Knight�s Pride
By T.F. Kit
Chapter 12: "Safe" Behind Enemy Lines
KaLee felt the whole room gasp for air.
"Wa... Wa� What?" Cole stammered.
Even Derk seemed shocked. He was pale as he spoke. "I knew that Voltron had been formed with a collaboration between technology and magic but I always assumed it was all Arusian."
"Fadl said that the Arusian Archives cover all of who was involved but legend has it there were at least five groups involved." Deida responded. "We know Arusian, Phreardians, and Kaven." Droe gently lifted his head up and turned to face Deida. "That was all Fadl knew. Roomer was that the Dark Knights also were involved but there is no solid evidence outside of the Kasick records stored here in the catacombs of the castle." Deida looked around the room at the faces before her. "It was a dangerous discovery."
KaLee took a breath. I know where those records might be.
"How did you deal with that?" Cole asked. "What did you do?"
"It was a shock to me. I did not know what to do." She laced her fingers together. "It was a bit overwhelming."
"When did you find out about your family?" KaLee asked.
Deida blinked. "Actually that morning while I was still talking to Fadl. I was told about my family." A small smile settled on her face. "Everyone was okay. They just lost communications and the ship was basically buried in a shifting of rocks and slabs. They were trapped in a newly made cave for about four and a half days before dad was able to get out and use a communicator Derk put together to contact for help." She glanced at her brother, who was absently rubbing Droe's head. "It was another three days before we were reunited."
"Then you drooped the bombshell." Derk cut in.
"It wasn't a bombshell." Deida protested. "I knew exactly what I was doing."
"Yeah, but it was still nuts." Derk stated back.
KaLee lofted an eyebrow and Ryan chuckled. Spike motioned for her to continue.
"Sooooo?" Cole asked. This had peeked all of their interests.
"I told my parents and brother I was staying for a few months to learn from Fadl." She smiled fondly. "Derk was not fully understanding at the time." Derk snorted at that statement. "Mom and Dad were a little indifferent but they were willing to let me stay for three months." She sighed with contentment. "I learned so much in that time I was there. Fadl sensed in me an aptitude for programming and a desire to learn."
"So you learned techno-magic." KaLee stated.
"A little bit." Deida responded. "I am still learning. In that time though I also learned more about myself and what I want from the universe. I learned I have a gift for finding the 'soul' of the machine. It is kind off fun."
Ryan watched her almost critically. "So you came to study Voltron?"
"I came to find out if I have what it takes to be a part of the Voltron force. To see if I can work with machines that are more alive than anything created." She paused and pursed her lips before continuing. "I won't lie and say that I don't want to learn more about the lions or that they were not one of the reasons I came here. What I will say is this; my goal is not to be part of the main force I want to be the back up. I want to be the one in castle control. That is what I want."
Deida had brought herself to her full height sitting in the chair. Her hair pulled back and eyes blazing fiercely. Ryan nodded. The tension that had been formed by his question now drained away. It was something to be noted and KaLee could see Deida's sincerity.
There was a pause and everyone seemed to be looking at Deida.
"So." She spoke. "Who is next?'
"You're done?" Cole asked.
Deida nodded.
"What about your studies. How did they go? What was it like being there? I am kind of curious." He blinked at her.
"Now you should know that I can't talk about that." She looked at Cole with a cocky smile.
"Well�" He started with a shrug.
"What about the academy? What was that like?" Ryan asked cutting in trying to save Cole from any more embarrassment.
"Pretty easy for both of us." Deida looked to her brother, who was nodding.
"Yeah. We went through graduation did some desk work and came here." Derk said.
"Basically straight from the academy to here." Deida responded.
"So what did you think of Phrearden-Lock?" Lillian asked her arms crossed over her chest.
"I liked it but would not choose to live there." Deida relaxed back into her chair. "Not stable enough and a little to close to the Drule boarders."
Lillian nodded. "Well you are lucky. Twenty years ago the boarder was a lot closer and raids on the planet more frequent."
"There were raids?" Deida asked.
Lillian gave a slight nod. "They were extremely frequent right before and during the first years of Voltron being reformed."
"How do you know so much about Phrearden-Lock?" Spike asked.
"It was where I was born." She stated simply. "And where I lived for the first five years of my life."
"Your records show your home planet as Pollux." KaLee said.
"That was where I was when I enlisted and had lived there for almost seven years." She stated. "To be acknowledge as a Phreardian has a lot more paperwork." She wrinkled her nose.
KaLee nodded but it was Ryan who spoke. "Especially with their knowledge of techno-magic."
