CHAPTER 9
Location: Planet Ebb

Sven opened his eyes and turned his gaze at the window. He then stretched and released a yawn. He felt better. When he arrived at the hospital four months ago, the doctors feared that he wasn’t going to make it. But they soon discovered that Sven wasn’t any ordinary man. His days at the academy and his survival training gave him an inner strength that helped him pull through.

Even though he kept himself busy with therapy, he wanted to fly again. He was glad that Allura had kept her promise to take his place, but he was ready to go back. He heard the swish of the door and turned to look at his visitor. It was Nurse Cynthia MacMurdoch. She was redhead {somehow he always manages to meet redheads} with bright green eyes and a beautiful figure. She had been assigned to care for him since his arrival.

“Good morning Sven”.

“Good morning Cynthia”.

“Did you have a good night sleep?”.

“Yes. I dreamed that I was back in Arus, flying Blue lion”.

“That’s nice” she replied while turning on the lights of the bathroom. He turned his gaze at the white ceiling. “Cynthia – you don’t understand. I’m a pilot…I need to go back”. She came out of the bathroom. “Hmmm…maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this but…” she trailed off.

“But what?”.

She walked up to his bed and removed the blankets from him. “Dr. Diaz told me that you’re going to be released in a month”. He winced. “A month? I can’t wait much longer”. She pouted. “Commander – have I treated you that bad?”. He shook his head. “No Cynthia – on the contrary. But I hate being a patient. I want to return to my duties”.

“Dr Diaz says that you’ve made great progress. But you need more therapy. Your lungs have healed completely, but your back…” she trailed off. He frowned. “My back is fine, here I’ll show you” he said and climbed out of bed. He felt dizzy and placed a hand on the edge of the bed. The nurse winced slightly. “Sven – you don’t have to…”. He gritted his teeth. “Please – I can do THIS” he hissed. He pushed himself from the bed and stood for a few moments. The pain was unbearable but he didn’t want to admit it. He extended his arms and looked at the nurse. “You see – no pain” he said with a serious tone in his voice. She glared at him. ~He’s so handsome…but so stubborn~. She then shook her head and said, “Ok - that’s enough. Your bath is ready”. “You can go…I don’t need your assistance”. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure?”. He nodded. “Yes – please leave”. She sighed deeply and walked up to the door. “All right. I’ll be back in an hour with your breakfast. If you need help, you know how to reach me”. He smiled weakly. “Thank you”. When Cynthia left the room, he slumped on the bed and let out a breath of relief. He wanted to give a brave face, but this pain…God! It was terrible. He decided to rest for few minutes before taking his bath.

He came out of the bathroom wearing a towel around his waist {And Romelle’s ring around his neck}. He walked up to a dresser and opened the first drawer. Allura had been kind enough to bring him some clothes in her last visit. “You must be tired of wearing those hospital gowns” she said. He took out a pair of socks, a pair of gray boxers, a light blue shirt, and a pair of navy blue slacks. He was putting on his black boots when he heard like…thunder? He walked up to the window. He looked up to the heavens, and then widened his eyes…it was a Doom destroyer! A laser beam coming out from the evil ship struck the nearby buildings, turning them into rubble. He felt so helpless, he wanted to go out there and fight! He opened the door and saw doctors, nurses and patients running for cover. He gathered all his strength and went to the main entrance. He knew that Ebb didn’t have a large army, but he wanted to help anyway. Too bad Voltron was millions of light years away!

He needed some form of transportation to reach the spaceport. He saw an ambulance parked in front of the hospital and smirked. “It’s better than walking” he said when he heard screams. He turned around and grimaced. Robot soldiers had entered the hospital and were taking prisoners. “Dammit!” he growled. He started to run to the vehicle, when another blast from one of the destroyers shook the ground and he fell face down. He managed to roll over and gazed at the sky, it was filled with Doom slave ships. “I must help them…” he trailed off and stood up. Two robot guards saw him. “Stop!!” one of them yelled. But Sven ignored him and continued on his way. They drew their weapons and shots rang out. The laser shots found their mark and Sven crumpled to the ground. He tried to get up but his body wouldn’t respond. One of the drones walked up to him. Sven glared at him for a few moments, and then everything went black.

