Chapter One

Nineteen hours before Drule Fleet arrival

Zarkon gulped down half his goblet of red wine. He'd just finished speaking to Hazar and he needed a stiff drink. He'd hated having to ask the Drules for help, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. He was just grateful that they hadn't made him grovel.

Hazar's fleet was set to arrive at Arus soon and Zarkon was excited. He'd seen first hand what they'd done to the first planet they'd attacked. He didn't bother remembering the name--it was too insiginificant to make much difference. But Arus...Arus would be glorious.

Back to Square One, Alfor, he thought. I told you I would destroy your kingdom and I am. I'll relish having your daughter's neck under my sword.

"Hagar, what's the body count?" he called out.

"Enough to make a difference, Sire."

"What the hell kind of answer is that? What about the Voltron Force?"

The witch winced. "They're all alive."

"How is that possible?"

"One is near death, but the others have a good number of hours yet. Something is keeping them alive."

"It's Alfor's blasted daughter," Zarkon exclaimed, pounding his fist on the armrest of his throne. "We should have killed her when we had the chance."

"We will have the chance. Even if she is keeping them alive, she's doing it unconsciously. She cannot heal them. She isn't even aware of what she has."

"And by the time the Drules get there..."

"It will be too late."

Doctor Gorma put Hunk on the respirator, his brow furrowed as the machine began to breathe for the younger man. In the bed nearby, Pidge cried silent tears, fearful that he would lose yet another friend. On the other side, Gwen was in her own bed, but no tears escaped her eyes. She watched stoically, resigning herself to the fate that had befallen her. Morgan was asleep next to her, ignorant of all that was going on around her.

"How much time does he have?" Pidge asked.

"Three, four hours at most," Gorma replied sadly.

"How about us?" Gwen asked, a hand on her daughter's curly head.

"Twice as long," the Doctor answered.

"Unless the Princess..."

"Pidge, if you have anything to do, do it," Gwen advised grimly. "We don't have time for wishes."

His face tightening, Pidge sat up. "They'll need to me to finish reconfiguring the shield to protect everyone."

"I didn't mean that, Pidge," Gwen said, more gently this time. "I meant like talking to your family..."

"These people are my family, Gwen," he said. "And I'm going to do all I can, while I can, to protect them."

She nodded. "Good luck."

He went to her and they embraced. Then Pidge got in to a hoverchair provided for him and left the room. Gwen hugged Morgan to her, the silence in the room stifling her. She stared at Hunk and the seconds ticked by...

Sven held the cup of steaming hot tea in his trembling hands. Romelle felt like weeping as she looked at him. There were dark circles under her eyes and a permanent crease between her eyebrows. Yet even though fear tightened the knot in her gut to the point of pain, she found the strength to smile at Sven, as she put her warm hands over his cold ones. He squeezed her hand lovingly, hoping against hope that he would live long enough for them to have their dreams together.

"Why don't you go to bed, Darling," she said. "You're so cold I'm surprised you haven't turned into an ice cube yet."

"Vat I don't undurstand eez vy you look so...healthy..."

"Blood relation to the first miracle...Allura. In fact, after I drop you off at the medwing, I'm going to her study to have a talk. We might be able to do something about this epidemic."

"Get Bandor, too."

"He's already there. Let's go, Sven."

He sighed and allowed her to pull him up, but he said, "I am going to Castle Control. They'll need me dere."

"Sven..."

"I vill not lie down in a bed while I am needed," Sven said firmly. "Please try to understand, Romelle..."

She sighed deeply. "I do understand. I hate the idea, but I understand. Alright, let's go then."

When Romelle walked into Allura's study, her cousin and her brother were sitting on the couch with their eyes closed. Nanny put a finger to her lips signaling quiet and gestured for Romelle to sit next to them.

"Close your eyes und tink auf a peaceful place," Nanny said, her voice uncharacteristically soothing. "Look deep inside you fur vat you know eez dere. Dis power dat you all share eez hiding, but ultimately you vill find eet. Eet eez hiding in dat place dat you do no vant to explore. Vere all de memories auf your past, your family's past, are all hidden. In dat place vill you find dis pover. All auf you haf run avay from dis past to escape de pain, but eet vill help you now. Embrace eet."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nanny," Allura said, annoyed.

"Focus, Princess. You must focus."

"On what?"

"On your memories..."

"Nanny, I don't have any!" she cried hopelessly, her fists clenching on her lap with.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the room. Allura's and Romelle's eyes flew open and with wonderment, they stared as a shimmering yellow haze surrounded Bandor's body. He opened his eyes carefully and Nanny gasped as she saw that they were glowing with a bright white light.

"I feel it inside me," he said with awe. "It's like...I can't even describe it..."

"Go Bandor," Allura cried. "You must go help them!"

Nodding, Bandor stood to go, but Nanny put a hand out.

"No, you haf no control yet. You might do more harm den goot. Stay."

He looked to Allura who nodded reluctantly and he sat down.

"Close your eyes again," she instructed the two women. "Und keep doing vat I haf told you. Allura, you haf memories. You just choose not to seek dem out."

Taking a deep breath, Allura searched for the memories she'd fought so long to forget. The happier days with her parents, before Zarkon destroyed her world...and then she felt it...

At the same time, she and Romelle opened their eyes. Together, they glowed as bright as the sun. Nanny smiled, relieved that it hadn't taken them long to find their powers.

"Now," she said gravely, her smile fading. "Now, eet eez time for de hard part."

"I will not lie around while soldiers are preparing for battle," Lance exclaimed. He got up and put his dress uniform back on.

Link watched him weakly, her lips blue from the cold she could not fight. "You might kill yourself."

"Sweetheart, I can't let them go at it alone," he said. He sat in the hoverchair he'd had a nurse fetch. "Allura won't come here to explain to me what's going on so I'm going to go to her."

"Race you there," a voice said at the doorway.

Lance chuckled when he saw Keith in a matching hoverchair. He was in his own dress uniform, but for the first time in his military career, it was not picture perfect. He nodded at Lance and Link in acknowledgment and started to go, but Lance put a hand out.

"No head starts," he said, with a smile.

"Lance, if you feel even the slightest bit weak, I want you back here," Link said. She pointed at the blankets on his bed. "Take two of those. Give one to Keith."

Lance did as he was told, then went to his wife and kissed her. "I'll be back. Keep the bed warm for me."

"I can barely keep it warm for myself," she muttered.

"We'll beat this," Lance whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

She watched him go and murmured under her breath, "Come back to me..."