Ember stared down at the city in wonderment, trying to get every detail she could. The city was lit up with a light green light, highlighting every detail it could. The buildings were high into the sky as her and the team crouched down in a hidden spot. 

   "Their headquarters are impenetrable from the ground," Ryner explained. "But there is one way in, a small opening in the roof. It goes all the way down to an open courtyard." 

  "That's quite a drop," Keith commented. 

   "But there you will have total access to the building." Ryner countered. "The hard part will be getting onto the roof undetected."

   "That won't be a problem," Shiro assured. 

   "Hey, hey, hey," Hunk said and pushed himself closer, "What's that? Is that part of the building?"

   "My Lubos! It can't be!" Ryner gasped as their screens zoomed in on a large cube, purple lines glowing on it's surface. 

   "Hey! That looks like the cube Coran gave me!" Pidge exclaimed, pulling the small thing out of her pocket. 

   "I haven't seen one of those in many decafeebes. We used to play with them as children. But this. . .Only King Lubos could have designed one that size."

   "Why would he do that?" Keith asked. 

   "They must have forced him to reveal his designs and reconstruct it as a weapon." Ryner concluded. "From the looks of it, I'd say it's almost finished."

   "We got to get the information they have as well, too, then," Ember said. "Because, even if we destroy this one, they can reconstruct it!"

   "Okay, we need to act fast. Everyone, back to base. I have a plan." Shiro ordered. 

▬ ✦✧✦ ▬

Ember let out a breathe of slight panic as the bottom of the Green Lion opened up, reveling a massive drop. Heights were not her friend, not really. 

   "Alright team, head out," Shiro ordered. The group nodded, Hunk jumping out first, followed by Keith, Lance, Ember, and Shiro. 

They dropped through the opening, easily using their jet packs to slow them down before landing around a tree. 

   "Em," Shiro started, making Ember put down a white oval - their sensor scanner. It popped open with a light blue ball and extended a circle around. 

Their screen visors lit up, showing them the quickest way to get to the Olkari's king. Shiro led the group while Keith was guard the back, Ember in between Lance and Hunk. 

The small group of Team Voltron had their weapons ready, Ember's hands lighting up in their iridescent way. Shiro stopped them just before they rounded a corner down the hallway they took. 

Ember gulped quietly at the sight of two drones marching down the adjacent hallway, not paying any attention to the intruders. Once they past, the team sprinted down the hallway, taking a new twist and turn every know and again before arriving at the door. 

They stood on either side of the door, Shiro holding a hand out to stop the team. Inside the room, the group could hear someone sobbing loudly. 

   "I think they're torturing him," Ember whispered in shock, wincing at the loud cry that erupted from the room. Shiro glanced at the other four, before nodding and having the door slide open. They followed Shiro in one at a time, crouching down and peaking around the wall to look into the room. 

A giant screen was playing some kind of movie it seemed, with two other Olkari in the room. One was fat, and sitting in a chair, while the other was clearly starving, standing behind the chair. 

Ember furrowed her eyes in confusion. This doesn't look like torture. . .

   "Betrayal!" The fat Olkuri - most likely Lubos - cried out. "She loves you!"

Deciding that they didn't need to sneak around anymore, the team got up from their hiding place and stepped closer to the two other people. 

   "King Lubos?" Shiro asked. 

   "Yes?" He turned to reply. "Who are you? The jesters I requested?"

   "Um, we're here to, like, rescue you?" Lance filled in the short silence. Ember peaked her way around Shiro, watching silently, trying to figure out what was going on. 

King Lobos hummed, pressing a button on his chair. Instantly, the lights turned on and a wall disappeared to show a doorway. Alarms blared loudly and red lights flashed as sentries and two generals walked their way. 

   "You could have just said, No, thanks." Hunk complained. Ember let out a yelp of surprise as Lance yanked her behind him, Shiro quickly doing the same so she was in the middle of the circle.

   "Looks like someone came to rescue you, Lubos." The Galra general pointed out dryly. 

   "You turned your back on your people to save your own skin?" Shiro asked the King in disbelief. 

   "I'm doing this for my people!" Lubos exclaimed. "They wanted to fight the Galra and Majesdanians, but they are too powerful! They could destroy us!"