CHAPTER 10
Meanwhile back in planet Arus…

The mighty Voltron Force was flying above the forest. Yurak and his fleet had attacked a few days ago. Of course his visit included a charming robeast, but Voltron had destroyed it in a few minutes. But they couldn’t let their guard down. So they continued with their morning practice, four days a week. But today there was a change of plans, the commander of the VF had ordered lion practice at noon.

Allura had improved her flying tremendously these past few months, but sometimes it was hard to keep up with the boys. Keith was a tough teacher and sometimes he would lose his patience and snapped at her. But someone said that the best part of a fight is making up, and Keith had become an expert on this field. Keith activated his private channel. “Allura”. She appeared on the lower right hand corner of the screen. She looked quite upset. “Yes - captain?” she replied tartly. “We need to talk” his deep voice answered her. “I think you’ve said enough. My last maneuver was sluggish and you want me to be more aggressive, but it seems that I can’t reach your standards”.

“Allura – I will tell the guys to go back to the castle. We have to talk about this”. She turned her face away and pouted. “I don’t want to”. He frowned. “It’s an order!” he snapped. She rolled her eyes. “There you again pulling rank on me. In case you have forgotten I’m the princess of Arus and you work for me”.

“Allura…” he growled. Lance broke in and realized that they were still arguing about her last maneuver. “Hey Keith – don’t be so tough on her. She’s doing an great job”. Hunk appeared on the screen. “Something wrong?” he asked. “They’re arguing about her flying” Lance replied. Hunk winced. “Skipper – she’s an excellent pilot”. Allura smiled softly. “Thanks you guys…but Keith doesn’t feel that way”. Keith groaned. “Allura – that’s not true”. Pidge intervened. “Uhh…Keith – we have been flying for more than two hours. Can we go back to the castle? I’m starving”. Keith nodded. “Yes Pidge. The princess and I are staying”. Lance smiled mischievously. “That’s our cue. Time to leave the lovebirds alone”. “Right! Let’s have lunch” Hunk said. “Now you’re talking!” Pidge exclaimed.

Keith and Allura descended on a nearby clearing. He jumped out from the hatch of Black. A few moments later she came out of Blue. She leaned on the side of the ship and lowered her head. “I suppose you brought me here to tell me that I should leave the VF”. Keith shook his head. “You’re wrong. We need you…” he began, “I need you”. She looked directly into his eyes. “Keith – what are you trying to say?”. He walked up to her and placed his hands on her temples. “I love you so much. Every time we go into battle I die a little just thinking I could lose you”. Her eyes glistened with tears. “Keith – I didn’t know you feel this way”. He took a deep breath. “That’s why I pushed you to the limit…I want you to be the best pilot. I know Sven will come back soon, but if something should happen to one of us, you could take our place”. She nodded. “I promise you that I will do everything to excel”. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “I know…my precious Ally”. She gasped softly. “We have to go back to the castle…Nanny and the rest are waiting for us”.

He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. A playful smile appeared on his handsome face. “Let them wait. I have other plans for us” he said with a gruff voice. “What…” she began when he kissed her deeply. He then whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She giggled softly and gently pushed him away. “Keith - I don’t know…somebody could see us”. He looked into her sapphire eyes and held her tighter. “Don’t worry…I chose this place because is secluded”. She traced his lips with her finger. “All right my love”. He smiled mischievously at her and then nipped at her finger. She widened her eyes slightly. “Keith! You devil!”. He then scooped her up in his arms and kissed her. No words were spoken because none were needed…

Nanny saw Lance, Pidge and Hunk entering the dining room. “Good afternoon Nanny” they said in unison. She frowned. “Where are the princess and the commander?” she asked. “They are - practicing” Lance said with a roguish smile on his face. “That commander doesn’t let her rest. When they come back, he’s going to hear me”. Hunk clasped his hands and smiled sheepishly at her. “But first – can you serve us? We’re starving” he said. “Very well” she replied and returned to the kitchen. They sat down on the table. Hunk folded his powerful arms across his chest and grinned widely. “Nanny acts more like a mother-in law than a governess” he said. Pidge took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Keith knows how to handle her” he said. “And the princess knows how to handle our fearless leader“ Lance said with a smirk on his face.

