"Well… today's the day," Kallen said softly, slinging a duffel bag over her shoulder. Her Red Paladin armor gleamed against the rays of Olkarion's sun through the window of her mother's apartment.
"Do you know how long you'll be gone this time?" her mother couldn't help but ask as she tentatively sliced through an Olkarion fruit called nuricot. The humans had found that while it had the look and texture like an orange kiwi, it had a bit of a spicy taste like chili peppers, making it a good addition to sauces or condiments.
Kallen could only shrug. "I really don't know, Mom. A week, maybe a month? We've been here for three Earth weeks already, helping everyone settle in. Who knows what the Galra have managed to do on Earth since then."
"And you're sure you don't want me there? I can still help as a nurse or something."
"Mom, I feel a hundred times better knowing you're safe here rather than on the Castleship. Sure, that thing can take a hit, but it's not invincible, and…" Kallen bit her lip as she felt tears starting to sting her eyes, "...with Naoto gone, you're all that's left."
Tears fell down Yua Kozuki's face as she hugged her daughter tightly. "Please come back alive, Kallen."
Kallen nodded into her mother's hair, "Take care of yourself…"
Rivalz awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, facing his family at the door to their Olkarion condo.
"So… this is it!" he said with a small laugh.
"You sure you can't stay here?" Isla asked, voicing what the other two Cardemonde girls were thinking.
Rivalz shook his head, "No can do. Someone's got to pilot Polaris."
Topaz stepped forward, cupping her son's cheek. The Blue Paladin could see in her eyes that she was begging him to stay with them, but instead, she gently kissed her son's forehead. "Good luck…"
Rivalz smiled tightly, hugging his family one final time before stepping back, "Bring you back some souvenirs!"
With a final wave over his shoulder, the Blue Paladin jogged off across the courtyard.
"All right, so obviously, each of the color buttons on these phones symbolizes the seven of us. The white button is for a general call to the Castleship, and the pink button…"
"...Is for emergency purposes only, Milly," Mr. Ashford said as his granddaughter reviewed the functions on the custom communicators for the fifth time. Milly and Rai had put these phones together for the Paladin families in case of emergency and to add another layer of assurance that their kids were alive as they should be able to call them through the Castle's connection to the astral conflux, using a special code Rai developed so that the Galra couldn't pick it up accidentally. Only devices with the code's key uploaded to their mainframes could translate it. Otherwise, it would take phebes to crack.
"Hopefully…" the Green Paladin had admitted after explaining it to Milly.
"Right…" Milly smiled a little too widely, "Dear me! What's up with me today? I feel super… energized isn't the word…"
"Milly, you're about to leave on an intergalactic rescue operation while leaving your grandfather behind on an alien planet. Anyone in their right mind would be anxious about it."
The Yellow Paladin sighed, "I guess you're right. I mean, I know you'll be fine. The Olkari are allies, but…"
"Milly," Reuben interrupted gently, "Don't focus too much on the what-ifs. I'll be fine. You just focus on doing your job on your end. The sooner you free Earth, the better."
Milly nodded slowly, "You're right… it feels weird not having to worry about every little planned detail like back at the academy."
Reuben chuckled, "Well, enjoy it while you can. Things aren't going to be the same on Earth after this. You'll likely have many more responsibilities once peace is restored."
Milly smiled back at that, a familiar twinkle in her eye that sometimes sent shivers down people's spines.
"It'll start with a party! We'll introduce pizza, soda, cinnamon rolls, and everything else Earth has to offer!"
Reuben resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, if you want that to happen, you best get going."
"Right… seriously though, call if you or anyone else need anything."
"I will, Milly. Stay safe."
Giving her grandfather one last hug, Milly sprinted down the hall, heading for the elevators.
"You've become a fine young woman Milicent," Reuben stated. "I eagerly look forward to what else you'll do."
