Chapter Text
Part 2
S’ed Liv Naern was one of the few inhabited planets within its expansive galaxy. A lush and fertile world, the only sentient species that resided there were the Yaeloresh, an ethereal-like people who could almost pass for humans if not for their crystal-like eyes, their almost-flat faces and the two vertical slits in the center that served as a nose. Their skin colors ranged a spectrum of luminously bright pastels yet all yaeloreshi had golden hair which they wore in a variety of different styles, often long and braided. They lived in large cities scattered across the planet and had enjoyed a long-lasting peace for centuries. In fact, S’ed Liv Naern could lord one trait over all of the other planets within its system: it remained completely untouched by the Galra.
The Yaeloresh were far more advanced than many of the planets the Galra had conquered, and being on the fringes of the Empire’s grasp made it far less valuable to the warmongers, at least for the time being. Their ancestors had also discovered rudimentary science a few millenia back and had invested heavily in it over the years; since then they had become a space-faring culture - although they had little interest in exploring outside of their own solar system. Instead they invested their time in experimenting, in combining their science with their own energy sensitivities to see just what lay beyond the physical world they were so familiar with.
But they weren’t naive; they knew of the Galra, had known it would only be a matter of time before the tyrannical monsters came their way. They had discovered the existence of the Galra only a century back - despite being a peaceful people, the Yaeloresh invested significant effort in both offensive and defensive measure - so when the day came that the Galra inevitably invaded their skies, they would be ready.
What they didn’t expect were the five lion-shaped warships that came instead, four of them trodding slowly to their doorstep dragging along a defunct and much larger fifth.
The Yaeloresh had never heard of the Legend of Voltron, but it didn’t matter - they knew when people needed help.
After setting down a large crate onto the floor of Yellow’s hull, Lance rubbed the sweat sprinkled across his forehead onto the sleeve of his bodysuit - not that it helped, what with the material designed to be environmentally impenetrable. It was such a simple motion yet his muscles strained from the effort; yesterday had been such a long day after all - physically, mentally, emotionally - and there were still so many vargas left before nightfall, still so much to do.
He wasn’t exactly complaining. Rest was hard to come by when the future seemed so uncertain. It was almost nice for his tired hands and buzzing head to have a distraction.
“Here.” Gyet, a yaeloreshi engineer that was helping him stock the Lions, plucked the clean garage towel from her belt and offered it to him, concern dusting her unique features.
Lance nodded gratefully and smiled as he took it. “Thanks.” Giving himself a quick dab (he didn’t want to sully the nice lady’s handkerchief too much - not that he didn’t smell like roses, of course), he handed it back. She took it with graceful, nimble fingers and repocketed it once more.
“I believe that is all that is required for the Yellow Lion, yes?” Gyet queried as the two exited down Yellow’s ramp.
“Yeah, should be enough for now. Hunk will have to lock her up when he gets back.” They crossed the hangar, the sound of their footsteps lost in the noises from the farside of the room where other ships were being repaired and tuned. The place was rather busy given that the Yaeloresh didn’t have much need for their ships save for the occasional flight to other planetside cities, but Lance guessed that Voltron’s arrival had stirred the pot quite a bit. They certainly weren’t just polishing the hulls; in fact despite their unblemished exteriors he saw the other mechanics refitting what he assumed were ion cannons and checking the landing and take off gear. After taking the Lions in, the Yaeloresh must have figured trouble wasn’t too far behind.
They were probably right.
Still, the reprieve for the time being was much needed. Not just from the insane fight that had occurred just vargas earlier - though that was in a league of its own - but it was replenishing to feel like they were putting down some roots finally, even if they didn’t intend to stay for long. Couldn’t stay for long, really; their presence might lead the Galra directly to planet S’ed Liv Naern and finally give the Empire a good reason to invade. The Yaeloresh people who had been so kind and giving deserved better than that.
Lance and Gyet reached the other side of the hangar where all of the crates stood neatly stacked. Coran was working with the quarter-master, debating just what supplies team Voltron could take.
“No, really, I must insist,” Lance overheard Coran say as he neared. “You have given us more than enough. We’ll last a long while with the crates you have here!”
“Please, my friend,” the quartermaster smoothly replied with a kind smile. “What we have prepared are necessities. These are gifts from us. We’d be honored for you to take them.”
Lance let the two politely quibble. Instead he checked off the remaining two crates for the Yellow Lion from the list that Coran was holding, who was so distracted with his debating he didn’t even notice. The Red Paladin gave a quick scroll to see what was under the Green Lion’s section, then moved away to collect the appropriate crate.
Gyet moved to his side without question, reaching for another box as well. Lance looked over his shoulder as he balanced the weight of the cargo evenly in his hands. “You really don’t need to help me out if you have more important things to do,” he mentioned, not ungratefully. “I imagine you’ve got a lot on your plate already - it’s pretty busy in here.”
The yaeloreshi gave a glittering smile. “The others will be fine. Besides -” they started striding over to Green, “- I am enjoying our time together, even if we are not speaking much.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Lance sighed, the weight in his hands feeling featherlike compared to the weight on his shoulders. “It’s - it’s been a long day.”
Gyet shook her head, her golden braids swishing by her shoulders. “You misunderstand; it wasn’t a critique. The silence is peaceful. It’s… nice.”
“Oh! Well, um, that’s good.” Lance gave an uncharacteristically shy laugh. “You know, I’m actually the opposite most of the time. Our friend, Keith…” He swallowed uncomfortably before continuing. “He’d always get on my case for talking too much. Or being too loud. Or at least he used to, back in the beginning.” Hadn’t done so in a long time, in fact.
Ha! See? I told you you were improving.
I probably would have if I had tried talking to you more.
Nice shooting, sharpshooter.
Just didn't sleep well last cycle. Sorry.
You hearing things, Mullet?
He swallowed tightly around the sudden lump in his throat.
“That is such a shame as you have a wonderful voice, my friend.”
Well that stopped Lance in his tracks. “Wha- really?”