“Wake up Ally” he said, the tone faintly teasing…she opened her eyes.

“Keith”. She smiled at him, and, he believed, there was something seductive in her smile. Something he had never seen before. Oh God! He wanted her so much! She sat up and covered herself with a gray blanket he had brought from the cockpit of Black lion. He sat beside her and gathered her into his embrace. She felt him stroking her bare back and sighed deeply. “I love the way you touch me” she murmured. She turned slightly in his arms so that she might touch him again, bending her head and licking at his broad chest. She heard his sharp intake of breath, but he said nothing that would indicate he was displeased with her actions. His arms fell away from her so she might move freely. The taste of him was faintly salty, but the scent of him was more elusive, soap, and…musk? Yes, there was a something about him, and it excited her greatly.

He watched her innocent exploration of his body. Her head moved lower, then lower still, sweeping over his belly, which was knotting in excitement. He knew he had to stop her now, but it was with great effort he raised her back up and kissed her. She melted against him, her soft skin pressed to his. Their mouths fused in a long kiss. He then pulled away and sighed deeply. “I love your touch too, but if you continue we’re going to start our honeymoon early”. “Haven’t we already?” she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. He chuckled softly. “Let’s just say that we were practicing” he said while grazing her cheek with his knuckles. She playfully punched him. “What am I going to do with you?”. He kissed her with intensity and then as they parted, he smiled. “I have an idea” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I’m sure you do” she replied breathlessly. She then gazed at the horizon. “I think we should go back. It’s almost sunset” she said. He nodded. “You’re right. Time to go back to reality”.

CHAPTER 11

Sven woke suddenly…his body ached all over. He was lying on the cold ground. He blinked and surveyed the scene. ~This looks familiar~ he thought and then gasped at the realization that he was in a Doom slave ship. He rolled over and saw a group of people that included doctors, patients and civilians. Their faces were filled with anguish. He got on his feet and walked up to the door. He looked through the barred window. There were guards everywhere. A young doctor glanced at him.  “Commander – what are we going to do?”. He turned to him. “Dr. Dante – we’re leaving this place, but I’ll need your help”. He stood up and walked up to him. “What can I do?”.

“You have to force the guard to come in and I’ll take care of the rest”. The doctor nodded. “Ok”. He started yelling through the barred window. “Guard! Guard! Please give us water!”. Sven hid in the shadows near the door. A guard looked through the window. “Shut up! Here’s your water” he growled and opened the door. He brought in a bucket filled with the vital liquid, and turned his back at the door {big mistake!}. Sven walked up to him and snapped his neck, killing him instantly. He let the guard drop to the floor and gazed at him for a few moments. He then raised his head and said, “Let’s go!”. Sven was the first to leave the cell. He had to look for the transmission room to radio the Voltron Force. The rest of the slaves followed him closely. Suddenly an alarm went off. “Guards! Get those slaves!”. Sven turned to the group. “We have to split up!” he yelled. “Go commander! We’ll keep them busy!” Dante exclaimed. He nodded and ran off. He reached the transmission room. He was about to open the door when heard a laser blast. He whipped around and saw a Drule commander pointing a laser rifle at him. “Going somewhere?” he asked. Sven quirked an eyebrow. “I was just taking a tour of the ship” he replied innocently. “Very clever! Come on – you’re going to meet your master” he snarled. Sven glared at him. “Great! Lead the way”.

CHAPTER 12

The Drule commander took him to the control room to meet his captor. ~It must be that idiot Yurak~ he thought. His captor was in the command chair, watching the view screen before him. “Sire?”. He turned around and glared down at them. “What is it Cossack?”. Sven gasped. ~IT ISN’T YURAK! WHO IS HE?~ he wondered briefly. He was a Drule all right. But he was of obvious high birth and his presence commanded attention. His skin was pale shade of azure unlike Yurak and Cossack. You could even say that he had some human traits. But his eyes were catlike and he had a mane of long white hair.