Shirley pulled her hair up into a high ponytail for the fourth time in the past five minutes. She couldn't stop her heart from hammering no matter what she did to distract herself. It wasn't racing because today was the day the team officially returned to fighting Zarkon's forces, leaving their families behind on a semi-unknown planet (well, unknown to Earthlings anyway). In fact, Shirley would be lying if she said she wasn't eager to return to action. Something about flying Zinnia into battle, despite potentially risking her life in the process, always felt exhilarating to her. Whether that was due to her bonding with the semi-sentient magic space Lion, or the fact she knew her friends were close by, Shirley was looking forward to returning to duty after this short break.
No, the problem for Shirley was her family.
Her mother and father weren't overly racist like most of the other high-ranked or noble Britannian families (something that Shirley was now immensely grateful for). However, they still held some fairly traditionalist views in other areas. Fortunately, as far as she knew, her parents weren't the type to intentionally cause trouble or spread rumors about the Japanese. Though she had heard her mother slip up a couple of times and call them Elevens even here.
However, after they finally settled into their condo in the Olkarion's human settlement, and the closer the departure day drew, she didn't miss the terribly disguised remarks from her mom about how dangerous the fighting must be or other similar things. The Orange Paladin knew it was just her mom's last-ditch attempts to convince Shirley to stay and leave the fighting to the others who were better suited for it.
Shirley was pretty sure that if she still held the same mindset she had six phebes ago (Has it really only been six Earth months since this whole crazy adventure began? she thought), she would have more easily agreed. She probably would have tried to convince Allura and the others to find a different Paladin for the Orange Lion. One more suited for battle and war than she would ever be.
But, she wasn't that same girl anymore, one that would rather stick to the sidelines where she knew it would be safe. She knew she was strong, and she didn't need her Geass to prove that either. She was a Voltron Paladin, and she was proud of it!
As for her father, Shirley was honestly having a hard time getting a read on him, which on its own was weird since her father was a reasonably expressive man most of the time. She was sure that he at least had mixed feelings about this arrangement. After all, he had worked as a top scientist in one of Britannia's military branches.
Come to think of it, back before they left the Solar System, when they were still hiding in Jupiter's Red Spot, her father had said there was something he 'needed to do.' Shirley had no idea what he was talking about, and he hadn't hinted at anything since then. So what was that about? Was her dad refraining from telling her because he was hoping she'd ultimately choose to stay too? Well, if he wanted to tell her, it needed to be soon, preferably in person before she left.
Shirley shook her head. Whatever his reason, it wasn't going to change her mind. She was too far deep into this fight to back out now.
Finally deciding her hair looked fine (it would get messed up again after she put her helmet on anyway), Shirley sighed and grabbed her helmet sitting on the bathroom counter. Time to finally face the music.
Approaching the main room connecting the kitchen and living room, Shirley was greeted by the sight of her parents drinking tea at the table. It was earl grey from the faint smell she caught. They must have grabbed some tea bags from their home on Earth before she brought them to the Castleship. People seemed to grab the most random stuff when they were running for their lives.
Spotting a third cup sitting innocently next to them, Shirley figured she had a few more minutes before she really had to go, so she might as well accept the silent invitation to the morning tea. She also knew they weren't foolish enough to put anything in it that could knock her out. The other Paladins, and Zinnia herself, would storm the condo and drag her out if they had to.
Sliding easily into the chair, Shirley sipped the tea, savoring the slight tang of citrus on her tongue.
"I haven't changed my mind," Shirley stated, deciding to get straight to the point. "I'm going."
Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but Joseph placed a hand on his wife's hand.
"We can't control every aspect of her life, Aurora," he said gently.
"Joseph!" Mrs. Fenette stood up abruptly, "Our daughter, our child, is about to go out and… and fight aliens that took over our planet in less than a day! How can I be calm when there's no guarantee that she'll come back?!"
"If I don't, who will, Mom?!" Shirley shot back. "The Lions don't pick just anyone! And whether you like it or not, they picked me! Zinnia picked me! She won't let anything happen to me. My team won't let anything happen to me. So whether you like it or not, Mom, I'm going with them."
