CHAPTER SIXTEEN

        When Allura came to she was lying on the cold metal floor.  Her body throbbed
with pain.  It hurt even to think, but it was impossible not to. She was
grateful that the lasers had only been set on stun.   She was sure she was no
longer at Castle Palddon.  It felt like they were moving, and she dreaded to
think where she was being taken. Her thoughts turned to Lotor.  He had been
struck several times by the laser blasts.  She saw him lying across from her,
hands bound with thick leather straps.  His hair fell in front of his eyes and
she was not sure if he was awake, but he did not move or speak so she thought
he was not.  
        Allura heard soft crying.  She rolled over slowly and saw Ayli bound as well
and lying on the floor.  Her pretty ball gown had been torn, and her cheek had
been bruised.  

"Don't cry,"  Allura whispered softly.  "Perhaps, there is a way out of this."

"I have a terrible feeling about all this,"  Ayli declared, fresh tears
spilling over her face  "They only took the three of us.  There are no other
prisoners!  Why?"

        Allura didn't know what to say to the young girl.  She was frightened too.
If only she had told the truth to Keith and the others.  They would rescue
them.  It was a bad situation.  Suddenly, she heard heavy steps walking toward
them.  She watched in horror as a masked guard strode over to Ayli and kicked
her in the side.  Ayli tried to crawl away and sobbed loudly.  The guard just
laughed and called to the others.

"Hey, this one's awake.  What should I do?"

"Awww, shoot her again.  I told you it took more than once to keep them out
until we got back."

        Allura clenched her teeth and fought back a shout as the guard raised his gun
and shot Ayli in the chest.  Ayli slumped back to the floor.  Allura tried to
close her eyes and pretend she was still unconscious, but the guard had seen
her open eyes.

"So, you're up too.  Well not for long."  A shot rang out and there was
darkness for Allura again.  
After he was quite sure the Arusian princess was truly out, the guard strolled
over to the prince and pulled the trigger of his laser rifle.

"Just one more time for good measure.  Can't have you waking up and trying
some grand escape.  Wouldn't want to lose the king's prize, now would I?" the
guard stated, laughing loudly.  He walked out through the doors, and there was
silence again.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

        Lotor woke suddenly.  He was in excruciating pain!  It felt like liquid fire
rolled over and through his body.  He fought to focus his eyes and stay
conscious.  He needed to orient himself to his situation if he was to survive.
He knew his arms were bound tight behind him, and he was lying on the ground.
Sharp rocks poked through his clothing and bruised his flesh.  He opened his
eyes and surveyed the scene.  There were guards everywhere.  Doom guards!  He
was on DOOM!  He could smell the familiar acrid scent of Doom's foul air and
taste sulfur on the breeze.  He saw the castle rising like a vengeful spirit
in the distance.  He rolled over and pain shot through him again.  Stun lasers
hurt more than most people knew.  They not only stunned your body, the pain
was so intense that even if your body could physically move the mind would not
be able to handle the pain message and would shut itself down.  That's where
the real stun came from.  Pain, and an overall weakness remained quite a while
after the initial blast.
        Lotor turned over and saw Allura and Ayli lying face down in the dirt.  They
lay so still he thought they were dead.  Both his precious angels were dead!
Then, he saw the slight rhythm of breathing.  Allura and Ayli groaned and
awoke almost simultaneously, and he sighed in relief.  His relief would be
short-lived, however, for he saw a great throng of people moving toward them
and he felt quite sure they were not coming to release them.  

A guard stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "Make way for King
Zarkon of Doom!"
Zarkon stepped from the midst of the crowd to stand only a few feet from
Lotor.

"Well my foolish son!  It appears as though your plans to overthrow me have
failed!  Did you honestly think you could go behind my back, steal planets,
and try to capture my throne out from under me without rousing my suspicions?
Well you were WRONG!  No one defies me!  Not you, no one!  Now, all of these
people will be present at your execution for high treason, and as an added
bonus, I will get rid of Ayli and Princess Allura as well.  Arus will fall to
me and my power will be SUPREME!"  Zarkon raised his arms as if to enfold the
universe and laughed. 
        
        Lotor could bear the old tyrant no longer.  He had threatened his sister and
love.  A low growl rose deep in the back of Lotor's throat, and he was blinded
by fury.  He rose to his feet and rushed forward to cast Zarkon from the cliff
on which they stood.  Zarkon was ready for the attack, he had sought to
provoke it, and raised his golden scepter to strike down his son.  Lotor
stepped aside and took a glancing blow, but the force of the blow was enough
to gash his forehead and send him tumbling to the ground.  Blood flowed freely
from the deep cut and across his face.  He tried to rise again, but he had
landed on his back and with his arms tied he could not push off to get up.

