My brothers, Shiro and Allura were standing around my sleeping form, the young boys worried as they stared at me. After I had collapsed, they took me to an empty room in the medical wing of the Garrison. There I had slept peacefully through the entire night.
"What happened? Why did she just collapse like that?" Ray asked, holding my hand in his.
"What was she doing before she collapsed?" Allura asked.
"She was using her powers to heal the critically injured." Kai answered.
Shiro nodded, "That explains it. She overused her abilities." He said, confusing my brothers.
"What?" They asked.
"This is has happened to Solaris before." Allura said, "When she overuses her abilities over fire, she becomes weak and coughs ash."
My brothers immediately looked over at me, worried and scared, "Is it dangerous? When will she wake up?" Kai asked.
"It depends on much of her power she used and how much ash she coughs up." Shiro asked, "How long and how many people did she heal?"
"She healed 25 men and women. All in critical condition." Ray explained. Shiro and Allura sighed in relief.
"She didn't cough up too much ash when she collapsed, so she should be waking up soon." Shiro said. Just as he said that, I groaned softly and twitched my fingers a little.
Everyone in the room stood at attention.
"Big sis, are you all right?" Ray and Kai asked at once.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking away the pain when I saw the bright lights over my head.
I looked over to my right and saw my brothers, Shiro and Allura standing by my side, all smiling in relief that I was awake.
I smiled at the sight of my family and friends.
"I'm all right. Just a little stiff." I said, trying to sit up, failing to do so until my brothers helped me.
Once I was comfortably sitting up in the bed, a knock came at the door.
"Yes?" I asked whoever was at the door.
The door slid open, and I saw my mother, and the rest of the Paladins walk in, all smiling in relief.
"We heard the news." Pidge said as she rushed to my side with my mother.
"You always were the one to help people, no matter the cost you paid." My mother chuckled. I laughed back.
Keith walked to my side and placed his hand on my left shoulder. I looked up at him and saw his kind smile, with a hint of relief from fear.
"You really need to stop scaring us like that." He said. I chuckled, knowing that that would be one heck of a promise to keep.
"Sorry to worry you all." I said.
"It's all right." Hunk said, "In fact, if you're up to it, there's some more visitors here to see you."
I looked confused at Hunk as he stuck his thumb out to the door. I looked behind all my friends and family, only to be shocked when I saw more people walk slowly into my room.
Each person was in a Garrison medical uniform, some in wheelchairs, some on crutches and others standing tall and strong. They were the people I healed.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
One woman, the wife of the first man I healed, walked up to me with her husband and son. The little boy smiled and handed me a small paper with a drawing.
It the best artwork that a three year old child could do, but I could tell that it was a picture of me healing his father.
"This is for you." The boy said, "Thanks again for healing daddy!"
I was surprised, but I smiled and thanked him for the picture.
"Ms. Fiammenta." The man I healed said, "My name is Jared Mikaela. Thank you so much for saving me. It's because of you, I'll be able to see my second child be born."
I smiled and nodded happily, "You're welcome." I turned to the woman and saw the small flame inside her stomach. It was such a lovely and sweet flame. A flame that would grow into a beautiful and kind little girl.
"Your next child." I said, "I can tell by their flame. That child is going to be amazing when they are born."
They looked at me shocked, but the woman, Mariana, smiled and walked closer to me.
"Can you tell me, what will this child be like? Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked.
I chuckled and told her that the baby she was going to have would be a baby girl. She smiled and laughed, hugging her son and husband tightly with overwhelming joy and happiness.
It took about another hour or so for everyone to send their thanks and leave. By then, I felt well enough to change and walk around.
My mother and brothers stayed by side always for the next few days. About a week later, I learned that Shiro was getting a new arm designed by Allura. And I volunteered to go and watch, and just in case things went wrong, I was on the inside in order to immediately help Shiro if his flame was in danger.
My mother, brothers and friends objected, but they eventually let me go in on the condition that I stop if I even cough up a little ash.
I sat in a chair in the corner and watched as the doctors and Commander Holt operated and attached the shoulder piece of the arm. Not my favorite scene to watch, but I've seen worse in space.
"How are you feeling, Shiro?" Commander Holt asked as Shiro woke up groggily.
"Good. I'm good." Shiro replied.
"I'm happy to tell you that we've successfully attached your new prosthetic arm. We just need to power it on and make any final adjustments." Commander Holt turned to me, "Solaris, it's your turn to help keep his flame secure during this part."
