"Arrangements have been made on our end. See to it that the Altean Princess cooperates. We are counting on you." Without any time for a response, or confirmation, Kolivan cut the line.
Keith stared at his Blade communicator, gazing into the black screen where his Leader's face had just been. The man's parting words 'We are counting on you' echoed through his mind. Great, no pressure! He thought to himself, slumping lower in the pilot's seat of Red's cockpit. Now that the Emperor couldn't track them, their every waking minute was no longer filled with fighting and evading. Suddenly, they found themselves with an abundance of free time and it didn't take long before Allura had them running drills in their lions once again. Her goal was to continue building and strengthening their team bonds, but instead they were all pretty exhausted.
Today was a rest day, which meant they finally got to relax for the first time in over a movement. Hunk was doing the will of the Ancients by baking them some incredible treats. Lance was losing terribly to Pidge at Killbot Phantasm. Shiro was last seen being shooed out of the kitchen by Hunk, his mouth suspiciously full of what ever had just finished cooling. Coran was cleaning the healing pods and re calibrating the somoflange. Allura was taking a nap after pouring over star charts all quintant. And Keith had been on the training deck until Coran locked him out once again. Apparently he needed to socialize and spend some quality time with his team – which was ridiculous because Keith had plenty of social skills ... just not ones that translated very well with Altean's and Humans.
Instead, he sat with Red gushing about how incredible she was and how he was so lucky to have been chosen as the Paladin of the very best Lion. Vaguely Keith thought he felt Black scoff at that, but Red's thunderous purring drowned out any objections. Not that Keith cared, he was pretty sure each of the other Paladins believed their Lion was the best – they were wrong of course, but they were welcome to their delusions. He felt multiple objections to that thought and Red cooed about how sweet he was. The whole 'semi-sentient' thing was still a little weird.
With a heavy sigh, the young Blade pocketed his communicator and rose to his feet. Sooner was better than later if he were to try and convince the Princess they needed to visit headquarters. Ughhhh he groaned as he stood, "Why am I always stuck with the grunt work?" Naturally, no one answered his question.
The halls were empty and quiet, but it wasn't strange like it used to be when they had first arrived. Keith had become accustomed to the solitude of the Castle ship and, though he missed having more people around, it was nice to not be forced into uncomfortable interactions every waking minute like he had been back at the Galaxy Garrison. He'd had a little heart to heart with Coran a few quintants ago; the Altean was incredibly insightful and gave sound advice. It had been his deduction that Keith missed being around other Galra and that perhaps he was starting to feel isolated.
It made sense; the other Paladins were all Human and, even though the two Alteans were the last of their species, Coran and Allura had each other. Meaning Keith was the sole Galra on the Castle of Lions and it was starting to get lonely. Stopping at the Thaldycon and Kassatae bases had helped, but he wanted nothing more than to go home. And that thought made him feel weak. All the other Blades were risking their lives for the cause; either on the front lines raiding ships, or assigned to deep cover missions biding their time and covering their tracks. And Keith? He was sitting comfortably in the safety of a Voltron Lion while missing his mommy and friends. Pathetic.
Coran had told him not to think like that. He'd said the other Humans were all home sick as well and that it appeared to be a deeply Human trait. He'd also pointed out how dependent Galra are on their family units. So, essentially Keith had a double helping of genetic predisposition to isolation induced depression – or whatever the quiznak that was supposed to mean.
But he didn't feel depressed, just stressed and slightly agitated, and a little lonely. Okay, maybe a lot lonely. But that was different than being depressed. Coran had agreed with that point too. Which brought them back to why he'd been kicked out of the training deck: to socialize. The Altean man's suggestion was to spend some quality time with the Humans on board the Castle; maybe he could take comfort in their presence.
But Keith knew what the Humans were like, they would think it was weird if he walked up and hugged Shiro, especially after the way he'd reacted to Allura hugging him. But only Shiro was close enough to him for a hug, maybe Pidge but definitely not Hunk or Lance. They were all friends, better now than ever, but they weren't family. Stars, Keith wanted a hug. He groaned as he walked the empty halls. Shiro would hug him, and Shiro wouldn't think it was weird. He could totally ask for a hug and the Human man would find it normal. After all, how many times had he seen all of the others 'hugging it out'?
"- able to fold space-time, and that was just at an outpost!" He heard Pidge's voice float around the corner, followed by the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread and the distinct aroma of purgin leaf tea.
"Mm, the space taco. It left us too soon." Hunk responded; his words punctuated by the clanging of baking sheets.
"Well, sure. But my point is, imagine how amazing their home base will be!"
"Exactly! It could take on any shape. Like a space jelly donut, or long like a space éclair. Or a space cheese blintz with a cherry sauce on top! Maybe a little dusting of powdered sugar. That's the stars."
"Aww, Hunk! Now I'm hungry for breakfast!" Lance whined. It was mid afternoon and breakfast the last thing on Keith's mind. He rounded the corner, walking into the kitchen and being treated to a sight he really should have expected.
