Chapter Two

Jack stared up at the rock formation above his head. His lips were set in a straight, hard line and his eyebrows were knitted together. Fists clenched in tight fists, he just stared, gray eyes stormy.

"Is something pissing you off?"

He looked towards the voice, temper spiking. It was not so much the face that was looking at him, but just needing an outlet for his frustration.

"You want something, Jordan?"

Marching into the room, Jordan threw herself on the seat by his bed, navy blue eyes fixed on his flushed face.

"You scared me," she said bluntly, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

"What?"

"When you fell after getting out of the Black, when Liv caught you. I thought you were dead and I've never been that scared before in my life."

Softening, Jack loosened his fists. He sat up, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in the back of his head as he did so, but he could not help wincing.

"I'm alright, Jordan," he said. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"I'm a little worried about why you looked so pissed just now."

Jack's mouth worked as he debated avoiding the question or meeting it head on. By the stubborn tilt of Jordan's chin, something he was used to seeing in Bethie, he knew that he had no chance of avoiding it.

"I can't see too well," he said.

She leaned forward, brows furrowed with concern.

"Did you tell Liv?" she asked.

"Not yet. I just realized now that everything is a little more blurry than I like...and my peripheral vision on both sides isn't too great."

"Define 'isn't too great'."

Holding out a finger in front of his left eye, Jack moved it an inch further to the left. Jordan sucked in a breath.

"Jack," was all she could say.

"I can still fly," he said. "Don't tell the others about this, alright?"

"I'll watch your back."

"You don't have to..."

Her quelling look silenced him. He may need her help and he could not risk losing the Black Lion to his pride. Its instruments were good enough to get him through without peripheral vision, but unexpected things often happened in battle and he was not going to become a weak link. If he had to rely on Jordan, he would, so he just nodded. Satisfied, she stood.

"Hey," he said before she left.

"Yes?"

Their eyes met.

"I'm not gonna die on you."

She smiled and turned away. He laid back down and went back to staring at the ceiling.

Out in the cavern, the rest of the team was busy preparing for the next battle. Bethie sat on top of the Red, her legs crossed as she followed Matt's instructions on loading new ammo into her guns. Feeling her legs begin to fall asleep, she stood and lost her footing as a wave of dizziness overtook her. Matt's hand shot out to grab her arm before she could fall head first onto the hard rock below.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah...yeah, that was weird," she said, blinking and sitting back down.

They heard a loud crash and both searched for the origin on the sound, gazes landing on Ethan brushing himself off. He had fallen into the open boxes of ammo and though he was standing up, Bethie could see that her brother's eyes were unfocused.

"Are you alright?" she called out.

"Yeah...that was weird."

Hearing her own words come back at her, alarms went off in Bethie's head. She climbed down the Red as Olivia sat Ethan down at the table, already checking his pupils while he protested.

"What was weird?" Bethie demanded, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed.

"It was like I got the wind knocked out of me," he said. "And now...it's like I've got chills running up and down my spine. It...it's itchy. Liv, seriously, I'm fine."

"You can't say all that and expect me to believe you're fine," Olivia retorted. "Let me get my scanner."

When she went into the clinic, Bethie stared at Ethan.

"The same just happened to me," she said. "Except, I'm alright now. No after effects."

"I can still feel it. What the hell was that?"

Bethie sat down next to him. Olivia came back and was running her scanner over his head. When she was satisfied that nothing was wrong with him, she went off to tend to Jack.

"Do you know what that was?" Ethan asked Bethie when Olivia was gone.

"No. I've never had that happen to me before."

"Me, either. I mean I got twinges before but I just thought it was instinct."

"Is that why you never got in trouble?" she said, only half-serious.

"No, I'm just a good kid," he said dryly then the blood drained from his face. "Do you think it has something to do with Mom and Dad?"

Bethie's hand flew to cover her mouth. Without a word, she shot to her feet and went to the control panel. Opening a link to Galaxy Garrison, she waited impatiently for Sven to answer her hails.

"Elisabeth," Sven said. "How is Jack?"