"Of course." I said, standing up and placing my hand on Shiro's chest, connecting to his flame and keeping it steady.
One of the doctors walked up to the table with the new arm for Shiro.
"We've outfitted it with the most powerful energy source Earth has to offer." Commander Holt explained, "It's the closest we could get to mimicking a Balmera crystal's energy. It should generate enough power to operate most of it. The remaining power will be drawn from your body's own electromagnetic field."
Shiro's bed-table shifted so he could sit up straight and the arm was placed beside him. Almost immediately, the arm activated, spinning around and clenching its fingers. Shiro gasped at the amazing technology he had now.
However, I felt just then that Shiro's flame was flickering too much. I pushed my power into him as he screamed in pain, the monitors connected to him beeping rapidly as he accidentally flung me to the ground.
"He's crashing! We have to shut it down!" Commander Holt shouted, "Solaris! Quickly, calm his flame down as much as you can!"
I stood up and nodded, rushing back to Shiro as he fell unconscious from the pain. I sighed in relief when the flame calmed down, but I was still worried.
Suddenly, Allura ran into the room, grabbed the arm and held it down to the ground.
"Sam, we need to remove the power source." She said to Commander Holt. Commander Holt quickly rushed to Allura and opened the power panel to the arm, grabbing the chip and letting Allura put a small blue hem in its place.
I saw the gem and recognized it as the gem that was in her crown. One of the last things she had of Altea.
Instantly the gem stabilized the arm, and Shiro's condition stabilized as well. The arm flew back to his side as he slowly woke up and everyone outside rushed in to see if everything was all right.
"What-- What happened?" Shiro asked, "I feel strange. I feel great." I stopped using my powers and sighed. It was good to see Shiro with two arms again.
After that, a few more days passed and we were called to a meeting to discuss what Pidge and Allura discovered from Sendak's memories.
"We've learned so much from Sendak's memories." Pidge said beginning her report, "We discovered his methods for taking over planets like Earth."
"Sendak constructs armaments at key strategic points around planets." Allura continued, "This gives him the ability to control enormous swaths of territory. He uses the armaments as deterrents to prevent any uprisings and to control the conquered population."
"Based on data from Commander Holt's micro-satellites, cross-referenced with resistance intel, we've ascertained that Sendak built six massive structures on Earth." Veronica pulled up on the screen a picture of the structures, along with their locations.
"We never knew what they were being used for until now."
"They're the weapons?" Hunk asked, "So, what's stopping us from blowing them up?"
"We simply don't have enough firepower to do the job." Admiral Sanda answered, "And even if we did, there's a good chance those facilities contain civilians. We can't just go in blind."
I looked over at Admiral Sanda and sensed something strange about her flame. It was being something, but I couldn't figure out what it was. The last time I had this feeling, Lotor deceived us, used Allura and almost killed us. I would have to keep an eye on the Admiral.
"Admiral Sanda's right." Shiro agreed, "That's why we should infiltrate a base and gather intelligence first."
"The nearest base is 52 klicks south of our position." Veronica said.
"What's the terrain like?"
She pulled up a map of the base's terrain, "The region around what we'll call "Base One" is a complex urban environment. Our route will take us through highly patrolled areas. It'll be hard to keep proper surveillance of our surroundings due to all the structural damage."
"Then I suggest we form two teams: a ground unit that will infiltrate Base One and get eyes on whatever's inside, and a sniper team that observes from a higher position, covering the ground unit and providing some visibility."
We all agreed and split into two teams.
"Use communications sparingly. Stay in the move. Keep an eye on the timing patterns of the patrol drones. Pidge, Keith, Allura, Phoenix and Griffin, you're the ground unit. Hunk, Kinkade, Lance, and I will be sniper support."
We all accepted the mission and went to change into our armor.
"The time is almost upon us, child." I heard Agnimitra say from my pendant.
"I know. Sendak will not be patient for long. We'll have to do whatever it takes to keep Earth safe. Will you be there when the time comes?" I asked.
"Have I ever not?" I chuckled and shook my head, stuffing my hair into my helmet and running to meet my team and Kosmo, who invited himself along om the mission.
We got the cruisers and drove off to our positions, I used my abilities to keep a lookout for any Galra that may sneak up on us.
When we got close, Keith reported to the sniper unit.
"Approaching target location." He said as we drove towards one of the tunnels leading to the large facility.
"Copy that, ground unit. We've got eyes on you." Veronica replied.