Hunk was wearing a large white apron with a wide blue decorative collar and equally large blue pockets. His dark skin was completely hidden behind a full coating of a slightly blue tinted Altean baking flour that covered the large boy from head to toe. He had a bright yellow mixing bowl cradled in one arm and was pointing a batter-coated whisk at Lance with the other. The Blue Paladin was leaning backwards over the island, his elbows resting on the countertop and his back arched over so that his head fell between his shoulder blades. His feet were crossed on the floor in front of him and his hips were resting against the structure. He was bent nearly in half and Keith was pretty sure Human spines weren't supposed to bend that way – but then again Lance had proven himself to be quite flexible.
Pidge was sitting on a bar stool hunched over their laptop and typing furiously as they kicked their feet freely, too short to reach the foot bar on the stool and waaaay too short to reach the ground. They were subtly making side eye glances at the tray of fresh treats cooling in front of Hunk and Keith guessed it was only a matter of time before they tried to sneak a taste. Shiro was sitting at the table off to the side of the room, a mug of something dark placed in front of him. He had one foot flat on the ground and the other propped open across his lap, both arms were on the table cupping the warm beverage and his eye line was focused on the two boy's interaction. None of them had noticed Keith's arrival.
He leaned in the door frame and watched the young Humans. If they were Galra they would have noticed him by now for sure. Lance was teasing Hunk, repeating his words in a mocking tone and the big guy was starting to get defensive. Keith watched as Pidge took advantage of the distraction to finally swipe a piece of the loaf Hunk had just finished cutting up.
"Um, why am I missing a piece of space-banana bread?" Hunk asked; looking around the room and just missing Pidge shove the last bite into their mouth. "Shiro I swear to god if you took another slice I'll kick you out again!" their Black Paladin gasped in mock horror and Lance burst out laughing.
"What do you mean 'again'? You're supposed to be the adult Shiro!" Lance jabbed and Keith watched as the older man rolled his eyes and dismissed the enthusiastic Cuban boy with a flick of the wrist.
"I never agreed to that." He joked, smirking at the group of Cadets. Pidge reached their hand across the counter to snatch another piece of this 'space-banana bread' and Keith held back a snicker, not wanting to give away his position just yet. He wasn't hiding or anything, it was just baffling that NONE of them had noticed him so far, and he now kinda wanted to see how long it would take.
Lance made a coughing sound and pointed over at the sneaky Green Paladin causing Hunk to finally notice the thief. A chunk of bread was whipped in the Cuban's direction, as were several expletives. Keith struggled to maintain his composure.
"Would you STOP wasting my good batch! These are for Keith!" Hunk scolded and before the Red Paladin could finish processing the words Lance piped in.
"I don't understand why you're baking these for him." He'd added, still leaning backwards against the counter in what had to be an incredibly uncomfortable position by now.
"I think it's sweet, Hunk. Keith will love it." Shiro said with a smile and the young Galra felt himself blush. Hunk was baking all of this for him? Why? Was it normal for Humans to do that? He suddenly had so many questions.
"Yeah, well, you know. Coran said he's been feeling a little homesick and I know it's not all Galran stuff but um, yeah, I thought maybe it would help. I made perkin – purgan? - leaf tea which is a Galran herbal tea and some traditional Galran pie!" Hunk replied, fiddling with the presentation of the desserts. "I just feel bad, you know? Like, we all have each other and he doesn't really have anyone."
"Well he'd have us if he wasn't always sitting in a dark corner playing with his knife or being all dark, broody, and mysterious."
Pidge coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'subtle' and Lance shot them a glare. But after a few more coughs Keith decided it must have been his imagination and he shrugged it off. Choosing instead to roll his eyes at the Blue Paladin.
"You made the initiative once, but have you tried since?" Shiro asked. "You could always find him and offer to hangout. Keith isn't as 'broody' as you think. He just has a hard time understanding Human interaction." His astute observation was met with a look of shame and Shiro let out a heavy sigh. "Lance, you're forgetting that even though Keith looks mostly Human, he's not. Keith's Galran genes are more dominant and he was raised as a Galra. To him, we are just as alien as the Galra or Alteans seem to us. How would you feel if we left you behind on the Thaldycon base and you had to navigate their customs and speak in an alien language and deal with a species you had never met before. Keith isn't being 'broody', he's overwhelmed."
"I know." Lance replied, his voice softer than usual. "We had a talk about it months ago. He told me how hard it is for him and how lonely he felt. I told him about missing home and we kinda became friends I guess. I thought he'd start hanging out with us more after that, or after every thing with Allura blew over, maybe. But he didn't. He stayed distant and he didn't bother to hangout with anyone other you or Pidge."
That was it; Keith couldn't stand there and listen any longer. Hunk cared so much it made him melt and Lance really seemed genuinely hurt that he didn't try harder. Before he could stop himself, Keith had walked out from where he'd been leaning and stood beside Lance. Maybe if he asked for the boy's help they could hangout some more. It would be like the Kerberos farewell party all over again.
