An electronic beeping blared from the small device floating in the middle of the water, and as the Galra ship neared sea level, the water became treacherous, large waves spanning out around the device as the ship hovered. Inside, Galran troops made contact with another fleet.
"This is Galra cruiser beta-nine. We are within range and requesting permission to dock,", the leader announced to the other Galran as he stood on his podium, staring up at the video call.
"Proceed,", permission was granted, and so the ship submerged itself into the water bit by bit until there was nothing above water level. Then, they moved forward, heading towards the base that lay a few yards away, cleverly hidden from the prying eyes of others.
"A priority-one shipment is en route. Activate the docking station immediately,", the announcement was made over the PA system of the base, alerting the crew inside to do their job. With the pull of a lever, the docking station was powered up by one of the troops, and he turned to his friend, a not particularly pleasant scowl on his face.
"I can't believe we're stuck here. This base predates the Zaipirium Siege. It's amazing this equipment remains operational,", he commented, glancing around the room at the dull, worn architecture.
"We're lucky to have it since the rebels overran the Sigma-3 Quadrant,", his friend reminded him. "It's all we have left in this system,", the powering up of the equipment needed to open the dock up to the ship sounded, interrupting their conversation. The Galran closest turned the pole at the centre, opening the floor and allowing the ship to raise itself into the space before beginning to unload the goods they had transported.
From their hiding spot, three Blade members watched the exchange, looking at the steel-panelled, glass containers filled with a blue substance being moved onto the dock, puzzled at what they were seeing. In those containers, there was an excess of quintessence.
"We destroyed the Komar. How are the Galra still producing such vast amounts of quintessence?", the member in the middle turned to the companion to his left. "Find out where it's coming from and where it's going,", satisfied with his orders, the figure scurried off, and the man in the middle turned to his other companion. "Get a reading on that shipment,", just as they were about to leave, the leader grabbed their arm, stopping them. "Remember, this is purely intelligence gathering. Do not engage,"
With a nod, the figure, too, rushed away, leaving the person who seemed to be leading the operation alone.
---
A snoring guard occupied the chair in the overview room of the docking station, feet resting against the panel in front of him as he slept. This was the perfect time for the Blade to do their job. Sliding down a wall, the Blade member reached a certain point and paused, keeping himself in place with his legs and hands. Using his tail, he pulled his sword out from its holder and cut a small panel off of the wall before inserting a device into the opening.
Then, he pulled out his reader, the machine beeping as it did its job. Though an alert of his hacking popped up on the screen in front of the sleeping guard, he did not wake up, not even when it beeped quietly. The Blade member continued his scan, his companion sneaking around in a more open place.
Hiding and manoeuvring to get past guards, the figure eventually reached a shelf holding the newest shipment of the Galra base, and so pulled out a scanner, sending the results over to his leader, who analysed the data collected on a similar, if not identical, machine.
"Impossible. It's overloading my monitor. I've never seen these kinds of readings before,", he muttered to himself.
On the ground level of the base, a soldier had spotted the Blade crouched by the giant, silver barrels and went to shoot, when the individual pulled out a weapon of his own, sending the soldier to the ground instantly, gun firing uncontrollably, though this meant that they had been spotted, and could no longer proceed.
"The op is compromised. Abort!", the leader instructed over their headset, alerting his companions, who paused and awaited instructions. "Extraction point in point two doboshes. This is a hard out,", they followed his instructions immediately, rushing to their destination.
The Blade member in the shipment holding room dodged the lasers, taking out any soldiers he came into contact with swiftly before scurrying off, their main goal being to get out quickly and safely. Eventually, he reached the meeting point, hunched over and panting as he tried to catch his breath.
"He's not back?", the husky-voiced male asked his leader, out of breath.
"He's got thirty ticks,", the leader clarified, turning to his companion, who once again ran off. "Begin preparations for take-off,", the ship powered up, and he looked over his shoulder, expecting the return of his two companions sooner rather than later. The doors began to shut, and there was still no sight of the two, but just as the two pieces of metal were about to touch, they leapt through the opening, one carrying the other over his shoulders before they fell to the ground, exhausted and grunting from the impact.
Mission fulfilled to the best of their abilities, the three took off in their small ship, leaving the underwater base behind them. Still panting heavily, the conscious of the two Blade members stood by his teammate, panting as he looked down at him, concerned.
"Will he be alright?", he questioned his leader.