"You are nothing, father, NOTHING!  Even if you kill me, the planets I rule
will not bow to you.  Someone else will take my place and lead them to crush
you.  You're reign is over!  You don't know how easy it was to sway your own
planets to follow me!"  Lotor shouted, shaking with rage.

        Zarkon frowned and seemed momentarily unsure.  Then a slow evil smile spread
across his horrible face.  He reached down and grasped Lotor by the front of
his shirt and pulled him up and forward.  Lotor thought his father would
finish him now, but instead the king clasped him in a tight embrace and
laughed.

"After all you've done I'm actually proud!  I've instilled something evil in
you.  After all, you plotted the downfall and subsequent murder of your OWN
father, and it almost worked.  My spies didn't find out until just days before
you were to attack.  However, without a leader your forces will NOT attack!"

Lotor wrenched himself free and spat in Zarkon's face.  "You disgust me!  I am
sorry I ever tried to please you.  I was so wrong to listen to your lies.  You
should have been drowned at birth.  I should have listened to my mother's
warnings!"

"Oh yes, your dear mother.  I felt nothing more for her than you would feel
for a worthless whore!  She was a tool with which to achieve my goals, a pawn
like yourself.  I pushed her from this very cliff, and crushed that worthless
necklace into powder," Zarkon informed his son.  "And while I'm confessing at
this moment of triumph, I killed Intaya too.  She knew too much with that
damnable Sight and I knew she would discover what I had done to your mother
and tell you.  I had thought then that you would be loyal and my successor,
but you're really not up to it, are you?" Zarkon declared.  Zarkon turned his
back to Lotor and faced the crowd of guards, citizens, and the royal court.

 Zarkon delared with a thunderous voice, "YOU WILL ALL BE WITNESS TO MY SWIFT
AND TOTAL JUDGMENT! MY SON HAS BETRAYED ME AND IS IT TO BE EXECUTED FOR HIS
CRIMES AGAINST THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KYLDARE!"

Zarkon reached down and grasped Lotor by the back of the neck and one leg and
raised him high above his head.  Lotor couldn't believe his father's strength!
Hagar must have cast a rejuvenating spell upon him.  Lotor struggled, but
could not free his arms to stop his father from hurling him from the cliff.
He looked and saw Allura weeping and Ayli staring mute in shock.  At least
now, at the end, he knew Allura really loved him.  He closed his eyes in
surrender and waited for oblivion.

"Heed well my words and never think to betray your king!" Zarkon warned and
moved forward to cast Lotor down.  He did indeed drop Lotor, not from the
cliff as he had intended, but backwards to the ground.  Ayli had rushed
forward and struck the king in the legs causing him to lose his balance.  Ayli
tore at Zarkon's face with her hands and screamed in her mother's tongue.
Zarkon quickly recovered and grasped her arm.  He dragged her roughly toward
the edge of the cliff.  Ayli was too small to fight him. 

"Don't try and resist me Ayli!  You will die as your mother and sister before
you!  You may go before your brother if you like.  I never had any need or
love for you!" Zarkon claimed.

