Big things are coming.

Days later, I stand with Kolivan, looking over the nearly complete platform.

~~Exciting, isn't it?~~ I ask.

"What is?" Kolivan asks back.

~~Seeing what we've accomplished. And knowing that with it, we'll better be able to fight this war.~~ I reply.

"Ah. Yes. It is… exciting. With this…"

~~…We'll be one step closer.~~

"To freedom."

~~To~~ freedom.

WaRnInG!
I start, feeling something ominous weighing down on me.

~~Something's wro-~~

"Commander Kolivan! Diego!" A voice shouts from behind us. Turning around, we see Yarak sprinting to us.

"Lieutenant Yarak. Report." Kolivan says.

"We've received an encrypted message from a spy that made it onto outpost Omega Twenty four. There's two ro-beasts heading straight for us!" He shouts.

"What?!" Kolivan and I yell.

"We received the message a dobosh ago, it looks to be a few vargas old. The spy says that two ro-beasts were spotted moving into outer space and the direction they're going will have them arrive at Mystacor." Yarak reports.

~~Voltron, scan.~~

Response: Scanning… No ro-beasts detected on long range scanners. Switching to visual.

My head tilts up, my vision enhancing itself hundreds of times over. I see two ro-beast coffins. One contains a large, wide bodied purple and black ro-beast, the two colours separating in the middle to have one half be purple and the other, black. It's arms are large and there appears to be two larger than normal sirenic turrets on its back. Flying next to it is another ro-beast coffin, containing a slimmer but longer ro-beast than the first. It is completely silver and the feral grin on its face sends a shiver down my spine.

I ~~see them. Two, one big with a line in the middle of it, separating it into two colours.~~

"Multexus. Dangerous and capable of jamming scanner technology." Kolivan says.

~~The other one looks skinny with long arms and a… chilling smirk on its face.~~ I say.

"I do not recognize that one." Kolivan tells me. "It must be new. That means we don't have any idea what it can do but I can tell you about Multexus. It possesses the ability to split into two halves, each armed with powerful weaponry. The halves can be destroyed with bombardment but they are incredibly agile."

~~They won't be faster than me. Here we go!~~ I blast off, gripping my Bayard and forming my super-wings.

"Good luck!" Kolivan calls up to me.
Thank you.

Rematerializing in space, I stare at the two approaching coffins.

«WeLl WeLl WeLl. If It IsN't ThE wHiTe MeChAnOiD. GlAd To SeE mE aGaIn?» I hear over my communicator. The voice sends another shiver down my spine.
It can't be.

I recognize that voice, garbled and mechanical as it is.
She's dead. She died in an explosion.

«WeLl, I bEt YoU tHoUgHt YoU kIlLeD mE. BuT GuEsS wHaT?! YoU fAiLeD! JuSt LiKe I fAiLeD tO kIlL yOu!» The insane voice of general Atchor sounds as the coffins stop and deposit their two monstrosities. Multexus points its hands and turrets at me.

«WeLl YoU hAvEn'T sEeN tHe LaSt Of GeNeRaL ATCHOR! Or ShOuLd I sAy, EXTERMIA!» The newly dubbed Extermia screeches, barreling towards me alongside Multexus. Multexus fires both his large sirenic turrets, the lasers screaming towards me as Extermia tries to slash at me with her claws. Quickly plugging my Bayard into its port, I turn the key on my transformation.

ENGAGE.

Diego dodges the claws as he transforms, dodging Extermia's swipe. Swiftly assembling his Echo shield, Diego blocks the two sirenic lasers, echoing the back at Multexus. He splits in two, dodging both beams. Countering his renegade attack with two blasts from his arms, Multexus recombines and charges at Diego. Rapidly swinging her claws, Extermia continually tries to hit Diego, missing every time.

Warning: Unable to scan opponents due to jamming signal. Suggestion: Destroy Multexus. Extermia does not appear to have long ranged weapons. Prioritize: Multexus; alpha priority. Extermia; beta priority. Engage.

Diego blasts away Extermia with his hand laser, making a beeline for Multexus. Forming his sword, Diego slashes at Multexus horizontally. Multexus suddenly rotates itself sideways, splitting in two again to dodge the strike. Both halves fire their arm lasers at Diego, forcing him to block. Unfortunately, he doesn't have time to block Extermia sneaking up on him and clawing him in the back.

Warning: Unknown quintessence wavelength detected. Origin: Extermi- WARNING: VOLTRON COMET SUBSTANCE DETECTED.

Extermia's claw glows purple, the silver metal rapidly changing colour. Becoming white. The same white as Voltron's armour.

PRIORITY OMEGA: DESTROY EXTERMIA.

Diego instantly forms his shoulder and arm cannons, unleashing two devastating blasts at Extermia. She blocks with her white arm, getting pushed back but not destroyed.

«Oh, WhAt'S wRoNg? ScArEd Of SoMeOnE hAvInG tHe SaMe ArMoUr AS YOU?!» Extermia taunts, going in for another slash with her claws. Diego hastily backs away, not prepared to let himself get slashed again even once.

He dodges her attack but then gets blindsided by Multexus, shoving him back at Extermia. She grabs him with her silver hand, glowing purple again. Diego blasts her away before being forced to dodge another sirenic blast from Multexus. White armour now covers Extermia's entire left arm and a section of her torso.

OVERRIDE: PROGRESSION DRIVE TO 100% FORM ULTRA-WINGS. FORM BLAZING SWORD. ADAPT.

Voltron suddenly glows like a star, his entire body shining white. His wings transform on his back, growing to equal him in size with multiple rocket exhausts and energy ports. In his hand, his sword burns with white hot plasma.

«WhAt Is ThI-» Extermia is interrupted as Diego appears next to her, slashing her legs off. «AHHHH!!» She screams in pain. Diego raises his sword, ready to bisect her again. She suddenly grabs his arm. «NO YOU DON'T!!» She begins mimicking him further, gaining more and more comet armour before she suddenly recoils.

«AH! WHAT?!» She shouts. Most of her body has new armour over it, only a small section of her torso still being silver. «WHAT HAPPENED?!» She shouts as Multexus tries to shoot Diego again. His four blasts simply bounce off of Diego's armour, not damaging him at all.

SUCCESS: ADAPTION ACHIEVED. ARMOUR IS NOW REFLECTIVE AGAINST HOSTILE QUINTESSENCE WAVELENGTHS. ENERGY LEVEL: 34% AND FALLING. END BATTLE NOW.

Diego advances on Extermia, his sword gone and his wings back to normal. Extermia tries to copy him again but only recoils, exactly the same.

«WhAt?! No! No No No!!» Extermia slashes at him again, Diego catching her arm and crushing it. «AHHHAH!» She screams again. Multexus suddenly appears and rams Extermia out of Diego's grip, unleashing another blast at him. It only reflects again, hitting Multexus in the head.

Begone.

In less than a second, Multexus is destroyed by lasers, his body vanishing into nothing, just like Galvanus.

Quintessence level: 1%…

Diego floats in space, his Bayard floating next to him, Multexus is gone, Extermia is nowhere to be seen.

To be continued…

Author's Note

This chapter was exhilarating. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.