Gyet casually shrugged - or as much as she could with an enormous crate in her arms. “I do not lie.”
“That…” They resumed walking, having almost reached the Lion. “I can honestly say that no one has ever said that to me before. Thanks!”
The engineer smiled ruefully. “I am sorry to hear that, but I am glad to have changed it.”
Lance gave a light laugh, his mood much better than it had been dobashes before. It was hard to stay present: every time he went quiet his thoughts would snap back to the recent battle and what it could mean for the future. His ruminating was like a toxic whirlpool, one whose current he had to perpetually swim against to keep from being pulled under. Sometimes you just needed someone, even a stranger, to throw you a lifeline.
The two placed the crates in Green’s storage and exited once more. Gyet offered the towel again but Lance politely declined; she pocketed it without fuss and calmly strode back toward the quartermaster and Coran. Meanwhile, Lance took the opportunity to stop by the nearby makeshift lab table where Pidge was working with another yaeloreshi, this one another female but with rich, lime green eyes. Both were peering intensely at Pidge’s laptop screen, on which Pidge was fervently typing. “What’s the word, Bird?” he asked, forcing some fake cheer into his voice.
She didn’t even look up. “Cycrim.”
“Cy-what?”
Pidge typed a bit more before hitting the ‘enter’ key with far more force than necessary. Both of the girls looked up. “Cycrim,” she repeated, smirking. “That’s the name of this galaxy.”
He blinked. “Well, that’s… good that we know where we are?”
She raised a brow at him, her smirk fading. “You know Cycrim? The galaxy next to Ursa Minor Dwarf?”
“Um…”
Pidge’s expression was overcome with disbelief. “Which is next to Draco, one of the closest satellite galaxies to the Milky Way?!”
Lance perked up. “Oh!”
In response, she slapped her forehead. “For the love of - Lance, read a book once in a while!”
“If it’s any consolation,” the quiet engineer to her right spoke up, “I didn’t know either.”
“You also didn’t attend the Galaxy Garrison where we had a class that specifically tested us on this.”
The Red Paladin nonchalantly shrugged. “Yeah, didn’t do so great on that one. But what’s the point, when we have navsystems to tell us when we actually need it?”
Exasperated, Pidge threw her hands in the air. “We’ve been needing it since the start of this trip, Lance!”
“Yeah, and I’m guessing you just figured it out once you looked at their systems, right? The same systems that likely have a map of all the surrounding galaxies for reference?”
“I-” she snapped her mouth shut - he could almost hear her teeth grinding in annoyance. Finally she huffed, “I hate it when you’re right.”
“Which, luckily for you, doesn’t happen all that often,” he grinned cheekily. Then confusion replaced it. “Wait, we already knew where we were going though.”
“We did, until the Black Lion zapped us away. I figured it might be naïve to assume it just put us on the planet we were fighting above, and turns out I was correct (as usual): not only are we three galaxies away from the fleet we encountered, we’re two galaxies closer to Earth!” She pulled up a map on the screen and pointed to it. Cycrim was highlighted in a vivid orange, and there was an aqua dotted line connecting the galaxies she had mentioned, in order and ending with the Milky Way.
He couldn’t help but give a relieved grin, the first real one since the battle earlier that quintant. It was hard not to be so excited when he could finally see a way home. “Nice work, Pidge!”
“Thanks! Besides that, Xyli here has been trying to help figure out if there’s anything available on S’ed Liv Naern that could help us power the Lions.” She bit her lip, looking slightly dispirited. “No luck yet, but there’s still some more tests we can try.”
“Your Green Paladin is quite the savant,” Xyli beamed. “She came to me asking for information but I feel like it is I who is the one learning.”
“That’s our Pidge, alright!” he cheered proudly, looking at his friend. “If anyone can figure it out, it’s you.”
Pidge waved it off, slightly flustered but a bit more relaxed. “We’ll see. Xyli’s been a huge help, too. It’s kinda weird how the Yaeloresh are so similar to us but their tech is way further along than ours. Kinda wish we didn’t have to leave so soon, to be honest.”
“Don’t fret, Katie,” the engineer soothed. “There will be a day when you and your friends can return, and I’m already looking forward to it. Our tech may be advanced yet it’s obvious there’s so much we can share.”
“Yeah,” Lance agreed. “I can’t imagine Allura will let us walk away without bringing the Yaeloresh into the Coalition.”
“I figured,” Pidge replied with a shrug. “In the meantime...” She swiveled her chair to face him, smiling coyly, her fingertips pressed together. “When’s your date with that engineer you were with, hm?”
What. Lance choked on his own spit. It took him several moments to recover. “I - what?! There’s no date - we hardly know each other!”
“Dude, I’m probably the least qualified to discuss this topic with you and even I know you don’t have to know someone to go on a date with them. Isn’t that the point, to get to know the other person?”
“Ffff- duh, Pidge!” His voice was edging higher and higher as he flushed furiously. “She’s just helping me stock the Lions. In case you haven’t noticed, everyone here is super nice!”
The Green Paladin leaned back in her chair, fingers crossed behind her head. “You’re not wrong, but she’s totally interested in you.”
Beside her, Xyli nodded gravely. “She is.”
“I am.”
Lance’s back went ramrod straight - he hadn’t heard Gyet approach from behind. Slowly he turned in place, but the other woman was just standing there at ease, a soft, pleasant smile gracing her lips and a box in her arms. “Might we speak privately for a moment?” she gently requested.
He didn’t trust himself with words so instead he silently led her into the Green Lion’s hull, both for privacy and also so Gyet could put down the crate she was carrying.
“Have you been moving stuff this whole time?” Lance began with a guilty wince. “Sorry-”
“It’s not a problem - regardless of whether you reciprocate my feelings or not, I wanted to help.” That peaceful smile never wavered. “I apologize if my actions cause you distress, Lance. I know you do not intend to stay long, but I saw the way you lead the others here as well as your charm, and I knew then if I didn’t take a chance to get to know you better that I would regret it.”
