"So tell us what we should do, Coran, and we'll do it." The Princess said as her Guardian continued to stare, mutely, at the blank view screen in front of them.

The older man muttered something that Allura strained to hear, but couldn't. "Pardon me? I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch-"

"I don't know what we are going to do!" Coran exclaimed loudly, running a hand over his face in agitation.

She blanched at his obvious distress. "But- but you always have a plan, you have to have a plan, Antonio's life is-"

"I'm sorry, Princess, but someone else will have to be the brains on this one, I am completely out of clever ruses and scientific miracles!" Her Royal Advisor responded, a tad too stridently.

Allura blinked in astonishment, while behind her, the rest of the Voltron Force exchanged alarmed glances at this display of ill temper by a man renowned for his tact.

Cheddar and the Brain, now standing on the Ops control panel in front of the bewildered Princess, looked at each other as well, and The Brain saw utter dismay simmering in the Space Mouse's eyes. It was like a dash of cold water over his delight in finally being able to touch and feel the advanced technology under his feet. ~Here's a fine how-do-you-do!~ The Brain seethed. ~I am a virtual connoisseur of plans, and I have to keep quiet!~ He nervously started to chew on his nails. ~Perhaps one of the others will think of something.~

"Well, O Fearless and Resourceful One, seeing as you're our leader, maybe you should come up with the scheme to save Antonio," Lance suggested to his dark haired friend. He hid a smile when Keith shot him a look that silently said 'thanks a lot, pal'.

The pilot of Black Lion slowly rubbed his chin, as he always did when deep in thought.

Precious seconds ticked by and finally the Captain spoke. "Um....well...let's just get to the lions, we'll think of something on the way."

"Good one, Keith, guess that's why they pay you the big bucks! Now all we need is... a plan!" Lance rolled his eyes dramatically.

Keith's eyebrows lowered over eyes suddenly gone hard. " I haven't heard you offering anything worthwhile, smart guy!"

"Ask me nicely, and I will!"

"Yeah, right!"

The two pilots glared at each other, with fists clenched, and their testosterone levels rising sky high.

Allura stepped between her bickering friends with a severe look at each of them. "Keith, Lance, please stop this, you are fighting like little-"

"I need to say something right now, because I have the highest IQ of anyone here!" Pidge cut in, earning a relieved smile from his teammates, and a resentful scowl from The Brain for his trouble. "I have some insight into this situation."

"So what do you think, buddy?" Keith asked the youth, his dark brows arching over a hopeful expression.

"I think it's hopeless. The odds of a rescue, what with being given only ten minutes to ponder the proposition of devising a successful plan to rescue a tiny mouse from Hagar's lab on far away Planet Doom, are approximately a trillion to one."

A series of groans and disgusted looks followed this announcement, and the abashed Green Lion pilot quickly moved to the back of the group, well behind the conveniently large form of Hunk.

"How about if we form Voltron, fly to Doom and smash Hagar's lab?" Hunk suggested suddenly.

"How is that going to save Antonio?" Keith pointed out.

"It won't, but it would make me feel a lot better about the whole thing," Hunk admitted.

Lance spoke up. "It would make us all feel better, big guy, but it wouldn't work, because Hagar's too clever. I say we shouldn't limit ourselves to the ten-minute plan. When have we known Lotor to ever keep his word about anything? As long as the mouse is alive, the creep knows he has a connection to Princess. As long as the Princess stays here under protection, considering his proposal he won't probably kill Antonio. I say, take a risk that Prince Low-turd won't follow through on his threat, and have Princess tell him to take a long walk off a short space dock unless he'll give her more time to think about it." He concluded smugly.

Utter silence was the response, and the Red Lion pilot shifted uncomfortably under the glares of his teammates.

At last, Keith said tersely, "Any other brilliant suggestions? Preferably ones that have Antonio's well-being as a top priority?"

~Imbeciles, they all are imbeciles!~ The Brain shrieked, mentally. He turned Imploring eyes to the Princess of Planet Arus. ~Surely the ruler of an entire planet should be able to figure this one out. Tell them, Your Highness! Take charge! Tell them what you are going to do to save my friend!~

Allura looked at her male teammates, indecision flickering in her baby blues. Would they even listen to her plan? Contrary to popular opinion, it was really no picnic being the only woman on the Force, one of the drawbacks being always having your ideas heckled as being 'too illogical'. She ran her gaze around the group until her eyes made contact with Keith's. His expression was warm and encouraging, and she found herself losing all perspective as she swam in the dark pools of liquid emotion his eyes had become.

As the others debated the merits of Lance's plan amongst themselves, the Captain edged over to Allura, and looked down at her with an intense but unreadable expression.

She blushed, but met his gaze calmly.

The Brain noticed this romantic byplay and edged closer on the console to the couple to get a whiff of the plan he was sure was about to be hatched.

"Princess?" Keith half-whispered. "Did you have a suggestion?"

She stared intently into his face. "Yes." Her lips parted but no words emerged.

