HAGAR'S LITTLE HELPER - PART 4

“Lord Modru, Hagar is on her way to speak with the King.”

“Is the princess with her?”

“No. She remains on the dungeon level.”

Good. I can skip a few steps in my plans, then. The sooner I get this over with, the better.

“Prepare to transport the prisoners, then, and be sure to deploy your men exactly as I told you.”

“Yes, Lord Modru.” The soldier salutes me and departs.

So be it. Now it’s time for Lotor to play his part in the scheme. It’s vital that he keeps Hagar occupied so I have time to move all the elements into place.

Forgive me, princess. I did not wish to have your blood on my hands, but I have no choice. The course has been set. To each their portion, however circumstances may decree.

I give a heavy sigh and return to my private chambers.

“Hagar, where are you?” Lotor pauses at the threshold of the lab and looks around the area. He always hesitates before he enters the room completely. His accidental blunder into the new electrical field I built into the area might have something to do with it. Not that it actually hurt him much - I was conducting a test at the time, at a much lower power level. But he had to remain in his room for a full day afterward. It took that long for his hair to lie down again.

That was a fun afternoon.

“I’m here, Lotor,” I call to him.

He finally gets brave enough to enter the room and walk up to my chair. He looks like he’s been in his wine again. His face has a touch of rosy flush to it.

“Have the rebels been brought here yet?”

“No, not yet. Is there a reason for the change in plans? I was under he impression that Cossack would be interrogating them for a little while.”

“Yes. I want to get the plan for turning the rebels into spies going as soon as possible. I don’t think Cossack has been entirely honest about the amount of lazon I have in reserve. If the slaves have done more damage than he’s admitting to, it will have a significant impact on the supplies.” He begins to pace. “I’m not even sure if there’s enough available for my fleets to run on. I’ve just sent word to Marlowe to have the supply officers recheck their inventory.”

“You’re saying Cossack isn’t doing as well as he claims?”

He looks agitated. “Maybe, and maybe not. I’ll know for certain once I get the update.” He stops pacing. “Cossack had better not be playing games with me. I’ll flay his wart-covered backside with his own whip.”

“He isn’t clever enough to be playing that type of game, Lotor. He probably didn’t remember the numbers properly when he wrote them down, that’s all. If you’re that concerned, why don’t you divert some of your forces from elsewhere temporarily to help him crush the uprising on Marlowe?”

“Why? Because I’ll wind up paying for it, like I did with Breve. I pulled troops from there to shore up my barricade in the Kaplon sector, and then the uprising happened while my defenses were weakened.”

“Then give me just enough lazon for one robeast to unleash on Marlowe. I’ll take care of the rebels for you.”

“I would if I knew for certain I could spare it. You know I need every bit I have in my reserves in case of an emergency.”

“How will this affect my plans for Arus? Am I going to get the lazon I need for that or not?”

He frowns at me. “You might get the lazon right away, or you might have to wait until I have extra surplus. That’s all I can say for now.”

“Why am I rushing to get this ‘Capture the princess project’ going then if I won’t get what I require to finish it?”

“I thought you said your plan was twofold and you could work around not having a robeast handy if you had to.”

“Yes, I can. But I always like to have a backup just in case. It’s for safety’s sake, even if I don’t use it against Arus. If your father is still alive as we both suspect, and he does decide to come out of hiding anytime soon, what makes you think he won’t have a robeast of his own when he arrives? Think about it.”

“Where would he get one? You’re the only one who makes them.”

“Correction, Lotor. I’m not the only one who makes them, I just happen to be better than most at doing so. And you can rest assured that if your father is out there somewhere, he’s having one built even as we speak. That’s why I brought Tira into the picture. She’s here to lighten my workload and keep me from getting too distracted in case of Zarkon’s return. That’s the main reason why I recruited her as my apprentice. You should be nicer to your little sister.”

“Half-sister, old witch,” he sneers and narrows his eyes at me. “How many times must I remind you of that?”

“Silly me. I keep forgetting. Well, I guess I’ll just have to make her work a little harder on her end of things if I won’t have a robeast to rely on.”

“So where, pray tell, does she fit into this new plan of yours?”

“She’s to carry out my orders from a secret base I plan to set up on Arus itself. Once she completes her task, I’ll be able to continue where she leaves off.”