"You broke protocol,", was all he replied with, glaring down at his companion as he secured a small, glowing violet machine onto the unconscious Blade member. Frustrated, the smaller of the two took off his mask and hood, unleashing his unruly raven mullet and piercing violet eyes.
"I had to,", Keith argued. His leader followed suit in revealing his mask, Kolivan looking down at the paladin in annoyance.
"You didn't consider that something could've happened to you,", the Galran chastised. "That would make two men down instead of one. Every member of the Blade of Marmora understands that the mission is more important than the individual. This isn't Voltron,"
"I understand that,", Keith fired back. "In Voltron, we would've gone back in to save Regris. I went back in to save the mission. Regris had the intel,", he pulled the small device Regris had used out from his back pocket, stepping closer to Kolivan as he held it up. "Getting him and it back on the ship was worth the risk,", with that, he walked past the tall Galran, shoving the device into his hand. Clenching his fist around the object, Kolivan glared at Keith's retreating figure.
---
"Keith. Good, you're back. The team's on a mission,", Shiro glanced at the boy as the doors to the control room opened and he stepped in, now redressed into his usual attire. He met Shiro in his area, where he stood in the middle of countless holograms that flew around him, depicting ships and planets. "You need to get to your lion and join them immediately,"
"I will, but I think we just discovered a new form of quintessence,", he informed his friend, who returned to moving the holograms accordingly to what he was doing. "The readings are off the charts. Kolivan says it could be linked to Lotor,"
"Okay. We'll discuss it when you return,", Shiro concluded, folding his arms and not so much as sparing a glance at the ravenette. "The team's escorting refugees out of the Fimm System,", his ignorance boiled Keith's blood and, after a long mission and not seeing his favourite people for a while, he was slightly frustrated.
"This is Lotor I'm talking about. He hasn't been seen in months. This might be our chance to track him down,", Keith reiterated, beginning angry, but the anger in his voice soon dissipated into hope.
"I said, we'll discuss this later,", Shiro spoke firmly, offering a mere side eye at his friend. "Right now, I need you to focus on the mission at hand,"
"But--", Keith protested.
"That wasn't a request, Keith,", Shiro cut him off, turning to look at him properly this time, tone and expression harsh. "Get to the Fimm System. That's an order,"
---
As requested, Keith joined his teammates in the Fimm System, all of them using their lions to pick up the ships full of refugees in order to carry them back to the planet where they had situated the castle for the time being. Taking notice of the black paladin's return, they were quick to comment on it.
"Well, look who decided to show up,", Pidge remarked, putting a further damper on Keith's already dropping mood.
"Yeah, are you even taking this seriously?", Lance joined in, and he, Pidge and Hunk made unimpressed faces at the late arrival.
"Sorry I'm late,", Keith apologised dully, not having the energy or spirit to do much more. His disagreements with Shiro and Kolivan were playing on his mind, and he couldn't help but feel he was letting someone down, no matter what he did, or how hard he tried to help.
---
"Were you able to speak with Kolivan about the intel?", Keith asked Shiro, both of them now stood watching as the refugees' ships were lowered to the ground from afar.
"I did, and we need to find out all that we can about that quintessence,", he informed the younger male, turning to him. "But more importantly, Voltron needs a strong leader,"
"I know they do, and it should be you,", the ravenette looked to Shiro.
"Keith, we've discussed this before,", he reminded, offering a gentle smile. "Besides, we both know that the black lion has chosen you,"
"You only tried once,", he took a step forward, waving his arms around. "You had a connection with the black lion and I know it's still there. If you just give it another shot--"
"Keith, we all have a part to play,", Shiro stopped the boy's rambling. "This is mine now. I've come to terms with that. Now you need to,", Keith looked down. "I support your decision to continue with your Marmora training... but not at the expense of the team, or your family. They need you, Keith. They need you to be their leader, and your son needs a father,", the ravenette was stumped by Shiro's words, left speechless and deep in thought.
---
"Okay everybody,", Coran started. Everyone had gathered around him in a semi-circle, and you, too, had joined today. Since giving birth, you had trained yourself, using the bots to work on your fighting skills, and now you were determined to bring some value to the team. "Today, we'll be heading to Reiphod, a planet recently liberated from Galra forces,"
"This is embarrassing. We're basically the grand marshal of a parade,", Keith commented, bouncing the baby boy in his arms gently. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone besides you, he felt guilty for not being around a lot and cherished whatever time he had to hold or be around the three-month-old infant.
"Not a parade. A show of arms!", Coran corrected, flexing his muscles.