"He's fine," she answered hurriedly. "Uncle Sven, are my parents alright? Has there been any word?"

"No, none at all." Sven seemed to realize that something was troubling her and he leaned forward. "What's wrong, Elisabeth?"

"Ethan and I...we just got these weird...feelings, for lack of a better word, and we thought it was our parents, that something had happened to them..."

"Weird feelings? Describe them to me."

Bethie did and Sven sat back in his seat, expression thoughtful.

"Could you get Hunk for me please?" he asked.

Bethie was surprised at the request but called Hunk over. She hovered in the back as he spoke to Sven in lowered, tense tones that then became loud ones. But she realized that she and Ethan were no longer the subject of the discussion when she heard the name 'Voltronia'.

"What's happened?" she questioned, going to Hunk's side.

"Link's under house arrest," Sven said flatly. "There's been a rebellion in the refugee base and the new leaders want to negotiate with the Lotorians."

It took five rifles to stop Allura from throttling Cital. Her cheeks hollow and her skin pallid, Allura did not look like she could hold herself up, but her blue eyes were sharp and glittering dangerously as she glared at Cital. Smugly, the other woman merely smiled but it was far from pleasant. She had come to the castle unarmed and alone, the picture of surrender. Merla had Allura brought out of her chambers and she looked from one to the other, amused at the clear hatred between them.

"You never were a big fan of the Queen's, were you, Aguste?" she asked.

"Never," Cital retorted. "She was a fine pilot and a wartime leader, but during times of peace, she has been lacking. I've decided to finally take matters into my own hands and change the path Arus has been taking."

"And you are all the more wiser for it. You say that you want to negotiate for the return of your homes."

"I do. I speak for all the inhabitants of Voltronia when I say that we will cooperate with your demands. However, I would like to remind you that we had no say in what is happening here. The Queen decided on her own how she was going to deal with you, decided on her own that she would sacrifice her own people to save her throne, and we have had it with her callous disregard of our lives. We're taking matters into our own hands."

"Your own greedy little hands maybe," Allura snarled. "You never did know what was good for you, Cital. Your mind is too small to even consider what can happen in the larger picture, what your actions here today is going to do to the rest of Arus."

"How can you even say that after what has happened? We've all lost our homes, a great number of your people have lost their lives, and all because you attacked instead of dealt with the Lotorians. Had you asked, you would have learned that a good number of your people would have traded a few freedoms for there lives. But no. As usual, the arrogant Allura thought she was doing what was best for her subjects and acted without so much as an apology for what was about to be lost to all of us."

For Merla, watching Allura's reaction to Cital's words was like watching a gathering storm. Cital was no match for Allura, even on her best day, but because of the support she had from the people of Voltronia, Merla knew who was going to win this argument. It amused her to watch the Queen, and arrogant Allura was an understatement as far as she was concerned, get taken down a few notches.

"You must have talked to only a select few or chosen to hear what you wanted. The Arusians I know would never allow themselves to be put under a yoke. Many of them have lived through that already and they won't do it again, they won't have their children put through it. You're just a power hungry opportunist who saw this as the chance to finally get the big spotlight but you're lacking in the role, Cital. You always have been and you always will be. This is why you're a talking head and why I'm the ruler."

Cital walked up to Allura and slapped her, the sound of flesh striking flesh echoing in the silent Castle Control. Barely reacting to the slap, Allura lunged forward and her fist connected with Cital's jaw, but the butt of a rifle came down hard on the back of her head and she hit the ground, unconscious. Merla helped Cital up, casting an idle eye at the crumpled form of the Queen.

"You have done well for your Voltronians and I am more than happy to sit down and discuss the terms with you," Merla said.

"May I ask you of one request?"

"I may not grant it, but go ahead."

"May we have custody of the others you have here in the castle? Like the Voltronians, they had no choice as to what they had to do under the rule of that...that woman."

"I'll release some into your custody. You will receive them at the entrance of your underground lair."

"Thank you."

Later that day, the released captives stood outside, waiting to be received. Cital was there to meet them and no one was more surprised than she when one of the captives lowered his hood and she found herself staring into the angry eyes of the King of Arus.