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The victory hadn’t been an easy one, but they had succeeded without any casualties. The local aliens had called for a party immediately after. With the Castle of Lions planetside for repairs, it was easy to throw one. Kolivan could see the tension surrounding the paladins at the beginning of the night. Clearly parties weren’t their thing, the access to the castle being limited the moment everyone was on board. There was no escape from the party and it became a forced social gathering.
He wanted to admit he didn’t mind, but with or without his mask, his appearance only screamed ‘Galra’. After decafeebs of being conquered, no planet ever reacted well to the sight of the species that killed most of their families. In that case, the Alteans and humans were much better received.
It was the nunville that kept the party going without problems, or almost broke it off, depending on who was drinking it. The blue paladin was close to passing out in the corner of the room, while yellow and green did their best to keep the situation under control. They only seemed to make things worse, however. The red paladin was over at the side, chatting with some Marmora as he kept an eye on the entire room. The black paladin was missing.
Shiro’s absence didn’t go unnoticed. Even the princess, who usually did nothing more than evade Kolivan, asked about it. It was almost as if his “unwanted” presence made him the perfect person to assign the task of finding her lost paladin. Even if she had wanted him at the party, the walk through the castleship was better for Kolivan. It was nice, relaxing, and most of all, quiet.
He found the black paladin a few doors down. The place was dark, the only light coming from the lines on the floor and walls, along with the hologram on the other side of the room. Shiro sat on a set of stairs in front of the image, a star map of systems Kolivan knew vaguely.
In the silence of the room, the Blade wondered if his entrance had been heard. It should have been. The paladin’s senses were sharp, a habit from his time as Zarkon’s Champion for sure. But the man didn’t look back, too focused on the stars in front of him.
“The princess is looking for you.” Kolivan said as he took another step closer. Still no reaction. Not until Kolivan was clearly standing next to him.
Shiro looked up, his eyes empty. They only cleared a little when he saw the Blade standing next to him. “What? Yeah…” He shook his head a moment, clearing it from thoughts. “I’ll be right there.”
“You are troubled,” Kolivan noted. “You have been since we got back.” He shifted his gaze to the stars in front of them for a moment. They were constellations the Blades weren’t stationed at. Not anymore at least.
Shiro sighed and walked up to the projection. “I guess hiding it doesn’t work with you.” He said as his human hand ran through the stars, dragging them away to make room for others. “Our last victory party wasn’t exactly a success. I needed to get some space.”
In the end, his hand stopped on a galaxy. His fingers curled in on themselves as he struggled to keep his arm up. “They’re only children. They weren’t meant to be in this war. They should be able to go back to their families instead.”
The galaxy under the paladin’s hand had to hold Earth then, Kolivan guessed. The home planet of Voltron, the hiding spot of the Blue lion for millennia. The reports about the lion had been clear about that.
“Even if we’re out here fighting, who knows what the Empire is doing. Earth could be in danger and never be able to reach us. We’re already pronounced dead.” Shiro said as he finally lowered his hand from the screen.
Kolivan nodded. In the end it was the truth. Even if the planet had known about Voltron, they weren’t advanced enough to reach out into space. Not if he had to believe the reports Ulaz had sent about the Earthlings before.
“The Galra have been seen in sector 15-T-Y” Kolivan answered as he took control of the stars and browsed through them. The thought about whether he should have told the worried paladin about troop locations had already been dismissed by then. The sector was still many light years away from X-9-Y, far enough at least to keep the galaxy out of danger for a decafeeb, but after that… Galra warfare had evolved much too quickly recently.
The black paladin clearly knew that as well. Despite his attempts to hide it, Kolivan could sense the worry and tension crawl up the man’s body.
“That means we should strike before they can do anything.” There was determination in Shiro’s voice, breaking through the fear. Perhaps, with Voltron, the determination was correct. The war hadn’t been this active until its appearance, Galra more wary than they had been the millennia before.
If it came to it, they would be the ones to stop the Empire, or at least pave the path towards it. Everything they had tried, everything they had worked on, the sacrifices… all of it would end here.
Without thinking, Kolivan moved the stars of the projection again, moving across the vast emptiness of space. By the time the planets stopped moving, he could hear a soft ‘oh’ from the paladin. The dead remains of Daibazaal lay under his hand, the bright burning of Feyiv being the only thing that showed life surrounding it.
“I may not have lived on Daibazaal, but every Galra carries the missing of a home. Our central base can’t compare.” He said. “Whatever Earth’s fate will be, I can only hope that your species does not have to feel the same longing to something unreachable.”
“Perhaps you can find a new place to settle and call home.” Shiro offered as his eyes looked over the planets he hadn’t seen before. There could always be one that would allow the Galra to settle on.
“When the war is over, are you going to look for a new place to stay?” Shiro asked softly.
Kolivan turned back to the image of Daibazaal, the dimmed light between the bright planets he once could have called home. “The Galra have a lot to figure out when we stop our fighting. A new home is the least of our worries. We have become a traveling race now.”
“I guess you’re right.” The paladin sighed and lowered his head. “There is no way I’ll get you to come to Earth, is there?” There was a smile on his face, an anticipation.
“I doubt it” Kolivan answered. After all, there was no reason to visit after the war ended. If either man was still alive by then.
The chuckle Shiro gave in response was soft yet genuine. “Come on. I’d love to show you the Garrison, or even-“
The sound of shattering glass in the hallway cut Shiro off, followed by laughter from the paladins.
“Perhaps we should return before your paladins create another disastrous celebration.” Kolivan said as he turned back to the door.
“Yeah.” Shiro agreed and Kolivan could feel some disappointment slip in. “Let’s go.”
They left the room together to see the damage Team Voltron had done. The stars floated back around the walls, illuminating the place even if there was no one to watch them.