"Whatever it is, this is the second one of these we've done just this week,", Pidge reminded the group.
"I know it's not exactly battling the Galra,", Allura looked to Pidge. "But believe it or not, this helps us boost morale and strengthen alliances,"
"Right, right, strongholds, blah-dy, blah-dy, blah,", Lance dismissed, motioning with his hands. "Now, I say we go over our lion choreography one more time. I don't want a repeat of what happened last time, Hunk,", he gave an accusing side eye to the yellow paladin, who looked away and rubbed his arm awkwardly.
"I thought my lion had more room,", he muttered guiltily as the screen flashed with an incoming transmission.
"Shiro, my apologies for interrupting, but this is an urgent matter,", Kolivan spoke, his face now on the large screen in front of you all. Hearing your baby coo at the sound of the Galran's voice, you smiled and moved closer to Keith, rubbing Isiah's back to quieten him down. "A Galra ship has been spotted passing through Quadrant Omega-Raylar-Six,"
"What's it doing so far from the normal supply routes?", Shiro folded his arms, looking down as he tried to come up with an explanation.
"We can't be certain, but taken together with the fact that Lotor hasn't been seen in quite some time and the emergence of this new form of quintessence, we feel compelled to investigate,", Kolivan explained, keeping a straight face. "Normally, we would wait for better intel, but I believe we should act on this now,"
"I'll send Voltron to intercept," Shiro proposed to the Blade leader.
"An infiltration mission makes more sense,", Kolivan disagreed, beginning to lay out his reasoning. "We can plant a tracker and see just how far the supply route extends. With all the Galra activity as of late, my agents are spread thin,", at this, Keith stepped forward, baby still clutched to his chest.
"Not anymore. Count me in,", he informed, earning a mixture of shocked and disagreeing expressions in return. Slightly stunned, too, you turned to face him, waiting to see what he had to say.
"Hey, what about our performance? We can't razzle-dazzle the crowd with just four lions!", Lance exclaimed, leaning in angrily and holding four fingers up. Gently passing Isiah to you, Keith did the same, glaring at the brunette male standing in front of him.
"This mission is more important than a show of arms,", he growled, turning to his friend. "Shiro?"
"How long will it take?", the leader turned to the screen, directing his question towards Kolivan.
"Not long, but we must act fast, or we risk the ship jumping to hyperspace,", the Galran answered almost instantly. Shiro, taking a moment to ponder, turned around and looked towards the ravenette.
"Go. But when you're done, meet us on Reiphod,"
---
"Citizens of Reiphod, on this day, we honour you for your perseverance,", Coran announced, using speakers to amplify his voice to the vast ocean of people. He stood on a small platform under the castle holding a microphone, you and Shiro standing further back on either side of him. "Your refusal to bow down in the face of such adversity is a testament to the fighting spirit of your people. You've put aside your differences and united together to dispel the oppressive Galra regime, bringing freedom to all!"
Cheers erupted from the swarm of people, some holding up posters to show their support and gratitude towards the paladins while others simply raised their arms up in the air, faces lighting up with the newfound hope the paladins had brought to them. Realising the noise was most likely hurting Isiah's ears, you took a few more steps back, distancing yourself from the prying eyes of the crowds as you swayed back and forth, trying to soothe your son.
"We thank you for joining the coalition and continuing the fight against the Galra, that began with the re-emergence of the five lions of Voltron,", the ginger man raised his arm at the perfect time, fingers pointing upwards just as four of the five lions in question flew forward and over the crowd in sync, pausing to fly upwards and swirl around each other, Coran's face going pale at the sight of only four beasts. "Right. Uh... four lions,", he chuckled nervously.
"I thought Keith said he was gonna be here. He's going to ruin our show!", Lance complained.
"Lance, this isn't just about putting on a good show. It's about uniting people and bringing them to the coalition to help in the fight against Zarkon,", Allura asserted, not wanting the Cuban boy to lose sight of what their actual mission was. With a sigh, Lance gave up.
"Fine. I don't even know why I try,", he muttered, rolling his eyes.
---
Suited up and in close proximity to the Galra ship, Keith and a few other Blade members watched as the doors of their ship opened, the three of them leaping out one by one and delving further into space. Soaring effortlessly with their capes, the trio closely together, staring straight ahead.
"Triangulate positions around the ship,", Kolivan instructed, the other two of them shooting off to their stations obediently. Once positioned, one of the three landed on the side of the ship, grunting as he did so. Then, he attached a small device to said ship, pulling out his device to read the scans.