He blushed a vivid red, mouth opening and closing like a fish. They were below ground, the air should have felt cool, yet suddenly he felt like he was boiling alive.
“I - uh -”
Gyet calmly clasped her hands in front of her. “Please, take your time to collect your thoughts, there is no hurry.”
Gathering his wits about him, Lance took a deep breath to steady himself. “I’m really sorry, but, um, well, I kinda like someone already.”
“Ah, the Blue Paladin, yes?”
He felt like he was going to literally die from embarrassment.
Whatever warped expression his face was making had Gyet cocking her head playfully. “I saw the way you looked at her when she left to meet with the council. It is the way my sister looks at her betrothed when she leaves for work each day.”
Scratch that - he was going to die from embarrassment. He could see it now, the Galaxy Garrison televising his tragic end to the world: AWOL Student and Red Paladin Lance McClain fell victim to a freak diplomacy accident where an alien he barely knew totally called him out on his poorly-hidden crush, story at 9. Fuck, he’d take ‘pilot error’ over that - no offense, Shiro.
“Please,” she laughed, lifting a hand in a placating gesture. “I don’t mean to cause you further discomfort. But perhaps through this I can impart some advice: if you want something, do not hesitate to pursue it, no matter what the end state will be. I do not regret giving it a try, to show you my interest, unless it has made you truly uncomfortable.”
Her earnest concern helped him finally find his voice. “I - no, you aren’t making me uncomfortable. It’s flattering, for sure,” Lance admitted, awkwardly scratching at the back of his head. “And a few phoebs back I would have taken you up on it in a heartbeat. But, well, yeah…”
“Come on,” she motioned back out to the crates. “If we keep working together it should only take a little while longer before we are finished with restocking your Lions. And for what it’s worth, I wish you the best of luck and the utmost of happiness regardless of the result.”
Mollified, he nodded, offering her a tiny but honest smile. “Yeah. Thanks, really. For everything.”
Her own smile only graced her eyes even further. “Of course.”
They went back to working in a comfortable, soothing silence. By the time they finished packing up the Lions and Coran left to join Allura, Lance was so exhausted he trudged up Red’s ramp opting for his quarters rather than walking to find the room that had been assigned to him. With a sigh he plopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. A short nap and then he could be up and at it again - like he should be, given he was now technically the de facto leader of Voltron. If only he could just shut his brain off long enough to sleep.
Instead, he traced his fingertips against the adjacent wall. It was ironic, really; for so long he coveted everything that Keith had: the fastest Lion, Shiro’s attention, to be the head of Voltron. And now, at one point or another, he had had all three. And now more than ever he wanted to give that last one back. Lance knew he had been so unkind back when Keith had first taken over, but never did he consider just how hard it was to lead Voltron. To have to make the difficult calls. To know what calls to even make in the first place. To be able to make those right decisions in the breadth of a heartbeat, because that could mean the difference between a teammate’s life or death. He wondered what the call was that Shiro had been silently contemplating before the Black Lion had made its move - the fact that it had taken him so long only implied at how terribly difficult that decision was going to be. Maybe Lance was better off not knowing.
The Red Paladin never wanted that responsibility again. Arguably he could do it, but he wasn’t meant for it and that was okay - he was a protector, a guardian, the person to lay down covering fire, to snipe the far off threats, to watch their flank and keep surprise enemies at bay. In fact, he wouldn’t ever have to lead again if he could watch his team lead’s back and keep him safe. Like Keith had done for Shiro numerous times over. Like Lance should have done for Shiro - the real Shiro - back when his clone was in charge. Lance gripped his hand into a tight fist, brow furrowed. He wanted to do better, he knew he could do better, Keith had showed him that he was capable of it. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy: he wouldn’t have to worry about being the leader again if said leader was never incapacitated. And he’d spent so much of his life putting himself down for every little miss, every little thing that he wasn’t perfect at, rather than focusing his energy on just getting better at the areas that mattered to him most.
This mattered to him. He wanted to be that dependable person. He would be that dependable person, that right-hand he always coveted being. For Allura. For Shiro. For Keith.
Do not hesitate to pursue it, no matter what the end state will be.
He would.
And maybe next time, if there even was a next time - if they were lucky enough to have a next time - he could protect his leader from being taken down in the first place.
The medical wing of the Yaeloresh’s central tower was almost completely silent. Hunk figured that made sense given the aliens’ penchant for peace and study of the medical arts. In some ways it reminded him of home: the private rooms complete with pristine white walls, the single bed in the center and the cabinets containing various supplies and a sink at the sides. But that was where the similarities both began and ended. It may not have been a healing pod but it was certainly far more advanced than what they had on Earth; there were no wires, no needles or gadgetry attached to the room’s lone patient, yet the projected displays highlighted all of Romelle’s biometrics.
The numbers said she was stable, yet it did nothing to quell Hunk’s worry. It must have been clear as day for the traor - the Yaeloresh version of a doctor - to notice. “She’ll be okay,” the young woman soothed as she worked to apply the last of the medicated bandages to Romelle’s arm.
“Thanks,” the Yellow Paladin replied for the fifth time, looking at the traor earnestly, “for helping.” He was seated on the opposite side of the bed, holding the altean’s other hand. Hunk gave it a gentle squeeze, though whether it was meant to comfort the sleeping Romelle or to comfort himself was uncertain.
The yaeloreshi woman nodded slowly, the edges of her eyes softening. “Of course. If there is anything further we can do to help, please let us know.” She stepped away to place the rest of the supplies back into their respective cupboards. “In the meantime, you are welcome to stay as long as you like, or you are free to leave at your leisure. I will contact you when there is improvement in your friend’s condition.” When , not if . It lifted his heart ever so slightly. “Your other friend is in the room next door and there is a cafeteria down the hall. Please tell them Mre sent you, and they will assist you with whatever you need.”
“Okay, Mre. Thanks again.”