We drove through the tunnels and far enough in to keep the cruiser hidden from Galra sensors. We stopped near another tunnel in the wall.
"Phoenix, any Galra?" Pidge asked. I sensed nothing.
"No. We're clear." I said, taking the lead down the tunnels. We walked down stairs and followed the running water that came from the facility.
"Drone patrol, dead ahead." Lance informed us.
We stopped for a moment until the drones passed by us, then ran across the bridge as fast as we could.
We climbed higher and higher until we reached the surface, finding a hiding place with visual of the entrance.
It was crawling with Galra guards and drones.
"This is as close as we're gonna get." Keith said, "Pidge, Phoenix and I are going in."
"Negative." Griffin said, "Route's obstructed. It's too well guarded."
"Lance, you ready to cover us when we get inside?" Keith asked.
"Ready to go." Lance replied.
In an instant, Kosmo teleported us inside the facility. We ran quickly and quietly down the halls, stopping near on to the hall entryways.
"We need to find a port where I can hack in. A control panel or a substation." Pidge said.
"Got it." Keith said.
We ran down the halls once again. I searched for any flames nearby and there were two just ahead of us.
"Got you, Keith. Scanning for hostiles." Lance said. "Sentries on the other side of the east wall."
"Kosmo, now." I whispered to the wolf. Kosmo teleported us around the sentries and we continued running.
"Lance?"
"You're clear." We ran through an open door and down the hall.
"You guys are gonna have to take the right tunnel."
We were about to go down the right tunnel, when I sensed sentries approaching us from both side.
"Hold up a second." I said. We stopped and hid in between the two tunnels.
"There are sentries approaching from both tunnels."
Once again we used Kosmo and teleported from sight, reappearing in the right hall after the sentries were far enough away from the tunnels. We didn't waste anymore time and continued running down the right hall.
We kept running until we reached a door guarded by two sentries.
He crouched down and hid from their sight.
Pidge created a hologram and sent it out to the sentries as a distraction. The sentries noticed and followed the hologram, not noticing that Keith and Kosmos teleported to the other side of the door they were guarding.
When the door opened and the sentries saw our friends, they didn't have a chance to fire when Keith teleported above them and quickly took them out.
Pidge and I laughed as we ran into the guarded room and what we saw was strange.
It was a large power core, but something about it seemed familiar to me. As if I had felt this kind of energy before, but on a lower level. We teleported up to the main computer
Pidge quickly linked her portable computer and began her download. "I'm in." She said, "Downloading intel."
While Pidge downloaded the intel we needed, Keith and I looked around, staring at the large machine in front of us.
"What is this?" Keith asked.
I looked up at the machine and glared at it.
"It's nothing good, I can tell you that." I said.
After a few more seconds, Pidge had downloaded what we needed and gasped at what the end results of these facilities would be.
"Phoenix is right. This isn't good."Pidge said, scaring us both, "It's a Zaiforge cannon."
"What?" Keith and I asked.
"Each base must be building one." Pidge said.
Keith looked over at me, as I continued to stare at this large machine in front of us.
"Sendak." I growled, "You will not destroy my planet. I won't let you." I was so angry that I didn't notice small flames licking at my feet and fingers.
Keith frowned at my glare and the flames licking at me, then grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.
"We'll stop this. There's no way these cannons will launch." He said reassuringly. I was surprised to feel his hand on mine, but I didn't pull away. Something inside me told me to keep his hand in mine.
"Keith, Pidge, Phoenix, it's time to roll!" Lance said.
"Copy that." Keith replied. We ran back to the cruisers as Veronica set off a chaff to blind the sentries.
"Rendezvous at your cruisers. We only have a couple minutes until the sentries gain vision again." Veronica said.
Once we were close enough to the exit, we teleported back outside.
"Let's move out." Keith said. We went back to our cruisers and headed back to the garrison.
The next day, we woke up early and gathered up the intel Pidge dowloaded, then huddled together in the debriefing room to show what we had.
"Sendak has built Zaiforge cannons." Pidge informed the room, "Our intel indicates the cannons were just completed. They could launch at any time."
"What exactly is a Zaiforge cannon?" Iverson asked.
"Planet killers." I said with no rage being held back in my voice, "If these cannons launch and are fully charged, Sendak will be able to destroy Earth in seconds."
"So what do we do?" Veronica asked.
"Ideally, we attack all six bases at once, allowing them no time to stage a counterattack." Keith said.
"That's not possible." Admiral Sanda said.