"Not detecting any biorhythms,", the ravenette spoke quietly to his leader over the intercom.
"Could be a crew of sentries. Let's get in and find out,", Kolivan told him.
---
"I completed the sentry scan. There are none on board,", Keith informed his two companions, the three having just met up in the centre of conjoining corridors. "The entire place is empty. Have you ever seen this before?", he looked at Kolivan curiously.
"Something's not right here. We should leave,", Kolivan brushed his question off.
"We came all this way. We should at least plant the tracker and find out where this ship ends up,", he reasoned and, at his logic, Kolivan gave in.
"Let's make it quick,", he stated. With that, the three travelled together to a small room, weapons drawn as it opened, ready to take on any possible enemies, but it was empty. Walking forward cautiously, nonetheless, they all began at their separate tasks.
"I'll check the logs,", one said.
"Planting the tracker,", the other ran off to a different area, but as soon as the member checking the logs attempted to do so, the doors closed, and a red message began flashing on the screen, the three of them freezing at the sudden lockdown.
"I'm locked out of the system,", he realised.
"It's rigged to blow!", Keith yelled, alarmed at the severity of the situation.
"This ship's a decoy. Everyone out!", Kolivan demanded, he and Keith pulling their blades out and jabbing them into the gap between the two parts of the door, attempting to pry it open, as their third teammate continued working on the computer.
"Attempting to override,", he muttered, just as the others managed to open the door, grunting quietly as they held it up.
"There's not enough time. Come on!", Keith ushered the male.
"Just a few more ticks,", he persisted, prompting Keith to leave his post, about to run forward and grab his teammate when Kolivan hooked his arm around the male, dragging him away from the room and out of the ship. Heart pounding, he watched as the silhouette of his teammate faded from view.
"Regris, no!", he cried. Then it exploded.
---
"By joining the Voltron Alliance, you are joining up with the Defenders of The Universe, who will do whatever it takes to spread peace and freedom to every galaxy!", Coran announced to the cheering, ecstatic crowd.
---
"Hello? Kolivan?", Keith spoke. his body floating aimlessly after the explosion of the ship had sent him flying. It was a miracle in itself that he was alive and, looking back, he couldn't be more grateful for that. He has so much to live for. But, a quiet hissing caught his attention. Looking down, he noticed a slash in his suit, but he simply covered it with his hand, preventing his skin from being exposed to the air. "Anyone?", he tried again.
He waited a moment, listening carefully for a reply, but he got no response. Grunting, he muttered, "Communicator must be broken,", before straightening his posture and throwing his grappling hook forward, lodging it into a large piece of metal before gripping the rope, making a few noises of discomfort as he pulled his body to the mass of metal, an arm holding onto the structure as he caught his breath.
---
As the crowd cheered once more, the four lions continued with their synchronised flying routine, swooping down just above the crowds before going up once more, following the routine that they had become accustomed to after so many shows of arms.
"They're loving us! Razzle-dazzle!", Lance cheered, smiling as they continued their routine. The lions curved inwards, switching positions and beginning a descent, coming together in the middle before spacing out. Watching tiredly from your hiding spot, you clutched your baby closer to your chest, a nagging feeling building at the bottom of your stomach. Something was wrong.
---
Keith breathed heavily, glancing around the area cluttered with scattered debris as his suit beeped, telling him his oxygen levels were low. Desperately searching for somewhere to go, he eventually spotted something hiding behind a large piece of metal, eyes widening when he realised what it was.
"The ship,", he muttered, making a quick decision. Moving his hand away from the opening in his suit, he used both hands to push off of the metal he was on, propelling himself towards the ship. Using the scattered debris to his advantage, he used the nearby pieces as push-off points, bouncing between them to gain momentum before shooting himself forward, ignoring the pain coursing through his body as he flew into a few pieces before making it back to the ship, the doors shut tightly behind him as he fell to the ground, grunting.
Finally secure and indoors, he removed his mask, holding himself up with his shaking arms as he panted, exhausted and injured. Upon hearing the door open, however, he looked up wearily, meeting the glare of Kolivan who, even through the mask, seemed as if he had a lot of things to say about the stunt a certain ravenette had just pulled.
---
"And just as Voltron has shown what can be done when five individuals combine their powers together, so, too, can we combine our powers together with those on planet Reiphod, and grow ever stronger,", Coran declared, arm raised as he pointed to the sky, speaking over the constant cheering and jeering of the crowd. "For it is the individuals willing to take up arms that strengthen the whole. And, with that strength, we will be unstoppable!", countless aliens persisted in their support, Coran lowering the microphone as he muttered to himself, "And cue Voltron with the sword..."