She gave one final nod before exiting, leaving Hunk with a wounded, unconscious altean and his own tumultuous thoughts.
Everything had transpired so quickly, he hadn’t had any time to process it all. One moment they were in one of the worst dogfights the team had ever experienced (and that was saying something), the next they were all in some random forest somewhere in the universe with two casualties (three if you counted Kosmo, which of course he counted) and safe skies above them. Hunk wondered if it was intentional or extreme luck that the Black Lion had picked a peaceful, Galra-less planet like S’ed Liv Naern, whose inhabitants were more than willing if not eager to help despite not knowing a thing about their new visitors. The Yaeloresh moved quickly to bring the five Lions in, one team working to harbor them in an underground hangar while another team rushed Romelle, Kosmo and Keith to their best medical center.
As soon as the process to intake the three was completed, Allura immediately rushed off to meet with the heads of the Yaeloresh people and work her diplomacy magic. Coran on the other hand left to work with the hangar quartermaster; he enlisted Lance to help him pull the necessary supplies for the Lions (although Hunk suspected it was more about making sure Lance wouldn’t have to be alone). Pidge was also in the hangar, although she was working with the technicians on accessing the damage each of the Lions had suffered and assisting with repairs. At the same time, she was also working on Green to figure out just where exactly in the universe they had landed. Hunk wasn’t really sure he himself was doing anything useful like the others, but he liked to think so, that maybe Romelle might be subconsciously hearing him and knowing she wasn’t alone - that she was safe.
And besides, he had one more person to take care of.
Giving Romelle’s hand one last squeeze, Hunk whispered a quiet “I’ll be back soon” before standing up out of his chair and leaving the room. Taking a right into the hallway, he followed Mre’s directions to the cafeteria. Just as all of the other yaeloreshi had been, the chefs there were more than eager to offer food and beverages, even before Hunk mentioned Mre’s name. When he did however, their eyes lit up even brighter as they showed him a secret menu. Ten minutes later he was walking out with two fizzy fruit drinks and a hefty bag of healthy snacks (that he had to actually barter down in size, for no reason other than he couldn’t carry it all). It was far more than enough for him, and he planned on making the rounds to the others since they were likely too busy to have grabbed something to eat.
But first thing’s first - he bypassed Romelle’s room to enter the room directly to its left.
The room was much like Romelle’s: the same walls, the same sounds, the same displays, although the screens were far less red, the numbers far less dire. In fact nothing appeared to even be wrong save for the occasionally erratic brainwave. But if the look on Shiro’s face was anything to go by - what with the furrowed brow and the blank gaze at the sleeping form before him - it had done little to bring him peace. Hunk doubted there was much he could do to lift the former Black Paladin’s spirits, but at least he could make sure Shiro’s other needs were taken care of. “Here,” Hunk called as he crossed the room to offer one of the drinks. The slumped man startled upright; he must not have heard the Yellow Paladin enter.
The surprise quickly melted into a weak yet warm half-smile. “Oh - Hunk. Hi.” He placed the communicator he was clenching in his remaining hand down on the nearby end table before gratefully accepting the drink. “Thank you. How’s Romelle doing?”
“Better, although Mre - that’s the traor who’s been assigned to her - mentioned that it would likely be a few quintants before Romi would wake.” Hunk leaned up against the nearby counter, fingers gently clutching the edge behind him. “Apparently they have her sedated until the medicine kicks in. That way she doesn’t wake in a lot of pain. Lance also called and said that the vet told him Kosmo should be fine soon too, although he’s not to use his teleporting for at least half a movement.”
“That - that’s good,” Shiro responded. Hunk could tell he was making an honest effort to look more pleased. He knew Shiro was happy for the good news, and that the other man was never one to be envious over other people. So that only meant one thing.
Hunk looked back toward the bed. “I’m guessing things aren’t so great in here.”
Shiro turned back to the bed as well, his gaze falling on Keith’s still, prone form. “It should be. Dae’Nor said that beyond some malnourishment and dehydration Keith seems perfectly fine. Whatever hurt Kosmo and Romelle, he somehow managed to escape unscathed.”
“Physically,” Hunk sympathetically amended.
“Physically.” The smile on Shiro’s face shattered; an odd despair that Hunk had never seen Shiro wear before took its place. “But they don’t have the alchemical powers or tech to study quintessence, nor could they find anything else that could explain why he’s still unconscious. Allura said that the alchemy she used should have worn off by now.”
The Yellow Paladin was tempted to put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, but it was something he always saw Keith and Shiro do to each other. He was afraid it might not bring the comfort he would hope for. Instead he sidled up to the older man and squatted at his side, placing a hand on Shiro’s forearm. “He’ll come through, you know he will. Keith never goes down without a fight, whether it be Zarkon, Macidus, space mall cops or - or whatever this is. He won’t let anything stop him.”
Especially if it meant coming back to you.
There was a hint of surprise as Shiro looked down at the gesture. A moment passed before he gave a small nod, his expression only slightly less fallen, yet Hunk considered that a win. He himself certainly wasn’t feeling great over the whole situation, but at least he had something to distract himself with.
“Hey, I’ve got a bunch of food from the cafeteria that I was gonna deliver to the rest of the gang.” He gestured toward the door with a thumb. “Wanna come with?”
That uneasy, fragile smile appeared once more. “Thanks for the offer,” Shiro started, “but… I think I’d like to sit here a bit longer.”
Hunk knew it was a shot in the dark, but it was only right to ask. “Of course. That just means you get first picks at the food! Here,” he dug into the bag for one of the top-most containers, “the chef said this was the best thing on the menu, plus it’s vegetarian - I know you don’t eat red meat, even if it’s alien red meat.” He placed it on the end table along with the necessary cutlery. “I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you two and Romelle - and I’d like to see at least five bites out of that, mister!”
That finally earned him a laugh - soft, but real. “Alright, mom.”
