Chapter Five
The cavern was a hub of activity. Hunk and Matt were fitting new guns on the Lions that would allow them to use physical ammo as well as their lasers, but it was taking some time because of the archaic weapons design they had to work with. Matt was unfamiliar with it and Hunk was struggling to remember his days in the Academy when he learned how. The rest of the pilots were unable to provide much help because of the delicate nature of the work so they made do with keeping their hands busy with less important work. Jack had just exchanged a short message with Sven in Galaxy Garrison concerning their status and learned a few new things in return.
"My mother is doing what?" Jordan said, confused.
"She dragged my brother and Alana to the seediest corners of the galaxy to find information on the Lotorians," Jack said as he wiped at a laser burn on the Black's silver claw. "Pretty adventurous, I'd say."
"She's lost her mind!" Jordan exclaimed, throwing her arms up. "I can't believe Dad let her go! I can't believe Alana and Jason went along for the ride!"
"I'm not surprised they went," Ethan said as he sat on the Black's other claw. "They had to do something and coming back to Arus to fight alongside us was not an option."
"I just hope Alana isn't walking around in a dress," Jack said. "You know, Ethan, strange things happen when two people who have always been attracted to each other are spending a lot of time together with less than a galaxy between them."
"You better not be talking about my sister, Jack," Ethan said menacingly. "She and Jason are friends, that's all."
"Nah, I was talking about Aunt Romelle...OW!"
Ethan laughed as Jordan jumped on Jack's back and began to pound on him with her fists. He tried to shake her off, but she hung on. Olivia tried to yell at them to stop but Ethan put a hand on her shoulder to keep her back.
"You'll just get caught in the crossfire," he said wisely. "Stay right here with me, Liv."
Olivia shrugged and leaned against the claw Ethan was sitting on. His hand stayed on her shoulder.
"Alright, that's enough," Hunk said, coming up and lifting Jordan easily while holding Jack at bay. "I swear sometimes you kids haven't grown up at all."
"Good thing you're here to babysit," Matt said from above them. "I'm almost done here."
"Seems like a waste to have upgraded before we got here only to downgrade," Bethie said, sitting beside him and trying not to be a nuisance.
"We did what we could to marry the two technologies because you really couldn't target too well in the air with the computers these weapons used to be dependent on," Matt said. "But it's gonna be touch and go for the first few tries."
"What could happen?"
"Well, worst case scenario, the ammo doesn't get fired and you blow your own cannon and fry your targeting computer in the process."
"Pleasant. Best case?"
"We put ourselves in the game."
"That's what I like to hear," Jack said, scrambling up to them. "So, when can I test this out?"
"In about an hour," Matt said. "Sit tight."
"Are you doing anything?" Jack asked Bethie.
"Does it look like I am?"
"I wanna go over some combat maneuvers with you."
They went to the long table with several pieces of paper and a pen that was quickly running out of ink. Ethan and Jordan sat on either side of them, ready to add their two cents.
"Are we running out of datapads?" Bethie asked.
"No," he said. "I think better with these. Don't you think it's appropriate with our new inefficient weaponry? Or should I say, old?"
"Whatever gets that brain of yours moving. What's on your mind?"
"We can't just fire at will with this old stuff," he said. "We don't have the means to just shoot whenever we want go. Uncle Hunk might be able to replicate all the ammo we need, but we won't be able to carry as much as we like. That stuff's heavy and it'll mess with our maneuverability."
"We can alternate fire," Ethan suggested. "It'll take some getting used to though and we'd have more to deal with on top of everything else."
"We really don't have much of a choice," Bethie said.
In an hour, they had a pile of maneuvers that would utilize their new weapons in the shortest time possible with the maximum amount of destruction. Then, Jack stood and got the map of Voltronia and the surrounding area that they had marked with known enemy positions and where their own people were hiding out.
"Here's what I want to do," he said. "My dad and his men are here,"--he pointed--"somewhere near Oceania Base. We wanna clear the way for them to start moving forward, closer to the Castle of Lions. They need to be able to secure base entrances all the way there. They're safe underground, but they are also trapped in their position. We've got a couple enemy positions on ground and in the air to mow down, but once we get these maneuvers figured out, we'll be able to gain Dad some ground. We also need some more reconnaissance on how many fighters they've got available and how fast they can be replaced."
"That'll have to go in your dad's in-box," Bethie said.