As if it were planned, the lions arrived back in front of the stage at the same time as the crowd halted in their cheering, leaving a heavy silence amongst the thousands present. Sighing, you shook your head, flushing at the secondhand embarrassment you felt for the team at that moment.
"Oh, quiznack, only four lions! I keep forgetting that,", Coran cursed, looking to the side before focusing back on the dead-silent crowd and raising the microphone again. "Uh, well, when he's together, he's like a big man. Like this,", Coran stood on his tip toes and raised an arm, indicating that he was tall. "But you have to imagine it with a sword and big laser cannon,", he kneeled, imitating the lasers firing. "Look out, Zarkon! I'm Voltron, and I'm the biggest, baddest robot around!", he flailed around, desperately trying to save the situation, but merely getting unamused glances from the audience.
Shiro, stood far to the left of the male with his arms crossed, zoned out, too deep in thought and ashamed to listen to the ramblings of the ginger any longer. Unable to watch anymore yourself, you wandered back into the castle quietly, retreating to Keith's room and laying Isiah down in his crib before retreating into the corner, resting your head on your knees and hoping for the return of your boyfriend to be sooner rather than later.
---
Walking through the corridors of the castle, Keith kept his head down, only raising it when the door in front of him opened, and he realised Allura was standing in the same corridor, and he paused, staring at her. The female, who had been facing away before, turned to look at him, face void of emotion, telling the male all he needed to know.
"Allura, I know you're mad at me, but I'm not in the mood for a lecture,", he preempted the conversation that was about to unfold, his body feeling heavy, though he wasn't sure whether that was because of the mental load he carried or the pain his body was in. To his surprise, however, Allura took a few steps forward, shrugging her shoulders.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry,", she told him. "I heard what happened on your mission,", unsure of how to respond, he bowed his head a little more, his hood shielding his eyes. He hadn't been expecting that.
"Thanks,", he muttered, having a feeling she had more to say.
"I know how important the work you've been doing with the Blade is. They are incredible allies, and have been instrumental in our victories against the Galra,", she rambled, Keith lowering his hood. "And while the news of a new quintessence supply line is deeply troubling, I cannot help but feel--"
"I said I didn't want a lecture,", he deadpanned, cutting her off. His tired eyes glared daggers at the female, and she cowered slightly, looking down.
"Keith, since our battle with Zarkon, we've been able to bolster our forces by uniting those previously ruled by the Galra under a common symbol, Voltron. It's so much more than a weapon. It's become the symbol of freedom and hope for the oppressed to rally around. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, the Marmora can go on without you. They have for thousands of years. Voltron cannot. We cannot,", with that, she walked away, leaving the black paladin deep in thought.
---
"Hey, love,", Keith muttered, walking into his room, lips tugging into a small smile upon seeing you curled up on the corner of the bed, Isiah napping peacefully in his cot. Quietly, he made his way to sit in front of you, his hands grazing your arm gently to wake you up, his smile only widening as he watched you uncurl yourself, hazy eyes looking up at him happily. "Sorry to wake you, but I wanted to see you before I had to head out again,"
"No no, it's fine. I'm glad you're back,", you reassured him, wrapping your arms around his waist, but pulling back after feeling him flinch. "Hey, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?", averting his gaze, Keith simply shrugged, not wanting to admit anything. "Look at me,", you prompted, moving a hand to turn him back towards you, not missing the distant look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"I... I don't know what to do, y/n,", he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I want to stay here, but I can't help but feel as if I should be somewhere else. The Blade is amazing, y/n. It's-it's like I get to be a part of this community that all have a common goal, and I feel like it's something I need to do. They could help me find out more about my mother, who she was,"
"Then what's stopping you?", you asked, thumb gently rubbing over his cheek. Reaching a hand up, he grabbed your hand in his and squeezed it, sighing.
"The team. They need a fifth paladin. Shiro's only been back a few months, and who's to say he's fully recovered? He doesn't seem to want his role back, anyway. He says the black lion is my responsibility. But he was its original pilot, not me. And how can I leave, knowing you and Isiah are here, all alone? I couldn't do that to you,", his heart ached at the thought, and as he rambled to you, he couldn't help but feel torn.
