Chapter Text
Staring up at the sky, long after the ship carrying her parents had disappeared from view, Luca let the mournful feeling finally sink in. She was alone now. Alone, among hundreds of other Altean farmers. None which felt a part of her home. Her home was currently flying through the stars toward the second colony.
What was it like? Flying? Even if just sitting onboard a ship, not doing anything, what did it feel like? Luca wanted to know. She wanted to go too, with them. She wanted to be chosen too.
She had been so happy for her parents, hugging them goodbye with a smile on her face, waving until the doors had closed and they had taken off. Now, the happy feeling was wearing off somewhat and she could only dread the empty house she would have to return to alone.
Feeling the sting in her eyes, Luca quickly blinked a few times and then turned on her heel, heading back toward the fields. She had work to do.
…
The library was filled with wonders. Reading about the heroic acts of their savior Lotor made Luca want to travel even more. To join her parents and help the Prince achieve his goals. She could barely contain her desire to be of use, to do more than simply plant flowers and vegetables. She wanted to fly, to discover the universe, to be more than a simple farmer spending her days stuck in the same place for years and years-
Accidentally knocking over her books stapled beside her, Luca flinched at the clattering and loose papers flying. Huffing in annoyance she kneeled down to gather everything up again, only to notice a box in a corner in the back. Curious, she quickly put her books back on the table before making her way toward the subject of her interest. The box was dusty and seemingly untouched. When opening it, Luca discovered a bunch of books she couldn't remember seeing among the others in the library. They seemed old. Older than the ones they had displayed at the counter, at least. Picking one up, Luca could feel her excitment grow, discovering that the book held practice in different kinds of combat. Forgetting all else, she left the library in a hurry, eager to get home and try out the moves of her ancestors.
…
She had to work out more.
While she was agile and could get most of the punches and kicks right, there wasn't really any power behind them. Not more than what an Altean is naturally born with. She was able to break pieces of wood with her hand, but not without it leaving behind an ache. With a more trained body, she should be able to do that without it hurting afterward.
Determined, Luca packed water and a small lunch before grabbing the book and heading out for the woods. She would pull an all-nighter if she had to. No matter how many it would take.
…
Merla had started to join her in her training. Once the other girl had noticed Luca's absence, she had made sure to keep an eye on her, following Luca to her training spot.
Luca didn't mind it. Merla was rather athletic and she worked hard with lifting heavy objects and taking long runs during the early mornings, something she made Luca join her in after becoming sparring partners.
If Luca had to admit it, she found their time spent together fun. She was also making way more progress with a comrade by her side, pushing her forward and challenging her.
Merla also brought with her a lot of delicious snacks the two of them would enjoy during their breaks. It was their special activity and Luca had slowly began to feel less lonely. She still yearned to see her parents, but until that day would come Luca could still be happy where she was, training and laughing with her friend.
…
Luca didn't really think much of Romelle, but hearing her suspicions of Lotor didn'texactly bring her any desire either to get closer to the other girl.
When Romelle disappeared though, Luca couldn't help but feel worried for her. Where had she gone? How had she even managed to escape? There was no way to..
With dread running down her back, Luca runs toward the Altean pod. Where it is supposed to be stored.
It's gone.
How? How could Romelle, who never seemed interested in it, who barely even went close to it or spoke about flying in general, how could she manage to get it to fly? Why her?
Luca could feel the ache from her clenched fists. Why did Romelle get to take it? Why did she manage to fly it? Luca had spent so much time trying to figure it out. She had wanted so badly to get it up from the ground and yet-!
She knew it was forbidden. They had no reason to pilot it even if they knew how. They were supposed to stay here, she knew, but still..
Why Romelle?
…
It couldn't be true. The Colony where her parents went.. was destroyed? No. No, Luca couldn't accept that!
Why? Why did this have to happen? They were happy! They didn't do anything wrong!
Luca clenched her fists, rage enveloping her heart.
They hadn't done anything wrong.
Looking up at the mother of their savior, Luca let the darkness fill her mind, feeling the determination and desire for revenge.
Only one word kept repeating loud and clear among the chaos inside of her:
Voltron.
…
During the time in Oriande, Luca spent all of her time awake learning how to pilot the mecha and practicing her combat skills even more intensely. Her focus was set on getting revenge, getting justice for what these monsters had done to them, taking away their savior, taking away their families from the Colony.
The anger inside of her, the hatred she felt only made her stronger and more determined than she's ever been before. They will pay. They will all pay for thei actions.
Striking the dummy in front of her once more, hard enough to send it flying across the whole room, Luca let out a heavy breath before looking down at her clenched fist.
If only she could become even stronger than this.
If only.
Before she could fall deeper into her thoughts, Merla approached her. Apperently Honerva was looking for a pilot to go out on an upcoming mission. A loyal one.
The look in Merla's eyes told Luca everything she needed to know. She would need to suit up.
Finally.
…
All that runs through her head when she goes into the mecha and starts her journey to Earth is that she will do everything in her power to bring Voltron down. She will return victorious or not return at all.
Victory or death.
…
Death it is then, she decides while lying on the ground, unable to move. The battle against Voltron had been going so well at first, she had almost managed to b ring them down for good, she was certain of it, but then that gigantic ship upgraded and made the fight that much more harder to win. She was unable to force the mecha to rise up again.