"If we had our Lions, it could be. We'll have to find another way to retrieve the five we hid since the ship we rode in on crashed."
"Your Lions are orbiting another planet." Sanda shouted, "There's no way to get you to them. Plus, you said that you hid five of the six Lions. Where is the sixth?"
I stood up and gestured to my pendant, "My Lion, Agnimitra, has been in pendant for these past few weeks. She is undetected here." I explained, "For added support, I would like to suggest that the MFEs come in and provide extra backup for this attack ok the base I will be attacking."
"That's a good suggestion, Phoenix." Shiro said.
"We'd love to, but they don't have that kind of range." Griffin said.
"There should be enough faunatonium to boost the MFEs to the sixth base and back." Coran said.
"That's great and all, but Admiral Sanda has a point. We can't get to our Lions." Pidge said. Everyone groaned, but I smiled.
"You don't need to go to them. They'll come to you." I said, confusing everyone. "Think about it. Keith, Fiore sensed that you were in danger multiple times, and Konrad saved Shiro by retaining his essence. They have more power than you believe and they're all connected to you on a deeper level."
Shiro stood up beside me, "Phoenix is right. As Paladins of Voltron, you can connect with your Lions. They will come."
"From Saturn?" Hunk asked.
"From anywhere." Shiro answered, "Wach of you has forged a bond with your Lion. Tap into it."
"Yes, it's possible." Allura said and smiled, "So we'll call the Lions to meet us here."
"We'll need the element of surprise." Pidge said, "The Lions will have to rendezvous with us at the bases."
"Yeah, that will really catch the Galra off guard." Hunk added, "I mean, assuming our Lions respond to our calls. What if they don't come?"
I chuckled at the question, "There's no doubt in my mind that they will come. And when they do, we will strike and destroy all six cannons simultaneously before they can be launched."
"And when the job's done, you can form Voltron and finish off Sendak and the rest of his forces." Shiro added.
"My pilots can transport four of you to the Galra bases before heading out to the sixth cannon." Griffin said.
"I'll bring Lance to Base One." Veronica said, "It's the closest, so I can do it by ground."
"And I can fly Agnimitra, my Lion, to the last base. It should be easy, if I use my flames correctly, it'll camouflage her to be like a sunray. Just like the barrier around Solaria." I explained.
"It's settled then. While Veronica drops Lance at Base One, the MFEs will watch fly a Paladin out to a base. The Paladins should reach the drop zones at exactly the same time the Lions arrive. Then the MFEs and Phienix will head to the sixth base. We'll launch a coordinated attack on all six locations at once."
We all nodded and went out to prepare. But before I left the room, I walked over to Admiral Sanda.
"Admiral, may I have a word with you?" I asked as politely as I could.
She nodded and waited for everyone to leave the room before I spoke.
"Pardon me for asking, but are you hiding something from the group?" I asked.
Sanda looked at me with that same stare, but her flame was telling me all I needed to know. It was flickering wildly.
"I have nothing to hide from my crew." She said.
"Then are you lying about anything?"
"No. Like I said, I have nothing to hide. Are we done here? You have a mission to go on."
I nodded and she walked away, but I stopped her.
"Admiral Sanda," I said, stopping her from walking out the door but she didn't turn around, "Your flame is telling me that you're hiding something. If what you're hiding is something that puts the only hope that Earth has in danger, then I hope you're ready to take on the guilt that comes with hiding that secret."
She made no move of answering back to me, instead, she nodded slightly and walked away, her flame now showing a sense of guilt.
After I was changed into my paladin armor, I stood in front of my family outside the Garrison and smiled.
"I hope you'll be careful, Phoenix." Mom said, "I don't want to lose you again."
"I won't disappear again, mom. I promise." I grabbed her and my brothers into a hug. When we separated, my brothers smiled at me and said, "Come back to us safe, big sis."
I nodded and promised that I would return home alive. Provably not safe and sound, but alive.
I turned around and waved goodbye as they stepped away from the large fighter jets. But before I could summoned Agnimitra, I felt a hand on mine.
I turned around and saw Keith holding my hand. He smiled and me and pulled me into a hug.
"Be safe out there, all right?" He said. I couldn't even feel my flame flickering wilder than ever before, I was too wrapped up in listening to my erratic heartbeat.
I smiled as my face heated up and hugged him back.
"You, too, Keith." I said. We stayed like that for a little while longer, before we pulled away and smiled at each other.
He walked away waving back at me and wishing me luck one more time. I heard someone chuckling nearby and looked around, only to see my mother was the one chuckling and my brothers were glaring at Keith.