"So do we study as a group or something?" Jordan said, flipping through the stack of pages in front of them.
"For punching Ethan in the face and being a pain the butt since we got here, you're going to put all this on a datapad," Jack said. "Remember...I outrank you, Cadet."
Jordan looked as if she wanted to give him the punch he deserved, but she bit her lip and nodded.
"Good. We're gonna shape up, Team. No more waiting, no more fooling around," Jack said, standing. "We're gonna hit them hard and fast, and we're gonna go back home."
"This Merla really lit a fire under you, didn't she?" Ethan asked.
"You didn't hear her voice. It was like...well, think of how you felt when you heard Lotor's voice for the first time. It was scary, right? Merla's like that except wrapped in what you would imagine Satan to sound like then dipped in pure evil."
"And my mom was with her," Bethie said quietly, dangerously.
"She was alive," Ethan said, ever the optimist. "That's what's important."
Bethie and Jack exchanged a look.
"Uncle Hunk, how long will it take you and Matty to finish installing the guns?" Jack inquired.
"Half a day per Lion," Hunk said, propping his safety goggles on the top of his head.
"Two days," Jack said. "I'm giving all of you three days to learn all of these. Make notes, write them on your hand, I don't care. We're going out in three days and you're going to know these. That goes for you too, Matty."
"I'm not a robot, Jack," Matt argued. "You want me to help my dad up here AND learn those? When am I supposed to get any rest?"
"I can spare you, Matt," Hunk said, putting a beefy hand on his son's shoulder. "I don't want you going out there exhausted and ill-prepared. I can handle most of these."
"Good," Jack said, clapping his hands. "Jordan, better get started on that datapad."
"What's Jack have to say?" Gwen asked, glancing at her brother.
"He wants to coordinate movements. Using the Lions like some kind of kitty lawnmower so me and the soldiers can take back the land like some kind of glorious army, securing base entrances and shield generators all the way to the castle."
"You don't sound too convinced that he can pull this off," she observed.
"It's not his skills I doubt. It's the enemy's abilities I'm worried about."
"What would you prefer? That we hide out here?"
He threw her a withering look. "No. I just think he's moving too fast."
"You think he's moving too fast?" Pidge said, looking up. "Are you serious? Even I'm getting antsy from being down here so long."
"Yeah, but he's not your kid."
"Their first run was good, Lance," Gwen said, her voice more gentle. "They made a small dent in the Lotorians' armor and got what they needed. We have a decent amount of information about the tech we're facing and the only way we'll have more info to work with is if they go out there and challenge the enemy."
"You're telling me things I already know. I'm not going to write him back and tell him to quit while he's ahead, but I just wish we had more to work with. Pidge, how are you doing on that fighter engine?"
"Well, it's not the ideal sample, but I was able to get a little more insight into the scan of that fighter that was about to disappear."
Lance stood to let him get the desk and the computer, but Pidge stayed where he was. With a befuddled look, he held out his hands.
"It's magic," he said.
"You're tired," Gwen said, patting his head. "You haven't been getting much rest since we got all this..."
Pidge stood and went to the desk, calling up the scans Matt had sent. Gwen went to go behind him and saw the scan much the same way Lance had the first time he saw them.
"I'm dead serious," Pidge said. "Look, I've been busting my brain over this and I realized I should have stepped outside of the box to figure this out. This is the fighter that was just about to disappear. You can see that the fighter is disappearing by layers, of course at a speed faster than we can see, but this scan tells us that. Layers."
"Yeah...layers," Lance repeated. "So?"
"Okay, I looked at this every way I knew how and I know a lot of stuff, Lance. It just doesn't make any sense. Drulian technology is amazing, but I can figure out their engines, their hull designs...just because it's advanced doesn't mean it's impossible. But these fighters disappear in parts. Now, if i saw something strange on their hulls, something that suggested stealth technology or the like, or even something that comes up in our scans, then I wouldn't discount their technological abilities. I've found nothing. The way they disappear...it's impossible."
"Magic," Gwen said thoughtfully. "It's not like it's the first time we dealt with it."
"It is a good explanation for their power when we can't seem to find another one," Lance agreed.
The three of them looked at each other, remembering how it felt to have Allura bring them back from the brink of death, the glow that surrounded her as she did.
"I guess that means that there's a really good reason why this Merla woman would keep Allura alive then," Lance said. "Gwen, it's time to round up the troops. We're moving out."
