With the explosion the Idalia sisters had set off, the MFE Fighters were clear to advance. The paladins flew into the labor camp and summoned their lions, planning to take out each section of the Zaiforge cannon.
However, when they arrived, the cannon was already rising into space. They were too late. Admiral Sanda had betrayed them to the Galra, informing Sendak that Voltron was coming and that he needed to launch the cannons. The lions tried to stop the sextuple Zaiforge, but they didn't have enough power to halt it entirely - not when Sendak's fleet was attacking them as well.
However, they didn't have to fight alone. Violet couldn't stay behind and watch as Voltorn tried to save earth without her. "Commander Holt! What's our artilery status?"
"We've exhausted all our cannons and fighters. I can try to scrape some more firepower together, but ... there's not much left."
"There has to be something." Violet racked her brain for anything that could be of use and sucked in a breath as it came to her. "The Atlas. What about the Atlas?"
"We haven't been able to get it off the ground," Commander Holt replied, surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. "How do you know about the Atlas? It's top-secret information."
"That doesn't matter right now," Violet said quickly.
"It most certainly does!"
"Commander," Shiro cut in, "Vi may be right. It's time to get the Atlas airborne."
With a lot of work, the Atlas - the replica of the Castle of Lions Sam Holt had started building - became airborne, and flew to Voltron's aid. With it, the battle began to turn in Voltorn's favor. The paladins focused their attention on the sextuple Zaiforge, which was powering up to launch a beam that would vaporize Earth.
"We need to block that blast!" Keith shouted as the sextuple Zaiforge powered up. "It's going to destroy Earth!"
"There's nothing strong enough!" Pidge replied. "Unless ... Voltron's shield. It has the mass generated to hold off the cannons for a couple minutes or so. But then it will break under pressure. We'd be defenseless, and we'd only have held it off."
"It's our only option," Keith replied.
"Voltron would be exposed!" said Violet. "You'd be annihilated!"
"You've sacrificed so much for the universe, Vi," Lance said softly. "It's our turn now."
Violet cried, "No! There has to be something I can do! Let me get onto Sendak's ship. I can ... I can take out the crystal that powers his ship. He'll be defenseless." She turned on Shiro desperately.
"Taking out the power crystal might be enough for the Atlas to launch an attack on Sendak's ship," said Shiro slowly. "We could defeat him once and for all, and the sextuple Zaiforge wouldn't be able to attack anymore without Sendak's command."
"I'm doing it," said Violet. "Shiro, get me a suit."
"Vi, don't!" Allura yelled over her headset. "You'll be sneaking into the heart of Sendak's ship! It's too dangerous!"
"Sorry, Allura," Violet replied, a hint of her old bravado coming back. "Someone has to save your guys' butts."
She launched from the Atlas, spearing towards Sendak's cruiser, as Voltron took up position and summoned it's shield. The sextuple Zaiforge powered up, and a beam of pure force shot from it as Violet snuck aboard Sendak's cruiser.
"Shield!" Keith roared, and Voltron blocked the blow. The paladins grunted as they took on the force of the blast.
Violet made her way to the control center, cutting down any sentry in her path. With them all distracted by the battle before them, it was easy to find the Galra crystal operating the cruiser. She used one of her explosives to blow it up, barely avoiding the blast.
Sendak's ship began to shut down as it lost power.
But it was too late.
With a snap, Voltron's shield cleaved, breaking in two against the beam from the sextuple Zaiforge. Voltron took the hit, getting pushed down.
Something slammed into it, knocking the paladins from the beam's path.
The Atlas.
"Get to the sextuple Zaiforge!" grunted Shiro. "We can't hold on for long!"
"On it," Keith replied. "Guys, get to the cannon! We have to take it out!"
Violet stood with a groan, the floor sliding beneath her feet. She leaned against a wall for support, but the floor didn't stop swaying.
She blinked. "Guys, bad news."
"Violet! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Shiro asked.
"Sendak's cruiser is falling," she retorted, scanning the ship's frame on her wristband. "From what I can get, it's crashing - and it's on a collision course towards Earth." She stumbled as the ship began to tilt.
"Violet's right," Coran reported. "The cruiser is already entering Earth's atmosphere, and it's going to crash onto ... oh, no." There was shock in his voice as he said, "The Garrison base."
"And I'm going to be on it," Violet said grimly. "Keith, once you destroy the cannon, I need you to steer Sendak's cruiser out of range on the Garrison base. Atlas, I'll be heading back onto the ship as soon as the paladins destroy the sextuple Zaiforge."
