Arusian Crusade: Deployment
Epilogue: Unholy War

Yep. Epilogue. But this isn't really the end... it's just the beginning...
Many thanks to all who've reviewed or just read (and hopefully enjoyed) this little jaunt through the Voltronverse. And keep an eye out for part two!

Admiral Yurak met his lord in the throne room and was greeted with silence. Zarkon simply gestured for the admiral to follow him and swept out of the room, leaving several aides looking rather confused in their wake.

To call this irregular was putting it mildly, but speaking without being spoken to seemed like a terrible idea right now. So Yurak followed until they reached the vast grand hall at the heart of Nightstone Fortress. It was an architectural masterpiece, a reception area and a museum in the same moment, and when the king entered without warning several hundred Drule citizens fell silent and bowed, retreating swiftly and wordlessly.

It was clear Zarkon had no desire for company.

He finally stopped at the southwest edge of the hall and gestured to an enormous painting, one of the finest masterpieces in the Ninth Kingdom's artistic history. A stunning rendition of Sarga, in all her verdant glory, manifesting before the shadow of the hated lion deity.

"Observe this, Admiral. Observe it well."

"The might of the goddess is captured most impressively," Yurak agreed. Art wasn't exactly his strong point—save for the art of battle, the dance of two armies fighting for position, the music of laser fire and cracking bone. Yet the bold strokes and vivid colors of the piece held a certain appeal to the gruff commander's mind. "But the shadow of the demon speaks only of fear. Are we to fear, sire?"

For a long time the king ignored his warrior, merely studying the painting as if it held all the answers to what had just happened on Arus. And perhaps it did.

"No. Of course not."

"Then I await your orders."

Zarkon nodded. "Our priorities will change," he said softly. "Pull all attack fleets back. I want a defensive perimeter established around our borders. Cover all military and industrial targets. Prepare a single assault fleet of your finest warriors; consult with Haggar to select a robeast. Arus is now your primary target, and will remain so until that knight is destroyed."

Strange tactics. "Sire..." Yurak knelt low. "If we redirect all of our forces to Arus we can—"

"—No." The king's eyes glowed faintly. "You've studied history, Admiral. You know that Voltron would never permit itself to be pinned down in that manner. Leave it an opening and we will begin losing worlds. We will not repeat the mistakes of the past." A pause as he looked to the painting again. "And you have seen the footage Commander Cossack brought us. You know the robeast he commanded would have been no match for the hated one at its prime, but Voltron seems to have become weak. You will meet it on equal ground, and you will shatter it as Sarga once did. In this way we will prove our strength to the rest of the Supremacy, and the fools of the Alliance."

Ah. It made a certain amount of sense when he put it that way. And certainly held an appeal that laying waste to a whole planet just to destroy one entity did not. The more overwhelming the force, the less glory for the victor, and it had always been Yurak's way to seek glory as well as victory. "It will be done, my lord."

Another pause. Longer, this time. "I don't know what Arus thinks they're playing at... I don't know if they've truly raised the ancient Voltron, or if this is some mockery designed to make us fear. But we will not fear. I charge you with this duty and this title. Go, Yurak Lionbane. Teach them the price of their insult."

"As you command."

Long after Zarkon departed the grand hall, Yurak remained, looking at the painting himself. But not at Sarga, though she was the focus of the piece. He focused on Voltron's shadow. A shadow that had caused nightmares throughout the Ninth Kingdom for thousands of years. A shadow that was already sending new tremors of fear over Korrinoth, no matter how confident their king seemed, as word of the awakening spread.

Lionbane.

Yes. He would earn that name. He would bring the war to Arus, and he would slay this god.