That made Ember look over to the other general, who was clearly the Majesdanian general. His purple eyes flashed over Ember, a spine-chilling grin creeping up onto his face. He definitely recognized her. 

   "So, you helped enslave your people to build some super weapon?" Lance asked.  

    "Don't make me the bad guy! They forced me to do it!"

   "Did he force-feed you, too?" Lance scoffed as the King trailed off, nothing else to say. 

   "You're no king," Keith spat, rushing towards the so-called King. Lubos turned to run, but the servant shoved the King back into Keith's grasp. 

   "Okay, we're walking out of here! Anyone tries to stop us and Lubos gets it!" Keith commanded, his bayard at Lubos's neck. 

   "What the-?!" Ember gasped.

   "Whoa, K-Keith!" Shiro stammered. 

   "That came out of no where!"

   "La-sai, what are you doing?" Lubos demanded. 

   "You betrayed our people. I can't live this lie anymore." The servant, La-sai, declared. 

   "You don't want me to hurt your genius engineer, right?" Keith taunted. 

   "As if we care about him," The Majesdanian general scoffed. 

   "Oh, be my guest. His work is done. The cube is complete." The Galra general revealed. 

   "What? But-But I thought we had a deal!" 

   "Guard, put them all out of their misery!" The Majesdanian general ordered, causing the sentries guns to light up to fire.  

   "Opa!" Ember exclaimed suddenly, thrusting her arms out as a rainbow swirling wall appeared. Just in time, as a beam burst through the wall and sent an explosion throughout the room. 

   "Your ride is here!"  Pidge announced, the Green Lion poking its head into the giant hole. 

   "Engage the cube!"

   "Take down the lion!"

   "And someone take care of that damn half-breed!"

   "Hurry up!" Ember called out as the laser guns hit her wall full force. As the group moved towards the lion, Ember moved the wall to cover them all, helping La-sai up and out towards the lion. "Hang on!" 

Ember dropped her shield, grabbed La-sai and flew them both over onto the Green Lion where everyone else was. Hunk laid down cover fire for the two and the Green Lion started to fly off. 

   "Thank you," La-sai panted, hands still cuffed as he stared at Ember. 

   "Don't thank me yet," Ember replied, placing her hands on the cuffs around the aliens' wrist. Focusing with all her might, Ember managed to get the cuffs off with a colorful blast. La-sai gasped. 

   "Y-You're a-"

   "The cube is operational!" Shiro called out. "We've got to get back to the other lions and form Voltron!"

   "On it!"  Pidge blasted off. Ember turned around to look at the city growing smaller behind them, gulping when the black and purple cube started to float up into the sky. Her grey gaze quickly went back to La-sai, who seemed to flinch at her.

   "Are you okay?" She asked gently, trying to seem defenseless. But they both knew she could make a weapon with her powers and cut him down. 

What he didn't know is that Ember could never do that. 

   "T-Tired," La-sai stammered. "But I will be fine once I see my family. . .If they're alive. . ."

   "They should be," Ember sent a reassuring smile. "They will be there when we land, and you won't have to worry about this corrupt ruler anymore."

   "Excuse you-" Lubos gulped as everyone set their steely gaze on him. "N-Never mind."

When the Green Lion finally landed in the area the rest of the lion's were at, Ember and Keith helped La-sai down onto the ground while Shiro helped Lubos, then threw him on the ground. 

   "Lubos. . ."

   "He is here,"

The Olkari murmured throughout the wooded area, a crowd in front of the Voltron Lion's and expanding backwards into the trees.

   "What's going on?" Ryner demanded, aghast. 

   "While your countrymen starved, King Lubos was well taken care of by the Galra." Shiro explained. "He willingly helped them build that cube, willingly helped to enslave his own people."

The Olkari all gasped around them, more murmurs of their evil king's name escaping their lips. 

   "I know you're devastated, but it's time to be strong and use your Olkari spirit to fight alongside Voltron and take back your planet!"  Shiro finished his speech, making Ember bite her lip to hold back a smile. 

 Shiro is really good at these things. 

   "Lubos, how could you?" Ryner asked the fallen king, betrayal on her face. 

