Status Quo
Chapter Ten: Eve of War
by Kyence

Disclaimer: All Voltron characters are property of World Events Productions.

‘’ denotes character thoughts.
 

The arena was still, despite every off-duty Sapientydan within it. The fights they were watching had been numerous these past two weeks. At first, only a few bored spectators bothered to attend, but as word spread of the skill and novelty involved in the matches, more came to see for themselves. No one left after the matches without a topic to share and discuss with those unfortunate to be on-duty at the time. The sparring seemed to intensify as the eve of the battle for Planet Dhm drew nearer. Now that the final hours before the campaign were ticking anxiously away, the spectacle provided a means of exciting them all for the war awaiting them. The son of Zarkon versus Jepaya of Sayenne was a duel worth all of the attention, especially after rumors spread that Jepaya had initially been thrashed by the tiny blue male, and had since returned the favor in each subsequent match. Seconds before, the arena was flooded with cheers of bloodlust and howled advice of where to strike who, but the spectators were hushed by the unexpected stare-down between the two opponents.

Lotor's eyes were intensely fixed upon those of his golden adversary. The lights high above them flickered within their pupils, giddy from the power expressed. Jepaya was several yards away, her left arm straight behind her back. It held a weapon resembling a scythe, with a laser blade humming softly and glowing a lavender halo. Her right hand was balanced in front of her, her fingers flexing as they protracted talons of a foreign metal, gleaming with sadistic promise. She crouched, her legs spread apart as she balanced on her long toes. Her neck muscles expanded and contracted, moving her frill in a wavy current. Lotor positioned his right leg behind his body, turning his torso as she lunged. His reaction was prescient, as he back-flipped to the side.

He did not have time to insult or flash a smug smile. He had done that in the past, only to be sliced across his gut, punched in the face, or thrown across the arena. It hurt his pride more than his body every time. He learned quickly enough for his ego's sake that a quick attack after an evasive move was more effective than a quip Jepaya could not understand. Thus, he landed on his feet, but rather than stand erect, he allowed himself to fall, using his left hand to support him as he used his right leg to give her a low kick sweep. He swung his sword at his eye level in a graceful, linear strike.

Jepaya felt her body lose contact with the ground as Lotor's kick made her airborne. She saw his sword attack as his muscles tensed. She immediately used her tail to slap his hand.

"Ah!" Lotor yelled as the sword flew out of his grasp. His hand stung as though pricked by a thousand needles. He quickly glanced at it to see that that was the case; Jepaya had managed to generate quills in her tail milliseconds before she had counterattacked. She ended her move by meeting the floor and spinning into it. She rolled out into a complete stand with a liquid motion that was admirably smooth. She held her scythe's handle in two hands, flashing a dark grin.

Lotor growled. He grasped his wounded hand, which shook from the shock, at the wrist. 'My right hand is incapacitated. I must wield with my left hand now,' he decided. 'Now, if I could just get to my sword!'

Zarkon shook his head in disgust. "How many times has she pulled that strategy?" he moaned to Shai, who sat beside him. Being the leader of this campaign, she had the privilege of the best seat in the arena: front and center. Zarkon was used to that seat at Castle Dhm events, but took comfort in the fact that he would have his own seat back soon.

"In thirteen days and thirty-nine matches? Thirty-six times," Shai calculated.

"You'd think he'd have figured how to avoid that by now," Zarkon grumbled.

"It is distressing, I admit," Shai spoke. "That could be the death of him if an opponent fighting to the death discovered that weakness." She assumed a pose that implied she was deep in thought. "He has improved drastically in every other aspect of offense and defense, Zarkon. Lotor can easily overpower any Denubian or Drule enemy now; he just wouldn't be able to smite an Apodian is all."

"True, he's still no match for me," Zarkon smirked. He crossed his arms and chuckled.

"And yet you wonder where your son derives his incessant pride from?" Shai playfully teased.

"Hey…the difference is I earned it." He tapped his chest as Shai narrowed her eyes. "And, we are not talking about me, we are talking about my son being unable to shirk a potentially fatal flaw in his style," he added argumentatively.

Shai shrugged her shoulders. "I have only seen your interactions with him for some weeks now, and even I can see that you are too hard on him."

It was Zarkon's turn to narrow his eyes. "How so?"

"Did it ever occur to you that never giving positive feedback stifles motivation?" she queried.

He snorted. "I would give good marks if there was something good that was done."

Shai tapped her finger on her chin. "So, surpassing the billions of people in a galaxy is a bad mark?" she countered.

"If it were 'galaxies', it would be a good mark," he retorted harshly.

"That is an unrealistic expectation for two weeks, Zarkon!"