Lotor looked on in desperation. He had failed his beloved sister.  There was
nothing he could do to help her.  Suddenly, he found his hands free and looked
to see Keith peering down at him.  He could have wept with relief upon seeing
his most hated enemy. 
        Keith and Lance had discovered a coded message from the ship that had
transported Lotor, Allura, and Ayli from Palddon to Doom.  At first, they had
thought it was simply a message about the many slaves Doom captured, but when
Pidge had finally deciphered it the team had launched for Doom at once.  It
had been too risky to fly their ships so close to the place of execution.
They had feared Allura would have been harmed if they had been discovered, so
they set down on Doom far away from prying eyes, and had traveled by foot the
rest of the way.  They had witnessed all the events and had found it safe,
only now, to act.
          Lotor rushed forward with a loud cry and attacked Zarkon.  During the
attack, Ayli lost her footing and slipped from the cliff.  She caught the edge
with her fingers, but the ground was crumbling away.  She could see the jagged
rocks reaching up for her from below.  Allura seized the moment of confusion
and grasped Ayli by the arm.  She could not pull her up because she was still
too weak from the stun lasers, but she kept the girl from plunging to her
death.  Ayli dangled freely and grasped Allura with all her might.  Keith and
the others soon found themselves enthralled in a great battle with King
Zarkon's men.  They dove and ducked behind large boulders to avoid being hit
by a blast.  There were so many guards, and they were unable to get near the
princess to help her.
        Lotor struggled on the ground with his father.  Twenty-five years of hatred
had made him strong, despite his wounds and the lingering stun of the lasers.
Lotor struck his father several times and red blood streamed from Zarkon's
face.  Then he wrapped his hands around Zarkon's throat and squeezed with all
his might.  He wanted to snap his father's neck and feel his life leave his
body.  Nothing he could do to Zarkon would ever be enough to avenge his
family's pain and suffering.  Zarkon appeared to be weakening when he reached
into his robe and brought out a long dagger.  He thrust forward and buried it
to its jeweled hilt in Lotor's thigh.  Lotor howled in pain and Zarkon managed
to knock him backwards.  Lotor lay on the ground bleeding and looked up at his
cruel father.
        Now, Zarkon held a sword, given to him by Hagar, and placed its tip against
Lotor's throat.  Zarkon applied light pressure and blood trickled from the
cut.  The sword was sharp, and any sudden movement would slit Lotor's throat
easily.  Lotor laid his head on the ground in defeat.   Zarkon looked around
to survey the battle.  Keith and his courageous team found themselves
surrounded by guards, outnumbered and out of options.  Allura and Ayli both
cried out in fear as Ayli started to slip from Allura's grasp.  Zarkon had
know this was the only way it could end.  He raised his sword to end his son's
life when he heard it.  A loud roaring sound.  Lotor opened his eyes, looked
into the sky, and laughed.  Everyone stared at him.  They thought he had gone
insane, yet he continued to laugh.  
        Zarkon and the others turned their eyes to the sky. HUNDREDS upon HUNDREDS of
star cruisers and battle ships were entering Doom's atmosphere.  The sky was
thick with them and they blocked the sun from view.  Everything stopped and
everyone stared in awe.  Lotor took his opportunity and grasped the blade of
his father's sword, ignoring the bite of its metal and the blood flowing from
his hand.  He took the sword and rose to his feet.  He put the sword to
Zarkon's chest.

"You SEE father!" he said. "I told you I would take your throne from you.  My
followers are loyal and YOU ARE NOTHING! Your reign IS OVER! It has been too
long in coming, but I finally have my sweet revenge.  Perhaps, you are not so
proud that you taught me so well."

Zarkon backed up in horror to get away, but his escape was impeded by a great
boulder.  Zarkon started to say, "I am your FATHER. You can't do this."

"No father, I CAN do this.  This is when it ends."  Lotor grasped Zarkon by
the shoulder with one hand and with his sword in the other ran his father
through.  Zarkon sank to his knees and looked up in surprise.  He had never
actually thought this day would come.  Lotor looked into his dying father's
eyes, leaned close, and whispered.

"You made me a monster, so reap what you sow."

Zarkon pitched forward and the last of his life's blood spilled onto his son's
boots.  A strange look crossed Lotor's face and then a small grin of
satisfaction touched his lips.  He turned to help the others.

EPILOGUE

Five years later........


