Loving You to the Stars and Back // Keith x OC //

The Uncovered Truth

85

~Athena~

After our encounter in the woods, we headed to Romelle's house to talk about what she knew. Romelle told Krolia and Keith her story from the beginning. She talked about how the civilization that had been living in the colony for thousands of decades and how Lotor was practically their savior in bringing them here. Romelle also told them her suspicions about Lotor and where he was taking many Alteans to. Lotor says it was another colony, but Romelle couldn't help but feel there was more to the story than what Lotor has said.

I stood behind her story, knowing well that Lotor had ulterior motives from the Alteans and that he was merely just using them for his own gain. I wasn't too sure exactly what Lotor was up to, but I had a gut feeling that it wasn't something good. Romelle had gone off and talked about her little brother, Bandor, and how she had him die in her arms after his dangerous escape of the "other Colony."

I could remember the gaunt look on his face. The memory was embedded in the back of my mind, fresh as if I had seen it yesterday. Bandor's flesh stuck close to his face, making him look like his life had been sucked right out of him and that he was nothing but bones. He was practically a skeleton.

Remembering that alone sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes as Romelle talked of her brother, remembering that sad moment when Bandor took his final breath before going to sleep forever.

That wasn't only the sad part of the story. Many Alteans before Bandor have disappeared as well. The haunting words that Bandor said to Romelle before he passed stuck to me as well. Everything they knew about the other Colony was a lie.

In exchange for Romelle's story, Keith and Krolia explained our mission to why we were here. It was clear to all of us that there was some sort of connection between the missing Alteans and the pure quintessence.

"Given your brother's weakened state, he couldn't have piloted his ship for very long," Keith spoke with his arms crossed. "The other colony must be somewhere nearby."

"There is a moon orbiting around this planet that could potentially house a colony," Krolia replied.

"Well, that's our only lead, but how will we get there?" Keith responded with this serious expression as he looked back at Krolia.

The room remained silent for a couple of minutes before Romelle spoke up, "I have an idea. Follow me." Romelle stood up as she walked to her door. The rest of us exchanged looks before following behind her.

As soon as she opened the door, Romelle looked left and right, scanning the area. Night has fallen in the couple of hours that we had been in Romelle's house, and it was clear to me that we were in the later hours of the day where everyone would be sleeping.

Romelle led the way, following down a narrow path to one of the more prominent domes not too far from where she lives. There was one particular dome that Romelle has brought us too, but I couldn't recognize it in the area. I never really had the time to go around to see the other places of the Colony, so I had assumed that most of the buildings were homes.

"These transports haven't been used in generations," Romelle spoke up as she placed her hand on what looked to be a scanner. The scanner read her handprint, lighting up seconds later so the doors would separate. "None of the Alteans in the colony would know how to fly one, even if we desired to."

As the door opened, something sat across from us. It looked a spacecraft from decades ago. Its edges would have a small bit of dust, and the white panels would need some cleaning. I looked back at Keith, seeing a smile appear on his face as he looked back at Romelle. "I think I got us covered there."