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"Even Evil Has Family"
Sendak was not in a good mood. It was obvious to anyone who came across him. The only good thing that happened was that he had located and successfully captured the Red Lion of Voltron, which then Emperor Zarkon let remain on his ship. There had been minor insurgents on a couple of planets in his sector, which he personally squashed, which didn't help his mood any.
His lieutenant, Haxus, had received a secret communique that was sure to lift his commander's mood. He had informed the pilot of Sendak's mood, to which the pilot purred to him in reassurance. Haxus smiled and gave the pilot that landing code for the private hangar. Now all Haxus had to do was figure out how to get the commander to go to his quarters without getting his head ripped off.
Fortunately, his time had come in the form of Sendak rubbing at his left shoulder. Haxus stood up from his post and whispered to his commander, "Maybe you should go relax in your quarters and take off your arm prosthetic."
Haxus didn't flinch when said prosthetic was brought to within an inch of his neck. He could even feel the heat from the quintessence that coursed through it. "You know I'm right, commander."
Sendak growled but removed his prosthetic from Haxus's neck. "Very well, Haxus. You are in command for now."
Sendak turned and left the bridge, completely missing Haxus's grin. It didn't take long for Sendak to get to his quarters. He entered the room and was startled by a little voice calling out, "Daddy!"
Sendak immediately caught the tiny kit that had tried to jump onto his father. He lifted him up and set him on his right shoulder. "Yorak, when did you get here?"
"Mama and I just got here!" Little Yorak nuzzled his Daddy's ear.
Sendak's eyes landed on the female Galra in front of him. She approached him and purred. "We wanted to surprise you, Sen."
"That you did, 'Lia." Sendak nuzzled his mate's head. "That you did."
Sendak carefully rolled the shoulder his kit wasn't sitting on, which caught Krolia's attention. "Let me help you with that."
Sendak kept a firm hand on Yorak while his mate unlatched his prosthetic. Once it was gone, he laid in the nest with his son on his chest. Little Yorak was the spitting image of his mother but with Sendak's ears and his shining gold eyes. Sendak licked his son's cheek stripes, a feature that he loved that his kit got from his mother. Yorak purred to his Daddy. Krolia stepped into the nest and settled against her mate.
"How long do you get to stay this time?" Sendak didn't like that his mate and kit were stationed elsewhere.
"Warlord Ranveig was owed some favors and called them in to get us reassigned."
"Reassigned where?"
Krolia grinned. "Here. You're looking at your new stellar cartographer."
Sendak's eyes widened. "Truly? You both get to stay here?"
Krolia nuzzled her mate's head. "Yes. We have been away too long. Yorak needs his father, especially if he is to take his place in the Empire one day."
Little Yorak tilted his head, one of his ears twitching. "I hear something."
"What is it, my kit?"
"Someone calling to me."
Both parents looked around the room in alarm but could see no one. "There's no one here, kit."
"Not here but on the ship. She says she wants to see me." Yorak gasped. "She's a red kitty."
"The Red Lion is talking to you?"
Yorak's other ear twitched. "Yeah."
"Let's go see what the lion wants with our kit," Krolia suggested.
Sendak frowned but relented. He was curious why the lion was talking to his kit too. He quickly attached his prosthetic and escorted his family to the hangar, where the Red Lion was standing with her particle barrier up. The tick Yorak was standing in front of the lion's barrier, said barrier disappeared and the lion's eyes lit up, looking like the little kit's eyes.
Yorak chirped and was surprised that the Red Lion lowered her mouth to him. He petted her muzzle. "Hello, kitty."
"Hello, little cub."
Yorak purred. He liked this kitty. Krolia stepped up behind her kit. "Red Lion, may I ask a question?"
"Who is this, cub?"
"This is my Mama. She's the bestest mama in the universe!"
Krolia blushed at her kit's comment.
"She can ask her question."
Yorak looked at his Mama. "Go ahead, Mama."
"I was wondering why you were talking to my kit."
"He is my future Paladin."
"She says I'm her future Paladin, but Mama, what's a Paladin?"
"The Paladins were the pilots of the lions of Voltron. We had heard that the lions choose their Paladins," Sendak answered for his mate. "To be chosen at such a young age is unheard of, but it is a great honor."
"The grumpy one speaks the truth."
Yorak giggled. "That's my Daddy. He's not always grumpy."
Krolia stifled a giggle at her mate's affronted expression. He scooped up his kit and mock growled. "I'll show you grumpy."
He proceeded to tickle his kit, who squealed with laughter and tried to wiggle away from the tickling claws. "Mama, save me!"
"Oh no, my kit. I'm no match for your father and his tickling claws."
The Red Lion chuckled and put up her particle barrier again, content to watch her future Paladin grow up with his family for now.
Fin