“Sire – this man convinced the slaves to rebel against you. He killed one of the guards and they managed to escape. My men recaptured them, and I found him near the transmission room”. He gazed down at our hero for a few moments. “What is your name?”. Sven lifted his head. “THAT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” he snapped. Cossack hit Sven on his side with the laser rifle. He yelped and crumpled to the ground in searing pain. “WATCH YOUR TONGUE! YOU’RE TALKING TO LOTOR - CROWN PRINCE OF DOOM!”. The young Drule laughed loudly. “Tell more about your failed revolt - my faithful slave?” he said with sarcasm. Sven managed to look upon him. “I’M NOT YOUR SLAVE!” he growled. Lotor quirked a white eyebrow. “Ah! Infidel”, he began, “You don’t want to believe that you’re nothing but a slave at my service. You must obey me”.

“NEVER!”. Lotor rose up from his chair and leaped off the platform and landed in front of Sven. “INSOLENT FOOL!!” he spat. “COSSACK! BRING THAT GIRL!” he growled. “Yes sire”. He left the control room for a few moments. He later returned with a young woman. Sven widened his eyes in disbelief. ~CYNTHIA!~. The young nurse looked at him, her face filled with fear.

Lotor looked down at Sven. “If you don’t obey me…she’s going to suffer the consequences”. Sven frowned. “Leave her alone! This is between you and me!” he yelled. The prince walked up to her. His large hand cupped her chin. “I’ll decide that. She’s quite beautiful, isn’t she?” he said and kissed her gently on the lips, making her gasp. “Too bad she has to die because of your stubbornness” he taunted. Sven widened his eyes. “You wouldn’t dare!”. Lotor laughed. “Just watch me!” he said and pulled out his lazon sword. ”NOOOO!” Sven hollered as Lotor swiped his sword across her chest. She fell to the floor and placed her hands on her chest…her gazed fixed on Sven. ”Sven…” she trailed off and exhaled her last breath.

Sven glared at Lotor. “YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!” he shouted and ran toward the dark prince. But Lotor reacted quickly and gave him a crippling blow to the back. Sven dropped to his knees and gasped. An evil smile appeared on Lotor’s face. He then reached down and grasped Sven by the front of his shirt and pulled him up forward. “YOU’RE A MISERABLE WEAKLING!” he yelled. Sven wrenched himself free and spat on Lotor’s face. “YOU DISGUST ME!”. Lotor growled and struck Sven on the face with such force, that blood flowed freely from his mouth. “GUARDS!” he bellowed. Two guards entered the control room. “Sire!”.

“Take this slave to the dungeon with the rest! The minute we arrived in Doom throw him into the pit of skulls!” he ordered. “Yes sire” they said and picked him up. Lotor wiped his face and gritted his teeth. “Sven - I’ll never forget this insult!”. Cossack cleared his throat. “Sire – he used to be slave. I saw his tattoo when were branding the others. I think he’s going to die before we reach our destination”. Lotor turned to him. “You maybe right. But I want the vultures to eat his remains” he snapped.

“Sire – should I send a message announcing your arrival?”. He shook his head. “No – I want to surprise my father”. Lotor then turned on his heel and walked toward the doors. “I’m going to my chambers. I don’t want to be disturbed”. Cossack bowed to him and replied, “Very well sire”.

The guards dragged Sven back to the cell. “Here’s your fallen leader!” they cackled. When they left, the slaves gathered around Sven. An older man knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Commander – please wake up” he said. An orderly walked up to them. He turned Sven on his side and grimaced. “I need a piece of cloth to cover this wound…it’s deep one” he said. Sven shivered and tried to push him away. “I’ll be all right. Just let me rest” he whispered. The orderly ripped a shirt that one of the slaves gave him and said, “No commander – you risked your life for us, and we’re not going to forget that”. Sven closed his eyes. He didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. He then remembered the dead girl and groaned. She had helped him recovered from his past injuries. And he couldn’t do anything to save her. ~I’m sorry Cynthia…I’m so sorry~.

To Part Four

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