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Redemption and Destiny	By : alucardsangel1973 Category: +S to Z > Voltron Views: 2221 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Voltron and its characters are property of World Event Productions. I do not own the fandom. No profit is made from this. This is purely a fanfiction that includes original characters from my imagination. Characters from the series and comic are not mine.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter
15(and I made sure to take a little more time with this chapter)
finds Lotor and Kaladan in the clutches of King Zarkon. After a
confrontation with their former king, the two are taken to the
dungeons where Lotor learns the meaning of the mysterious dream
he had...and shocking truths about his family and himself. And
while thing seem bleak, a rescue team races to planet Doom to
save their imprisoned king.

Chapter
15 Lost Truths

Lotor
and Kaladan awoke to find they'd been forced to their feet.
Surrounded by soldiers of the king, the two prisoners were led
from the docking hanger to the throne room. Both exchanged
glances knowing the wrath they were about to face. Failure was
something Zarkon frowned upon. Treason was something he
absolutely abhored. And as far as he was concerned, both men were
traitors. And treason warranted the harshest punishment, death.
With their hands bound behind them, they walked slowly with the
guards occassionally shoving them in the back. If it hadn't been
for the restraints, there would have been an ensuing blood bath.
Sylvana led the group with the invisibility pendant in her hands.
She swung the trinket from its chain nonchalantly as she walked.

While
it felt like hours, the walk was only a few moments long. Soon
they were in sight of the throne room. At Sylvana's command, the
doors swung open and she led the prisoners and her men to the
menacing presence of King Zarkon. While the sight of the king
would have been more than enough to strike fear in the hearts of
most prisoners, Lotor and Kaladan looked on with defiant glares.
The king's expression was one of utter hatred. His eyes staring
daggers into the two druel prisoners. Sylvana bowed humbly before
Zarkon and began to speak.

"Great
king, I have brought you the traitors as you commanded."
Turning to the prisoners she commanded them to kneel before the
king. Both ardently refused.

"On
your knees you scum!" She shouted as two guards forced the
two upon their knees.

"Excellent.
You've done well Sylvana. Tell me, just how did you manage to
capture them so quickly?" Zarkon asked.

"The
Arusian princess unwittingly led me right to them. They bargained
for her life with theirs. It was truly pathetic. It would appear
princess Allura has forgiven your son for his transgressions of
the past. She ran away crying like the miserable little pidgeon
that she is when she realized her dear prince would soon face his
death."

"You
bitch!" Lotor barked.

"Silence
traitor!" A guard barked as he kicked Lotor to the ground.
He forced the former prince back up by his hair. The look in
Lotor's eyes was nothing but firey spite. If looks could kill,
the bodycount would have been staggering. He wasn't the only one
with burning anger in his eyes. Kaladan was equally as defiant
toward the king. The last time he'd seen Zarkon was before the
woman Kaladan loved, Selena was brutally raped to death. His
blood boiled with thoughts of vengence and fury. But there was
little he could do. The bonds that restrained his hands were tied
very tight. They were only loose enough to ensure the blood
wasn't cut off from his arms to his wrists.

Zarkon
sat on his throne looking down at the prisoners. Coralle sat at
his side on a smaller ornate throne. Normally she would have
stood beside him. But now that she carried the king's offspring,
her every comfort was seen to. Upon her face was a pretty but
venomous smile. She rubbed her stomach signifying her
protectiveness of the spawn growing inside of her. Haggar stood
on the other side of the druel king with a fiendish grin. She
would soon unveil her ultimate creation to King Zarkon and his
court. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation of the
event. Lotor could see the old witch's excitement and knew it did
not bode well for any who opposed Zarkon. For a moment, he
thought of Allura. The look of fear in her eyes as she fled the
cave. But this time, the fear was not of him but for him. He knew
he was going to die. And at least now he could die knowing Allura
had forgiven him. He could die knowing he had her respect, not
her hatred. That was the only comfort he had.