Aurora slumped back in her chair, a hand covering her mouth.
Shirley's shoulders sagged, "Mom, I don't want a fight to be the last thing we do before I leave. I just… please just trust me."
"I do trust you!" her mother shouted, "I just… I want you to be safe."
"I will be, Mom," Shirley, eyes shining desperately, "Zinnia has the toughest armor out of all the Lions, and the Castleship knows how to take a hit. And besides, I can defend myself too. Allura works us really hard during training."
"...You've grown up, Shirley," Joseph said with a smile as he stood up. He approached his daughter and gently wrapped her in a hug. "I believe in you."
"Thanks, Dad," Shirley returned the hug, then looked at her mother again.
Aurora took a breath, "Just come back alive…"
"I will," Shirley nodded vigorously, "I promise."
Neither of the women noticed Joseph slipping a small flash drive into his daughter's bag.
"Are you really serious about this, Euphie?" Suzaku asked as he, Cornelia, and Euphemia stood in the human settlement's courtyard. Euphemia had changed out of the dress Allura had lent her and was now wearing an outfit that was similar to the Black Knights' new uniforms. The only difference was that hers was less bulky and had smoother edges, allowing for a more flexible fit. She also didn't have a helmet, but her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and out of her face.
"Euphie, please reconsider," Cornelia begged, "you'll be much safer here."
"Sister, Suzaku, we've discussed this before," Euphemia said firmly, "I will be accompanying you and the Paladins on the rest of your journey. It's true, I am not a fighter, but I can't hide behind a settlement like this while you're fighting to free our home. I don't just owe it to the Japanese anymore but to everyone! Zarkon's tyranny won't stop until he's defeated, and I want to be next to you when you're facing his forces."
Cornelia and Suzaku looked at each other. It was clear that Euphemia still felt guilty about the events of the SAZ. Ever since that massacre, which began the Galra's conquest of Earth, Euphemia had practically been throwing herself into the activities and planning of the coalition, not simply as a negotiator but in battle tactics and strategies with the Blade of Marmora as well. She was always willing to help with any task that was going on, even when she knew very little about the subject matter. Suzaku especially felt worried, as he recognized this pattern of behavior, as it almost seemed to mirror his own before returning to Earth. His goal of becoming a martyr was no longer there, but he still understood Euphemia's intentions.
Cornelia eventually sighed as she and Suzaku came to the same conclusion. Even if they somehow forced Euphemia to stay here, she may still try something reckless in order to feel useful to others. At least on the Castleship, they could keep her from going overboard.
The older princess huffed, "Were you always this stubborn back on Earth?"
Euphemia only grinned widely, "I've picked up some tricks."
Suzaku chuckled slightly. "You remind me more of Allura every day, Euphie." The sisters raised an eyebrow at this. "Even if we disapprove, you'd find a way around it."
"And you can't stop me!" Euphie proclaimed with a laugh, which her sister and boyfriend joined in.
C.C. sat calmly as the Olkari's tech glowed softly in the room. The Olkari scientists had fitted her head with a device similar to headbands they used to control their wooden mech Knightmares, only it curved at the top and looked more like a helmet. Her wrists and fingers were also attached to several wires. Several of the machines in the room looked very similar to the labs on Earth. However, it helped that the Olkari were much kinder than any of Clovis's scientists.
When the team asked the Olkari to help them run experiments on C.C., most of them were understandably shocked and horrified as their ethics were pretty similar to how they ran tests on their own people. It was only after being reassured that C.C. was immortal and that she herself had offered for these tests to be run that they were pacified, but most were still very reluctant to perform anything too invasive. Even being told that the tests would ultimately help C.C. and the other Paladins didn't help that much.
There were currently two Olkari scientists observing the devices in the room, while Ryner, Nunnally, Allura, and Lelouch, donned in his Zero garb, observed from a viewing room on the upper level. Several computers and monitors surrounded them, giving off various kinds of wavelengths and data activity.