"Hey." He said and received an equally unenthusiastic 'hey' in return. "Have you seen Allura?" Lance quirked a brow and gave a puzzled look back to him.
"Why are you looking for the Princess?" he asked after a moment, his tone becoming more defensive as usual when it came to her. Keith rolled his eyes.
"I checked her room before I came here and she wasn't in it. Any idea where she could be, Lance? My Leader is wanting to meet with her and he wants us all to come to base."
"That wouldn't happen to be your head quarters would it?" Pidge excitedly interjected and Keith nodded, earning a deafening squeal that caused him to wince as his hands flew up to protect his sensitive ears. "OMGOSH WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT!" They rushed and turned to Hunk with a massive grin across their face. "HUNK – Space Taco 2.0!" The Yellow and Green Paladins jumped up and down, high-fived each other, and squealed in glee.
"Could you not?" he condescendingly replied, wiggling a finger is his now ringing ear. "Besides, we can't go unless Allura 'Okays' it."
"Try the bridge, Keith. She was pouring over star charts all day." Shiro interjected.
"Checked there already."
"Hmm, what about the observation deck? Okay – the lounge? Meditation room? Pool?" Keith shook his head at each of Shiro's suggestions. He'd already checked all of her usual haunts and more.
"OH!" Lance yelped, pushing himself off the island and grabbing Keith by the wrist, leading him out of the kitchen before the others had a chance to blink. "I think I know where she is! Follow me!"
"I don't really have a choice if you're dragging me along do I?" He playfully quipped back and they darted down the empty hall. Keith was perfectly happy to follow Lance around, except this was a little more physical contact than he was comfortable with. "Lance, let go." The Cuban didn't even register his voice. "Lance! Let go of my arm!" He called out, slightly louder this time.
His wrist was abruptly dropped. "Oh, sorry."
"Where are you leading us?" He replied, lightening his tone.
"To this room I found one night. I was homesick and scared and I couldn't sleep so I was wandering around." He said it so casually that Keith almost missed the subtext hidden by his nonchalant tone. When had this been? Was he still scared? "I got super lost and found this room and Allura was inside. I think she was more startled to see me than I was to randomly run into her." He chuckled slightly and picked up the pace. "Come on, it's this way."
They hurried down the halls, Lance expertly guiding them through the labyrinth that was the Castle of Lions. It seemed as though the further they went, the more confusing the route became. He'd voiced this and Lance grinned widely at him, explaining what Allura had described as a protective measure. Essentially, the confusing layout was designed to make it nearly impossible to find the throne room without prior knowledge of exactly where you were headed. Lance had stumbled upon it by sheer happenstance.
When they'd first arrived at the Castle of Lions, Keith had used his spare time to make a mental map of the layout. There were still some areas on the massive ship he hadn't had a chance to get to, such as the holding cells in the lowest levels, some of the storage rooms, and obviously this entire section. He couldn't recall having ever been in this area and it made him uncomfortable, how much of the ship had he missed in his initial reports?
When they reached their destination, he was greeted by a rather plain and understated set of doors. They were absolutely massive, easily 20 feet tall, and had a faint pattern etched into them but otherwise they were rather unremarkable. Until Lance placed his hand on the door pad and the etchings lit up in the trademark bright Altean blue. It was stunning. Absolutely breath-taking. He'd read about the beauty of the Altean palace before but he'd never seen any pictures of it. The Emperor had made sure to destroy as much of Altea as possible. Even though this wasn't the actual palace, it was still a royal ship and it was truly spectacular.
Lance waltzed into the room without hesitation, but Keith needed a minute to appreciate everything before he could follow. It was bright on the castle, waaaay too bright for his liking, but this throne room was even brighter. Lance blinked and squinted in the light as he called Allura's name and Keith slammed his eyes shut, placing his hand on the Blue Paladin's shoulder. He relied on his other senses, the touch of Lance's shoulder as he guided them through the room, the sound of their footfalls echoing in the silence, and the smell of Allura's perfume that hung in the still air. Keith shifted his eyes back to their more Human form and tentatively opened them.
The light was still overwhelming but not nearly as bad as it had been before. The colours were more vibrant with these eyes and he could see that his previous assessment had been wrong. The door wasn't strictly white, but in fact had a very faint mosaic of flowers around the frame. The soft and decorative boarder was so understated that it appeared as a barely perceptible halo of colour around the entrance. It was magnificent.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Allura's singsong voice came from behind him and he spun on his heel to greet her. From this position he could see the rest of the room and, sitting on a podium, sat two white chairs. Each had a back as tall as the grand doors, soaring towards the ceiling and tapering to a peak. Like the walls, ceiling, and floor they were a crisp white and were adorned in the same way as the entrance. The faint halo of colour formed a boarder around the edge of the backs and covered the legs completely. While the two thrones were strikingly beautiful, there was something off about them and it took longer than he'd like to admit before Keith noticed there were no armrests.
