Chapter Four

Bethie and Ethan sat near the communication panel, faces grave as they waited for confirmation of their father's arrival. News of his reappearance had been received with a joyous shout that was quickly followed with a tense silence when they learned he was not safe just yet. Bethie wanted to take the Blue Lion out to cover him, but Ethan had been astute enough to point out that that would bring unwanted attention on Keith. It did not take a military genius to realize that the Lotorians had not exactly let the King of Arus go. All the two younger Porterfields could do was wait for word from their father.

Olivia came up behind Ethan and put her arms around his shoulders. He put a hand on her arms, holding on as Bethie watched, a faint smile on her face. Memories of Skech filled her dreams every night and she ached to think of what had happened to him. There was a shadow in her eyes that had not been there before but she covered it up easily, as she had been covering up their relationship for the past year. Sometimes she wished she could talk to someone about it, had almost told Jack more than once, but something always stopped her--that maybe if she continued to keep the relationship and her own thoughts to herself, the harsh light of reality would not show her what she did not want to see. It was foolish but she had little else to hold on to. Her mother was still in the clutches of the Lotorians, her father was running through a battlefield with no armor, her baby sister was crisscrossing the galaxy in search for answers...

"No word yet?" Jack asked, going to sit with them.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Bethie asked.

"He's up and around against medical orders," Olivia said, displeased.

"You bet I am."

The beeping sound of a message being received had both her and Ethan on their feet. Jack stayed a respectful distance, giving them room to talk to Keith on their own before they got down to business. Ethan reached the panel first and Bethie almost burst into tears when she saw the bearded face of her father staring up at her. Keith's own eyes looked suspiciously moist but he smiled for them.

"Daddy," Bethie breathed.

"Bethie...Ethan...I can't tell you what seeing you two makes me feel..."

"How did you get away, Dad?" Ethan asked, his hand on the screen as if to touch his father's face.

"It's a long story that can be told another time. Are you both...all of you...are you alright?"

"The accomodations are a little more rustic than we're used to, but we're fine considering the circumstances," Bethie answered. "How's Mom?"

Keith's gaze hardened.

"Strong and fighting back. She's not going to let Merla off easy, you can trust in that."

"She's not hurt?" Ethan asked.

"No. In the beginning, Merla threatened to shoot her, but she turned the gun on Skech instead."

Bethie could not help the gasp that escaped her lips. Ethan glanced sideways at her but turned back to his father. Jack watched her with a stillness that no one noticed but he did not move to help her.

"She wants to preserve Mom then," Ethan said. "Something's up with that, Dad. Why else would she want to keep Mom alive?"

Keith heard all that Ethan said but the stricken look on Bethie's face drew his eye. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes filled with unshed tears as she struggled to get control of her emotions. She tried to look back down at the screen, but her body did not seem to want to obey her.

"Bethie?" Keith said gently. "Sit down, sweetheart."

Ethan finally noticed that Bethie was not well and he put his hands on her arms, guiding her back to the table. Jack stood and took her place at the communication panel.

"Uncle Keith, did my Dad tell you about our plans?" he asked.

"I have been briefed. You did good, Jack. That was exactly what was needed. Merla's spending too much time thinking in comfort. We have to challenge her at the heart of this and make her sit up and take notice. We will keep pushing forward with securing the entrances, but this next push, I want to add a little something extra. "

"What's that?" Jack asked.

"I want to attack the castle."

Jack's eyebrows arched and Ethan's eyes widened. Those words had even broken through Bethie's haze.

"The castle's defenses are still intact," Jack said. "The ro-beasts are thickest there and we could get blown out of the sky."

"Yes. You didn't accept these positions to play it safe."

"We also didn't accept these positions to throw ourselves on the sacrificial pyre," Bethie retorted, standing up and coming between Ethan and Jack. "We can't do that, Dad."

"You challenged and destroyed two ro-beasts when you thought you could easily lose to one. There are six circling the castle and ten more within easy reach, but Voltron is faster and from what I understand, has a new arsenal that can rip through the armor that these Lotorian fighters and robots have. Stop thinking in terms of losses, but instead of gains. We will not get anywhere if you don't and considering what Alana has learned from Lotor, we're dealing with too many unknowns to risk sitting and waiting for her to prepare whatever it is she has cooking."

Jack nodded. "Aye, sir."

"Good. We'll talk again soon."

"Daddy," Bethie said, a hand on the screen where his cheek was. "It's good to see you again."

