and outpost that the Galra hadn't obliterated yet. Aliens and beings everywhere stopped their current activities as the masked man before they had their full attention.
The screen then panned out. Standing on Zero's right hand and left were the other Paladins of Voltron, the Red, Blue, and Yellow to the right, the Purple, Green, and Orange on the left. Their helmets were darkened, so none of their faces could be seen.
"People of the Universe! Fear us or rally behind us as you see fit! We are the new Paladins of Voltron!"
Several Galra soldiers began murmuring concerns to one another, even in tones of fear, as they continued to watch the screen. Even Prorok couldn't help but look a little nervous.
"We of the Paladins stand with all those who have no weapons to wield! Regardless of what planet or species they hail from! The Galra Empire cowardly attacked the inhabitants of Balmera X-95-Vox, and attempted to destroy the living creature itself! It was a wanton and meaningless act. Therefore they have been punished."
From behind Zero and the other Paladins, clips of the battle with the fleet and Drazil played out, showing the utter and humiliating defeat of both by the hands of Voltron himself. Aliens in all sizes, colors, and shapes stopped shopping in a mall to gaze in amazement at the footage.
"Just as the Galra Commander Sendak was punished for endangering the populace of planet Arus, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out. And so we made him pay for his actions."
A rebel base couldn't help but watch in awe as footage of Sendak's defeat, first by Voltron in the air and then his failed castle take over was shown next. It was shown up to the point where they detained Sendak and had him trapped. A younger female member with short brown hair especially looked astonished as she held her hands in front of her face as if to pray.
"We will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will we tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong! The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"
Zarkon narrowed his eyes at that comment as he and Haggar continued watching.
"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again! No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be!"
Even Rolo and his crew could hear the speech from their ship, using its holographic imaging was still working. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with the Paladins just a couple days ago, the bounty hunter couldn't help but smirk.
"Those of you with power, fear us!" Zero whipped out one of his hands from under his cape. "Those of you without it, rally behind us!" The other hand flew off in the other direction, "We, the Paladins of Voltron, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this universe!"
A crew member in a ship hidden in deep space whistled as the broadcast shut off, just as suddenly as it switched on, "All right, I like that guy. He's got some guts for sticking up to the Galra like that."
"I liked the cape," another member added, "gives him a bit of that bad boy look. Don't you think?"
Two other members weren't quite as enthused as their two comrades. Both looked back at their leader, who sat quite casually upon a throne in the center of the room.
"Should we take action, sir?" one asked while the other stayed silent.
The purple-skinned, white-haired leader didn't respond for a couple of ticks. Then he smirked, "No. Let's enjoy his little show for now."
With that said, the crew returned to looking at the star map they had pulled up before the broadcast interrupted them. The leader's grin widened, his sharp white teeth glimmering in the soft lighting of the ship.
'The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed,' hmm? Well then, Zero, you've caught my attention. Now… show me what you can do.
AN: AAAANNNDD it officially begins! Zero had made his appearance, and the rebellion is only just beginning! You're all more than welcome to guess who some of these mystery people were, but I won't be revealing anything for spoiler's sake. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it.
Once again, special thanks to my co-writer/idea generator friend Iron117Prime for helping me with this chapter!
Also, if anyone notices spelling errors or the like, please let me know with a PM so I can fix it. Thank you!
R&R, please, and I'll see you next time!
Edited and revised 08/02/2022