~Kiss me.~ She thought irrelevantly. ~Antonio said to ask him. Would you please kiss me , Keith?.~ The tip of her tongue appeared to briefly wet her dry upper lip. Keith stared at her lush mouth for a long moment, and then swallowed convulsively while reluctantly raising his gaze to hers.

"Um...what is it?" He prompted her gently, his eyes rapidly darkening.

Allura sighed softly, her shoulders slumping.

"I am going to give myself up to Lotor, it's the only way to save Antonio," she replied softly, gazing deeply into his sable orbs.

A shaft of unadulterated pain lanced through the Captain, and forgetting his manners, he grabbed Allura's forearms, bringing them up against his broad chest. "No! There's got to be another way, Allura!" He almost shook her in his intensity.

The others stopped chattering and gawked at this unusual display.

The Princess shook her head slowly, the tears she had bravely held in check until now, starting to stream down her face. "If going to Lotor and becoming his wife is the only way I can save Antonio, then I must do it."

"No!" Keith choked out.

The Brain threw up his paws in disgust. He remembered now that Allura's writers always seemed to be determined to make a martyr of her, so that, of course, was the plan once again. Didn't she know she had numerous defense systems and decoys at her disposal? Didn't she realize by now that she could wrap Lotor around her little finger by showing a little affection and then she could blow him away once he got near enough? Didn't she know that it was in her contract that she could make her look-a-like stunt double go to Lotor instead? ~She needs a new agent!~ The Brain decided, in disgust.

"Five minutes until Lotor calls back," Coran reminded them all gloomily.

"The Princess wants to go to Lotor!" Keith told the others indignantly.

Cheddar immediately ran to his mistress, jumped up on her shoulder, and began to chatter softly in her ear. She smiled sadly and shook her head. Her little friend immediately started to cry.

~Why, he is as devoted to her as Pinky is,~ The Brain thought in astonishment.

Coran gasped aloud. "Princess, you cannot surrender yourself, Arus needs you, and an heir too!"

Allura glared at her advisor. "So adopt one. There are plenty of deserving orphans on this planet who have made bigger sacrifices than I!"

Coran's mouth moved but no sound came out. He paled, mainly at the thought of Allura in the arms of that scoundrel, and a little at the idea of a commoner taking the throne of Arus.

Hunk boomed, "That's true, Princess has a good point-there are a lot of Arusian children who need a home."

"Shut up you big oaf, we don't want the Princess to leave, remember?" Lance hissed.

"Sorry," the Yellow Lion pilot flushed a dull shade of red. "I just lose my bearings when it comes to those kids."

Pidge spoke up. "Princess, you know Antonio wouldn't want you to-"

"That's it! Everyone, cease this incessant jabber- NOW!"

The sardonic voice cut through the babble like a Ginsu knife through a can.

"Who said that?" Coran asked the others, in bewilderment. "The Space communicator isn't even turned on right-"

"I said it!"

Six sets of human eyes and one of mouse eyes stared in incredulity at the glowering, bigheaded rodent perched atop the Ops console, his tiny paws resting on his tiny hips.

"Mr. Noggin?" The Princess gasped. "You can speak?"

"Yes, I speak your language, yes I have understood every word you have said, and yes, I've had it with this entire charade!" The Brain ranted. "My good friend is in the clutches of a tyrant, and all you people do is waste time we don't have by bantering..."

The irate rodent shot a look at Hunk and Lance, who colored guiltily.

"or blathering about meaningless statistics..."

Pidge flinched.

"...Or engaging in incongruous romantic byplay."

Everyone stared at Allura and Keith, who promptly went scarlet.

The Brain shook his head." It's simply inconceivable to me that you call yourselves Defenders of the Universe. Even more so that you call yourselves a team. For shame!"

All members of the elite Voltron Force looked down at their shiny boots in embarrassment. Coran looked down at his dress shoes. Cheddar stared at The Brain in wonder.

"I will devise a plan that will rescue Pi- uh, Antonio, from the evil Prince." The mouse genius continued, firmly. "Who's with me? Raise your hand!"

The humans looked up, and The Brain could see the determination in every face. Six arms and one paw shot into the air, simultaneously.

The Brain smiled. "Good, that's a step in the right direction. You may lower your arms now."

Coran spoke up as he lowered his arm. "If I may be permitted a question, sir; where are you from, and how is it that you can speak the Common tongue?"

The Brain smiled cryptically. "I am... from another network, one that is beyond the realm of your knowledge and reality...yet coexists with you just the same."

"Come again?" Lance asked, a suspicious frown wrinkling his noble brow.

"I'm from Planet 'WB', in the Milky Way Galaxy." The mouse quickly revised his answer, realizing now wasn't the time to make things complicated. "It's a new colony near Terra. I haven't spoken up until now because I wasn't sure of your intentions." He paused and glared at Cheddar as he said, "By the way, there I usually go by the name 'John Brain', not 'Large Noggin'."

The other mouse grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry- John!" the humans chorused in unison, their furrowed brows un-wrinkling at this piece of digestible information.

The mouse formerly known as Noggin beckoned to the team.

"Now that that's out of the way, here's my strategy ...and I'll also need Cheddar to round up the rest of the Space Mice..."