Lance stepped down into the recessed centre of the room, walking towards the raised podium and stopping at a barrier Keith hadn't noticed before. The room was so bright that the glass barricade had been nearly invisible to his strained eyes. When the young Human stopped, two figures flickered to life in the chairs: King Alfor and Queen Melenor.
The holograms sat perfectly straight in their royal seats, hands folded neatly on their laps, and heads cast downwards so their chins rested against their chests. "They are both passed now, that is why the holograms do not look at us. When my father's AI was still active his hologram gazed ahead but not any more." Her voice was sombre and quiet, barely more than a whisper beside him.
"Your father is well remembered." She smiled at him, a genuine connection finally beginning to form between them once again. Though he'd given a classic Galran condolence, it had been genuine and she could clearly sense that. He had no idea how Altean's addressed loss.
"Thank you, Keith." They both watched Lance as he walked around the room, studying the brightly coloured tapestries that hung from the walls. Keith watched as the Human soaked up this ancient culture and soon found himself staring at some of the more detailed works. They depicted various scenes of life from Altea. One showed rolling hills speckled with small tri-petal pink flowers. Another showed a giant white lion with a halo of light surrounding it, as the beast stood guard before a vast city of floating crystal. And yet another showed a younger version of the Royal family: King Alfor, Queen Melenor, and their baby daughter Allura.
On the ceiling of the large room was a vast mural, brightly coloured and perfectly preserved through time. It depicted the original Paladins of Voltron standing proudly in formation with their Lions seated behind them. Front and centre was Emperor Zarkon. Keith stared up at the painting, this Zarkon looked nothing like the monster he was fighting against. This version had kindness in his eyes, eyes that were the rich gold of the Galra, not the glowing purple of the Emperor's corrupted quintessence.
"He gave me a helmet for my first birthday. My Father put it in a display case because it was bigger than my entire head." The Princess chuckled beside him. "I wonder sometimes what became of his wife and child. Honerva had been pregnant when Zarkon entered the quintessence field with her. It was deca-phoebs later that the Galra attacked Altea and by that time Zarkon already had his witch."
"I know. I learned all about it." Keith replied, and hesitated a moment before continuing. "Actually, it's been long suspected by our organization that the Empress and the Witch are one in the same." He watched pure horror cross her face as Allura connected the dots.
"But that would make the witch an Altean." Her voice was hesitant, resisting the evidence directly in front of her as she shook her head. "No." All the horrid things the witch had done would suddenly become crimes committed by one of her own, Keith didn't think she would accept that. He believed it though; he was amongst the few that did. Most refused to see this explanation as fact, but a select few were able to open their minds to the possibility. Kolivan believed it, so did his mother, Ulaz, Ms. Proxa, and several others.
For Keith, the proof was in the way she felt. The Witch felt different from the Druids, the way she manipulated quintessence was different too. Allura felt similar to her, not the same – a brighter, more hopeful feel; but still a similar signature to their quintessence. It marked them both as 'not Galra' and there was really only one other species capable of advanced quintessence manipulation: the Alteans. But he would never say that to the Princess. Not without risking his head and general well-being. He knew Allura enough to know she would not handle the association well; she viewed Alteans as infallible. In her mind the Witch was Galra and nothing he said would change that.
So Keith shrugged. "It's a theory."
She hummed at him but let it slide, not wanting to get into another fight or argument. They were doing so well to repair their relationship after all.
"What about that one?" He asked, pointing to the glowing white lion. "Is that supposed to be Oriande?" Her entire demeanour changed at once.
"Yes! Are you familiar with the ancient Altean legend? It is said to be a mystical land were the gifted could travel to learn the most closely guarded secrets of alchemy."
"I think it would be cool to go!" She blinked at him for a moment, hesitating to voice her thoughts.
"You are not an Alchemist." Is what she somehow landed on. Keith rolled his eyes.
"And it's just a legend."
"Maybe." There was a long silence between them that was slowly becoming increasingly more awkward. "Why were you looking for me?" Allura abruptly announced, a smile plastered on her face, fighting the tightness in her posture.
"My Leader is wanting to meet with you to discuss an alliance with Voltron." Done, he'd said it. But instead of being exited, the Princess furrowed her brow.
"I forced Lance out almost immediately the last time he was here and I'm afraid I need to do it again. We should head back to the bridge."
She gathered Lance and ignored the boy's protests as they exited into the hall once again. They discussed the offer from Kolivan some more as they walked, she had been hesitant to work directly with the Blades until Keith mentioned that their Leader had a plan for taking out the Emperor. After that, it didn't take much convincing and they soon found themselves strapped in for another trip through a wormhole.