Looking
down at his prisoners, Zarkon stood up and walked down the long
staircase that led from his throne. His steps became more stern
and determined as he got closer to the court floor. He looked at
Sylvana with an approving glance.

"You've
done very well. Go and take your place beside my queen. You shall
be responcible for her safety. Kill all who dare to threaten
her." He ordered.

"As
you command royal sire." Sylvana said with an evil smile as
she ascended the staircase.

Zarkon
looked down at Lotor. His generous nature suddenly turned vicious
as he struck the young druel with the back of his hand. The blow
sent Lotor reeling but somehow he managed to keep on his knees.

"I
gave you power. I gave you the right to rule in my name, to
conquor and dominate all life beneath you! And this is how you
repay me! You betray not only me, but the entire druel
empire!" He barked.

"The
empire means nothing to me anymore. She is the only thing that
matters in my life."

Zarkon
snarled knowing that the 'she' Lotor was refering to was Allura.

"Very
soon Lotor, you won't have a life. You're going to die, and this
time I intend to make sure you don't make any miraculous returns
from the dead. I'm going to watch you bleed out like a stuck
pig." Zarkon growled.

"Really?
Is that how it was when you killed my grandfather!" Lotor
roared.

Zarkon
stood deathly still and his eyes widened.

"How
do you know of such things?"

"You
killed him. You waited til his back was turned and you stabbed
him through the heart!"

Zarkon
grabbed Lotor's hair forcing his head back in a painful angle.
"Tell me how you know that you little bastard! Tell
me!"

"I
saw it in a dream. I saw you run him through with your sword. I
heard a man refer to you by your name." Lotor gasped barely
able to breathe or swallow.

Zarkon
released Lotor from his grip. He gasped and sputtered finally
able to breathe again. He looked up with blood running from his
mouth. "Who was he father? Who was he, and why do I look
like him? And why did you look different now than when you killed
him? Halfbloods don't change their form as they age. Why is this
different for you?"

Zarkon
looked down at Lotor and Kaladan, fury brimming within his aged
body. "Stand them up, and take them to the dungeons."
The king growled in a dangerous tone.

The
prisoners were forced to their feet and turned away from the
throne. Zarkon walked past them to be in front of his soldiers.
Kaladan looked at Lotor seeing the rage in his face. It was an
understandable rage. If there was a way to be found out of this
situation, then heads were going to roll. Both druels would see
to that.

**********************************************************

"I'm
glad this old Doom cruiser still works. How long has this thing
been sitting on Namoria now?" Avian asked checking the
navigational screen.

"A
long time. It was the only ship abandoned after the massecre.
It's our only hope of getting past planet Doom's security without
being noticed. The cloaking device has been updated. Hopefully
they won't be asking too many questions about our business
here." Genar answered. He looked over at Kezrin. He had a
look on his face that was both anticipation and old anger. Genar
motioned to his younger cousin.

"Kezrin,
we're only there to rescue the king. Your business with Haggar
will have to wait til another day. Agreed?"

"I
make no promises Genar. I make no promises." The purple
haired druel answered sternly.

"Take
it easy Kez. We're gonna need your power for the rescue. The old
witch can wait." Avian said.

Kezrin
said nothing more but gave a gruff sigh of his agreement.

"As
far as any of us know, Zarkon won't be expecting a rescue. That
should give us some advantage. We'll have to work quickly once
we're there." Genar stated.

"Fine
by me. I can't wait to put my foot up some doomite ass once we
land." Avian said.

"Just
so we understand each other Avian, we're doing this to rescue
King Danzar. Leena has grown up into a strong, wise young woman,
but she is not yet ready to assume the responcibilities of ruling
an entire planet. She needs her father to guide her in the ways
that we cannot. We can only be her advisors and her guardians.
Namoria needs its king." Genar scolded.

"I
know that. I'm not as reckless as you think I am Genar. I just
like finding a little trouble every now and then." Avian
replied.