Keith smiled. "I love you both. Take care."

The screen winked out and Jack turned to meet Jordan's eye. She, Matt, and Hunk had heard all the words exchanged and he could read the doubt on her face like a book. They stared at each other for a few moments until the movement next to him drew his attention. Ethan had walked off with Olivia, his hands in his pockets and his head bowed, but Bethie sat back down at the table, her shaky knees threatening to dump her on the floor. Jack sat next to her, not sure how much he could say.

"I know," he said.

"What?"

"I know about Skech...and you," he explained in a low voice.

Bethie turned her head to look at him. He did not know anything about her relationship with Skech beyond what he had seen the night by the lake, but her face told him all he needed to know. She had loved her father's aide as much as her heart would let her and that heart was now in a thousand broken pieces because he was gone. No tears fell from her shiny eyes, and he doubted she would let anyone see them fall. He started to reach for her but she put up a steady hand.

"I just need to be alone for a little while, Jack."

He nodded and watched as she stood, took a deep breath, and disappeared behind the curtain of their bunk.

Lance sat on top of the closed crate of ammo, watching as Keith cleaned the barrel of his rifle with the same precision he did everything else. Clean-shaven but his hair still falling into his face, Keith was a man on a mission but Lance was not so sure if it was the right one. They had discussed what was to be done before Keith had spoken to the Voltron Force and though Keith had allowed a few of Lance's suggestions, the core of the plan was still there; attacking the Castle of Lions. Lance did not like it anymore than Jack had, but he knew he would not be able to talk Keith out of it, anymore than he could talk Keith out of leading the charge on the ground. From the front, Lance was sure. When he wasn't cleaning out his weapons, Keith was talking to the soldiers, listening to their concerns and thoughts with the kind of earnestness that gained him respect. Lance understood what was happening at Voltronia and was grateful that Keith was out in order to address the issue head on. The last thing they needed was to watch for an enemy that was too close to home.

"Did you talk to Alana?" Lance asked.

"No. They seem to be maintaining radio silence while on Prinoth," Keith answered. "How did she look when you talked to her last?"

"I haven't. Sven's been relaying our messages back and forth. They're just too far for us to pick up the signal, but he says that they're doing well. You know that she and Lotor have built up some kind of rapport. She knows he's Allura's half-brother."

"Alana was always a patient and forgiving child," Keith said tiredly.

"You don't seem too upset that she left," Lance said.

"I'm not surprised that she did. In her position, I would have done the same. Besides, because of her, we learned more about what Merla might want from Arus than we wouldn't otherwise even though it did have to come from Lotor. It makes me wonder why she bothered naming them the Lotorians if he wasn't even involved."

"Mind games. What else? That's all she's good for."

Keith put down the weapon and Lance decided that this would be a good time to ask the question that had been plaguing him for some time.

"What's Merla like?" he asked.

"Niloc."

Lance knew what it cost Keith to give that answer and he sat up.

"He didn't win against us either, Keith."

"Merla's a lot more than she looks and I'm afraid that whatever she has up her sleeve is going to destroy all of us, " Keith said with a shake of his head.

Keith had never been one to speak in negatives and that gave Lance pause. He hopped down the crates and began to pace the length of the room.

"You told me that both Bethie and Ethan experienced some strange sensations the other day, right?" Keith continued.

"Yeah. Nanny didn't talk to them about their possible powers, did she?"

"Not really. Allura was against it. She was afraid of what might happen if they could not control what they had."

"Wouldn't it have been worse if they were left untrained though?"

"Allura's powers didn't manifest themselves until Nanny taught her how to use them. Otherwise, they just kicked in naturally like how her body fought off the poison Lotor used on us."

"Who's left to teach them?"

Keith shook his head.

"I don't know. It's possible that there is no one left to teach them at all."

Lance rubbed a hand over his face and his exhaustion peeked through for just a moment. Keith stopped pacing and looked at him.

"This is one hell of a mess, isn't it?" he asked.

"You have no idea," Lance replied. "I'm actually starting to miss Zarkon. You knew what he wanted and he was about as subtle as a punch in the face. But Merla...I don't even know where to start. I am happy to see you for more than one reason, Keith. You can take the helm now because I'm more than happy to give it to you."

Keith smiled humorlessly. "I didn't think it would be too much of a fight to get it from you. If it's any consolation, you can take those colonel pins off and replace them with the stars of a general."

"That's all I was waiting for."