"I must say, I've never encountered anything like this before," Ryner confessed as she tapped away on the main computer's keyboard. "Whatever this is we're picking up, it's certainly some form of sentient energy."
"Sentient energy that is strong enough to keep C.C. alive," Allura added, "even to survive through injuries that would otherwise be fatal."
"But where's it coming from?" Zero questioned, "Matter can't be created or destroyed. It can only be morphed into a different form or contained in something. Or at least, that's how it works on Earth."
"No, you're correct," Ryner nodded, "that basic law applies on Okarion as well. And I do agree. It's clear that this energy is being contained within this girl's body, but the real question is how does it sustain itself? In order to maintain its vessel, it would have to regenerate itself, but the only place it could do that from would also be from the vessel."
"Could it be like quintessence?" Nunnally suggested, "Allura, you said quintessence is a self-sustaining energy, right? Maybe this is the same thing?"
Allura shook her head, though. "Even if that's the case, quintessence still needs time to replenish itself. It's like with the Balmera when we first went to it. The Galra were removing its crystals at a rate that was too fast for its regenerative capabilities."
"In other words, either this is a self-sustaining energy that is even more proficient at replenishing itself than quintessence, or it has a way of getting more energy from another source, and it's receiving it through C.C., not from her," Zero theorized.
"That's certainly a possibility," Ryner agreed. "We'll take a look in our archives to see if there was ever anything like this discovered before. The Olkari worked alongside King Alfor in many of his early experiments with quintessence. If this new source is anything like it, I'm sure we'll find similarities in our old records."
"We appreciate it," Allura said sincerely. "Thank you, truly, Ryner."
Ryner nodded with a gentle smile, "It's the least we can do for you after freeing our home. We'll also be organizing with any other resistance groups we come in contact with while you're gone. So you focus on saving your home and the rest of the universe."
"Thank you," Zero nodded, "and let us know the second you find something."
"Absolutely."
"Hey, you're finally here," Rai smiled as he spotted Shirley jogging through the main hallway to the bridge.
"Hey, Rai! I didn't keep everyone waiting, did I?" she asked anxiously.
"Nah, people are still trickling in," he shook his head. "So… how are your parents?"
Shirley sighed, "My dad seems a little more supportive than my mom, but they've basically accepted the fact that I wasn't taking no for an answer and that I was old enough to make my own decisions."
Rai nodded, "That's good. I'll admit, I wasn't looking forward to having to potentially break into your family apartment and rescue you."
"Oh? You'd do that?" Shirley asked, cheeks turning a dusty pink.
Rai's cheeks flushed, "Um… well, yeah, if I had to. I mean, it wouldn't be the same without you here."
"Aw… thanks, Rai," Shirley said sincerely before gently kissing his cheek, causing the Green Paladin to flush a deeper shade of red as they started heading toward the bridge again.
"Oh, by the way, Rai," Shirley said after they calmed down, "When you have time, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What's up?" Rai said immediately.
Shirley reached into her backpack and pulled out a USB. "I was looking in my bag one more time, in case I forgot something, and found this as I was leaving the apartment building. I'm guessing my dad slipped it in before I left. I don't know what's in it, so I was wondering if you could take a look. It's not that I expect my dad to infect the Castleship with a virus or anything but…"
Rai took the drive, "No problem. I'll have a look later."
"Thanks a lot," she the last thing she said as they entered the bridge and slipped on their helmets.
The Paladins felt a sense of deja vu as the Castleship smoothly ascended into the air, leaving the planet Olkarion behind for now. The humans and Olkari below, waving and cheering as the ship took off, disappeared into specks as the Olkarion sky gave way to endless stars with no end in sight.
Joining the usual Voltron crew and Black Knights were several volunteer Olkari and some Blade of Marmora agents, one of them being Kolivan.
"Zarkon's been busy since your departure," Kolivan reported as everyone looked at the large holographic. "He's wasted no time completely blockading the planet. Earth is completely cut off from any outside supply lines, and any form of communication will be intercepted in dobashes."
