His Rival

Countermeasure Black Lion

Hey guys, Jess here!

This chapter is much shorter (15.6 pages/ 5,268 words), but please take breaks as needed.

If you have any questions or comments about this chapter, let me know; I'd like to hear from you!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Under Keith's guidance, you steadily avoided one magenta pulse after another as the ships chased you around as voltron. Just when you thought you were gaining the upper hand, they merged their lasers together. You barely had enough time to put up the shield before the force from their combined attack blasted you backwards, crashing against the curved inner wall of an asteroid shell. You all grunted from the impact as the beige surface cracked in rings around you.

"I'm headed your way" Coran announced as he saw your struggle.

"Coran, no!" Keith prevented, his voice straining as voltron staggered under the purple stream of energy. "The castle of lions barely survived the first time we fought one of those ships. You'll only-" He emitted a sharp groan before he finished that thought, expressing the pain you all felt as the attack slammed you backwards in your seat, your hands quivering on your controls.

"Keith is right Coran, the ships defenses will never hold!" Allura added between pants.

"We can't take this much longer!" Pidge warned.

"Do you guys have any ideas?" Lance frantically asked as you searched your brain for an answer.

"If we can't deflect the force of their attack back at them, we need to get ourselves out of range" you reasoned.

"Coran, fire just below our position" Keith ordered, quickly catching onto your train of thought.

"What?" Coran interjected, like he couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Destroy the rock we're pinned against, now!" Keith explained for him in a yell. With the urgency in his voice, it didn't take long for him to follow his command. The asteroid exploded in a bright fireball, leaving a cloud of debris behind. "Lance, Pidge, I need you to get us some cover."

"Right!" Lance shouted.

"On it!" pidge voiced at the same time. You diverted power to their lasers as they fired them up, the rotating beams of light torching hundreds of asteroids as you spun forwards. The wreckage slowed Lotor's generals down, but they still managed to chase after you.

"Who's got eyes on Shiro?" Keith asked as you sped ahead towards the pod.

"He's-" Before you could answer, your breath sharply hitched in your throat as each ship wrapped an energy cord around voltron's torso, squeezing your lion. Once you were immobilized, they jerked you backwards away from Shiro, ramming you into a large asteroid.

A cloud of smoke sprang up as the force practically jostled you out of your seat, the rough impact making you grimace and scowl. There was no doubt that the rest of your team shared your irritation.

"What just happened?" Pidge asked, her voice trailing off as a magenta pulse of light emerged in the distance. "Is that a..." Everyone collectively gasped as it took shape, morphing into an eerily familiar swirling portal.

"A wormhole?" Lance recognized.

"They're trying to escape" Keith observed.

"There's only one being that could wield such high amounts of negative quintessence" you decreed, clenching your teeth as the dark energy weighed down ever so slightly on you. "Haggar."