"We'll be ready," said Shiro. "Our shields should be able to hold off the blast enough that we don't sustain fatal damage."
"I'm on my way," said Violet. She turned, launching herself from the side of the ship and scrambling to the exit of the room, slipping on the shaking floor.
"You."
Violet turned. Standing in the center of the hallway was Sendak, his eyes bright with fury. "The Erythian. You broke my ship."
He started towards her, hand powering up, but Violet held up a hand. "Commander Sendak," she said, "I just got my sister back after being parted from her for eight years, returned to the planet I'd been abducted from, watched my father die before my eyes, almost watched my friends get killed and before all that magically turned into an ancient alien after being betrayed by my psychotic ex-friend. Right now I'm about to fling myself off a crashing Galra cruiser to save my friends which are trapped under a giant Zaiforge cannon in the process of saving my planet, and then I'm going to go wallop my boyfriend over the head for trying to steal my I'll-sacrifice-myself-to-save-the-universe move." Her eyes narrowed in challenge. "So believe me when I say you do not want to mess with me."
Sendak growled, "You think your puny list of accomplishments will scare me? I have destroyed countless planets, lived countless decades. You will be no different."
Violet's lips curled. "Please. I'm Violet Idalia. I'm a survivor." She drew her blades. "And you're about to learn exactly what that means."
With that, Violet launched herself at Sendak.
-
Lotor's voice flitted through Violet's mind as she ducked under Sendak's magic arm, tossing her blades at him. The best advantage you can have in a fight is to know your opponent. Find his tells.
She jerked out of the path of Sendak's other arm, swiping a dagger at his shoulder as he passed; the blade screeched off his armor, making no dent at all. Cursing, Violet leapt out of the way as Sendak rounded on her again.
"Stop jumping around and fight," Sendak snarled, throwing his arm at her again. But Violet was ready, and she hopped on top of it instead, grabbing the claws for balance. Sendak called the arm back to him, and Violet let go of it at the last second, kicking him in the face.
"How's that for fighting?" She panted, drawing her stars.
Sendak actually smiled. "Better. It's been a while since I've had a worthy opponent." He attacked, using his non-magical arm, and Violet blocked it with her blades. She danced away as Sendak's Galra arm swung back around for her, the floor sliding beneath her feet as the cruiser tilted dangerously sideways.
"Come on," Violet muttered. "Find the tell." She narrowed her eyes as Sendak attacked again, bracing her feet on the wall; she ducked before he could land the blow, but his other arm lashed out for her, hitting her in the side. With a grunt, she was flung across the room, but when Violet got back to her feet, her eyes were bright with triumph.
His arm.
Whenever Sendak started to use his magic Galra arm, there was a slight hum as the ball of power that connected the hand to the shoulder powered up. Violet launched herself at the commander, new strength flowing through her limbs, and attacked with her blades.
Strike, parry, duck. Lotor's voice was sharp and unyielding. Wait for his tell; swipe up, feint - there.
Sendak's arm hummed. His arm swept for Violet, but she was no longer there, predicting the attack. Sendak growled in frustration, throwing his arm at her again, but she was already gone.
The ship turned wholly sideways, and Violet stumbled in surprise, cursing herself for the slip. She regained her balance, but too late - Sendak's arm hit her full-on, and she barely managed to stop it from shredding her stomach before Sendak himself leapt for her, aiming a punch for her face; on pure instinct, Violet ducked it, his fist careening an inch over her nose.
Sendak landed behind her; Violet turned, repairing to throw her blades, and his metal arm struck her in the back.
She screamed as his claws pierced her shoulder blades, ripping through her suit. Violet crumpled, and the arm shot back to its rightful place. Sendak stood over her as Violet forced herself to stand, to get her feet under her, her spine bellowing in agony. She hadn't broken or fractured anything, but the claw marks were deep, and already she could feel blood dripping down her lower back.
He'd kill her. The thought had a burst of energy flowing through Violet's shaking legs. If she didn't keep fighting, he'd kill her, and she wouldn't be able to go back like she did last time. She'd die.
And she'd never see Keith again.
Violet blinked away the dizziness and forced herself to stand. Sendak was waiting to strike her down; her options were to keep fighting - not wise - or escape.
They were about to crash into Earth. Violet paused, eyeing the room they were in. If she could make it out of the ship, she might be able to evade Sendak that way...
Violet didn't give herself time to think the plan through. She simply leapt at Sendak, driving her throwing stars for his head. As he blocked them, she slid easily under his legs, her back sending waves of pain through her as it connected with the floor, leaving a trail of blood. She grabbed the second explosive tied to her belt and stuck it to the wall, activating the five-second timer, as Sendak's arm swung for her.