"Keith,", you reached for his hand, squeezing it gently to grab his attention. Looking up from his lap, he met your comforting e/c eyes and frowned. "Don't let us affect your decisions. You have to do whatever makes you happy, and whatever feels right, okay? It's your life, and there's no point in doing something that makes you unhappy. So, think about it for a bit. No decision you make will ever be wrong as long as it's yours,"
"The team would hate me, y/n. They're already mad enough that I miss so much because I go on missions with the Blade,", the ravenette reminded, you shaking your head with a small laugh, making his brows furrow.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just... they'd never hate you. You're their friend, and you've earned their trust and respect. All of us just want what's best for you, so we'd support you wherever you end up,", you reassured him, smiling as he pulled you in for a hug and rested his head on your shoulder, though your moment was interrupted by the soft cooing of a baby, which made you laugh. "See? He agrees, too,"
"I guess you're right,", Keith sighed, releasing you from his arms and walking over to the cot, picking up the small boy with a grin. "Your mother is smart, isn't she? I'm sure you'll be just as smart as her, especially if you're already agreeing with her. Wise choice. She doesn't let you disagree with her on stuff like this,", a smirk grew on his face as he glanced over at you, watching you roll your eyes.
"Oh shush. Don't you have a mission to attend to, rather than teasing me?", you questioned, standing to kiss Isiah's forehead.
"I do, yeah. But I can't leave without spending some time with this little guy and you first. I haven't seen you in ages, it feels,", guilt laced his words as he spoke, feeling as if he wasn't there for his family enough. The one thing he had promised himself is that he'd look after you both, yet it seemed he was never there to do that. He didn't want to be an absent father, or an absent boyfriend, at that, but he knew that you saw things differently, and didn't blame him for not being around all the time.
"You're doing important stuff, helping to save the universe. So, as much as we miss you, we're also proud of you for being so strong, okay? Don't think that just because you can't be around all the time makes you a failure. You're doing all you can,", you kissed his cheek, your hand rubbing the small of his back as he gave in, offering a shred of a smile.
"Okay, okay, I get your point. Let's just enjoy whatever time I have before I have to head out again,", you nodded, agreeing with his words as the two of you sat down, Isiah still cuddled into Keith's arms as the three of you spent some time together.
---
"The fact that the Galra are using decoy ships proves there is something larger going on,", Kolivan started, some of his crew, including Keith, gathered around the holograms he was using to display information. "We've been tracking shipments of this new quintessence. It's running along a previously unknown route, which we partially identified here,", he paused, allowing them to watch as a red line displayed the route. "We believe that the next stop could be the Karthan-Sigma Quadrant,"
Receiving nods of understanding from the crowd of aliens, Kolivan began explaining the plan. "Keith, you'll need to get onto the ship undetected and set a series of explosives..."
---
The remaining paladins were hard at work on the planet, handing out care packages to the aliens, and you stood with Lance, assisting with Isiah wrapped against your chest. Looking up from your position of handing out a package to an older, female alien, you glanced at Allura, noticing her fixated on something, frowning. Following her line of sight, you spotted Keith in the crowd, Kolivan beside him. You smiled softly at the boy, though he didn't notice, and returned to your job as he walked off, following behind Kolivan.
Allura's gaze lingered for a few moments more, wary, before Hunk approached her with another box, making her snap out of her daze and return to the task at hand. Between the four of you, you were managing quite well to aid the citizens, with Shiro and Coran nowhere to be seen, presumably somewhere in the castle.
Of course, Shiro was. He approached the black lion slowly, looking up at the great beast, deep in thought. Everyone was busy with something, it seemed, but that was to be expected with how vital Voltron was to the efforts of supporting those affected by the war, and assisting in the war effort themselves.
---
"What's going on?", Allura asked, jogging up to the group gathered around Coran's workstation. They looked at the machine attentively as it beeped, signalling something was wrong. Stroking your baby's head, you frowned, hoping nothing too horrible was happening.
"We received a distress signal,", Coran explained, crouched down to see the screen properly. "One of our convoys has been ambushed by a squadron of Galra cruisers,"
"Our medical supply ships,", Shiro realised. "We can't allow the Galra to get them,"
"We must leave immediately,", Allura agreed, turning to Shiro. "Voltron can keep those cruisers occupied long enough for the supply ships to make their escape,", Pidge looked at the woman with a frown, as did a few other members of the team, the female seeming to have forgotten one key piece of information.
"Actually, Voltron can't. Keith is gone,", Pidge reminded.