“On Arus? She mentioned that before. What’s she supposed to do on Arus?”

“She’ll take steps to undermine the morale of the Voltron Force and render them incapable of operating the Lions.”

He folds his arms across his chest and looks nonplussed. “What good will that do? You know the Voltron Force has backup pilots assigned to each of their lions now.”

“Yes, Lotor, I do know that. That’s the other reason why I want to have a robeast on hand. Keith’s recruits have had nothing more than some simulator time and a few practice flights in the lions themselves. They aren’t familiar with all the hazards of taking on a real, live robeast in combat yet. With the proper timing I can make that work to my advantage. Ideally, however, if my plan works the way I want it to, Allura will be handed over to you without a fight.”

Now I have his full attention; he unfolds his arms and leans toward me a little.

“How will you accomplish that? I have to know. The suspense is killing me.”

Humph. I should be so lucky.

“It’s a long and complicated matter, Lotor, too complicated to explain. Suffice it to say that seeds of treachery planted long ago on Arus have sent their roots deep into the soil, and the time is nearly ready to reap the harvest.”

He blinks at me, completely uncomprehending. “What, you’re going to use magic flowers again?”

Oh, curse it all. I thought he was actually listening to what I had to say.

“No, Lotor, it’s an attack of a more subtle nature.”

“A tunneling robeast? Something that could dig up through the castle from beneath, and -”

“No.”

“Another invisible one?”

“No.”

He furrows his brow in thought, then his expression brightens and he snaps his fingers. “A combination of both! An invisible, tunneling robeast -”

“No!” I stare at him in disbelief as he falls into deep contemplation once more. It’s completely baffling. How can he be so clever at times, and so dense at others? It qualifies as one of the great mysteries of the universe. I simply don’t get it.

Then again, maybe it’s not so mysterious after all. I used the dreaded ‘A’ word in a sentence. It never fails to turn his normally wicked, calculating little brain into a lump of inert gray mush each and every time. If I could invent a spell with that much impact in general, I would bring the entire Alliance to its knees in a fortnight. I’d even name it after her. What irony that would be.

I frown up at Lotor. He still has a faraway look in his eyes. He’s chasing that little pink princess around in his head, no doubt.

I really think I need to test that electric field again.

“Lotor...?”

He blinks rapidly and arches an eyebrow at me. “Yes?”

“When are the prisoners being brought here?”

“They should be arriving any minute now. You’ll only be working on four of them, remember. Cossack will be entertaining himself with the fifth.” He laughs heartily.

“I fail to see the humor in this. Has it occurred to you that a pretty rebel slave with private access to Cossack is a little too convenient for this scenario? She could be an assassin, for all we know.”

Lotor smirks. “Like you would really care if she was.”

“I do care, because I don’t want Marlowe added to my list of problems if he should be killed.”

“Don’t add any more wrinkles to your brow, Hagar. You don’t have room. And stop worrying about Cossack. We both know how he is. He’ll make sure she’s ‘properly restrained‘ before he even begins to play with her, and once he’s had his way, he’ll get bored, he’ll be back to chasing after my slave girls again and we can deal with her in whatever way you think is best.”

“I would suggest you send some guards to patrol the corridors near Cossack’s chambers, just in case.”

“Already done. I took care of it on the way here.”

“Very good. There may be hope for you yet.”

“Do you mind working on the prisoners now instead of later?” He seems genuinely concerned. It strikes me as odd for some reason.

“It’s not a problem, Lotor. My potion is done. Tira’s keeping an eye on it for me while it cools.”

He smiles at the mention of his sister, a very pleased sort of smile. Again it doesn’t ring right. He’s been drinking, though, and he’s capable of some rather wild mood swings when he’s under the influence.

“I leave the rebels in your capable hands, then,” he says. “Be sure to let me know when you’re finished working on them. I’d like to have Cossack take them back to Marlowe as soon as possible once you’re done.”

“Very well, Sire.”

He turns to leave the room. I make a loud buzzing sound at him as he reaches the door, and he nearly jumps out of his skin. He spins back to throw me an absolutely murderous look.

“Just kidding,” I say cheerily.