Keith had given Coran the coordinates of the base and they exited the wormhole directly in front of his kit-hood home. Suddenly, he was nervous. What if no one remembered him because he'd been gone for so long, what if the Paladins committed a cultural faux pas, what if he hadn't done enough during his time with Voltron, what if they tried to end his mission, what if what if what if! These thoughts swirled in his head, and one other. Things with Allura were steadily improving, her feelings towards Keith becoming increasingly more friendly and amicable. However, this understanding and patience did not extend to the Galra as a whole and he worried if it would sour any alliance Voltron and the Blade of Marmora could potentially form. All of his fears bubbled to the surface as he stared at the celestial camouflage of the head quarters for the Blade of Marmora.
"Think they'll give us lunch?" Lance joked with Hunk, standing in the middle of the bridge as they discussed their meal options in great depth. Shiro had moved to stand with Coran, looking at the charts and discussing something that was being drowned out by the unproductive lunch debate. Pidge had opened up the scanners on their console and was checking for any signals they could pickup.
"Oh yeah! Space Taco here we come! OH, we should introduce them to actual tacos." Hunk replied and Keith rolled his eyes. They were so close to his home, to where he'd been raised, and to the people who had raised him. This was a strict military organization that would judge the Paladins harshly, especially so for Keith. He had to prove that Voltron was up to the task laid out for them, prove to Tok and Kolivan that this rag-tag band of adolescents from some backwater planet was capable of ending the tyranny of a 10,000 deca-phoeb old war. He had his work cut out for him.
"Guys, this is a serious mission. We need to focus." He urged the crew.
"We NeEd To FoCuS." Lance mocked and Keith scowled at him but Coran interrupted to let them know the base was in range before he could scold the Cuban.
"Take us in slowly." Shiro commanded.
"That might prove the tiniest bit of a challenge." Replied Coran with a healthy dose of bewilderment.
When the entrance to the Blade's base popped on screen Hunk gasped. "Is that a black hole?" He asked and Keith felt his chest warm with familiarity.
"No, no, no, no, no. It's TWO black holes, and a giant blue star." Coran clarified.
Hunk continued with a "That's not better." and Pidge cut in with their own observations. "No kidding. Just inside a black hole, the temperature is one millionth of a degree above absolute zero. But, just outside of that, it's hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius." Ahh, home sweet home, he mused to himself.
"Okay, so it's like when you try to nuke a frozen burrito in the microwave, and it comes out all scorching hot on the outside, but it's still frozen in the middle, right?"
"Ahh, HUUUUNK! Now I'm really hungry for lunch!" Lance whined and that was the last straw. Keith jumped to his feet and took control of the situation. They needed to understand just how important this meeting was.
"Guys, QUIET!" He yelled. "Coran are you able to bring us closer?"
"To the three deadly celestial objects? I'm afraid not."
"It's the perfect defensive position for a secret base." Pidge mused, adjusting their glasses as they studied the Altean symbols on the screen.
"Or the perfect trap." Allura stated and stared hesitantly ahead, furrowing her brow and mulling something over in an internal struggle that played across her delicate features. "Keith, how dangerous is the trip to your base?"
"Very." He replied matter-of-factly and she nodded, seemingly confirming the argument she'd had with herself. He was going to object, tell her that he would never lead them into a trap but the soothing female voice of the Castle's speakers cut him off.
< Identify Yourself. >
Keith stepped out past Lance, ready to give his Operative ID but Shiro beat him to it. "Open a hailing frequency, Coran." He said softly to the Altean beside him. Putting on his most 'leader-y' voice, Shiro cleared his throat and raised his volume and voice clarity. He was not yelling, he was commanding. "We are the Paladins of Voltron. Our presence has been requested."
The silence dragged on and Keith knew it was Kolivan's way of testing the Paladins. If they spoke before the system responded they would fail, if they challenged the silence they would fail, if they backed down they would fail. He held his breath as he watched their many faces.
< Two may enter. Come unarmed. >
"Why would they insist we come unarmed?" Allura asked the room. "No, we will definitely be bringing the bayards along."
"They've just sent us a route to the base, but we'll have to move quickly." Coran announced, cutting the Princess off. "Because of the solar flares, it's only open for another varga. Then it will be closed for two quintants."
Immediately Lance jumped in to ask who was going, oozing that fake confidence that Keith found so annoying. "I'm thinking things might get a little hot, so you're gunna want someone who can stay cool."
"You're right." Shiro responded. "Keith, you're coming with me."
"WHAT? Keith's a hothead! We can kiss the Galra alliance goodbye!" Lance shouted, mere inches from Shiro's face. Keith rolled his eyes.
"Relax, Lance. I don't count." He soothed. "This is my home base. I'm not a guest here so it'll be me plus the two allowed." This seemed to do the trick and the passionate Blue Paladin stepped out of Shiro's personal space. "I vote Shiro and Allura." He added, smirking as a look of betrayal appeared on the tanned boy's face.