And Violet ran like hell towards Sendak, sprinting past him as the world exploded around them.
She was sucked from the room as the far wall burst apart, gravity instantly pulling her into a freefall. Sendak spiraled around beside her, face twisted in fury; Violet glimpsed the cruiser, careening towards a rocky canyon, and a flash of color - one of the lions? - before she spun out of control in the raging wind.
And then, in a second, the air seemed to steady in a moment of clarity. Violet found herself facing the ground, rushing up to greet her; blood from the open wound on her back streamed above her like red smoke, the pain muted by adrenaline and fear. She couldn't see Sendak anymore, but she hoped he was dead - or, at least, screaming like a baby.
The ground was coming up faster now - maybe thirty feet away. I can't die, Violet thought. Keith is waiting for me.
What would Keith say? Honestly, Violet. You have to stop getting yourself into situations like this. Why did you have to go on that mission alone?
Because if not her, who else? Shiro? Coran? The paladins? She'd never let them risk themselves like that.
But I have to stay alive.
I made a promise.
Something stirred in her at that - and Violet grasped for it desperately, clinging to it. Magic rose in her, and as she plummeted for the ground, her power joining the fight at last.
Violet fought against the wind, getting her balance; gold light erupted from her hands as she bared them at the ground. Her own rockets.
Violet's descent slowed, the wind dying, as she fell closer to the canyon. Twenty feet. Ten. The light kept flooding from her hands, pushing against gravity; until finally, her feet touched earth, and the magic dissolved. Violet's knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the dry sand.
For a minute, the only sound was her rasping breathing. Violet stared at the blue sky in wonder, unable to move. I'm not dead.
Why am I not dead?
I feel like I should be dead.
She would be soon, though. The gouging wound on her back was shrieking in pain, and wet blood soaked the sand she lay on. Violet told herself to stand.
She didn't; rather, her eyes fluttered shut.
The sound of footsteps jolted her eyes wide open again. Violet focused on the noise. Heavy footsteps - and the sound of something dragging on the ground. Like an arm.
Sendak.
She managed to lift her head, her blurry vision making out his form as he limped towards her. Finally, he paused by her body.
"Triumph," Sendak said, his voice hoarse, "Or death."
Violet tried to speak, but she couldn't. So she raised her finger - just the middle one.
Sendak growled and brought his arm up.
And in a whirl of metal and flying sand, the black lion flew down next to them, jaws hanging open as someone jumped out. Keith's sword shimmered to life, and in a single swipe, he cut Sendak in half.
There was silence.
And then Sendak's body fell, his arm thumping onto the earth, and Violet could hear Keith's ragged breathing as he rushed to her side.
"Hey," she managed to croak.
"Violet-" Keith's voice was frantic and he slid to his knees beside her, one hand cradling her shoulders. "You're bleeding - are you hurt?" Pause. "Did you just flip off Sendak?"
Her lips curled, despite the agony coursing through her bones. "He ... deserved it."
"You're bleeding out," he said, face contorted with worry. "Quick, what's your type?"
She smirked, though she was cut off by a cough. "Dark hair, moody ... paladin of the black lion-"
"Violet," said Keith. "Your blood type."
"Oh." She looked down at herself. "Red."
A chuckle rasped out of Keith, but it was short-lived. "I told you not to die, Vi. You're not allowed to die."
Violet's chest heaved as she struggled to draw in breath. "You know ... I never ... listen."
"Stay with me, Violet," Keith said softly. "Just a little longer."
She found his hand and took it, her fingers stained with her blood. Keith didn't seem to notice, or care. He clasped her hand tightly.
"Hunk, help me with Violet. She's hurt."
There was a rumble as the yellow lion landed beside Blacky and Hunk ran out. He lifted Violet gently, but it did nothing to dull the pain in her back. Violet leaned on him, gritting her teeth, as she stood.
The yellow lion leaned down, opening her mouth, and Hunk helped Violet limp inside. She collapsed against the wall, her head ringing, and murmured "Thanks, Goldy."
Lance's voice came in. "Guys, what's that?"
Violet peered at the sky, making out a ball of flames speeding towards earth. "Great balls of fire," she mumbled. "Can't be good."
"Violet's right," Pidge said. "My scanners don't recognize this."
Keith ordered, "Prepare for impact!" The paladins got to their lions, and the object hit the ground, forming a crater in the earth. The yellow lion shook, causing Violet to stumble; her back hit Hunk's chair, pain shot through her body, hot as a flame, and everything went black.