        Lotor lay in bed and closed his eyes.  His mind drifted back to the days
following his father's death.   
        The battleships that had entered Doom's atmosphere and caused all the
confusion had been led by General B'Daka, the highest ranking and most trusted
leader of Lotor's forces.  General B'Daka had intercepted the same message as
Keith and the others, and he had ordered the immediate attack on Doom.  Many
wondered why he had simply not destroyed both Zarkon and Lotor when he had the
chance and taken the empire for himself.  The answer was simple.  He was a
soldier and had no ambitions beyond leading an army.  He respected rank and
Lotor was his superior.  He was also a loyal man, and that is exactly why
Lotor had promoted him to general in the first place.  Once they realized
Zarkon had been defeated, the Doom guards had laid down their arms and sworn
their loyalty to their new king.
        After disposing of his father, Lotor had limped over to help Keith pull
Allura and Ayli from the cliff's edge.   Allura had kissed him then in front
of everyone.  Her friends had stood mute in complete shock and then dragged
her away to question her.  Lotor had been so relieved by the outcome of the
battle and Allura and Ayli's safety that he had not been too put out by this
interruption.  Besides, Ayli had clung to him with abandon and it took several
minutes to convince her to release her hold. 
        Lotor smiled at the memory of Allura trying to explain what had transpired
and about her new feelings for him.  Her friends had been FURIOUS!  They
honestly had though she'd lost her mind or been bewitched.  Allura had gone
back to Arus with her friends to explain and beg their forgiveness for her
lies.  Lotor had been upset that she did not remain with him, but she promised
to see him soon and reminded him, upon her departure, of his new
responsibilities to give up his father's corruptness and be a just ruler.
        Lotor and Allura had tried and failed several times over the next two years,
following what was now known as "Doom's Day",  to come to terms over their
political and philosophical differences and to make her friends and people
understand her desire to be with him.  Once, she had left him after a terrible
argument, and they did not speak for several months.  That had been a dark
period for Lotor, and he had reverted to his old ways.  He was harsh and cruel
and unhappy.  Ayli finally had had enough of Lotor's brooding and had arranged
a chance meeting with Allura.  When they saw each other again the romantic
sparks flew and rekindled their love.  However, they continued to disagree
over what Lotor should do with his new empire.  Allura thought he should
return the rightful rulers to power and rule Kyldare as King and help her rule
Arus, after they were married, as Prince Consort.   Lotor was not so easily
swayed to give up his power and thought Allura was trying to mold him to fit
her standards without respecting their cultural differences.  
        Allura thought a ruler was meant to rule one planet and had been brought up
to believe that it was wrong to pursue power or engage in war if was not in
defense.  Lotor had always learned "to the victor goes the spoils", and "might
is right".  He thought by controlling the universe you had no one to fear and
therefore could better provide for your people and planets.  He felt that a
lone planet left itself vulnerable to attack.  Besides, he had executed most
of the royal families of the planets he had conquered.  There was no rightful
rulers to return.  Hours were spent in emotional battles with Allura.  They
still loved each other, but their differences seemed insurmountable.
        Lotor and Allura's political troubles were not the only ones they had to
struggle with.  Keith, Coran, and Allura's other friends still did not trust
Lotor and begged Allura to give up the idea of a future with him.  The people
of Arus were also quite adamant about her breaking ties with him.  After all,
many people's lives had been destroyed during his previous attacks on Arus.
Even Galaxy Garrison placed demands on Allura.  They felt she should arrest
Lotor for his crimes and bring him to justice.  
        All of the pleading and demanding set Allura's mind, not against Lotor, but
to making something work with him.  After two years, they had finally come to
an agreement.  Lotor was to allow the planets of his empire to set up local
governments if they wished.  He would still be king and rule, but the people
would have some small degree of say in what went on in their individual towns.
They could select five men as acceptable leaders and Lotor would choose one of
them to serve as Governor General in Lotor's absence.  The people would pay
taxes and Lotor would protect them.  In return,  Allura would be his Queen and
would step aside and allow him to rule his empire as he saw fit.  She would
not try to interfere, but he was to be fair.
        So, Lotor and Allura were married two years after "Doom's Day" in a small
ceremony on a Star Cruiser stationed between Kyldare and Arus.  They would use
the Star Cruiser as a temporary residence, until they decided where to make
their final home, whether it be on Arus, Kyldare, or a neutral planet.  They
finally decided to make Arus their home, and Kyldare a military base.
        Over the next several years Lotor and Allura had attempted to show everyone
that he had changed.  He had indeed changed, although it did not happen over
night or all at once.  It had taken deliberate effort on Lotor's part and
gentle prodding from Allura and Ayli.  After all,  25 years of upbringing and
influence by Zarkon could not be undone in one moment.  Lotor would always
have a dark side, but he consciously controlled it.
          The people of Arus had finally accepted the union between Lotor and Allura,
but were still reserved when it came to their reception of him, and they kept
an ever watchful eye should he backslide.  Lotor imagined it would still be a
while before he was truly accepted, but he understood the Arusians'
reservations.  Only as of late, had Allura's friends warmed up to him.  They
had finally seen that he was a changed man and that he posed no threat to
Allura.  The turning point for Allura's friends and many people occurred one
year after the wedding when Allura gave birth to twin daughters.  The birth of
the little princesses and Lotor's public display of affection for his family
had swayed many in his favor.   Many also saw now that although he was a
strict ruler, he was also a skilled and just one.  Furthermore, no planet or
force dared, even now, to challenge him for he was powerful and fearless, and
would defend what was his, but nor did he seek to add additional planets to
his vast empire.  His people felt safe in his capable hands.
        Lotor's musings were interrupted when Allura took his hand and placed it on
her swollen belly.  He could feel their unborn child, their son, kicking, and
it filled him with a deep sense of peace.  He swore to himself that he would
be nothing like his own father.  His children would not hate him.  Allura
sighed and nestled into him further.  He smiled and stroked her golden hair.
Things were finally as they should be, and Lotor felt blessed.  He had two
precious little girls and a son who would be born any day.  His beloved sister
was happy and cared for.  Ayli had married an honest and good-hearted prince
who loved her dearly, and now she was pregnant with her first child.  She
called on Lotor and Allura often, and Lotor was grateful that she was happy
and safe.     He also had a vast empire, great wealth, power, and respect.
Above all, he had the love of his life at his side. There was nothing more he
could ask for.
        Lotor sighed in contentment, closed his golden eyes, and fell into a blissful
sleep.