"Really? I expected nothing less of myself, and I never stopped. Have I ever stopped, Shai? No…and that's my point," Zarkon defended his parenting technique adamantly.

"Zarkon…you are strangling him," Shai said firmly, her azure eyes challenging his yellow. She had deliberately chosen that phrase of words. She knew Zarkon had a painful past and that in terms of raising his child he was learning as he went along.

The words had the desired effect, as the surprised look on his face smashed through any emotional masks he had in place. He turned away from her and focused on his son below, who had resumed fighting with impressive sinister skill.

"I myself have borne twenty-three children, Zarkon. I know how hard it is," Shai resumed.

"We are through talking about this," he replied quietly. His eyes never left the battle in front of them.

"Some have died in battle, some have been murdered, and many live within my house today. The losses do hurt, and I would give anything to have them infallible in everything; but that cannot happen, no matter how much I may wish it," she continued.

"I said we are through talking about this!" Zarkon reiterated, louder and angrier.

Shai, not one to stop just because someone told her to, resumed her lecture by telepathy. 'And my children have, do, and will make decisions that I would have chosen differently. If it is critical, I shall step in. But most are not, and I have to trust in my skill as a meteriarch that they will overcome most obstacles with what I have taught them…and I have to trust in them that will still be able to teach themselves. You must do the same with Lotor, Zarkon.'

Zarkon gave her a fierce face.

'And don't forget that you have three grandchildren waiting for you as well. '

"Breeeaaaaaa!!!" Jepaya cried out as Lotor locked his laser sword with her scythe. They both pushed into each other, determined to knock the other down…or so Jepaya thought. The lasers flickered and flashed bright colors as the prolonged contact strained the components. Lotor felt the static and electricity flow through him. He even sensed his hairs were starting to stand up.

The white coiffure spiking out was the strangest thing Jepaya has ever seen. 'What the…why is this fishmonkey's body reacting so?' she pondered. A murmur traveled throughout the crowd at the rare sight.

Shai nodded to herself as she moved her eyes toward Zarkon. He did not notice her attention. He was scrutinizing his son, a grin erupting from his face. "Do it, Lotor. Do it," he whispered. He had trained Lotor on a laser sword for the possibility of this opportunity to come someday. Lotor had yet to battle someone else with a laser blade, so his potential for the imminent attack was unknown.

Lotor felt a ticklish sizzle begin within his heart. It spread into his stomach, and into his lungs. His body filled with the sensation of warm electricity traveling into his feet and his fingers. His blue hands, covered with a black metal and cloth polymer conducted the energy deftly, which raced into the hilt of his sword, overloading the circuitry. His laser blade crackled as its glow increased tenfold. Jepaya's eyes covered themselves with protective, translucent eyelids as her body developed a dense layer of skin with the ability to absorb the oncoming electrical blast without damaging her severely. His eyes glowed a yellow that covered his entire visage. The yellow charge spread over his whole body.

"Yes," Zarkon hissed.

Jepaya overpowered Lotor and used her scythe to again knock the sword away from him. Lotor held his right hand out with his palm facing her. The yellow electric flashed out if it. The quills still embedded in its skin split the blast into smaller slices that struck Jepaya in several hits. The power pushed her into the distant wall of the arena. She slid down, limp and unable to fight further.

The crowd emitted not a single noise to connote it was composed of hundreds of living souls. Lotor looked around warily, unsure of what had happened to him just now. He then saw his father and Shai rise from their seats and approach him. He studied his father's face, which bore no opinion on what was witnessed. They left a foot of space between them as they regarded him. Then, unexpectedly, Zarkon put an arm over Lotor's shoulders, smiling proudly. Shai raised her arm, and proclaimed loudly, "The winner of this match is Lotor Sayenne!"

Lotor could only decipher his name from her speech, but as he heard the cheers and slapping of the crowd's palms on their thighs, he knew he had finally won a sparring match against Jepaya and was being praised for it.

Zarkon turned his head toward where Jepaya lay. "Shai, make sure Jepaya gets the best treatment. She has prepared my son well," he advised sincerely. "Come, son, let us clean out that wound," he then spoke to Lotor as he led him to the infirmary.

Shai approached Jepaya and shifted into a Sapientydan shape so that she would be physically strong enough to lift her up. The crowd cheered further at the display of affection and loyalty their leader had for her soldiers as she carried Jepaya to the infirmary to rest. This morale that was perspiring would further their prowess in the battle tomorrow.

As Zarkon walked ahead with Lotor, Shai wondered if anything she said had had any lasting effect on him. As for Lotor's ability, she was definitely not expecting that. In retrospect, Zarkon's mutterings should have been hints. ' I'll be damned, ' her inner voice realized with a modicum of investigative desire, ' Even with my mind spells, Zarkon still hides secrets from me!'

Continued

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