For The Stars

Chapter 17: Five Become One

"Soooooooooo? Are we just gunna sit here and wait or did you wanna do something? We could play Killbot Phantasm." Lance was lying on the floor in Red's hangar, his feet propped up against one of the Lion's massive paws. Keith, who was sitting cross-legged beside him, merely rolled his eyes but didn't otherwise acknowledge the boy's question.

Before leaving for the weblum, Keith managed to find some alone time to speak with Pidge and Matt. Captain Olia had given them a list of names, descriptions, and identifying information of the rebels they were to retrieve but Keith knew both Holts well enough to know they would scan each location's records in search of a very particular prisoner. He hoped for their sake they were successful, though there was a very real possibility that they might not find the person they were looking for.

Pidge had gotten angry, shutting him out for even suggesting such a thing. Matt had been much more pragmatic, but ultimately he too was Human and refused to believe they wouldn't find Sam. Keith felt for them, he really did. He remembered a time when he'd been optimistic about retrieving lost Blades, but that was a long time ago and he'd since learned not to build false hope. Still, Sam had been a close friend of his dad and someone who had always been nice to Keith, so he'd offered a plea to the stars and his ancestors asking them to watch over the man.

"Dude, all this waiting sucks! I'm bored." Lance whined and Keith was about to respond with something sassy and witty and clever but the opening of the hangar doors cut him off.

Looking up from the Paladin he'd been scowling at, Keith's eyes locked with those of his mother. She had a hungry energy radiating off her and a wild look flashed across her eyes. Keith quirked a brow and rose to his feet with a slight groan; he'd been sitting still for far too long.

"Keith, Blue Paladin, follow me." Krolia ordered, not slowing for a moment. She powered past him to the small round elevator that linked the Red Lion's hangar with the main bridge, beckoning the two boys to join her. With his interest thoroughly peeked; Keith eagerly rushed to her side while Lance sauntering over to the other. It was a small space for three people and the tight quarters became even less comfortable when the Blue Paladin began grumbling about 'having a name dammit'. Keith snorted and shot the other a look; Krolia ignored him as though she were alone in the tiny lift.

When the doors slid open, she hurried out; her movements never seeming rushed, only purposeful. Allura turned in alarm to greet the rapidly approaching Blade and Krolia strode past her, moving to stand beside Coran and demanding an immediate link to Kolivan. He complied.

"Krolia." Kolivan's stern face filled the centermost screen of the bridge. The two Paladins moved quietly closer, Lance stopping beside the Princess while Keith carried on to his mother's side.

"Leader." She addressed curtly. "I have extracted important information from our captive. Information that will turn the tides of this war."

"I am listening."

"General Acxa was captured inside a weblum by the Red and Blue Paladins and is currently in the Castle's healing pods as she proved to be far less cooperative than necessary ... initially."

"How confident do you feel in the validity of the information acquired?"

"I would stake my life and reputation on it." Kolivan hummed thoughtfully at that, nodding once for her to proceed. "While stationed under Commander Ranveig, I was part of a team to intercept a vile of highly concentrated quintessence. It was unlike anything the Empire had ever sent our way. We ran countless tests with the substance and Commander Ranveig ordered the druid on base to begin a series of experiments to create his super weapon."

"Yes, you have mentioned this in previous reports." Krolia nodded to his interruption.

"I have. The beast that was created proved unstoppable. We kept it sealed away until Keith and I released it on Commander Trugg and her forces. It will have decimated them before we ever left the atmosphere." She looked over her shoulder to Allura, then back to Coran. "What I have to say next concerns the Altean's and I ask that you do not interrupt – no matter how tempted you may be." She leveled her gaze with the Princess who frowned in return, pulling her brows in displeasure, but agreed to remain silent. "Right, during my interrogation of the prisoner, General Acxa delivered several wild and bizarre claims. I believed her to be mocking me until the mention of a unique form of quintessence, one more powerful and pure than anything the universe had ever seen. If it had not been for my work under Commander Ranveig, I would have discounted this as just another lie."