"That
may be, but I'm the one who usually has to come and get you out
of it." Genar stated with a sigh.

"Yah,
yah." Avian muttered as he looked at the navigation screen
again. "We'll be there soon. We're in the outer reaches of
the Denubian galaxy now. Doom's not too far off."

"Good.
I suggest we all have our weapons with us when we land. Things
are likely to get ugly when we set foot on Planet Doom."
Genar replied.

"Just
the way I like it." Avian said with a smirk.

**********************************************************

The
long walk to the dungeons was marked by screams of tortured
prisoners, men dying of starvation and thirst and women weeping
in fear. It was a walk Lotor knew only too well. He once came to
the prisons to chose women who would be his slaves. Now he was
going to be one of the prisoners. He and Kaladan both would be
confined there until they were to be executed. Zarkon led them
down the dark, dank corridor lit only by dim and dying torch
flames. The smell of mold, rotting food, sweat and other
unpleasent odors choked any air that might have passed through.
At last they stopped at the cell Zarkon had recently visited.
Within the cell was the druel known as Danzar. Once a king
himself, he became a prisoner of Zarkon long ago. The door opened
and Zarkon stood to the side of the entrance. He smiled cruely as
he looked into the dimly lit cell.

"I've
brought you some company to help you pass your last hours of
life." He growled as Lotor and Kaladan were shoved into the
cell. The guards unbound their hands and then shackled them in
the front. They would be able to move a little more freely, but
still unable to put up much of a struggle.

Danzar's
eyes widened when he saw Lotor standing before him. Lotor in turn
was equally as shocked to see the man he'd recalled in his dream.
Both looked at each other for a moment before turning to Zarkon.

"Lotor,
you're alive." Danzar gasped.

"How
does he know my name?" Lotor asked.

"Tell
him Zarkon. Tell him the truth. He deserves to know." Danzar
growled.

"What
truth? What's going on?" The former prince demanded.

"Say
hello to your father, Lotor." Zarkon said coldly as he stood
at the door.

The
shock felt like ten bolts of lightening had struck him all at
once. Lotor felt his knees go weak and his blood turn cold. The
light blue color momentarily drained from his face leaving it a
paler hue. He stumbled backwards and fell back against the wall.
Kaladan rushed to Lotor's side to keep him from injuring himself
as he fell back. Lotor's eyes were wide as saucers, and his mouth
was tightly shut with his teeth showing. Zarkon saw the
expression on Lotor's face and relished in the shock he must have
felt.

"Tell
him all of it brother. Tell him how you destroyed our entire
family. Tell him how you killed our father for the sake of your
greed!" Danzar shouted.

"I'll
let you have that honor... brother. It will give the three of you
a way to pass the last hours of your pathetic lives. Tomorrow,
the three of you will die." The king of Doom warned before
leaving the dungeons.

While
the sentries stood outside to guard the prisoners, Lotor, Kaladan
and Danzar were left in their cell. "He was never my
father?" Lotor asked over and over still in a state of
shock.

"Lotor...my
son," Danzar began. "It is true. Zarkon stole you from
me after you were born and raised you as his son. I know you must
be very confused and have many questions. There is a great deal
you were never told. There are so many things about your family
you need to know. I only wish I could have saved you from him
sooner. Now you have suffered because of my failure."

"Then
it's true. Zarkon killed my grandfather. I saw it in my dream. I
saw my grandfather. He looked, I looked almost like him."
Lotor said trying to snap himself back into reality.

"You
dreamed of your grandfather's death? Then the prophecy is coming
true."

"What
prophecy?" Lotor asked.

"To
answer that you must know who your grandfather was. You must know
about the family Zarkon stole you from. Even if these are to be
our final hours, you should at least know the truth."

"Lotor,
remember what you told me when you met with the princess. The
spirit of her father came and said there were things you didn't
know about your past." Kaladan interjected.

Danzar
looked at the red haired druel beside Lotor. "Who are
you?" He asked.