He glares at me and starts for the door again. A soldier suddenly enters from the opposite direction and nearly knocks him flat. He’s out of breath, as if he’s been running all the way to the lab. “Beg your pardon, Sire!”

Lotor steps back from the guard and readjusts his crown on his head. “You’d better have a good reason for the hurry, soldier.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replies between huffs of breath. “The prisoners being transported here have escaped. They captured weapons somewhere along the way, and they broke into the guest’s chambers, presumably to retrieve their friend. Commander Cossack has been shot.”

Lotor’s jaw drops. “Is he hurt badly?”

“I don’t know, Sire. I was simply told to give you the message right away.”

Lotor throws a worried look at me and then he starts down the hall. I grab my staff and hurry to follow him.

The greenish-yellow vapor rises from the hot liquid in the first bottle, swirls slowly through the loops of the glass tube, and condenses into tiny beads of moisture as it cools. They gather into a single drop that slips along the final bend at the other end of the tube, dangles briefly at the opening and falls into the new bottle. One hundred and twenty-five drops of liquid have made the trip so far. Hundreds more will have to do the same before the process is complete.

This is about as exciting as watching mold grow on a mushroom, but there’s nothing else for me to do. I’ve cleaned up all the utensils, put everything back where it belongs, and Hagar still hasn’t returned yet.

I suppose she wouldn’t mind if I took a peek at her spell book. I’ll be mixing potions of my own someday, and it would be interesting to see the variety I’ll have to choose from. I straighten up from the table and begin to leaf through the book. I know there has to be at least one love potion in here somewhere...

I hear the rapid footsteps and quiet whispers of a group of people hurrying through the main entrance. I can’t make out specific words, but it sounds like a group of men and women, and none of the women’s voices sound like Hagar’s. That’s odd. Instinct urges me to duck into one of the side passages leading from the main room to watch.

Five humans armed with laser rifles enter the lab moments later. The three men and one of the women are wearing plain gray coveralls; the other woman is a girl decked out in the trappings of a pleasure slave. Her gold and bejeweled halter top and the matching gold belt that holds a green silk skirt to her hips are easily worth a small fortune.

“What do you suppose this place is...?” She takes a few hesitant steps around the area. Her companions pause briefly just beyond the entranceway and cast wary looks at the dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling before they venture further.

“Hagar’s lab,” says the other woman. “Cheerful place, I must say.”

The young male with brown hair nudges his dark-haired friend with an elbow. “Nice choice, Reid.”

The one named Reid shrugs. “What? We were supposed to head for the nearest light source, right? This was the only one I saw. Sue me.”

“I wonder why the soldiers didn’t follow us into this area,” the pleasure girl muses aloud as she pauses to study the brass cauldron I replaced on a shelf.

The old man’s gaze darts back and forth around the room. “That’s because they must know something we don’t about what may be lurking in here. Stay alert, all of you.” He waves at the other passages with a sweeping motion of his hand. “Everyone grab a torch. Let’s search those corridors for another way out.”

The others nod and break up to investigate. Reid is heading right for the passage I’m hiding in. I press my back against the rough stone wall and grasp my amulet. A few hastily whispered words beckon the shadows to come and conceal me from view. The human takes a few steps in and pauses to look around. He’s so close I could reach out and touch his arm. He continues on past me, and I breath a sigh of relief.

These must be the rebels Cossack brought from Marlowe. Somehow they’ve managed to escape from the dungeon. I have to get out of here as quickly as I can to report their location.

I cancel the spell, step into the room and discover, much to my surprise, that the slave girl didn’t go exploring with the rest. She’s examining the potion book and the connected bottles resting on the table. She’s just as surprised to see me when she looks up.

“Hey, where did you come from?” She straightens up. “Zelaniel, Reid! There’s someone here!” She rounds the table and starts toward me. “Hold it right there, you!”

“P’tono ilei lethiusae,” I say to her. She halts in mid-stride with an expression of surprise still frozen on her face. I start past her and pause to look over at the table. If they know this is Hagar’s lab, they might try to destroy it before they leave. Should I try to save just the book, or the book and potion both? The book would be best, I think, because we could always mix another potion…

My hesitation costs me. The brown-haired human steps into the room and takes aim before I can react. There is a flash of bluish light, and the darkness that envelops me this time is not of my making.