"So the main issue before anything else is getting through the blockade," Cornelia deduced, "There's no way we'll be able to break through by force."
"What?" Tamaki exclaimed indignantly, "Come on! Don't say that! We got our new advanced magical Knightmares, and we totally wiped out the Galra on Olkarion with them. It should be a breeze to blast our way through!"
"Tamaki, as nice as that sounds, our main goal isn't to stir the hornet's nest yet," Zero said, shooting down the idea quickly, "We still haven't completely severed Zarkon's connection to Zen. Mine remains the stronger bond of the two, but we must still exercise caution."
"So, I know we shouldn't go in guns blazing," Kallen said, "but I'm honestly not sure how we'll be able to maneuver the Castleship past that many Galran cruisers without being spotted by at least one of them."
"It doesn't help that the closest gas planet to Earth, Venus, is still a good 61 million kilometers away or so," Milly added. "Don't get me wrong, we know the Castleship and the Lions are fast, but there's no way we can hide and still be fast enough to launch a surprise attack from there."
"We won't be attacking at all," Zero proclaimed, much to everyone else's bemusement. He then turned to the Alteans. "Allura, Coran, do you think it's possible you can wormhole the Castleship passed the blockade?"
"Quite possibly," Allura answered, but then added, "but if we wormhole past them, there would be no stopping Zarkon's forces from still blasting us out of the planet's atmosphere."
"What if you wormholed directly onto the planet?" Zero pressed, "For example… under an ocean?"
Coran and Allura seemed astonished at the request, the expression mirrored on several other crew members. The princess stammered, "I-I'm not sure. Coran, what do you think?"
Coran twiddled his mustache in thought, "It could be possible. Though, I must say that there's been no recorded instances where the castle has done something like that."
"What's your idea, Zero?" Ohgi asked directly.
Zero swiped across the hologram screen, this time zooming in on Earth's Pacific Ocean, "Earth's deepest point is this section of ocean known as the Mariana Trench. It's the deepest oceanic trench found on our planet. It's so deep that not even the most advanced Britannian submarines and technology could reach the bottom."
"Quite true," Lloyd nodded, "it reaches an astounding depth of about 36,000 feet. However, given the Castleship's endurance and the damage it's sustained and survived, I do believe it should be strong enough to withstand all of that ocean water pressing down on it."
"Plus, if I'm following your line of thought, Zero, the depth at which we'd be at would make it nigh impossible for Britannian tech or marine weapons to reach us," Rakshata added with a smirk. "No one would think to look for a giant enemy spaceship in the sea."
"Not to mention the new Knightmares we've developed, as well as the Lions should withstand that pressure as well!" Coran exclaimed, clicking his heels as he leaped up in realization, "Zero, my boy, you have done it again!"
Everyone else quickly agreed to the plan going forward, and the Alteans quickly adjusted the Castleship's coordinates to include Earth's localized longitude and latitude measurements. With looks of grim determination, everyone watched as the castle was swallowed up by the approaching wormhole.
Charles, this is starting to get out of hand. These aliens could ruin everything if they discover too much!
We only must hold on for a while longer, Marianne, Charles reassured his wife via their telepathic link. The Emperor of Britannia was currently seated at the foot of his bed in his private quarters that the Galra were gracious enough to provide him. Due to cooperating willing with the initial invasion force when they first arrived, the emperor was allowed to stay in the Britannian palace and even in his original room. However, what was once a luxurious bedroom was now stripped bare with only a bed and a few sets of simpler clothing in a dresser. All palace treasures like paintings, vases, and anything else of value had been confiscated from this room and the rest of the palace. Charles only assumed the same thing had occurred with the other nobles and the rest of his children both in and out of the palace. Hopefully, they chose to be smart and cooperate. He'd heard whispers in the halls of the punishments that were handed out… if they lived long enough to receive said punishments.
Once Lelouch returns, we will put a rush on the Ragnarok Connection, Charles continued. With C.C. back with us, there will be no more obstacles in our way.