I blushed even harder and concentrated on summoning Agnimitra. The shield went down and I felt Agnimitra form. When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside her cockpit.
I took off along with the MFEs, flying first to the sixth base.
"Paladins, our window of opportunity is razor thin." Shiro said, "With the element of surprise, we'll have the advantage. Good luck."
I closed my eyes and felt everyone's flames reach out past Earth all the way to Saturn and their Lions. It was amazing to see and feel all of their flames connecting to each other.
"Lions of Voltron, can you hear me?" I asked.
"We hear you child. Our Paladins are callong to us." Four voices responded. All of then except for Fiore.
"Fiore, what's the matter?" I asked.
"My Paladin. I cannot feel Lance." Fiore answered.
"Why? Why can't you feel Lance?" Suddenly, Lance's flame seemed troubled. I opened a transmission channel to talk to him.
"Lance, what's the matter? Fiore says she can't connect to you." I asked.
I heard heavy fire from their location and Lance and his sister screaming.
"We've been spotted! Veronica, look out!" Lance shouted before he and his sister screamed and the audio cut out.
"Lance!" I shouted.
"Lance, are you there?" Allura asked fearfully.
"Lance, where are you, buddy?" Hunk asked.
"Lance, can you hear me?" Pidge asked.
"Lance? Lance, come in!" Keith shouted.
"Fiore, you need to get here now!" I said in my mind.
"Yes, he is in danger. I'm going now." She replied.
It didn't take long for me to sense Fiore touching down on Earth near Lance's location. I had never felt more relieved.
"Red Lion, checking in!" Lance said.
"We have all the Lions. It worked!" Iverson said happily.
I flew over to the sixth base as fast as I could, the MFEs quickly catching up with me. I fired my lasers at the base, but just then, I was hit from above.
I looked up and saw multiple cruisers firing at me from above.
"I'm taking on heavy fire!" Hunk shouted experiencing the same attacks I was under as well.
"Something's wrong!" Allura shouted.
"These aren't normal base defenses!" Lance shouted.
"I'm pinned down!" Pidge screamed.
"Keith, what do we do?" Griffin asked, barely dodging one of the lasers.
"Do what you have to. We can't let those cannons launch!" Keith shouted.
I dodged the heavy cannon fire and was barely able to attack the base I was sent to. The Galra knew our plan. But how?
Then it hit me... only one person knew about our plan in enough detail to explain it to enemy.
All of a sudden, the base began to open and the cannon was being lifted out of the base as it hummed in power
"Focus on the Zaiforge cannon. " Keith said, "stop them from launching."
"Base six is launching!" I shouted.
"I can't get near Base One's cannon." Lance said.
"I can't stop the launch!" Allura shouted.
"Me neither!" Hunk added.
"How did this happen?" Pidge asked.
"Sendak must have known we were coming. But how?" Keith wondered.
"Either Sendak has gotten smarter over the past three years, or someone from our side gave up our plan." I said.
I stretched out my powers far enough to reach outside the atmosphere. It was faint, but I felt Sendak's flame standing next to another flame. Ine I've argued with many times since we returned to Earth.
Admiral Sanda.
However, I didn't have time to say anything about her for the cannons were launched.
"We're too late. The cannons have launched and we're exposed. Sendak knows we'rehere with our Lions." Allura said.
"What do we do now?" Lance asked.
"MFEs, return to the garrison." Keith ordered.
"Roger that." The pilots said before leaving my side.
"Paladins, we need to cut the head off the snake. Taking out Sendak is our last option. Everyone, converge!"
We took our orders and flew high into the sky, meeting each other in the upper atmosphere, but as we made it to the upper atmosphere, the cannons began to act strangely.
"Form Voltron!" Keith ordered and we did as told.
Voltron flew high into the atmosphere, but we were too late to notice Sendak's plan.
I turned around in my seat and saw the cannons firing. Wuickly taking in their position I calculated their trajectory, and my blood ran cold.
"Guys! We need to get out of here!" I shouted, but it was too late.
The cannons fired and hit Voltron with so much power, that we screamed in agony as Voltron was torn apart. It was hazy after that, my mind going in and out of consciousness as I saw Agnimitra returning to my pendant. Bit by bit my mind was fading.
I saw my friends being taken from their Lions. And the last thing I saw, was Sendak's ugly grin as he took me into his arms.
"Finally. The Phoenix and the Lions are mine."