The meeting in the Conference Room broke up soon after Allura left, with admonishments from Coran to follow the Princess’ lead and turn in for the night. The members of the Force, feeling more settled now that they had a definite course of action, were glad for the rest. Although none of them acknowledged it aloud even after the Princess’ departure, each of them knew instinctively that there would be no ransom message from Haggar that night.
The only thing that could possibly happen that night would be an attack from Haggar. And if she didn’t attck…
Coran sat before his console at Castle Control with the unfinished thought in his mind. He wasn’t that enthusiastic about the idea of rushing headlong into Haggar’s forces with only the four lions for firepower, but the boys were right when they said that they didn’t really have much of a choice. He punched in a few commands into his computer and watched the print out of information on the screen.
According to the information from the defense sensors, the energy build-up behind Shiloh had reached a plateau some time ago and appeared to be stationary in their position in space. The amount of energy amassed was enough to indicate the presence of approximately ten Doom battleships and several cruisers. Coran sighed. The four Lions could handle the battleships and cruisers alone with the Castle’s added artillery, but throwing one of Haggar’s robeasts into the equation decreased the chances for their triumph considerably.
“Something’s going to happen tonight, isn’t it?” Lance asked beside Coran quietly, startling the older man. He indicated the graphic read-out on the screen. “That’s a plateau. They’re all in place now. I can feel it in my gut.”
Coran nodded. “I feel it, too, Lance,” he replied, punching more commands into the computer. “I’m putting all Castle weapons on automatic – gives us enough time for the men to man all battle stations in case of an attack.” He stopped and pinned the younger man with his gaze. “That’s not all you feel, is it, Lance.”
“I used to wonder what it would be like to be the leader of the team – now I know.” Lance hesitated then continued on a sigh, “If Keith is alive – he’s up there with them and not on Doom,” he admitted heavily, running a hand over his tired eyes. “No matter what happens, there’s a big chance he’ll die up there – but, dammit, this is what he would want us to do.”
Coran nodded, laying a comforting hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I know,” he said. “You must believe that, Lance. Tonight or tomorrow, once you move in battle, you cannot believe otherwise.”
Lance’s reply was interrupted Nanny’s frantic voice preceding her equally agitated entrance. She turned to both men, worry flashing in her brown eyes. “The Princess,” she gasped, hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. “She’s not in her room.”
Coran bolted up from his chair. “What? Are you certain?”
Nanny’s face contorted into an angry grimace. “Of course I’m certain,” she shouted at him. “I went into her room to brush her hair out for the night and to give her some comfort, but she wasn’t there.” She threw up her hands. “Her used gown wasn’t even there yet! Ach… we must find her!”
“She wouldn’t have gone out of the Castle,” Lance
said certainly. He saw Coran reach for the alarm and shook his head. “Don’t,
Coran.” He turned to Nanny. “The two of us are going to check in her favorite
rooms one by one,” he instructed the distraught governess. “If between
the two of us we don’t find her in half an hour, that’s when I’ll radio
Coran to sound the alarm.”
The door to the Castle observation deck swished quietly open, and it took Lance’s a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. Immediately ahead of him, he saw the Princess’ figure silhouetted by the light of the stars, her hands moving furtively to her cheeks to wipe away her tears. She was gazing out the large windows, her heart in her stricken eyes.
Hesitant to disturb the Princess’ private reverie, Lance pressed a button on his radio to transmit an arbitrarily assigned signal to Castle Control that meant she had been found. The transmitter blipped quietly, and the Princess whirled around to face him, hand flying to her throat in alarm. She relaxed somewhat as soon as she recognized him.
“Princess, you’ve made Nanny and Coran sick with worry,” Lance began reproachfully. He moved to stand beside her, saw her pale, disturbed face and hesitated. “Are you all right? You should be in bed getting your rest. We have a long day tomorrow.”
“Has there been any word?” she asked instead, turning to him hopefully. “Any transmission at all from Haggar or Lotor about Keith?”
Lance sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Princess.”
He saw her shoulders slump as she turned back to her perusal of the beauty before her, her face still shadowed with pain. “I couldn’t bear to sleep,” she finally said with a long, drawn-out sigh. She twisted her hands in front of her in quiet agitation. “I… I’m so… scared,” she admitted. “It was… my fault.”
“What?” he asked incredulously, peering at her face shadowed by her bent head. “Where in the world did you get that idea?”
“It’s true,” she continued softly. “He and Coran didn’t want me to got to Erheil without one of the lions – but I insisted.” Her shoulders began to shake with her suppressed sobs. “If I hadn’t forced the issue he would still be here,” she choked out, wiping off her tears. “If I hadn’t been so stubborn… Lance, there isn’t going to be any ransom message, is there?”
Lance hesitated then shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he admitted. “If there were going to be a message for a trade-off, it would have come days ago. But don’t give up hope, Princess, we’ll find him.”
“I’ve been dreaming about him, Lance,” she confessed quietly, her voice quavering. “Every night since he’s been gone. I find him in that area in the forest where we left him, smiling and holding out his arms to me. And then, just as I come up to him he… he’s shot and he falls against me and… I just can’t bear this, Lance. I… care too much.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Princess,” he said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It was his decision to take responsibility for you as leader of the detail.” Lance looked at her with wise eyes. “But then, this isn’t just about feeling guilty, is it, Princess?” he asked, gently prodding her and knowing that she would feel better to get it out.
She looked up at him, shaking her head in alarm, suddenly aware that she might have said too much. “Of course… Keith has come to mean… a lot to… to m… to Arus…” she said turning back to the window, her face looking confused and unnerved. “I…” She stopped, suddenly tensing. “Father help us… Lance, look!”
He turned his gaze towards the window and groaned. In the horizon, the defined shapes of Doom battleships and cruisers were looming larger in his vision by the second. In the periphery of his senses, he could hear the alarms begin their insistent pealing through the Castle.
Haggar was beating them to the punch after all.
Without another word, he grabbed the Princess’
hand and pulled her, running through the hallway, towards Castle Control.
The Worst Enemy -- The Witch's Challenge