And how do you plan to get ahold of C.C.? She's been even harder to find since she cut off my connection with her. She seems to have restricted herself to that spaceship ever since Voltron appeared.
Voltron is how we lure her out, Charles explained curtly, his irritation finally leaking out. So long as we have Lelouch focus Voltron on defeating our 'guests,' we'll use that to get to C.C. No castle is impenetrable.
Tell that to your brother, Marianne pointed out. He ventured to that ship and hasn't been heard from since.
Charles grimaced. That was another problem. V.V. He was also critical to the Ragnarok Connection's success. It still required two Codes to be activated. Even if they got C.C., there would be no point if V.V. was lost to them as well. When he didn't return to them during the Black Rebellion with Nunnally and C.C., it was clear that his brother had gotten captured.
I doubt Vincent is dead, Charles said. Lelouch wouldn't kill him, not that he could if he tried. He'd keep an enemy like him alive to get as much information from them as possible. And he's too valuable and dangerous to be set free, even somewhere in the middle of space.
Do you think… V.V.'s told them? Marianne asked, actually sounding concerned.
And if he has? Charles asked, not understanding his wife's concern. Lelouch is smart enough to know he'll reveal something like that to taunt him.
...I suppose. Lelouch has changed. Nunnally too, but mostly Lelouch. Marianne admitted.
Charles scowled, silently agreeing. It's those friends of his. The other Paladins. He spat out the word like acid. How dare these aliens sully such a noble word for that abomination. He's grown attached, making him forget his roots.
They've made him stronger too, though, Marianne pointed out. Something tells me that it won't be easy to sway him or C.C. so long as Voltron's there.
That's why I've assigned Bismark to that particular task. Charles said with confidence. The Knights of the Round will be the most formidable humans on Earth very soon. The Galra has at least been courteous enough to ensure that, and the data collected from their own encounters will help them counter each of those Lions. They may be powerful tools, but that does not change the fact that the pilots behind them are merely children with hardly any true battle experience. Compared to our knights, they have not yet been tempered and refined by war and blood. Now we are on even footing with Voltron with the Galra's assistance. And the one that will come out on top will be us. Not to mention, the rest of the Geass Order still stands behind us as well. Even without V.V., I hold an equal footing in their leadership as he does.
Yes… Marianne admitted, You're right. We still have many more cards to play. It won't be long now.
"Indeed. Our peaceful and gentle world will become a reality. Who cares about the rest of the worlds? They have no standing in meddling in our affairs to begin with. They all will see that very soon."
Unbeknownst to the confident emperor, Haggar was listening closely to everything. The same energy she had felt from that younger female knight was resonating from the Britannian Emperor now. She couldn't help but curiously slip her own subtle magic through the link, just enough to access it without alerting the man to her presence.
She was certainly intrigued to say the least.
Ragnarok. She had never heard of such a thing. She would need to investigate further to see if this would be of benefit to her emperor.
The Castleship was met with total darkness as it emerged from the wormhole. The Altean metal creaked in protest as the passengers braced themselves briefly before it stabilized.
"Castle searchlights, on," Allura commanded.
Upon command, four bright lights flashed on outside, running and gliding through the pitch-black water. Several fish, some small, some large, promptly swam away from the intruding light as the Castleship cautiously explored the Mariana Trench it had warped onto.
"Well, this is it. The jump to Earth's deepest ocean point was successful." Coran proclaimed.
"Will it be okay?" Euphemia asked, concerned about some of the red flashing lights lighting up the dashboard.
"It should hold for now. We won't stay this far under for too long," Allura said, "We'll gradually make our way to the surface from here, but we will remain submerged."
"You guys do realize that we're the first human beings to see the Mariana Trench with our own eyes, right? All other images have only been taken via robots and unmanned submarines!" Milly exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.
"Ha! Take that Britannia…! Er… no offense," Tamaki quickly corrected himself as said Britannian members side-eyed him.
"You really must work on your tact, Tamaki," C.C. deadpanned.