"Kaladan.
I was once a high commander in Zarkon's armies. I renounced him
and his empire after seeing the cruelty he perpetrated upon
defeated civilizations. He killed the woman I loved and left me
for dead upon planet Taebos. I became a pit fighter for several
years. Not long ago I met Lotor and together we escaped planet
Taebos. We fled to planet Arus to warn princess Allura of
Zarkon's plans to attack her people. She would have been taken
prisoner with us if we hadn't bartered for her life with
ours." Kaladan answered.

Lotor
shook his head trying to regain his senses. He looked at Danzar.
"Who was my grandfather?" He asked.

"He
was a servant of the empire. He was charged with capturing
several territories to expand the power of the Druel Empire. But
like Kaladan, he saw suffering amongst the people of defeated
planets. At first he tried to turn a blind eye to it as he'd been
taught that to be merciful was to show weakness. He was told he
was serving the needs of his empire and his people. He believed
at first it was all for the benifit and survival of the druel
race. He tried to make himself hard to the suffering of others,
while deep down he disapproved of their treatment. He saw men of
all ages forced to do backbreaking labor without little food or
water. Children were forced to live in squallor while women were
forced to serve the soldiers in every possible way. Many young
girls lost their virtue long before they were ready. The men
under his command were little more than animals. Many were half
breeds like him. Many were far less removed from their pure blood
druel parents. He saw children violently tortured, women being
raped, and men being worked to death. The more he tried to turn a
blind eye, the more the memories of the horror's he'd witnessed
haunted him. Until at last he could no longer ignore the
suffering of those people." Danzar paused for a moment
taking a breath and then continued his story.

"It
was not only defeated peoples who suffered, but the druels
themselves suffered as well. Many battles were violent and
bloody, and many young druel soldiers died brutal deaths. Those
deaths haunted your grandfather. But it didn't matter to the
empire's elite. Pure bloods often did not do battle themselves,
but rather let the halfbreeds fight their battles for them. They
were seen as expendable and abundant. It was something your
grandfather could no longer accept. He could not ignore the
burden on his conciousness any longer. And he was not the only
one who felt that way. There were many who felt the same way.
They decided that the bloodshed had to stop. Too many lives, both
druel and those of other worlds were being wasted for petty
greed." He finished.

"What
was his name?" Lotor asked.

"Your
grandfather's name was Keltor. He turned against the tyrany of
the empire and began fighting against the powers that had charged
him with expanding the territories. Most saw him as a traitor to
his empire, but there were also many who sided with him and his
beliefs. They fought along side of him to flee the empire. One of
those who shared his belief would later become his bride. A young
druel noblewoman named Loeena fell in love with Keltor. He had
also fallen in love with her. She was one of the few noblewomen
who displayed kindness and compassion toward the defeated
prisoners. But any kindness she displayed toward them was sternly
frowned upon by her family and those who believed as the empire
believed. Her parents forbid her to have any contact at all with
Keltor, but she loved him too much to leave his side. The night
he came to take her away, her sister Namora kept watch while she
snuck out of her home. Her family found out what had happened and
demanded to know where Loeena and Keltor had fled to. She refused
to give up their location, and so her family forced her before
the emperor. She was condemned as a traitor and executed by her
own family." Danzar explained.

"How
can a family condemn their own child to death for doing something
honorable?" Kaladan asked.

"Fear
of their own lives. If they helped Namora then they would
themselves be rounded up and executed. So they turned over their
own daughter as a traitor. She became the sacrificial lamb for
her family. It was only through news spread through the empire
that Keltor and Loeena learned of Namora's death. The particulars
of her demise were never known, but it was known she would have
died an agonizing death. There was no distinction made between
men and women when it came to executions, and in some cases the
women suffered more horribly than the men." Danzar said.

"What
about the dream I had? Can you tell me about that? Why did Zarkon
look different in the dream than he does now?" The questions
were swirling in Lotor's mind quicker than he could ask them.