“Nope.” Hunk gestured his head toward the bed. “That’s Space Mom. And you’re Space Dad.” He paused for a moment, ignoring (or pretending to ignore, at least) Shiro’s vivid blush as Hunk gave it some thought. “I think I’d be Space Grandma, ‘cause I try to feed you guys all of the time. But like, Space Grandma twice removed or something.”
“I’m… pretty sure that’s not how that works.”
“Whatever, I claim Space magic. Alternate dimension. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see some time travel before this war’s over. Take your pick. Anyways,” he picked up the bag of food and his drink once more. “I’ll have my comm on me - call if you need anything!”
“Sure, Hunk.” Despite looking tired, Shiro’s face shone with gratefulness. “Thanks for coming by to see him. And me. And for the food.”
Hunk gave a wave as he started to leave. “No problem, and remember!” he called from the doorway. “At least five bites! And no dessert unless you finish it!”
That was a lie. Hunk always believed in dessert, especially for people who needed it most.
That went as well as I could’ve hoped, he considered as he headed down the hallway towards the elevator, sipping casually on his drink. As much as it hurt him to see one of his leaders so downtrodden (though really, none of them were feeling good about the situation), it warmed his heart to see Shiro at Keith’s side once more. No matter what was transpiring between the two in the last few movements, no matter how thinly stretched their bond became, it still held on. It persevered.
It gave him hope that maybe the future would be okay.
Shiro listened intently for a few moments as Hunk’s steps echoed away. After a couple ticks of silence he figured no one was coming back to the room, so he slouched further into his chair with a sigh; whether it was in relief or in exhaustion or something darker, he wasn’t sure anymore. Hunk probably thought Shiro had turned him down because he had wanted to stay by Keith’s side, and while that was partly the case, it wasn’t the full truth.
Truth was, there simply wasn’t anywhere else he could be where he could provide any real value. He clutched at the metal remains of his galran-made arm, gritting his teeth at the spike of pain that radiated into his chest. One arm meant he couldn’t move supplies. Depression kept him from thinking straight (which Pidge didn’t need help with anyways) and exhaustion made him useless at diplomacy (which, same with Allura). His fingers tightened around the container in his hand, bubbling juice fizzing up and threatening to spill over the side. Was this all he amounted to anymore? Literally everyone on the team who wasn’t WIA was doing something to help the situation - except him. Even sitting in this room by himself, there was nothing he could do except helplessly watch Keith lay inert in front of him. The traors were doing their best and not a single one of them, including the Voltron team, could figure out what more to do. Whatever was afflicting Keith, they didn’t have the information necessary to help and Shiro didn’t have a damn clue where to begin to search for answers. The only lead was the cruiser that had attacked them and given the state of the Lions that was definitely out of the question. So all that was left for him was to sit there - sit there and hope that maybe his presence would offer Keith some comfort (if any), hope that something could finally go right. After all, hoping was the only thing he could do anymore.
Shiro placed the untouched drink onto the table - he hadn’t felt hungry in a long while - and picked up his communicator instead. Turning it on, he viewed the last message in their conversation history for the hundredth time.
T. Shirogane: Hey, can we talk?
Had Keith seen it? Would he have responded, before they were attacked? If he had seen it, it would have been well within his rights to ignore it, given how Shiro had been ignoring him. No, that wasn’t completely fair or kind to himself, but he had let himself grow distant, at a time when Keith needed someone - anyone - close. And the fallout was laid to bear before his eyes. His best friend, his...
“Hey…” Shiro leaned forward in his seat. “I - I don’t know if you can hear me, but… I’m here. I’m here right by your side, where I should be. Where I should have been.”
He afforded himself the luxury of putting his remaining hand on the fallen Paladin’s shoulder, the touch ever so gentle, reverent. “I never left - never really left. I know it seemed like I did, seemed like I was giving up on you, but, I promise, I swear to the stars and back that I wasn’t. I’ll tell you it, I’ll tell you all of it, if you… just come back?”
Shiro’s vision started to blur, tears threatening to fall. “Please…” He lowered his head to the bedding, the delicate, soft sheets doing nothing to console him. “Please come back…”
His words, like his hopes, went unanswered.
Allura’s father told her time and time again that they never truly knew how the Lions worked, and more than ever she wished she did. It was unbelievable how Black had managed to not only teleport them away on such low energy reserves - and on her own at that - but had seemingly also known the best possible place they could have ended up. It was almost uncanny how kind the Yaeloresh were: how quick they were to give sanctuary, to give supplies, to hide their Lions away from the Empire’s sight. And they asked nothing in return, which boggled her mind even further.
“We have what we need,” the head of the council, Xhie gently commented when she asked as they met in the high tower’s command room. “You seek to travel the universe, to help those far beyond your homes’ borders, something we the Yaeloresh don’t even do. It’s an honor to be able to assist such an endeavor.”
“I - the honor is ours,” Allura stammered, caught completely offguard. She had grown so used to the more steadfast, uninclined leaders that it was a breath of fresh air to find an ally without having to even try. But still she worried, “You must know, however, that our presence will likely call the Galran Empire to this place.”
Fyan, Xhie’s fellow councilman and leader of the Yaeloresh’s militia, nodded almost instantly. “We do, and we are ready for them. We knew long ago that this day would eventually come. We did not, however, expect allies. It is a welcome surprise.”
“We will do everything we can to protect this place,” Allura confirmed with resolve. “But the sooner we can be on our way, the better are the chances that S’ed Liv Naern will be ignored by the Empire.”
“Understood,” Xhie replied. “It is a shame you cannot stay longer for us to try to solve your ships’ energy concerns.”
Allura smiled gratefully, idly rubbing the knuckles of her hand. “We’re already far better off now that Pidge has discerned the actual path to Earth. Besides, you’ve already provided us with more supplies than we’ve had in movements.”