"It was never my forte'." Lillian smiled.
"Why did you leave?" Cole asked.
"I was taken in one of the raids as a slave." Was the response.
KaLee's eyebrows went up. "So young?"
"There were certain things only small children could do." She shrugged. "I was rescued about five years later and brought to Pollux. I lived there until joining the Space Marines at age seventeen."
KaLee watched Lillian. Where everyone else had relaxed Lillian had not. Her body was still stiff and ridged, not really making eye contact.
"Who rescued you?" KaLee finally asked.
Lillian looked up at her, eyes brooding. "Voltron and the Voltron force." She took a small breath removing her arms from their spot across her chest and settled them on the arms of her chair. "They actuality did an offensive maneuver and raided Doom."
"So you settled on Pollux." Droe said. "Then you joined the Space Marines. Why?"
"I guess I wanted to see the universe." She stated. "I wanted to help people like I was helped."
"Did you?" Cole asked. Lillian looked at him with confusion. "Help people?" He finished.
"Yes." There was an actual smile settling on her face. "Yes I did."
"Any specific time you want to relate to us?" Droe asked.
Lillian's whole body seemed to melt and warm up. "Yes. Yes there is." She took a breath and started to talk. "The Drule still have some slaves. Not officially and none that we can get to on Doom. But some of the outer laying planets we can."
********
Drosten came into view. Its dark cloudy surface seemed to molt and move in space.
"We are going to be busted." A young marine said looking at the screen it front of him. "It is just so�"
"The right thing to do." A deep voice of a large man resonated through the compartment. "We are doing this because it is right."
A shorter man came up and placed a hand on the big guy's shoulder. "Where is a good place to set down Greneda?"
"Possible slip by point near the southern pole sir." The large man responded. "We should be able to fly below radar until we reach a location near the target."
"Okay." The superior said. "I will brief the men."
Lillian had been watching this exchange. Sergeant Greneda was her immediate superior. She had been serving under him now for about eight months. She trusted him explicitly. The other gentleman was Lieutenant Holten. He had become the group's superior officer two months ago approximately five insurrection missions. He was good, still had to fully prove himself but he was good a true tactical mind.
Holten walked back down the isle looking from one face to another. The marines were strapped into their seats, fully ready for combat. As he walked he gave reserved nods and an occasional pat on the shoulder. When he reached the end he turned to face down the isle at all of them.
"We are about to enter dangerous territory, Drule territory." His voice bounced in the confined area. "We are going into get information on what Lotor's Blueboys are doing."
He started to move back to towards Greneda, who was setting in coordinates. "We are also to get out slaves. There is a small group of them who are in danger of being slaughtered in the robeast gladiator games." He looked at each person, individually making eye contact, focusing on them. "Their only crime� being women."
He finished up at the start facing away from the rest of the group. "According to command, the slaves are expendable and not to send anyone in after them." He took a deep breath placing his hands behind his back.
Lillian looked at his fists clenched tightly as he continued.
"I find that unacceptable. Therefore a small detachment will rescue the slaves by getting them to a transport in the main port city, near the castle." He turned around. "If you have a problem with this say so now."
There was no sound. Not an uncomfortable shift or a shuffle of feet.
"Good." Lieutenant Holten nodded a thin line of a smile on his face.
"Sir." Greneda spoke up. "Approaching drop point."
"Thank you." He moved to the empty seat near the front and strapped himself in. "Anytime Sergeant."
"Okay, Earmit." Greneda's voice rumbled over the communication. "Drop us."
********
"So you dropped behind enemy lines, not only to gather information but also break official orders and get a bunch of slaves who's loyalties are in question out?" Spike shook his head. "Nuts."
"Technically they aren't the enemy. The alliance did and still does have a treaty with them." Lillian stood up and walked over to the coffeepot. "It was necessary to help these people. They had contacted for help. Not the alliance directly but others." She poured herself another cup.
"So how did you divide?" KaLee asked, watching the weathered marine in front of her. Lillian turned back around her eyes seemed distant.
"Sergeant Greneda was heading up the slave group. Who would want to mess with a big guy like that?" A twitch of a smile pulled at her lips. "Well except you commander, very few people take on men three times their size."
"Special exceptions to the rule." KaLee smiled.
Lillian then moved back to her seat. "Out group was small only five of us went to get the slaves." She sat down. "Right before our departure we handed off our tags. No official knowledge."
********
Lillian looked around the corner. No one.
With quick hand signals she let the others know the coast was clear. Quick movements and dead on accuracy put all of them in a small hallway.
