I Am The Red Paladin

Distress Signal

"Marriage," Keith muttered under his breath in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

Allura sat opposite the half Galra, hands clasped together, her eyes never leaving the pacing paladin. Pidge and Shiro were standing either side of Keith with Hunk slouched beside the princess.

"It's a sound proposal," Shiro spoke noting the sudden halt in Keith's movements and the utter betrayal aimed his way not only from Keith but Allura as well. The black paladin put his hands up in defence quickly continuing his train of thought. "Not that I agree with it."

"They didn't even think of Allura's safety." Keith bared his teeth. "An Altean in Galra territory. She'd be killed within seconds."

Allura gulped at that comment grasping her neck before standing and aiming an angry glare at the red paladin realising what Keith was implying.

"Are you stating I am unable to look after myself?"

"I barely made it out there alive, how long do you think you, the Altean Princess would last?"

Silence fell with that question and Allura furrowed her brow, Keith was being unnecessarily blunt.

"Keith, take a breather."

"A breather?!" Keith snapped at the black paladin, noticing the others watching him in worry. "Am I the only one thinking straight? This is ridiculous, how could you even think anything you've come up with would work?"

An alarm rang throughout the ship ceasing the conversation that would have led down a nasty path. Coran appeared on the screen before them a little panicked.

"What is it, Coran?" Allura asked.

"A distress signal. It's coming from a planet a few varga's away."

"Set the course, we'll be up momentarily."

With Keith's outburst put aside but not forgotten the team headed to the brig. Allura at the controls the castle made it to the signal with relative ease. A shiver sped down Keith's spine and he glanced over his shoulder catching Matt's eye who jumped a little at being caught before quickly flicking his attention back to Pidge's screen. Keith rose a brow, was it just him or did Matt's cheek flush as he shifted his glasses upon his nose. Mentally shrugging it off Keith turned back to the planet his eyes finding the enormous mass fascinating, the planet was round but the middle was but an empty abyss.

"It looks like a doughnut," Hunk spoke aloud, his mouth beginning to water, the start of a salivary dribble making its way to his lips. Keith smirked a little at Hunk's comment before sobering, listening as Shiro began to speak.

"Where's the distress signal coming from?"

Coran began analysing the planet his fingers pausing when he found the answer.

"It's coming from a small outpost near the centre of the planet."

"Alright, let's get to the lions." Shiro turned to his fellow paladins. "We don't know what's down there so stay on guard."

Allura, Coran, Matt and the Marmoran's watched the lions fly from the castle down towards the atmosphere below. The clouds seemed dense, black in colour like a storm was upon them. Lance exclaimed when he saw the outpost, rushing forward his ice cannon already phasing to life as he shot to put the raging fires to rest. The outpost was all but rubble when Lance was done and the paladins left their lions to investigate. Weapons at the ready the paladins cautiously entered the seemingly abandoned post.

"This is where the distress signal came from?" Lance rose a brow in confusion. "There's no one here."

"Maybe they fled?" Hunk shrugged. "Everything was on fire."