“Anything you need, for we are in this together. In the meantime, until your team is ready to depart we will continue researching on the off-chance that we are able to discover a solution. Now,” both Xhie and Fayn glided over to the large circular table in the center of the room. Above it displayed a glowing hologram representing a map of the local galaxy. In it were celestial bodies of different colors and a myriad of data next to each that Allura couldn’t read. Sitting in front of the table was a yaeloreshi seated at its main console, watching them eagerly and fingers at the ready to type. “If you are willing, anything you can tell us about the Galra Empire’s offensive and defensive measures will be of significant help. It has been a long time since we were at risk of engaging with them.”
Their choice of words sent a sharp pang of guilt through Allura, a reminder that her team was the reason it was now a concern for them. Yet she knew in her heart that was not Xhie’s intention. “The Empire has a presence in Cycrim, does it not?” She asked as she walked to join them.
“They do.” Xhie motioned to the few planets that had an orange glow. “But they have been relatively inactive since their incursion. Our intel states that the galran settlements there are simply outposts meant to monitor this quadrant of the cluster.” With a swipe of their hand, one of the planets enlarged, the majority of it turning blue with two tiny orange spots. “Besides supplies which appear to be rations and other basic needs, there has been no other off-planet activity. We have kept them heavily monitored for over the last five hundred decaphoebs. Yet since they have not demonstrated any ill intent toward us, and since the sentient life on those planets has unfortunately already been wiped out, we felt it best to maintain a standstill.”
She peered up at them, grimacing. “This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the Galra going to such lengths. But the Yaeloresh have never sought retribution?” She didn’t intend for it to come across as an accusation, nor did they take it as one.
Fayn shook his head. “By the time we learned of the initial strike, those colonies had already been wiped out. At that point, we felt it best to observe and prepare in case the Empire decided that we should be next. But they never moved beyond those planets; once we realized they had no intentions of invading S’ed Liv Naern, it had been long enough that initiating a preemptive attack would only bring us suffering. At that point, there had been no one else in the Cycrim galaxy that the Yaeloresh needed to protect besides ourselves.” He smiled gently. “That is, until your team came along.”
She couldn’t help it; the need to apologize became too great. “I’m sorry our presence will likely bring trouble your way-”
But Xhie cut her off with a polite lift of their hand. “Please, Princess Allura. You do not need to seek forgiveness from us, nor feel guilt. You did not purposefully bring trouble to our planet. The aeons felt it right to bring you to our doorstep, and it appears your Black Lion did as well. So the Yaeloresh do not question it. And…” Xhie’s face sombered. “Perhaps through helping your people, we might redeem ourselves for our failure to protect the lives of others in our galaxy.” The yaeloreshi took a steadying breath and lifted their head, standing tall. “It is time for us to take our place in this great war, a war we have been preparing for for the past seven generations. If disaster does come S’ed Liv Naern’s way, trust us that we are ready for it.”
Allura swallowed. Having for so long been the backbone of the war effort against the Galra, having fought for so long, it was an immense relief to be at the side of someone standing strong, even if by just their conviction alone. It wasn’t anyone’s fault - she didn’t blame anyone - but it felt like she had been carrying most of the leadership load for a while. She could tell that Shiro was holding himself back, even if he didn’t realize it. Or maybe he did, purposefully trying to give Keith space. And now with Keith hospitalized, it was plain to see how distraught Shiro was; she had no intention to pull him from Keith’s bedside. And of course with Keith out meant they were down one experienced leader. Lance had been trying to fill the role but it was unfamiliar and she didn’t expect him to pick it up solidly in one day - quiznack, neither she nor Keith had figured it out quickly when it had been their turns.
But Keith… even before the battle she felt as if he was slipping. Not in any major way that counted, but just in the little things, things that had her idly pondering but not concerned enough to take any action. And maybe that was a sign she was slipping as well: maybe if she had been more attentive to Keith, if whatever was weighing so heavily on his mind had been lifted, maybe he, Romelle and Kosmo wouldn’t have gotten hit mid-battle. In fact, it seemed like the only one who knew what they were doing with any sort of confidence was the Black Lion. She couldn’t help but feel that Black knew to come here and she wondered just how. But before she could begin down that line of thought, she owed the Yaeloresh their due. So she spent the next varga sharing all of the intel she knew of the Galra: outdated presences in known galaxies and their numbers, flight paths, ship layouts, supply lists, and artillery and munition specs. About halfway through, Hunk came in with a bag of snacks for her complete with a bottled beverage. He then proceeded to hurriedly apologize to the rest of the room for not having brought anything for them, much to their amusement, before rushing out the door in embarrassment. Then, just as she was wrapping up the details on the zaiforge cannon, the door to the control room swished open; Coran and another yaeloreshi she didn’t recognize strode into the room.
“Princess!” Coran called in his typical chipper manner. “The Lions have been fully stocked with supplies.”
She gave a breath of relief - that was one concern down. “Excellent, thank you Coran. How fare the others?”
“I’ve instructed the Paladins to take some down time and I’ve assigned Hunk to make sure Pidge actually takes a nap.”
“Your Green Paladin requires a supervisor?” Fayn chuckled kindly.
In return Allura smiled sheepishly. “Pidge has an incredible ability to work for entire nights at a time. Given the wealth of knowledge here as well as our anticipated departure time drawing near, I wouldn’t be surprised to find her eager to continue working with your engineers without pause.”
Xhie turned to Fayn. “We should probably make sure she doesn’t meet with our Xyli. They are just as fervent.”
Coran twisted his moustache with a grin. “Far too late for that, I’m afraid - they were both working on the Green Lion before I left.”
“Well then, could we bribe your Yellow Paladin to supervise her as well?”
“Hunk would probably do it for a box of sweets and three of the medlab cafeteria’s secret recipes,” the advisor bartered with a gravely serious expression.
“Done. Titen, can you put in a request to the cafeteria, please?” The technician stood up from his chair and moved to the nearby comm-unit; it was easy to see he was suppressing a smirk. Allura couldn’t help but titter. If this was how diplomacy was on S’ed Liv Naern, perhaps she should consider retiring there as a consultant once the war was over.
Once. Not if. The reality of the situation sobered her. “How are Keith, Romelle and Kosmo?”