Greneda had gone first, putting himself at the opposite end of the hallway from Lillian. Hand signals and small sounds were their only means of communication. They were almost to the cells of the slaves.
Lillian was nervous. There had been very little resistance. True the marines were not expected but this seemed almost too easy.
The signal was give to move forward. They had come to a door.
"Locked." Greneda said softly.
One of the other marines snorted before whispering. "Since when is a lock a problem." He moved up to the front of the group. "Let me have a look."
Lillian stayed in the rear as guard her gun drawn safety off and ready for anything to come at them. Her eyes scanned the hallway behind them. There were no defenses here to keep anyone out. What had been encountered was to keep people in. She risked a glance back to the door.
The cocky marine was at the door, the best computer geek around, working on the control panel. He had opened it up and was connecting wires to it's interior. "And here we go." He flipped a switch on the pad he held in his hand and the door slid open. �So easy. Makes me wish for the old days of pad locks and lock picks.� He said looking down the hallway and found it looked like the typical dungeon staircase and somehow that did not surprise Lillian.
"Good work Bracer." Greneda said patting the cocky marines shoulder. "Togle take point. Then Bracer and Foley you're next. I will follow. Cage you're on the rear guard. Let's move."
Togle was not a big man, but had a stocky build and was one of the best men to have in a hand-to-hand fight, Lillian had ever seen. It had been a smart move to put him first, small enough to shoot around but build enough that he could take care of himself. Bracer was the best at opening locks and working out computer code, another good man to put up front. Foley was a good with munitions. He knew how to blow stuff up with the best of them. Greneda was the commander and Lillian was the best shot in the team. She could take needles off a cactus at fifty feet with a six-shooter. She had won a lot of wagers that way on base. They were a good team and Holten knew that when he put them together.
They filed into the opening to a stone staircase going down. The dampness permeated the air as Lillian watched the others in front of her. The light was dim but she could see them well enough. She looked back up the stairs. Nothing was following them down but she knew it could come on fast.
When Togle reached the bottom he did a quick scan. "Clear." He said, keeping his tone low.
Quickly the group moved out of the stairway. Their boot falls seemed to echo loudly in the corridor they were in. Several doors were on each side.
"Cage, check out down the right. Togle left. I will cover the stairs. Bracer and Foley start checking doors. Find out if this is our lot and how many there are." Sergeant Greneda was tense, his own weapon held up as he turned and partially faced the stairs.
�Looks like you might get the chance to use your lock pick skills here Bracer.� Foley said as they moved into the hall.
Lillian did not hear a response as she moved swiftly down the direction Greneda had told her to go, her own weapon pointed to the ground. Her mind was focused. She reached the end swiftly. There was one door in front of her as well as hallways going left and right. She looked back down the hallway she had come from. Bracer and Foley were working their ways down in opposite directions. Lillian turned her focus back to the halls she was covering. The right seemed to go on forever into the darkness. The left seemed to end after a little ways; she could see the stonewall with a torch hanging on it.
"Hello." A voice drifted out of a cell behind her.
Lillian could not tell if it was a boy or a girl.
"Hello?"
Lillian gripped her weapon tighter. She could not be distracted. The rest of the team was depending on her.
"Hello?" The voice was getting louder.
Damn it. Lillian swore.
Backing up still facing the halls, she came to the door as she spoke softly. "Shhhh." To Lillian her voice seemed incredibly loud. "We need you to be quite. Don't worry everything will be fine." She did not want to reveal who they were because she did not know this person's loyalty.
"Who are you?" It was an extremely young voice.
"Don't worry everything is going to be fine." With the last statement she moved forward back to her position at the corner. Again she looked down the hallways and saw nothing. Lillian breathed a sigh of relief. No one heard us.
"You will be caught." A soft voice came from the last door at the end. The one facing her and the hallway behind her.
Lillian did not speak but just looked at the door.
"I said, you will be caught." It was an older voice, definitely masculine.
Lillian heard it and felt threatened. She glanced again behind her sensing a close body. Foley was at the door with the young voice.
"Hello?" It was almost distant as though through water.
"What�" She started to speak when the man in the end cell spoke. "Whatever is in that corridor is muffled to those outside of it." His tone was soft but she could hear him fine.
Lillian looked around and saw she was a little bit beyond the edge of the corner. She had not realized it but she had stepped out past the corners of the hallway.
Foley looked up at her. "There� eighteen� should get them�"
Lillian could not fully make out what he was saying.