"They're probably on a mission,", Shiro mumbled. "I knew this would happen sooner or later You'll have to go without Keith. The convoy needs you immediately. I'll send him to help as soon as I find him,", they took no time to respond to his words, running off to change and get to their lions, not wanting to waste the little time they had to protect their supplies. This left you, Coran and Shiro in the control room, staring as they ran off, though you were spaced out, your concern for Keith outweighing your interest in how this mission would go.
---
"We gotta get that ship out of the tractor beam,", Lance told the team as they approached the Galra ships that were attempting to intercept their supply ship. After receiving a signal and noticing the situation, the four set off on a mission to save them, as per usual.
"I'll try to ram it,", Hunk suggested. "Cover me!", he shot in front of the other lions, headed straight to do just that when a fleet of small fighter jets was released, and he cowered away, turning his lion to face his group again. "Never mind! There are too many! I can't ram that many!"
Following closely behind him were the other three lions, and an increased amount of Galra forces. Another ship came into view, as well as a whole lot more of the fighter drones. To the paladins, it was a less-than-desired situation as they watched the influx of Galra forces overwhelm them.
"Someone must've called for backup!", Hunk commented, the four of them now focused on evading any attacks or lasers being shot at them. Weaving skillfully through the minefield of lasers, Lance attempted to find an escape route, but there was nothing.
"They're everywhere!", he cried, spinning out of the way of the countless beams and fighter drones. To say it was hectic would be an understatement.
"There are more fighters than we've ever seen!", Pidge added, informing Shiro, Coran and you, who sat in the control room, looking at a simplified, digital display of the attack. The screen showed around eight Galra cruisers; double the number of lions they had to combat them. Yeah, that was a lot.
"Allura, I need your help! I got two on my tail!", Lance yelled, the faces of the three observing the situation from the castle dropping as they listened to the havoc unfolding.
"I'm sorry, I can't get to you! They're all over me!", the female responded, warily. This was the last straw for Shiro, who looked down with a scowl, balling his fists and walking out of the room, grabbing the attention of the ginger he had stood next to.
"What are you doing?", Coran questioned.
"Whatever I can,", he muttered in reply.
---
After suiting up, Shiro made his way to the black lion, sitting in the beast and closing his eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Exhaling, he gripped the handles, trying to block out the sounds of his teammates as they talked amongst themselves in a panic.
"I take out one, but two replace it!", Hunk whined.
"The supply ship is almost captured,", Allura observed. "Can anyone get to it?"
"I'm trying!", Lance told her. Shiro's latch on the handles tightened.
"Where are they all coming from?", Hunk asked no one in particular.
"Watch out, behind you!", Pidge warned.
"Do the rebel ships have a shot?", Allura asked.
"I have a visual on them. They're dead in the water,", Lance informed her, distressed.
"We can't do this without Voltron!", the female cried once more.
"Where is Keith?", Lance huffed. Shiro was at breaking point. Seething with anger at the torment his friends were enduring, he begged the black lion to allow him the ability to help.
"Please. People's lives are at stake,", he pleaded, pausing and waiting for a sign, any sign. "You trusted me once. Trust me again,", finally, a light turned on, and the black lion flickered to life, Shiro gasping in a mixture of surprise and relief. A mighty roar erupted from its mouth, and Shiro made his way out of the castle, joining his friends on the battlefield.
"There's no way we can beat all these fighters with only four lions!", Hunk yelled as he got hit, quickly regaining composure. He couldn't afford to be still for too long.
"You don't have to!", Shiro assured them, earning a chorus of surprised responses from the other paladins, relieved to have that extra bit of help. In one swoop, he had flown behind Hunk, taking out a line of the fighters. "Converge on me. It's time to form Voltron!"
They did so, forming the great beast for the first time in what seemed like forever. Within minutes of this, they managed to take out the fighters in one swoop, the cruisers meeting their downfall one by one at the hands of Voltron. Together, they knew, they were miles stronger than before. Then, they made their way to the freed fleet supply ships, flying beside them.
"Rebel craft, you're safe. We'll escort you the rest of the way to Olkarion,", Shiro informed the ships over the intercom, the castle following closely behind and being driven by Coran.
---
With the castle now planted firmly on the ground of Olkarion and the lions safely back in their bay after making sure the supplies reached their intended destination, the group now gathered in the control room, with the exception of Keith, who had only now returned.
"Guys, I...", he trailed off, looking guilty until he met their eyes, the paladins and Alteans giving him their version of a side eye or glare, and he could practically feel how pissed off they were, their eyes burning holes into him. Eyes widening, he looked away, searching for the right words to say. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help,"
"You keep saying you're sorry, but your actions say otherwise. Do you realise your absence put the team in jeopardy?", Allura reprimanded the ravenette.