Coran’s jovial expression fell slightly. He crossed his arms. “All three are stable and both Kosmo and Romelle are expected to be awake within a few quintants.”
“And Keith?” she pressed.
Coran just shook his head.
So no news, she confirmed dismally. Allura turned back to Xhie and Fayn. “I’m afraid we will have to remain here a little longer than expected.”
“You are more than welcome to,” Xhie began, giving a gentle nod of their head, “but I understand the urgency of your situation. We can outfit one of your Lions with our own med lab equipment so that you may continue to care for your allies as you travel.”
The Blue Paladin sighed, though not without appreciation. “You are more than generous. Unfortunately, without our Black Paladin we won’t be able to move the Black Lion, and any attempts to carry it via the other four will make us an easy target.”
“I see,” the head councilor replied solemnly. “I wish we had a large enough ship available to transport you all, but as you probably know well by now, we are not quite outfitted to leave this solar system.”
“You’ve done more than enough for us, Xhie,” Coran chimed in gratefully, to which Allura nodded in agreement.
“It is our duty and honor,” Fayn supplied, a hand pressed to his chest , “for it’s not often where you find mortals capable of wrangling such powerful numens, let alone ones who share our respect for them.”
Numen? It was a term she was unacquainted with. “Pardon me, but I thought you had said your people hadn’t been aware of the existence of Voltron until our arrival?” Allura asked gently, concerned for coming across as accusatory.
“We did not know of the Legend of Voltron, nor of the existence of the five Lions, that is correct. However, we recognize their energy. It is something our greatest scholars have studied for eons.”
Allura and Coran shared a surprised glance before turning back. “You are familiar with trans-dimensional comets?” Coran inquired, intrigued.
Xhie gave a knowing smile. “In a way. I’d like to show you something that may be of interest; however unfortunately there is much I need to attend to before the day is over. But there will be time later; I do not expect that the Galra will find this place so quickly.” They led the pair out into the hall. Around them yaeloreshi were calmly bustling about.
“Please,” Xhie continued as they walked toward the nearby elevator. “Take this evening to relax, recover, and explore. It has been a trying day for you and your team and I can only imagine what more is to come. But tomorrow’s problems can wait until then - tonight should be a night for healing. Please enjoy all that our city has to offer, and if you would be so kind, join me for breakfast tomorrow in the gardens. Let us resume our conversation then. Syri,” they called to a verdelite-haired attendant passing by. The young man stopped and turned, a polite curiosity painted on his features.
“This is Princess Allura and Advisor Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe,” the councilor continued. “Would you please show them to their quarters in the guest wing and assist them with any accommodations they require? Ojia can direct you to the rooms they have prepared.”
“Of course, High Councilor Xhie,” Syri smiled pleasantly. He turned to the two alteans and gestured to the elevator doors that had just opened. “After you, honored guests.”
Allura nodded in thanks as they stepped inside. No sooner than the doors had shut, the attendant began to excitedly bombard them with questions - questions that Coran fielded much to her appreciation. It amazed her often, that no matter how tired or strained the older man was he never let it show. Maybe one day she would be just as strong. The Blue Paladin bit back a weary sigh, trying to instead focus on the excitement of exploring the unfamiliar city that evening. It had always been her favorite pastime when she joined her father on the diplomatic missions of old. It just… felt wrong, enjoying herself while three (four) of her allies were suffering so. But the minister was right; they needed to keep their strength up - and strength wasn’t just a physical aspect.
A night for healing. A night for peace. Perhaps within the walls of the Yaeloresh capital, her enervated mind could obtain some semblance of both. Yet Allura couldn’t help but feel something terrible was lurking just beneath the horizon.
The space around him was dark, amorphous. Vaguely he realized that the far off sounds reaching his ears were muffled, much like if he were underwater - yet somehow he could breathe. Or at least he thought he was breathing; it was difficult to tell if his lungs were even moving.
The darkness cradled him and he couldn’t figure out whether he was falling or flying. It was a drifting motion, one that soothed even as fervent whispers raged in the distance. Something fluttered in the distant depths.
He dreamt on.
The night passed uneventfully.
True to the High Councilor’s word, it appeared that there was still time before the Galra would discover them. Regardless, the anticipation had - and still - buzzed beneath Allura’s skin. It had taken vargas the previous evening before she could finally fall asleep. Still, even a restless night had done them all some good: when the team joined the Yaeloresh leadership in the morning for breakfast, the altean princess noticed that each of the paladins looked as if their spirits had been ever so slightly lifted. Their eyes shined brighter and they even engaged in their usual, albeit slightly muted, banter (much to the delight of the councilors).
Well, most of the paladins - Shiro had never come down to join them. Not a single one of them had to guess the reason why.
“I’ll check on him,” Hunk assured as he bundled up some of the breakfast leftovers to take to the medical wing.
Lance was hardly a step behind, pouring one of the jugs of frothy pink juice into an unused cup. “I’ll come with.”
“Me too,” Pidge added, snatching up some spare cutlery. Hunk smiled gratefully at them both. As they started to depart, Lance shot a look over his shoulder, locking eyes with Allura. After the briefest of moments he gave a knowing nod and a small, gentle smile before the door shut behind the three.
That just left Coran and Allura at the table with the councilors.
“If you are still interested, Princess Allura,” Xhie beckoned as they rose from the table. “As promised I would like to continue our conversation from yesterday.”
Out of all of the anticipations that had kept her up last night, this was the only one she had actually been eager for. “Please.”
Xhie’s smile grew - apparently she wasn’t the only one who was looking forward to it. “Come with me.”
They led the two alteans out into the hall and to a nearby elevator. A short ride later the trio exited onto an open but covered walkway filled with the warm light of the sun. On the other side was another building; as opposed to the enclosed and pristine floors she had seen in the high levels of the central tower, these hallways were softly lit and had billowing drapes lined on the sides. The serene scenery and the cool breeze brought a droplet of much-needed calm to Allura’s heart. Xhie gently ushered the two into a different elevator. As they ascended to another floor, the councilor spoke again. “If you know of trans-dimensional comets, then that implies you are aware that there are dimensions other than our own, correct?” Allura and Coran both nodded. “Do you know what those dimensions are?”