Cheddar nodded and took off to find his family as The Brain continued to hold court, regaling the humans with one of his patented, never-say-die, fail proof plans.

Five minutes later, the view screen flickered and the malevolently grinning visage of Prince Lotor blinked into view.

The grin faded when the evil tyrant saw that Castle Control was empty, save for one misshapen rodent whose scowling countenance sent shivers down his spine.

"Where are the Princess, and the rest of her motley crew?" He snarled.

"The Princess is indisposed, and I believe Motley Crüe is playing a gig somewhere in upper Siberia." The Brain responded, with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Lotor snapped, trying to cover his perplexity at meeting another talking rodent. This one was even intelligent, if the size of his cranium and his vocabulary was anything to go by.

"I am called Large Noggin, and I am in charge here."

"Large...and in charge, eh?" The Doom Prince barked out a laugh. " You are vermin, and not capable of leadership of any kind. This has to be a joke."

"Does it appear that I am joking?" The Brain asked acidly, deepening his scowl. The man was insufferable, and he could see why the Princess completely detested him.

Lotor's amused expression abruptly disappeared. "No, it doesn't, Puny Noggin-head. I take it this means that the Princess is turning me down."

"You surmise correctly. Not surprisingly, she finds the thought of entering into matrimony with you... abysmal at best." The Brain informed him, smugly.

"Silence! I will not tolerate insolence from a lowly rat-boy!" The Prince thundered. "Isn't Allura concerned that her friend will become kibble if she refuses me?"

"She is deeply saddened by the fact that Antonio will in all likelihood, lose his life, and intends to use his noble sacrifice to motivate her people. Antonio will live on in memorials and textbooks across Arus and worshipped as a symbol of selfless martyrdom. It's what he would have wanted..." The Brain wiped away a genuine tear at this point, for if his plan failed, what he had just spoken of might really come to pass.

"A martyr..." Lotor hissed through clenched teeth. "I think not. I have bigger plans for your friend, and they will result in him bringing glory to the Doomian Empire!"

The Brain's eyes widened. "Then you are not going to-"

"Execute him? No, that would be too easy and therefore, not very agreeable." The evil Prince replied, a fervid gleam in his eyes. "I will have my victory and my revenge against Voltron this day, and your Antonio will be helping me achieve them."

"I don't believe you! Let me talk to him right now!" The Brain shouted, shaking a tiny fist at the screen. "Pi-, I mean Antonio would never willingly hurt Arus or the Princess! He'll be rescued, the Voltron Force will see to that!"

The Brain stopped yelling as he realized just what he had said, and then wondered at the strange sound of his voice shaking in righteous outrage. ~Oh no, it has finally happened, I have caught 'do-gooder-itis'. Arg! What a revolting development!~

His yellowed eyed nemesis laughed mockingly. "Do you think? Well, my stunted little rodent, your friend will be back on Arus very soon, and then you will see where his allegiance truly lies...." The Prince started to laugh maniacally and then the connection was severed.

The Brain sank to his knees.

Behind him, the door opened and the humans ran into the room.

Princess Allura was the first to reach the shaken mouse.

"John, what is it? You look so...discouraged."

The Brain looked up into the large blue eyes and for a long moment was sorely tempted to cry on the shoulder of the lovely ruler of Arus. Gradually his trademark surliness reasserted itself and he straightened his spine and got to his feet.

"I am not discouraged, Princess. I have only begun to fight!"

"That's the spirit!" She cheered him.

The Brain felt a small glow start within his tiny body. Allura really was a lovely person, inside and out. Why didn't that Keith fellow wise up and marry the woman, anyway? He immediately shook off the sappy notion and returned his attention to the situation at hand.

"We have to alter the plan, because it sounds like Lotor is coming to us, and if what I suspect is true, we are going to need my Big Su- I mean, my spaceship and Voltron on standby. Cheddar, will you and your kin fly with me?" The Brain asked the contingent of mice that had just joined the group.

Cheddar gave him the peace sign and the rest of his family nodded.

Keith asked quietly, "Antonio is still alive then?"

"Yes, but he is being used in a plan to conquer Arus."

"Oh no, my poor Antonio..." Allura gasped, starting to suspect what her little friend's fate was to be.

"They wouldn't!" Pidge groaned in revulsion.

"They would," Hunk interrupted grimly. "It's typical Lotor/Hagar cruelty."

"How are we going to keep him alive if that is what's happened?" Lance asked grimly.

"Easily, if you all do exactly as I say. Our biggest advantage is that Pinky skipped the intelligence queue when intellect was being handed out, so I am sure we can outsmart him. I'm not too sure about Lotor though, he seems pretty wily."

Keith smiled broadly. "Don't worry about that one, we've kicked his ass before, and we'll do it again."

"Keith!" Allura exclaimed, at first blushing wildly, and then giggling.

Keith's smile widened to a grin. It was somewhat cathartic to be naughty. Maybe he'd do it more often.

Lance hooted. "Now that's my kind of talk, Chief! So give us the plan, Mr. Brain, and then let's go kick some Doomian butt!"

To be continued...