“I don’t think he’s dead, Lotor,” Hagar says as we rush through the halls. “I’m sure we would have been told if he was.”

I don’t reply to her comment. Right now I’m too busy pondering what Modru said about sacrifices. I recall him saying that the rebels might try to save their friend, but he never mentioned the possibility of Cossack getting shot. Or did he? My attention span wavers when I get enough wine in me.

A group of soldiers clustered around the doorway to Cossack’s room immediately step aside and snap to attention as we approach. I ready myself for the worst as I follow Hagar inside. This had better be worth it, Modru.

My fears are groundless. Cossack is sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in a pair of black satin pajama bottoms and a matching robe. He has a frown on his face and a half-empty bottle of hagdral in his hands. The right sleeve of his robe is rolled up to his shoulder and a young Drule girl is winding gauze around his upper arm. Hagar hurries over to take a look at him. “What happened?”

He looks up at her and pouts. “Damn humans came bustin’ in here an’ took my girlie. The skinny bitch with the black hair. She’s the one who did it. She had a laser rifle, I went at her with my whip, her shot went wide and got me in the arm. Then the old man grabs the girlie and they all run for it. I want my girlie back!”

The medic finishes binding his wound, then she shrugs at both of us and begins to pack up her kit. Cossack gives a heavy sigh and stares at the carpet. He looks so pitiful that part of me almost feels sorry for him. Another part wants to kick him in the seat of his pants and tell him to stop blubbering. I settle for leaning against the door frame and frowning instead.

“I can’t believe you’re sitting here whining over one slave girl when you know I could give you ten to take her place.”

“But it won’t be the same, Your Royal Nastiness.” He takes another slug from the bottle and wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. “She was such a little sweetie.” His gaze drops to his bottle. “It’s her eyes, you know? All wide and innocent. Made me wanna take the plunge into that piece of womanflesh and make wisdom come into them.”

I give a nod without replying. I know the feeling, Cossack. I know the feeling.

“I think she woulda liked my whip. Not like I was really gonna beat her with it, just kinda rub her with it a little in a couple of spots.” His eyes take on a lusty gleam, then he pouts again. “What if they escape with her? I’ll never get her back.” He glares at the fresh bandage tied on his arm, then he takes another hearty pull from the bottle.

“Commander,” the medic says gently to Cossack, “I suggested only one drink to kill the pain.”

Cossack stands up clumsily and waves the bottle at her. “Who the hell asked you anyway? I’m Cossack the Terrible. I’ll drink as much as I want, an’ you just forget it! Wait...it’s don’t you forget it, that’s what I meant!” He shakes a fist at her. Hagar steps in between them as I snag Cossack by his good arm.

“Sit down before you fall down, you idiot!”

He snaps his head around to snarl at me. “And who the hell do you think you are, the King or -” he halts mid-sentence and blinks. “Whoops...hail King Lotor, mighty ruler of the Doom Empire!” He attempts to salute me and almost falls over. I let go of him and he staggers back to fall onto the bed.

“Oof -! Whoa, watch that first step!”

Hagar shakes her head. “He’ll be all right - the drink will do more harm than the wound will.” She looks at Cossack. “Did they say where they were headed?”

“They were discussin’ a way to get outta here. Prob’ly gonna try the old steal a ship and run bit. That’s my guess, anyway. Lemme go get ‘em - I’ll make an example of each and every one. Look out, humans, Commander Cossack’s got a can of whip-ass with yer names on it.” He attempts to stand up and falls back onto the mattress.

“If they do plan to steal a ship, that means they’re going back down toward the dungeon levels.” Hagar says. She gets a worried look. “Tira’s still down there, waiting for me to return. She could be in danger. I have to go.”

“Wait, Hagar,” I say to her. “There are people up here in danger too. What if one of those slaves figures they could free their planet by coming after me personally and decides to try it?”

“Don’t worry, Your Illustrious Druleness, I’ll protect you.” Cossack makes another attempt to rise and fails.

“I’m sure they realize by now that the number of guards has been tripled in this area to protect you, Lotor.” Hagar replies. “They wouldn’t dare try to double back.”

That’s a good argument. I don’t know how else to delay her without arousing her suspicions, but Modru said she has to be kept away from the dungeon level for as long as possible. I have to persuade her somehow...