"Well, I say if this Blade of Marmora wishes to form an alliance with Voltron, then they shall meet with ALL of Voltron." Allura countered. "Lance, Pidge, Hunk – you will join Shiro and I as Keith takes us to his base. Coran, stay here and monitor the Castle of Lions. Be sure that no Galra makes it on board. I do not want a repeat of the last time we neared a Marmora base." She shot the young blade a stiff look from the corner of her eye and he remembered the chaos that surrounded Ulaz's infiltration. It was hard not to smirk.
"The course to the base will be quite treacherous, to say the least. You're walking a razor's edge between the gravitational pull of the black holes and the star. One false move, and you'll either be crushed into infinity or burnt to a crisp."
"Don't worry Coran, Blue and I got this!" Lance bragged and Keith couldn't possibly hold back after that. The sputtering laughter that came from him was both sudden and loud, earning a glare from Lance. "What? You think you can do better, Mullet?"
Keith scoffed and rolled his eyes in response. Did that even need answering?
They made their way to change into their respective armour and Keith stood frozen in his room. Did he put on his red and white Paladin armour or his black and purple Blade suit? The abrupt opening of his bedroom door had Keith jumping backwards and hissing at the intruder.
"Chill dude, s'just me." Lance had his hands out in front of him in surrender, stepping into Keith's room and closing the door behind. Like usual, the lights in the Red Paladin's bedroom were kept dim, and it gave a much more private feel to his room than anywhere else in the Castle. The change in lighting made the room feel 'other' to the overly bright corridors that surrounded it. "Look, I know I'm not a 'golden boy' pilot like you or Shiro, but I've learned a lot and I'm a decent pilot now! Please, just let me impress the Princess by flying the hard path! Please Keithy, Pleeeeaase!!" He uncharacteristically pleaded.
"One – don't ever call me 'Keithy' again or I will gut you. And two – no."
"Oh come on." The Blue Paladin whined. "Please man. I'll like, owe you one or something! Please, just let me try!"
"Lance, this isn't something you try, it's something you do. If you can't see the difference then I cant help you."
"Okay, then please let me do this, Keith!"
"No, Lance. You only get one shot at this, one chance to make it through the narrow path. If you try and can't do it – then we all die. The lions are almost too large to make the trip anyways. There's no way Black could do it, and Blue and Yellow are borderline too big. Red is faster, smaller, and more maneuverable – she's clearly the best lion for the job." Lance couldn't argue with his logic but that didn't stop him from looking incredibly dejected. "I've flown this path a million times. Plus, you don't know the docking protocols and you cant read Galran."
"Fine, you win. Whatever." Keith watched as the disappointed boy turned to leave, proverbial tail between his legs. He couldn't let it end like this; Keith couldn't stand to see Lance hurt. Sure they teased each other all the time but this was different. This hit at something deep inside the other boy, some insecurity that he kept buried under that false bravado of his and Keith just couldn't let him leave in this state. He mentally rolled his eyes at himself.
"For the record, you have improved a lot since leaving Earth. I think you're a damn good pilot, Lance." The reaction was instantaneous, transforming the boy's face in a split second. The Cuban beamed back at him and Keith felt himself blush under the intensity. Damn hormones.
"Thanks, man. Hey – you need help?" He pointed to the two distinctly different sets of armour on the bed and Keith let out a sigh. Yes, he did need help.
"I just - I don't know what to wear. Do I put on my Blade suit since we're returning to my home base? Or do I wear the Paladin armour to match the rest of you?"
"You wear the Paladin armour." Lance replied without hesitation and Keith quirked a brow at him in question. "Look, you're returning to your home base, but your not 'returning to your home base' if you know what I mean. You're going as our Red Paladin, not as a Blade. So you wear the Paladin armour."
"Huh, just like that?"
"Just like that!"
"Thanks, Lance. That was actually really helpful." He smiled at the Human boy and started placing the white panels until he was fully suited. Tucking the helmet under his arm, and packing his Blade suit into a tote bag, he walked with Lance to the Red Lion's hangar where the rest of the team and their Altean Princess, were waiting.
"You two love birds ready to roll?" Pidge shot at them. Lance sputtered his protests and Keith hid his blush by walking over to the Princess.
She was standing next to Red's massive paw and seemed to be fighting an internal battle. Her brow was pinched in the middle and there was a scowl on her face, a face that was staring intently at nothing in particular. "Allura?" He asked, breaking the silence around her. She blinked slowly as her focus returned to the present. "Everything alright? You've seemed a little all over the place this quintant."
"Things have been better between us. You and I." He nodded at her clarification. "I'm sorry I insinuated that this could be a trap. I know you would never knowingly lead us into danger. I want to form this alliance and take down Zarkon, but the prospect of working alongside Galra is just -" She tapered off and glanced up to stare at the majestic head of the Red Lion. The silence stretched, neither one making a move to speak.
"I understand." The young Blade finally said. "I know what you've been through but Allura, these are good people. We're all on the same side here and our Organization has so much to lose if this fails. Working with Voltron means working in the open and that means exposing us to the eyes of the Empire. All of our undercover operatives will be at risk, all of our long-term missions could be jeopardized, and everything we have spent thousands of deca-phoebs working for would be destroyed if this alliance fails. You need to understand that you aren't the only one going into this with reservations."