   "I. . .I was only trying to--"

   "Enough! We must free our people!" Ryner declared, turning back towards the crowd of Olkari. They all cheered in agreement, gladly ready to take up arms. Ember turned towards La-sai and shook her head. 

   "You can't," She started. "Doctors orders."

   "But-"

   "No buts!" Ember narrowed her eyes, cheeks slightly puffed out. It would be adorable if it wasn't for the fire in her eyes. "I will allow you to help everyone evacuate the area to a safe place, or keep an eye on the children, but you will not fight this battle. Not while you are so weak."

   "I agree with the youngling," Ryner said gently, placing a hand on La-sai's shoulder. "We must work together to free our planet, this is how you will help."

La-sai looked between the two, both staring him down until he sighed. "Alright."

   "Good." Ember nodded before turning towards Ryner. "I need to get an area set up for medical reasoning. I don't want to assume anything, but I rather have it ready just in case."

   "It shall be done," Ryner nodded before turning towards her people. "Let us fight!" 

▬ ✦✧✦ ▬

Ember led the group of Olkari through the forest, the giant tree machines rolling behind them all well. Whoever walked had a tree blaster on their arm or a spear in their hands. 

Ember, wanting to do something besides wait for the battle to be done, agreed to go with the Olkari army and fight against the sentries. 

Grey eyes were locked on the sentries that guarded the outside perimeter, with their blasters at the ready. 

   "What's the plan here?" Ember asked softly to the Olkari that was clearly the leader of the group. He looked at her as if she should know. 

   "I was following your lead," He stated, making Ember's eyes go wide. 

   "My lead?!"

   "Yes, your lead. You are a member of Voltron's team, aren't you?"

Ember paused. She was, wasn't she? A member of Team Voltron? Ember might not be always fighting on the front lines like the rest of them, but she was apart of the team. Ever team needed a medic, and every battle can always use another solider. So, was Ember apart of Team Voltron?

   "Yes. I am." Ember nodded with finality. Her eyes scanned the area once more before turning towards the army. "Okay, whose the best at shooting?"

A few Olkari raised their hands, thankfully most of them had blasters on them so it would make it easier. Ember smiled. "Good. Okay, you nine, get up front. I need you to snipe out the first line of sentries we see, right there, got it? Power suit people! As soon as the last sentry on the first line falls, you get out there. Try to get to high ground as fast as possible. Everyone else, we'll rush them behind the Power Suits. Take out any sentry you see."

The Olkari army moved around, getting settled for the big fight that was about to take place. Ember closed her eyes, focusing on having a weapon appear in her palms. Once her hands dipped at the new weight, Ember opened her eyes to see a long bow in her grasp. 

   "Cool," One of the Olkari whispered in awe, making Ember grin. 

   "Lets do this." Ember stated. The front line of snipers held their blasters up and took aim, Ember joining them with her bow. An iridescent arrow appeared as soon as she pulled back the bow string. The black haired girl took a deep breathe, waiting for the right moment to attack. 

In. 

Out.

In.

Out.

   "Now!" 

With the commanded from the halfling, blasters were shot, an arrow flew, and a battle cry emitted from the forest in which the enemies thought were deserted. 

▬ ✦✧✦ ▬

Check off bows from the list; not my weapon. Ember thought to herself as she stood next to Lance in the newly returned city. 

   "I want to thank you all," Ryner started with a big smile on her face. "You helped us get our home back. And, for that. we will never be able to repay you."

   "Just promise me that when it's time to take the fight to Zarkon, we can count on the Olkari for help." Shiro requested, shaking hands with Ryner. 

   "Now and forever." Ryner looked down at Pidge with a gentle gaze. "And you. The spirit of the Olkari resides in you. The bond between you and your lion has grown stronger than ever."

   "Without you, I would never have been able to unlock my lion's hidden power." Pidge said, looking at the Green Lion behind them. "So, thank you."

   "Of course," Ryner nodded, watching as Team Voltron said their final goodbyes before walking to their lions. Her gaze landed on Ember, so was looking right back at her with a little grin. 

   "Thank you," Ember thanked. "Not too sure what I'm thanking you for, but it felt needed."

   "The Olkari spirit is within you as well, youngling," Ryner replied. "The plants greet you with love and light. Your powers will grow, and you will learn to understand them."