“It might be better for you to stay where it’s safe as well, Hagar. Maybe they want you to come looking for them on purpose.”

She pauses at the doorway and gives me a slight smile. “Your concern is touching, Lotor. I may just break down and cry.”

“Cut the sarcasm, old witch. Unless you happen to have a spell that turns you laser-proof, my argument makes sense and you know it. For safety’s sake, let’s go to the throne room and wait. Tira could be on her way to meet with us, and if we aren’t in a place where she expects us to be, she might wander off to search for us and get lost.”

Hagar pauses in thought. “You’re right, I should be there to greet her when she arrives. Let’s be going, then.” She leaves the room and I catch up with her partway along.

“Cossack sure was upset about losing that so-called ‘girlie’ of his. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that intent on one woman before.”.

“He’s way too obsessed with her for his own good,” Hagar says with a hint of disgust in her voice. “It can be dangerous for a man to be so fixated on a woman that he forgets his responsibilities - umm, present company exempted, of course.” She gives me a toothy grin and goes through the door. I grit my teeth as I follow.

“Aria, are you all right?” I wave my hand in front of my sister’s face. She’s as still as a statue. She doesn’t even blink when I bring my hand close to her eyes. I set my rifle aside and take her by the shoulders to shake her. No response. I have no idea of what could have happened. The Drule woman I shot with the stun beam must have done it somehow. I move away from my sister and take a moment to study the unconscious figure lying on the floor.

“Zelaniel, what’s the matter?” Tallam’s voice makes me jump and I spring to my feet. He comes up on my right, takes a close look at my sister.

“What’s going on here? What happened to Aria?”

“I don’t know. She’s in a trance of some sort, I think. I tried shaking her but she didn’t respond at all.”

“A trance?” He waves a hand in front of her eyes. “Hmm...I believe you’re right.”

“I think she’s responsible for it somehow.” I motion toward the fallen woman. “Could it be some sort of magic?”

“Maybe...” Tallam takes Aria by the shoulders and makes his own attempt to shake her awake. After a moment she begins to stir. She raises a hand to her forehead and looks disoriented.

“Where is she - where did she go?”

“Where did who go?” Tallam asks.

“The blue woman, the one who cast a spell on me.”

“You mean this blue woman?” I point at the floor. Aria nods.

“Yes, that’s her. She said some strange words, my mind went completely blank, and then you and Tallam were here, but I don’t remember either of you coming into the room.”

Reid and Dana enter the room just as Aria finishes with her story. Dana studies Aria with a smug little grin.

“So your mind went completely blank, huh? It’s not like that doesn’t happen to you normally.”

Aria wrinkles her nose and tells Dana to shut up. I walk up to my sister to look her over.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replies. “I wasn’t hurt, I just…well…I think I was stunned…or something.”

“So what happened?” Reid asks. “How did she do it?”

“I’d tell you if I knew for certain,” Aria replies. “Like I told you before, she said some sort of words, and -”

“Here now, she’s waking up.” Tallam kneels beside the woman as she begins to stir. The rest of us gather around to get a better look at her. Her eyelids flutter open and I realize I wasn’t imagining things when she looked my way right before I knocked her out. Her eyes are human and bright blue, framed in thick, dark lashes.

“Will you look at that?” Reid says with amazement in his voice. “She’s a half-breed!”

She doesn’t react to Reid’s comment as she studies the five of us, her expression dull but wary. Dana points her rifle right in the woman’s face.

“Maybe she’s Hagar in disguise. We should shoot her now and get it over with.”

Tallam pushes the barrel of the rifle aside. “Don’t be ridiculous. If she were Hagar, do you think we’d still be standing around in her lab right now?”

“I don’t think she’s Hagar.” Reid leans close to study her face. “Hagar would probably use a disguise that was either fully human or entirely Drulish instead of such a weird mix.”

“Maybe she thought we’d figure that,” Dana replies.

“No, I agree with Tallam. I don’t think she’s Hagar either - she’s probably an assistant or a slave or something.” I squat down to take a closer look at her as well. She’s awfully pretty for a sworn enemy. Her long, white hair looks soft and silky and her tight black dress hugs her curves all the way to the hips. There’s a thigh-high slit in the right side of her skirt, and the leg exposed by that slit is long and shapely. She takes notice of my scrutiny and smirks. I frown and avert my gaze.