"You
saw an image of the palace on your true home world, Namoria.
Keltor and Loeena led those who chose to come with them away from
the empire. They found a planet on the fringes of the Denubian
galaxy. It could support life and sustain the refugees who fled
from the empire. With time and effort, the planet became our
home. After the royal palace was built, a shrine was placed in
the garden in memory of Namora. It was through her sacrifice that
those druels who chose a different way of life could have that
life. Keltor named the world Namoria. He wanted to live a life
free of war and conquest. And those who wished to live in peace
were welcomed on Namoria. The population was primarily druel
halfbreeds, but there were those of other civilizations wanting a
better way of life as well. Those who wished to live in peace
were welcomed on Namoria. Even a human from Earth who found
himself crashlanding on our homeworld was welcomed. One of
Keltor's daughters became close to him, and he married her with
her father's blessing." Danzar explained.

"All
of Keltor's children were raised to live in peace and exist
beside those of other races without agression. Unfortunately, one
of those children did not favor our father's beliefs. And that
child was your uncle, my older brother Zarkon." Danzar
continued.

"That's
what he meant. That's what Alfor meant when he said the key to my
past lies in the dungeons of castle Doom. He was talking about
you. It's still hard for me to believe that you're my father, and
Zarkon is my uncle. It's hard for me to believe anything you're
telling me, but I know you're speaking the truth." Lotor
said shaking his head.

"Yes.
It's all true. And that leads me to the dream you spoke of.
Zarkon heard stories from elder refugees about how powerful the
druel empire was. He heard stories of domination and conquest.
But when he approached his father, Keltor discouraged any talk of
those days. Deep down, he had not yet reconciled with his past.
Everytime Zarkon insisted upon hearing about the empire, he and
Keltor got into very heated arguments about the subject. Keltor
thought by repressing his past he would protect his family from
it. But repression is exactly what drove Zarkon to believe as he
did. He didn't want a peaceful, simple life. He wanted the power
and supremecy the empire offered. And he wanted to start by
making Namoria part of the empire. That was something Keltor and
the others would never allow. He went so far as to tell Zarkon if
he wished to be a part of the empire, he would do it alone."
Danzar elaborated.

"And
that led to a showdown for the crown." Lotor stated.

"Exactly.
Though Keltor did everything he could to avoid it, Zarkon would
not let it rest. He stated that Keltor and those who followed him
tainted the empire with weakness. That halfbloods tainted the
empire. He believed the only way they could ever have favor with
the empire again was to serve the emporor. Keltor refused and
said Namoria would never join the empire. It was then Zarkon
challenged him for control of the Namorian throne. All knew that
a fight between father and son would only bring unrest to the
people, but it was a fight that could not be avoided. Zarkon
would not rest until he had what he wanted. Keltor finally agreed
to dual him. If he lost, then Zarkon would win the throne. But if
Zarkon lost, then he would forever lay down his desire for power
within the empire. That or he would leave Namoria and never
return."

Danzar
paused again to take in a deep breath before continuing his
story. "Keltor and Zarkon dualed. Keltor was a master
swordsman. From what I have heard you have inherited many of his
skills with the blade. Zarkon was fair with the blade, but let
much of his skill be wasted upon his frustration and anger. It
did not take long for Keltor to defeat Zarkon and retain the
crown. But Zarkon would not accept defeat. He waited until his
father let his guard down and then attacked. The wound was severe
and soon our father died. But before he drew his last breath, he
spoke of a prophecy that struck fear into the heart of my
brother. He said one of his blood would come foward to carry his
spirit into battle against the empire. That was the prophecy he
left with his dying breath." Danzar said.

"It
was after that I challenged Zarkon for control of the throne. He
had murdered our father, and by our laws he could not claim the
crown. He saw my challenge as a waste of time, but simply for
sport would humor me."

"Who
won that dual?" Lotor asked.