"Step back into the hallway." The voice in the cell said.
With tense muscles she moved towards Foley and back into the corridor with the others.
"Cage, you okay?" Foley's voice was clear.
"Sorry the sound in the hall way was just�" She shook her head. "Never mind� what were you just saying?" Lillian looked intently at him.
"There are about eighteen slaves here, women and children. We need to get them out." He glanced beyond Lillian to the final door. "Who's in there?"
"Not sure." She responded. Foley gave a small nod.
Just then Greneda walked up. "Cage." He spoke to her. "I need you to go check down these hallways. Maybe there is a safer way out."
They had actually come through a higher patrolled area. It was amazing that they had not been spotted.
�Yes sir." Lillian gave a sharp nod before heading off down the hall to the right.
Lillian kept her breath coming in steady pattern. Her eyes scanned the area before her looking for any indication that there were alarms or security of any sort or even secret doors. The lights on the walls were dim but gave just enough that she could see by them. There were no doors or windows just an endless hallway. She stopped and looked at her konometer.
"Five minutes."
Taking a deep breath she turned around and headed back to the team. By the time she reached them. All of the doors had been opened and eighteen filthy bodies in torn and tattered clothing sat huddled against the walls. There were a couple women who were moving between them checking each for what they might need. Lillian moved over to Sergeant Greneda.
"Did not reach the end of the left corridor sir." She reported.
"That hall leads to the Robeast chambers." One of the standing women said as she came to stand next to Lillian. Her stature was that of someone who had hardships but survived. She held her right arm to her stomach and she had a couple of nasty bruises.
"The other way?" Greneda asked.
"Up behind the throne room then out into the gardens." She looked back and forth between Lillian and Greneda.
"That will be good." He looked around at the women huddled around him. "Get as many walking as you can. Those that can carry help those that can't walk. Two of my men will assist. Cage and I are point. Bracer you're rear. EriFin�" He spoke to the woman in front of them. "� can you help us get out?" She gave a short nod sending her bangs forward. "Okay, we'll start out." Greneda looked at the door at the end. "Are you sure we don't want to help him?"
Lillian saw a visible tightness run up EriFin's body and sheer disdain cloud her eyes as she spoke. "He is a vile creature who practices the arts of a Dark Knight." She sneered as she looked at the door. "He deserves whatever happens here."
********
"A Dark Knight?" KaLee asked. "A Dark Knight assisted you?"
"Yes he did." Lillian stated.
"What do you mean assisted?" Cole asked the intensity of the story written all over his body.
It was not Lillian who answered but KaLee. "The sound being muffled in the hallway." KaLee's voice was no different as though this was an everyday occurrence. "It is a medium level Dark Knight ability." The tension in her jaw line was becoming visible as she spoke.
"Why is that so amazing?" Cole asked.
Such naivet�. Ryan thought.
"There is a lot of hatred towards the Dark Knights. It is believed that they do not assist those that need help but instead encourage chaos in the universe." KaLee scanned the faces around the table. Ryan looked as though he was holding a snake in his mouth.
I know you want to tare them apart. KaLee thought.
Derk looked confused but still tense. Droe had rested his head back on Derk's lap but KaLee saw his fur rippling the indignities of what was being told. Deida was watching everyone else her face inquisitive, more about her teammates than anything else. Spike was leaning forward and had his elbows resting on his knees. He was watching her. A twitch of a smile filtered across his face as their eyes met.
Her statement only momentarily stunned Lillian now she sat a blank slate but then she spoke. "Their reputation proceeds them with you." KaLee gave a shrug as Lillian continued. "And you believe the rumors."
"No just experience."
There was a visible twitch from Lillian. "Oh? How many Dark Knights have you encountered?"
"Hmmmm." KaLee furrowed her brow. "Let's see� about� sixteen or seventeen. I think." She gave Lillian a direct stare and continued. "I know of only one Dark Knight with no ulterior motives and she is in hiding. Even her teacher is of a different path. Not necessarily one of chaos but of indifference." She stopped.
"Sounds almost like you are defending them." Spike said.
"No just stating my knowledge." She reached and picked up her mug taking a sip of the luke warm liquid held in it. She shifted her gaze back to Lillian. "So you just left him?"
Everyone seemed to blink as though bringing themselves back to what was being done.
"Yes we did." Lillian shook her head. "The women would not travel with him and they were the reason we were there." She raised her own cup off the table and took a drink. "So we went down the corridor past the throne room and out through the garden."