"And not just the team,", Lance stepped forward. "The refugees as well,"
"Matter of a fact, the entire quadrant was in danger,", Pidge added, her arms folded over her chest. His eyes held endless amounts of guilt, and he looked down, an awful feeling building in his chest.
"This is not the way I wanted this to happen but, if there's a bright side to any of this,", he began, taking a small step forward and looking up. "It's that my absence allowed Shiro to reestablish his bond with the black lion. He can finally be the leader I was unable to be. I'm not meant to pilot the black lion,", they all looked guilty now, too, realising how they had impacted their teammate with their constant scoldings.
"Is that why you've been pulling away from us?", Allura realised. Frowning at his gloomy face and sunken shoulders, you moved closer to him, rubbing his back in comfort.
"Yeah, I suppose that's part of it,", he admitted quietly, looking down.
"Part of it? What's the other part?", Hunk asked, arms crossed.
"The Blades have been making headway tracking the source of this new quintessence. They've been able to piece together a large network of hidden supply lines that have been secretly transporting it for who knows how long. And there's good reason to believe it could lead us directly to Lotor,", he explained, hand moving to yours upon feeling you tense at the name. "A mission is being planned to infiltrate the supply line. It could take weeks, maybe months to pull off, but... if there is a chance... we have... I have to take it. I need to be on that mission,", he finally said.
The team now looking at him wide-eyed, he turned to Shiro, addressing the older man. "Shiro, you are the rightful leader of this team. And you proved it today by reconnecting with the black lion. It was always meant to be yours,"
"Keith,", Shiro said, placing a hand on his shoulder and startling him. "If this is what you feel is right, we won't try to stop you. But just know that we're here whenever you need us,", taking a moment to digest Shiro's words, Keith finally smiled softly.
"I know you are,", he replied. "And I can't tell you how much that means to me,", he grabbed Shiro's hand, the two meeting in the middle for a man hug, everyone getting emotional at the sight. Hunk, in particular, was affected, tears falling from his eyes.
"I can't be left out of this,", he cried, and the entire team rushed forward, embracing Keith in a much-needed group hug, all of them smiling as you stood back, watching the scene. All of them had tears in their eyes now, Pidge clinging to his side and showing more emotion than you were sure she had shown since her brother went missing.
"We're really gonna miss you,", she sobbed.
"Yeah, who am I gonna make fun of?", Lance smiled sadly, looking down at the male.
"I know you'll make us proud,", Allura told him.
After all was said and done, they eventually left the embrace of one another, Keith walking out of the room, taking one last glance at his family before the doors shut and beginning to walk down the corridor when the doors opened again. He looked back, shocked to see you running towards him, Isiah in the arms of Lance (the baby hog of the group), tears spilling from your eyes. He caught you in his arms, your legs wrapping around his waist as you buried your face into his shoulder.
"We're gonna miss you,", you whispered, sniffling a little. Kissing your forehead, he squeezed your figure a little tighter, bringing you as close as humanly possible. "Stay safe, yeah? Come back to us. We all need you here, more than you realise,"
"I will, I promise,", he reassured you, heart aching at having to leave you here. He didn't want to. It went against every fibre of his being, heart burning and his head telling him no, but it was something he had to do. To keep you safe. To have a chance at catching the guy who had hurt you most. "I love you, y/n. And I'll ring whenever I can. I don't want to miss out on too much,"
"Okay,", you muttered, looking into his eyes with a soft smile. "Just... just try not to worry too much. And don't doubt yourself. You're so capable, Keith,", his cheeks burned at the compliment, and he grinned back at you, bringing his lips to yours for a long, longing kiss before lowering you back to the ground, keeping his arms around you for a few seconds more. "I love you, too, by the way. Now go. Before I end up trying to keep you here,"
Chuckling, he willed himself to not cry as he pulled away from you, giving you one last glance before walking away, not looking back. He knew, if he did, he'd end up staying. One look at you and Isiah, and he would cave instantly. Anything for his family. But he'd be back soon, he told himself. Back in your arms before he knew it.
___________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Hey reader, hope you enjoyed the first chapter of season three!! Things are starting to move quite quickly now, with so many changes in the dynamics of the team and whatnot. What's next for them, I wonder? That's to be discovered in the next chapter. Hope everyone's doing well!! Have a good day/night!! - Gracie