"I
did. While my skills were not as good as my father's, I had a
better handle on my emotions despite the fact my older brother
had just murdered my father. And this time I made sure Zarkon
made no sneak attacks. The moment he lost his sword and went down
I had palace guards restrain him. I admit I wanted to kill him.
He murdered our father, Namoria's king. But more bloodshed was
what my father wanted to avoid. So instead I banished Zarkon from
Namoria. He spat nothing but venom and hatred toward our whole
family. He swore he would have revenge. After he was taken from
Namoria I had a forceshield created to keep our world safe. I
knew my brother would be bitter, but I could not have imagined
the depths he would stoop to in order to gain his revenge."
Danzar answered.

Drawing
another breath he continued. "It was several years before I
would know what had happened to my older brother. For those years
he did not bother us. We mourned the loss of our father and
continued on with life as he would have wanted us to. For my
mother however, those years were frought only with grief and
despair. She never recovered from Keltor's death. Eventually she
died of a broken heart and joined her husband in the spirit
realm. It was a hard time for those of us who remained. But
seeing as I was king, I had to carry on our father's legacy. None
of us wanted nor could allow it to die. It was all we had left of
him. I married a young druel woman named Amia. I had hoped that
Zarkon would never bother our family again. I was wrong. I was
terribly wrong." Danzar stopped. He tried to fight the tears
he'd held back for so many years.

"Amia
had just given birth to you my son. But you were not the only
child born to me. Amia also bore a baby girl. That girl is your
twin sister, Leena."

"I
have a sister?"

"Yes.
But because of what your uncle did you were never able to meet or
grow up with her. It had not been long after your birth when
Zarkon found a way to break through the force sheild's defenses.
The shield was a creation of technology. And Zarkon used a
servant of the black arts to find a way onto Namorian soil. She
was a witch who used the darkest of magic to gain entrance into
the palace. She was a beautiful woman, but her beauty was only a
veil for her evil. She appeared suddenly in the nursery where you
and Leena were being observed and picked you up from your crib. A
nurse saw what was happening and demanded to know what the woman
was doing. She laughed the most evil ever heard from a woman's
lips. Then she vanished. She vanished with you in her arms. She
tried to take Leena as well but the nurse caught her before she
could finish the deed. Then I heard a voice over the speakers on
the castle control center. A voice I knew all too well, but that
voice had changed. It was much harsher than I remembered. There
was a rasp to it I never remembered before. Then his face was on
the view screen. There beside him stood the witch with you in her
arms. The witch was adressed as Haggar. And it was Zarkon, my own
brother who bid her to steal you from your crib. It was my
brother, but it wasn't my brother. His appearence had drastically
changed. He had the appearence of a pure blood druel. He looked
less human and more like a grotesque monster. He told me I would
never see you again."

At
last the tears finally came, but Danzar did not sob. The tears
were silen, and his expression was one of regret and saddness.
Lotor watched solemly as those tears fell to the grimy stone
floor. Everything Zarkon had ever taught him, ever told him was
all a lie. Every bit of it was a lie. Now he understood why there
was no true relationship between them as father and son. Zarkon
had never been his father. His father was sitting with him in a
prison cell. While there was still a glimmer of hope that reigned
within Danzar, his spirit had been all but broken.

"I
can't believe what he did. I never imagined it was even possible,
but Zarkon had the witch Haggar perform a ritual that purged
every ounce of human blood out of him. He effectively killed the
human side of himself. He was no longer a half blood. He's been
pure druel from that day. But more than that, it brought to light
the evil that lived within him. Inside he was a monster, and now
the outside matches it."

"No
more...please no more. I...I don't think I can stand to hear
anymore right now." Lotor pleaded. It was all too much for
him to take in at once. All of it so much and so fast, he felt as
if his head would explode. And he knew that there was much more
to be learned. He never imagined that Alfor's words would lead
him to the shocking truths he discovered. The problem was, he
might not live long enough to know the many other secrets of his
past.

To be continued...
- 14
- 15
- 16
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Redemption and Destiny