She turned her head to down to face him and smiled. "You're right. If your Leader trusts you enough to work with Voltron, then I trust you enough to work with the Blade of Marmora."
Keith was uncomfortable with this. Everyone had refused to sit in the cargo hold and the entirety of team Voltron (minus Coran) was crammed in the tiny cockpit of the Red Lion. "STOP CROWDING ME!" he yelled and literally no one listened. There was an elbow digging into his shoulder, someone's hot breath on the back of his neck, the large body of Hunk pressed tight to his left leg, and someone else who kept making annoying swallowing sounds in their throat. "GUYS! Seriously, back off!" He commanded once again and Hunk shifted slightly but that was about it. No one else moved, then again no one else really could move.
It had been cramped in the cockpit of Blue when they'd all left earth, but Red's cockpit was smaller and this time they had one extra person. More people in a smaller space, does not a happy Keith make.
He could feel the pull of the black hole on his left as it tried to draw them in, and his attempt to adjust their trajectory slightly was met with resistance by Hunk's body blocking the lever from moving. The pull grew stronger and an alarm started going off. Keith let out a fierce growl from deep within his chest. "HUNK – MOVE!" He commanded and the big guy shuffled to the side with a terrified whimper. He felt the mouth breather behind him whisper 'jeez' under their breath and he rolled his eyes.
With the added space he was able to correct their positioning and get them back on track, narrowly avoiding a solar flare in the process. When they finally made it to the asteroid the base was built inside, there was no one there to greet them and Keith set Red down on a flat surface. She was worth showing off, and he knew every single Blade on this base would want to have a peak at her.
"There's nothing here. This place just looks like a plain asteroid." Lance commented over their helmet coms, sprinting past him down the ramp. Allura and Shiro followed with Pidge and Hunk close behind. "Are you sure we're at the right spot?"
"No – you're right Lance! We should be at a completely different asteroid orbiting a giant blue star between two black holes. It's such a common configuration that I get it mixed up all the time!" He quipped back, his voice taking on a mildly condescending tone. The ground beneath their feet suddenly began to rumble and he heard the distinct sound of the large bay doors opening.
"OH MY GOD! What is happening?" Hunk panicked. He darted around nervously and nearly crushing Lance in his attempts to climb the boy.
"Hunk, man, relax." Lance soothed. Two members of the Blade rose from inside the asteroid, the bay doors having opened for the arrival of the elevator platform. One was tall and slim while the other was a hulking mass who's distinctive size and tail made it painfully clear that they were Antok. Suddenly, he wondered if his status as the Red Paladin had been disclosed to anyone other than a need-to-know basis. Knowing Kolivan, probably not.
With his helmet on, it would be hard to tell him apart from the other Humans, and he decided to 'play Paladin' and let Kolivan be the one to make the announcement. Plus, it would be fun to mess with Tok.
"Follow. Your presence is expected." Said the slimmer Blade and Keith suspected it was Marra. Or, maybe Ilun. Damn, it could also be Fayz or Ms. Drezlia, or one of the other 8 gabillion female members of the Blade. She did seem familiar though.
The Paladins and Altean Princess followed silently behind the two Blades. Hunk whimpered to Lance about how scary it was that they were all going into a base filled with Galra and Keith shot him a look. Lance quickly pointed out that this wasn't the first Blade base they'd been on and that Hunk was being a 'wuss'. Keith didn't know what a 'wuss' was, but he suspected it was some sort of timid creature native to Earth. He smiled warmly at the back of Lance's head as the elevator descended to the main entrance hall.
When the gates opened, the hall was lined with Blades in full armour, Kolivan standing on his stage at the head of the room, an operative flanking either side. Keith smiled to himself, this was a show of arms, something done to display great respect for the arriving party. He knew only Allura would understand the gesture.
"I am Kolvian, leader of the Blade of Marmora." Their leader spoke calmly when they had come to a stop before him. His voice was steady and commanding, reflecting off walls and needing no assistance to carry throughout the room. Now that they were safely inside the base their helmets could be removed, but without them the other Paladins would have no way of understanding the language spoken. Shiro had his arm to translate, and Allura spoke mediocre Galran, but the others would be lost. Still, he heard Kolivan clearly without the use of the com.
"My name is Princess Allura, of planet Altea and this is Shiro, the Black Paladin of Voltron, as well as the other Paladins. We come with promise of an alliance that will end this war."
"I know who you are. You were instruction to send only two representatives." Keith marveled at his leader's ability to keep his voice void of all emotion. You couldn't tell if Kolivan was actually upset or if he was just pushing to see the Princess' reaction, though he'd put his GAC on the latter.
"Yes, and Voltron is a 5 member team. You requested an alliance with Voltron, and you have received Voltron. In it's entirety." She stood her ground. There was a long moment of silence. The other Paladins shifted uncomfortably but Keith stood still, he was used to this. Allura also held firm, standing tall under the mask's unyielding gaze. Eventually Kolivan spoke.