The only option left is to initiate self-destruction.
Luca's heart clenches at the thought. She did not want to die yet, no matter how loyal to her mission she is. She had made a decision though, a vow, when being chosen to be sent out and hunt their enemies down. She had decided to do anything and everything to accomplish her mission.
Trying to keep her beating heart steady, Luca presses down on the button, sealing her fate.
She is already drained from the amount of quintessence she used in the battle. Perhaps, she will be allowed to fall unconcious before the mecha blows up? Maybe the stars can be that kind to her..
Feeling her body start to succumb to the exhaustion, Luca closes her eyes, awaiting the heat to surround her and for sleep to settle in.
Before giving in, she can feel how the mecha is moving, going..upwards. She don't need to open her eyes to know that the Paladins are trying to move her away from the planet in an attempt to save it. It's a futile attempt, she knows. A desperate one.
Luca feels like laughing at their wasted efforts, but the sound that comes out is broken.
They are so desperate to try and avoid the explosion.
Her body starts to shake.
They won't be able to get away.
A warmth runs down her cheeks.
They won't....
She won't...
Trying to stiffle her sobs to no avail, Luca braces herself for the end that will come.
Her worn-out body is still screaming for her to get out, but she can't even make herself try. It's wasted efforts. It's futile. The mecha will explode and take with it everything surrounding it. She will be gone soon.
Luca can't hear it, but she feels her throat strain itself as she screams while the blinding light surrounds her.
…
She doesn't expect to ever wake up, yet, she feels herself float, on the brink of regaining consciousness. She should be relieved for that, but she's not. She is sad. She is frustrated.
If she is waking up it means that she survived. And if she survived it means that, most likely, Voltron did as well.
The feeling of failure is drowning her.
Opening her eyes, she imidiately gets assaulted by the lights above her, forcing herself to clench them shut again. Her head is aching, like someone is banging on a drum inside of her skull. Trying again, blinking a few times to get used to the brightness, Luca can figure out a few things already despite her overworked state. She is captured. Considering the fact that she is lying on a hard bed in a room she has never seen before, she must have been found and captured by her enemies. She is stuck, far away from her comrades back on Oriande.
She is scared.
Trying to sit up, Luca is at once aware of the people in the room with her. They come over and check on her and while Luca wants nothing more than to back away, to shield herself from these strangers, she has barely enough strength to keep herself from crumbling back down onto the bed.
One of the people leaves the room in a hurry and Luca feels a shiver run down her spine. He will surely go to get someone to come here. Their leader, perhaps? What will happen to her then?
All of the built-up tension hits her with full force and drains her of the strength to stay sitting up. Luca falls back down, feeling the room spin around her. She is scared. She is scared! She don't know what will happen to her. She don't want to fall asleep again, not knowing what they will do! Unfortunetly, she feels herself slip away once again. No matter how much she wants to fight it, she is unable to stay concious and soon she sinks down into the darkness once more.
…
People in suits come and go, looking her over and trying to get her to talk. Well, Luca won't tell them anything. If they're keeping her here to get information, then they will not get any luck at all. Luca is loyal. She will not let anything slip out to these strangers that are trying to get to her people.
Voltron's allies. The thought makes Luca bite her lip. She is stuck with allies to the ones who has destroyed her whole world. The ones who took her life away from her. She won't forgive this. She will not give them anything that they ask for.
As soon as she gets her strength back she will make them pay. Even if she won't get out completely, at least she can take a few of them down as payback for this.
Hugging her legs close to her, Luca lets her thoughts drift away, back to Oriande and Merla. Does her friend know about what has happened? Does she believe Luca is dead? Or does she know about her failure?
That thought stings. Luca has failed her. She has failed them all. What do they think of her now? If she gets out, will she be welcomed back? Will Empress Honerva give her another chance of redemption? Luca hopes she will.
Granted, that would only have a chance of happening if she somehow manages to escape her imprisonment.
Her thought process is interrupted when the door opens up and someoen enters the room.
Looking up, Luca is not prepared to see Romelle stand in front of her, awkward smile on her face and guarded, cowering eyes trying not to break eye contact.
At first, Luca is too shocked to say anything, but the shock is soon replaced by a newfound anger. Seeing this girl brings out a hatred she didn't even know existed inside of her. The traitor of the colony, the traitor of Lotor, is standing right in front of her and Luca is going to speak her mind. She is going to let Romelle know what devastation she has caused by turning her back on her people. She is not going to be accepted back. She will not be forgiven for this betrayal. Empress Honerva will fix things, though, She will fix the mistakes that has been made and she will crush Voltron and anyone else who stands on the wrong side of justice! She will make things right!
Before Luca can say anything more an intense pain goes through her entire body, making her mind go blank for a moment. No sound escapes her lips, but inside her head, Luca is screaming. It hurts more than anything she has ever felt before and she can't do anything but pray that it will stop.
Images of her life and of her Empress flashes before her eyes, filling her with a strong sense of sadness and despair. She failed again. She let too much slip out in front of a traitor. She has let Empress Honerva down again.
The errating beeping of the monitors and Romelle's desperate voice calling out to her are the last sounds Luca hears before everything fades out and the world turns black.