“At least one of them is similar to ours,” Allura started before turning chagrined. “Although there were some… drastic differences.”
Sensing her distress, Xhie only nodded rather than inquiring further. “Indeed, there has been strong evidence of realities that are alternatives to this one. However, it seems vain to believe that all dimensions, or realities, are modeled off of our own, yes?”
“I suppose we never gave it much thought,” the Blue Paladin admitted. “We fell to war not long into our initial research. However, the rift that was torn into the planet when the comet collided was certainly much different than ours.”
“I would be curious to learn more of it, but given what you have told us thus far, perhaps it’s for the best if that topic is laid to rest.” Xhie turned down another hallwas and stopped by a nearby door. After pressing a hand to the panel and waiting for the path to open, they led Allura and Coran inside. The room was a perfect circle with a smaller circle of pillows and seats surrounding a single lone console at the center. Lining the walls were towering glass cases, each housing several enclosed item displays. Every single one was filled with an assortment of ancient artifacts, ranging from etched stones to aging books.
“But I digress,” they continued. “For hundreds of decaphoebs we’ve been researching every lead we could find, and just two hundred and seventy-six decapoebs ago we uncovered what we believe to be proof of a reality completely unlike our own.”
The minister approached the console and swiftly typed on it. Ticks later the room darkened; the lit glass cases receded into the walls and a glimmering mural took their place. It was decorated with fantastical creatures, many of which Allura could never have hoped to imagine. The lines of each shone brightly as the mural slowly turned around the edges of the room. “We use this room to catalogue the historical and scientific knowledge we find of the dimensions that extend past our own. Many of them are of interest to us and I hope one day you and I can discuss them all in greater detail. Yet the one that matters most in this moment, and also to our people, is the one we have dubbed ‘Nouche-ka Ipeksu’. And within Nouche-ka Ipeksu reside the numen.”
They entered another command into the console. One by one in turn, the colorful petroglyphs on the walls pulled away like a projection into the air, moving so elegantly around them it reminded Allura of the seasoned dancers from the plays she once attended as a child. The first of the figures to do so was an aqua humanoid but stocky giant, the dome of its head close to its shoulders yet its legs thin and ending in points. As it floated away a crimson shark-like behemoth took its place, swimming seamlessly through the space around them. To Allura it felt like being lost in the cosmos itself, the sight so otherworldly and breathtaking - she couldn’t help but gasp in awe and delight.
Xhie approached her side. “Our understanding of the numen is that they are sentient forms of energy, immense in size. It is still unclear to us what their purpose is or what they even do within their realm, but we know for a fact their powers are god-like.”
Coran turned to the yaeloreshi leader. “Do the Yaeloresh worship them as such?”
“Worship would not be the correct term, exactly,” Xhie informed, gazing reverently at a pewter-colored avian creature now spiraling above them. They seemed even more at peace than usual. “Rather, to us they are like any other force of nature: one that deserves to be respected. And I will admit that out of all of the realities we have discovered, the numens’ have held most of our interest - not just for their power, but for the way their dimension touches our own.”
They typed a few more commands into the console. Everything paused; the inflight numen returned to its space on the wall. Then another one approached, this one a swirl of reds, yellows, greens, blues and violets in another humanoid shape, but taller and more even in proportions than the first. “From what we have gathered, these beings are infinite yet mortal - in a way. As they come to the end of their existence, their energy hardens into something tangible and massive.” Before their eyes the lines of the numen’s form dissipated. It then collapsed upon itself, transforming into a brilliantly luminescent crystal, its pale colors similar to that of the yaeloreshi skin tones.
“Their newfound mass forces them to drop from their own dimension and enter others, including our own. These are the ‘trans-dimensional comets’ you have spoken of.” With a few more clicks on the panel the vision in front of them dissolved. The lights on the walls faded and were replaced with the glass containers as the room brightened once more.
Coran looked to Allura. “Princess -” But she had already caught on. The colors, the shape… Even without the definite lines and details, the creature Xhie had shown them could easily be mistaken for Voltron in its complete form.
And perhaps it was.
Xhie looked back up at them meaningfully. “You have said before that the Lions by themselves are strong, but together they are stronger. Have you considered why that is?”
She gently touched her chin in thought. “I had always figured it was due to the combined bonds of the paladins with one another and to their Lions as well, but… Are you suggesting it’s because the pieces all came from one of these ‘numens’?”
“I don’t doubt the validity of your claim,” Xhie considered, “there is something special about the nature of your bonds with each of the five aspects of the numen, if indeed that’s what it once was. We believe that at some point in the early years of our history, our people were plane-touched by the numen, hence why although we don’t worship them per se, they are a significant part of our spirituality. All of that to say: perhaps this is why your Black Lion brought you to us - perhaps it has known of us in its past life and sought sanctuary in its hour of need.” They shook their head. “Much of this is conjecture; it would be hard to confirm without further proof. But, if you are willing to consider it, once our own reality is safe, maybe we can meet again one day to share our information and research more together?”
The offer sent a flutter in Allura’s heart. The Lions had given them so much, how wonderful would it be to understand who they are - what they are - better? “I'd be honored.”
Xhie’s eyes seemed to sparkle with pleased mirth. “An honor we will both share. Now -”
The door swished open. The young yaeloreshi attendant from the prior day rushed into the room, out of breath. “High Councilor -”
“Syri,” Xhie swiveled on the spot, their concern clear as day as they approached the stressed attendant. “What is the trouble?”
“Reports of a massive Galran war ship reaching S’ed Liv Naern’s orbit - we expect them to enter the atmosphere in about ten dobashes!”
Allura swallowed the stone in her throat, sharing a worried glance with Coran - she had known the reprieve would not last.
“They’ve found us.”