"Anyway," Zero spoke loudly, cutting through the awkward tension, "Kolivan, any changes to Earth's situation? Updated movements on rebel activity?"
"Yes," the Galra rebel nodded, "Our contact on the inside, Agent Thace, has been giving steady updates since Olkarion. According to his intel, almost all resistance activity has either surrendered or been completely neutralized by Galra forces. Though this Peace Mark group is still in operation, but they haven't made any moves out in the open yet."
"If they're really the biggest terrorist organization and network on the planet, I can understand their caution to not get caught," Guilford said, "If they are, it would destabilize and expose any other straggling resistance until none remain."
"Yes. However, we did receive word of an interesting development. Despite the EU being hit the hardest, there is one resistance group that fighting back the hardest. The local military has named him the "Ghost of Hannibal." We know little about this particular faction other than their area of operation, which has been narrowed down to the Northern European continent, but whoever they are, they're leaving scores of enemies in ruins."
"What about the Chinese Federation?" Nonette spoke up.
"The Galra are currently occupying it," Kolivan reported, "but strangely, compared to other areas, there has been little collateral damage."
"That's weird, isn't it?" Shirley asked.
"Did those cowards side with the Galra too?" Asahina grit his teeth.
"We haven't been able to confirm an alliance, but there have been talks about possible negotiations occurring. Particularly between the second Britannian prince, Schneizel el Britannia and a ruling body that are called the High Eunichs."
"Eunichs? Wait, big brother, I thought the Chinese Federation had an emperor like Britannia did?" Nunnally asked, genuinely confused.
"They do have an empress, Tianzi," Kaguya confirmed, "but she's only thirteen and a personal friend of mine."
"Thirteen? She's still just a kid then!" Ohgi gasped in realization.
"Which means it likely that the High Eunichs are the ones making all of the political decisions instead," Suzaku concluded.
"So… that means the empress is just a figurehead?" Shirley asked.
"Certainly sounds like it. She's just a puppet whose strings are being pulled by corrupt old men from the shadows," Kallen snapped, face scrunching in anger.
"So it seems," Allura agreed, a disgusted frown on her face, "Do we have any contacts or allies in this Chinese Federation?"
"We do, actually," Kaguya said. "We were in contact with a man named Li Xingke before the invasion. According to our sources, his loyalty is solely to Empress Tianzi, and he and several others have been planning a coup for several months even before we contacted him."
"All right. We should reestablish contact with him as soon as possible," Zero decided, "The Galra already have Britannia and most of the EU. If they succeed in taking the Chinese Federation, whether by force or negotiation, they'll have all of Earth under their thumb, making it that much harder for our people to fight back."
"Okay, anything we should watch out for on the Britannian side?" Rivalz asked at last. "I mean, last we saw, most of the military that sided with the Galra were the general forces, right? Besides the Knights of the Round and the royal family anyway…?"
Nonette frowned deeply at the Blue Paladin's question. She wanted to know the answer to that as well.
"As we've said before, most of the rebel activity has been neutralized by the combined Britannian and Galra forces," Kolivan continued. "One group that has had particular success is called the Glinda Knights."
Cornelia and Euphemia both perked up. "That's Marrybell's unit!" The older sister said.
"Marrybell?" Rai asked.
"Another sister of ours," Euphie clarified, "Marrybell mel Britannia. I'm sure you remember her, don't you, Lelouch?"
"I do," Zero nodded, "and I'll admit, she was one the members of the royal family I thought of when we were thinking of gaining allies."
"Could we still sway her?" Milly inquired. "If you thought of her as a potential ally, there may be hope."
"True. Plus, maybe she's being forced to fight against us," Suzaku pointed out, "We don't know the circumstances yet."
"Marrybell's always had a strong sense of justice, especially ever since her mother and sister were killed in what was assumed to be a terrorist bombing," Cornelia revealed. "I highly doubt she would willingly support the Galra's take over."