“Maybe she was just defending herself,” Aria says. “I mean, I came around the table at her, and she may have thought I was going to attack her, and that’s why she did…whatever she did.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dana retorts. “If she knows magic, she’s dangerous and we ought to put her out at least.” She narrows her eyes at the woman and makes a point of adjusting the setting on her rifle. The woman studies the rifle as if she’s trying to recall something, then her expression turns neutral. I rub at the bridge of my nose and sigh.

“Look, Dana, Aria is right. This woman probably could have hurt her, but she didn’t. That means she’s not hostile. Let’s try a little bit of diplomacy before we start shooting, okay?” I offer the lady a friendly smile and a hand to help her to her feet. She pushes it away, struggles to stand upright and hangs onto the table for support instead. Then she glares at me. I take a cautious step toward her and address her in her native tongue.

“Listen, Miss...we’re not going to hurt you. We’re just looking for the fastest way to get out of this castle. We’d appreciate it if you could give us some directions. Then we can leave and cause you no further trouble. I promise.”

She gives me a defiant look and makes her reply in perfect Galactic English Standard. “Where you’re going, human, is right back to the dungeon where you belong, you and all your friends.”

“So much for diplomacy,” Reid says with a shrug.

“And who do you think is going to put us there?” Dana snaps. “You and whose army?”

“I don’t need an army. I’m perfectly capable of dealing with you myself.” She tries to straighten up and sags back against the table again. Traces of the stun beam’s effects are still lingering in her system. I catch her by the arm to help her upright. She tries to pull away from me but she can’t. She’s having enough trouble remaining steady on her feet as it is. Dana laughs at her feeble struggle.

“Ooh, aren’t we a tough little servant girl.”

She narrows her eyes at Dana. “I am no servant, human. I am Princess Tiralyn of Doom. But I’m feeling generous, so you can call me Tira.”

“Princess...of Doom?” I exchange looks with Tallam and Reid. “Lotor has a sister?”

“More of Zarkon’s offspring,” Dana says grimly. “As if we need that.”

“Sure we do,” Reid looks her over with an appraisal that’s more than casual. “She’s going to make a great guide out of the castle.”

“I just bet she will,” Dana says. “She’ll guide us right out of the castle and straight into the arena.” She smacks Reid on the arm again. “Stupid. What makes you think she can be trusted?”

“I don’t know how to get around this castle,” she retorts, “and I wouldn’t show you the way out even if I did.”

“All right,” Dana says. “Let’s just shoot her and get going. We don’t have time for this.” She levels her rifle at the woman again. I let go of Tira’s arm and reach out to shove the barrel of Dana’s weapon aside.

“Will you stop that and listen? If we can’t use her as a guide, she’ll make a good bargaining chip. She should be worth an escape ship at the very least.”

Dana isn’t convinced. “And exactly how do you figure we‘ll be able to do that?”

“We’ll ask a castle guard to deliver the message. They’ll have to cooperate once they see who we’ve got for a hostage.” I look around at the many passages leading from the room. “We need to find a better place to secure ourselves in, though. This one has too many access points for my taste. Aria, grab a couple torches. Tallam, come over here and help Reid escort the princess, will you?”

Tallam nods to me and takes his place at Tira’s side. Aria hands me a torch, takes one for herself and we lead the way out of the lab. Tallam and Reid follow behind us, dragging the princess along by the arms. Dana is last. She pokes Tira in the back with her rifle.

“You say any funny words or make any sudden movements, and I’ll let you have it. Just remember that.”

Tira doesn’t reply. Dana smirks at her. “Good girl.”

I throw an irritated look over my shoulder. “Cool it, Dana. Keep an eye on her, but otherwise I want you to leave her alone.”

“Yessir,” Dana mutters and takes a few steps back from Tira. Tira gives a quiet sigh and frowns to herself.

“This is what I get for wanting a little more excitement in my day,” I hear her say quietly. I glance at her and she grins sarcastically. I turn my attention back to leading the way out of the room.

To Hagar's Little Helper: Part 3

To Hagar's Little Helper: Part 5