********
Lillian scanned the street. Mainly deserted a few stray rodent-like creatures were poking around in the corners. The transport would be waiting in the center of town. They had all the clearance papers and enough room to get these women off the planet.
She absently wondered if the other team had been successful in acquiring the information they had actually been sent for. It was only a split second though and she was back in the moment.
"It's all clear sir." She whispered back.
"Okay." Greneda's voice drifted up to her. "We are going to take it slow. Remember we are just travelers."
The group had acquired robes and cloaks to cover them selves so that they looked more or less like a group of weary travelers.
"Move forward Cage."
Lillian did as she was told walking straight ahead scanning the ground in front of her as well as any side alleyways and the roof tops there were not any threats at the moment but, as always she needed to be prepared for anything. It was a medium pace with everyone helping each other. Several of the women needed help walking and one was unconscious being carried by Togle. Finally Lillian saw the transport, but she also saw several snipers on rooftops.
"Bird watchers sir." Lillian whispered using code so as not to frighten the women.
"Okay. Bracer, Foley you're both with me." The three of them moved off.
Lillian gripped her gun underneath her robes. This does not feel right. She watched the figures on the rooftops. One by one they disappeared. Their forms dropped into nothingness. There was a little flash of light from the roof and Lillian motioned to Togle.
"Let's move slowly." She whispered.
Carefully the group started forward. EriFin was leading the way. The ramp into the ship was down. They moved in small groups of two or three. Togle went with the third group carrying the limp form. EriFin waited at the edge of the ramp for the others to arrive.
About half of them were aboard when a hail of laser fire ran across the path to the transport. One of the women screamed and fell, blood spouting from the holes in her chest.
"Shit." Lillian swore, stopping the group that was last.
Those caught out in the middle scattered most made it to the transport but two more were shot down lying on the ground in pools of expanding blood.
"Damn it." Lillian finally pulled out her communicator and flipped it on. "Sir?"
"It's an ambush." Greneda said. "Cage you have to get the rest of them on board and take off. We will try and cover you."
"Yes Sir.� She clipped the communicator closed.
Scanning the area she saw there was movement in alleyways off to the sides of the landing pad. "Okay ladies I am going to lay cover fire for you. I want you to move as fast as you can to the ship. Stay low and run."
Gunfire hailed down from the rooftops towards the alleyways where the incoming company was. Lillian laid cover fire in the other direction.
"Go� go." She screamed.
The four women still there bolted across the expanse. Anytime there was any type of movement Lillian fired off several shots. She saw Togle come around and drop beside the ramp, adding much help as he could. The gunfire was tearing up the ground.
Lillian watched as a shot tore through Togle's shoulder and he was thrown back. EriFin jumped down and grabbed the gun. She laid down her own fire.
"Cage get on the ship and get out of here." Greneda's voice came over Lillian's communicator. "Bracer is dead. Foley is badly injured. We aren't going to make it. That is an order soldier� move." The communicator clicked off and Lillian heard a yell and a hail of gunfire on the roof. Then an explosion reverberated around the landing pad.
SHIT! Lillian took a deep breath. "EriFin." She yelled as she started to move. "On the ship now. Get going. Head straight to the nearest safe port."
EriFin stood there a moment not really registering what was going on. A couple of shots landed above her head and she managed to get back up on the ship. A couple of the women had also pulled Togle back up and into the cargo hold.
Lillian was moving at a hard run towards the transport and was halfway to the ship when her leg seemed to burn and collapse under her. She hit the ground hard. The wind knocked from her. She looked down and saw a bloody wound on her lower leg.
Looking back towards EriFin, she yelled. "Get the hell out of here."
She saw the woman debate a moment before looking around the landing pad. There were heavily armed guards pouring in form the alleyways.
"Go. Get your people to safety." Lillian grappled with her belt trying to find her other gun.
EriFin nodded and jumped up into the ship. The ramp quickly closed and engines came to life.
Lillian finally managed to get her gun out but not before the guards who ambushed them got to her. One roughly kicked her hand sending the gun flying and snapping the wrist. She gave a small grunt of pain.
"I don't think so." He sneered.
Lillian rolled over to look up at him. She went to grasp for a grenade she had strapped to her chest but was stopped as well.
"Oh no. We have other plans for you." He voice oozed over her.
Lillian could see the evil in the eyes of the man under the helmet. There was nothing she could do. Shifting her eyes she saw the transport ship lift off the ground and soar into the atmosphere above her. She gave a smile. They got away.
The guard growled. "They weren't the real target, soldier. It is unfortunate we did not get them back but we have you and you are a lot more fun."