"The Black Paladin is the head of Voltron, am I correct?" Keith watched Allura nod once, a single curt nod in accordance with Galran culture. She was good, her skills as a diplomat were shining through and he was genuinely impressed. "And the Red Paladin is the second in command, also correct?" Another curt nod from Allura and Kolivan gave a hum as he processed the information. "Fayz, escort the Yellow, Green, and Blue Paladins to their quarters. Antok, join the Altean Princess, my self, and the two leaders of Voltron in my office to discuss our alliance."
"You will meet with all of Voltron, or you will meet with none of Voltron." Allura spoke up, squaring her shoulders even more. Again, Kolivan stared in silence, assessing the Princess.
"Then I will meet with none of Voltron. You are dismissed to your quarters until the path to your ship re opens." He turned to face Keith directly and it was as if a massive spotlight were shining on him, he felt the eyes of the other Blades watching carefully. "Red Paladin, I expect a full report on your mission progress. Follow Antok to my office and await my arrival."
Keith gave a curt nod and turned to leave but Allura's strong grip on his arm locked him in place. "You meet with all of Voltron, or you meet with none of Voltron." She repeated and the responding silence spoke volumes.
It was nearly an entire dobash before Kolivan broke the mounting tension. "Very well." He said. "We will reconvene in one varga. Fayz, show the Altean Princess and the Paladins to their quarters. Red Paladin, remain here." This, Allura accepted. She turned to Keith and gave a curt nod, before joining the others as they followed who he now knew to be Fayz out of the main hall. The other Blades held their positions, not daring to move and Keith knew they had to be bursting with the need to know why he had been singled out.
"Red Paladin, remove your helmet so you may deliver your mission report." Keith smiled to himself. Removing his helmet would prove that he understood Galran, it would display his yellow sclera and his sharp teeth, and it would reveal his identity to those who knew him as a kit before he'd been shipped off to the Thaldycon base. Some of the Blades were hesitant to trust Voltron, showing that one of their own was the Paladin's second in command was Kolivan's way of proving that Voltron would not betray them without him having to say it. He was a brilliant leader.
Keith stepped forward and removed his helmet. Speaking in his native Galran, he addressed the intimidating man before him. "With all due respect Leader, there are some private details I would rather not discuss in open company." Kolivan's mask dissolved at the rather loud gasp that came from Antok. Keith had no warning other than the shiver that ran up his back. Trusting in his gut he ducked low and lunged quickly to the right as massive arms scooped up the air where he had been standing mere tics ago. "Miss me, Tok?" He teased and the massive Galra let out a belly laugh.
"Just as slippery as you've always been, kit!" Antok replied.
Kolivan had dismissed the others in the hall, leaving himself and Antok present to receive Keith's report. It was nice to be back, he noticed a few heads turn as the operatives exited, but no one dared to approach. It didn't matter; word of his arrival would spread through the base faster than a bad case of pox. Good gossip was like a virus, spreading and mutating as it went until it no longer resembled the original. He wondered what would eventually reach familiar ears. It wouldn't take long for Sergin, or Marra, or Regris to come looking for him. Stars, he hoped they were all on base.
"We will meet with your new team next quintant. In the mean time, there is some news you should be made aware of. You're little stunt at Central Command caused quite a commotion. The Blade of Marmora has seen an influx in members defecting from the Empire now that Emperor Zarkon no longer appears untouchable. So we thank you for that. Your Uncle Thace managed to avoid suspicion from the Emperor's Witch and has remained in his post on the Command Fleet. However, word of your rescue mission reached the far corners of the Empire and there have been whispers about a possible Galra Paladin. Apparently, the Red Lion challenged the Emperor himself into direct combat. Some are hailing you as brave, others as foolish. I'm inclined to agree."
"Agree with which, sir?"
"Both." Ahh, yeah, that checked out. Keith smirked at the light-hearted scolding. "There are a few of our operatives that require an extraction. To avoid any association with the Blade of Marmora, I was contemplating sending in the Voltron Paladins to retrieve them. What do you think? There are 2 operatives plus an engineer."
"I think that is a good idea depending on how you pair the Paladins."
"Hmm. How would you pair up your team?"
"It depends on the mission. Blue is our sniper, Black is a hand to hand combatant, Green is a tech, Yellow is a tank."
"And what are you?"
"A Blade." He said matter-of-factly. "I'll go where I'm assigned. I'll do what I'm assigned. And I'll return successfully." Keith watched Antok smile, and the edges of Kolivan's eyes crinkled with affection.
"Very well. I will assign the teams with the Princess and delegate your tasks accordingly."
"Who are we rescuing?"
"Slav -"
"Ugh, of course." Keith groaned and Kolivan growled at him for the interruption.
"- A new operative by the name of Vaig. And a high ranking Operative; Krolia."
Keith's heart stopped. Mom!