"The Emperor's keeping as many valuable pieces on the board as he can," Zero said, "He's likely had to deal with many deserting the military already due to his alliance. That goes double for his children. Most of them are only concerned about flaunting their wealth and power. With the Galra around, that power and status has been taken from them. I doubt many of them are very happy, much less being cooperative."
"And the Knights of the Round, what's their status?" Nonette finally asked.
"Yes, the Knights," Kolivan nodded, "There hasn't been much information Thace has been able to glean. Whatever they're involved in is top secret. It seems only Haggar, high-ranking officials from both the Galra and human factions, Prince Schneizel, and possibly the emperors are aware of what's happening. All that we do know is that they've been tasked with intercepting Voltron should you return."
"Considering the Knights of the Round are the most skilled pilots in the empire, they're likely being equipped with means of countering Voltron, much like those ro-beasts that have been sent after us in the past." Zero deduced.
"Understandable," Chiba agreed, "It doesn't help that Zarkon was one of the Paladins long ago. He likely knows all of Voltron's weapons and weaknesses."
"Correct," Zero nodded. "Is that all?"
"For now, yes," Kolivan said, "We'll be updating you as we gather more intelligence."
"Very well. How do you want to proceed, Zero?" Coran asked.
"First thing we need to do is reestablish contact with allies, this includes Xingke in the Chinese Federation, Peace Mark, and this Ghost of Hannibal character. If we can coordinate with all of these groups, Voltron can establish an effective resistance and strike a series of critical blows to the Galra all across the planet. Plus, we can also offer upgraded weapons thanks to our Olkarion allies we have here."
The Olkari on the bridge all nodded in agreement, faces determined and willing to help.
"Zero, there's still one more matter we need to address," Tohdoh spoke up, "This Geass Order that V.V. has mentioned. We have little to no intelligence about this organization. Anything C.C. can tell us about it would be obsolete at this point since she left it such a long time ago. And our guest is obviously not talking."
At the mention of V.V., everyone on the bridge scowled. After the Paladins' initial interrogation of him down in the holding cells, V.V. had been sent back to the stasis pods so that he wouldn't be able to cause more trouble nor escape back to Earth. They had considered leaving him on Olkarion and letting the Olkari scientists poke and prod him all they wanted, but there was always the chance he could escape from there as well, and who knows how his powers could affect a different race like the Olkarion.
"Um, I know this failed with Sendak, but maybe we could try to extract his memories? Shirley suggested. "Plus, even if the memories are slightly outdated, I doubt the Geass Order would risk moving their base with all the Galra skulking around."
"She has a good point," Rai agreed. "From what we did manage to get from V.V., Haggar's already figured out a lot of their hidden secrets. She's very perceptive and knows how to get information. She'd definitely notice if a hidden base that large suddenly up and moved."
"Hm," Coran hummed, "I'm not against the idea, but the last we tried to extract memories from a subject, we were unsuccessful."
"That's because the castle was haunted!" Rivalz exclaimed
"Haunted?!" Tamaki yelped.
"It wasn't haunted," Milly cut in before others could start asking questions, "It was just infected by a virus that the Galra had uploaded to the ship way back on Arus. It's gone now, though!"
"Anyway, I agree with Shirley and Rai," Kallen said, "Even if the little bastard is stubborn, the memories will be extracted eventually. We did manage to get bits and pieces out of Sendak before he got shot out into space."
"Very well, let's get that done. We know our tasks, now everyone, move out!" Zero proclaimed.
"YES, SIR!"
AN: So... yeah, I'm so sorry about the long absence. It was not intentional, but a lot has happened over the past few months.
First, I've finally graduated from university! Yay for me!
Second, the job hunting. That was another headache all on its own. But I managed to land a job that I really enjoy right now. And now that I've adjusted to my new work schedule, I should be able to find time to write more often. Cross your fingers that's the case.
Sorry that this episode is so short. This is a bit of a transfer chapter with the characters simply making moves and preparing for their missions going forward. What new trials await the heroes as they return to Earth at long last?
R&R, update the Tropes page, and I'll see you later!
