Chapter Text
There was an underlying anxiety when being a Defender of the Universe, and perhaps there always will be. The constant fighting and saving were as exhilarating as they were terrifying. Still, even as the uncertainty of the future lurked beyond every hard-won battle, there was an assuredness found in their growing bonds as a team. Every tumble and new scar only proved their trust for each other, their faith strengthening with victory.
It was a beautiful feature that made humanity so amazing.
Long ago, though not distant enough for the elderly, there was a catastrophic event that threatened life on Earth. Not a single person understood what it was at the time, but many heroes rose to answer the call. Politics banded together to bring out all the stops, utilizing the world's best and brightest minds. Scientists and engineers, doctors and theorists, it is said that not a single person involved slacked off, that each contributed vastly in their unique fields.
All who could put forth their best efforts to save the Sun, did.
From what? Astrophage, of course. The information the general public knew was obviously carefully selected, likely to prevent mass panic and hysteria, but every bit that humanity learned somehow only motivated more and more people to step up and offer their support. Though there was little a regular layman could do against a literal star eater, hence the name Astrophage.
There was, of course, the outrageously illegal and immoral acts taken to buy the Earth time, such as bombing Antarctica. So much sacrifice in the name of saving the Earth, and not everyone was on board for such atrocities, but what could they do to stop it?
Eventually, everything came to a head when the Hail Mary launched.
It was the culmination of all of humanity's accomplishments and efforts, of their hope and dreams. All of their research up to that point had gone into building a spaceship capable of traveling near the speed of light to Tau Ceti. Humanity hadn’t known why back then, but they had known that the star 12 light-years away wasn’t dimming, despite all signs indicating it should have been. Unfortunately, there was little time in the grand scheme of things, so it was determined to be a one-way trip. Hence, Hail Mary.
There were many volunteers willing to go, but only a small percentage were compatible with the medical technology required for the trip. A rare ‘coma-resistant’ gene found only in 1/7,000 people, making them more likely to survive the long-term medically induced coma needed for the trip. Of the thousands to volunteer, only a handful were selected to embark.
The most notable of the crew was Dr. Cpt. Ryland Grace, typically referred to in the history books as Dr. Grace. The other members of the crew, both the main group and their alternates, were obviously important and worth honoring. In the end, however, it was revealed to the world that this former 8th-grade science teacher with a molecular biology degree was the only member to survive the trip all the way to Tau Ceti.
Dr. Grace was the one who managed to find his way around, despite suffering from memory loss caused by a long-term coma. He was also the one who made first contact with sentient extraterrestrial life, a fellow astronaut from the recently renamed Erid, who was given the Earth name Rocky. Together, the two of them saved their worlds and were set to return to Erid, where it is assumed Dr. Grace had lived a peaceful life as a hero, as Rocky allegedly assured in video logs. Some of the video logs had been corrupted in transit, but the government had at least been able to decipher that much.
The world was moved by the bonds of this seemingly humble yet brave hero and his equally amazing companion. There wasn’t a single person on Earth who hadn’t at least heard of Dr. Grace and his accomplishments.
Once Venus’ atmosphere was populated by Taumeba, an organism that evolved to be Astrophage’s natural predator, which was later bred by the pair to survive the necessary environments, there was a surge of dreamers. There were those who wanted to become astronauts, to see the beauty beyond their home, or to meet those wondering if we are out there. There were even more who wanted to become scientists and engineers, to help humanity reach the same heights the pair once did, and to go even further. Of course, there were also those who wanted to become teachers, to help nurture the upcoming generations to accomplish such feats.
Such dreams had always been part of humanity, but Dr. Grace's success had only amplified humanity’s desire for more. As such, a new age of Space Exploration began to form.
It was a slow but steady march, and one humanity would not yield to. It took many years and countless groundbreaking inventions, but eventually it became a reality for more people than ever.
Across the globe, there were academies for new generations of astronauts and space explorers. Among them was the Galaxy Garrison, where the Paladins of Voltron once studied. One way or another, it was during their time there that they had accidentally been chased off their planet and forced to become the Universe’s last defense against the Galra Empire.
Why is all of this important to know?
It’s because the Paladins had learned that Erid was under threat of Galra invasion.
In truth, the team didn’t really have much of an idea as to why, but it was a no-brainer that saving Erid was their top priority. Allura had been extremely pleased by their determination to act swiftly in aid of the planet, only to be shocked to learn that Earth already had ties to the planet's beings.
They reassured her that, of course, they’d help planets in need, but to humanity, no other race would come before the Eridians. It was a seamless effort to explain humanity’s time of need, and the heroes that joined forces, their connection and bond that gave birth to a new sense of unity and hope.
Coran was, very obviously, moved by such a notion. The idea that such ‘primative species’ would find each other in such a way, and ‘claw their way to success by the skin of their teeth’. Although not as dramatic or nearly as insulting, Allura, too, had been touched by their story. It had given her hope that one day, all beings in the universe could come together in such a way. A hope that one day, a time of peace could grace the universe once more.
With a burning desire to return the favor to the Eridians, the castle’s inhabitants set off.
Although there had been speculation and theories, nothing could have prepared them for the Erid’s galactic battle tactics.
“I can’t believe it!” Pidge was definitely excited at the feat before them. “They’ve covered the planet with a reticulated shell!”
“Um, a what?” Once again, Lance had been the voice of the people, though Keith had been close to asking the same thing.
“A space frame.” Hunk was quick to pipe up, just as amazed by the Eridians’ decisions.
“Well, duh, but what kind?” Lance was definitely pretty.
“You have eyes, take a look.”
Erid, although definitely much different from Earth, was filled with equally brilliant minds. From history and science classes, they learned that the Eridians had no Light Sense and instead evolved to use echolocation. So, seeing the structure that enveloped the planet was spectacular. Layered arrays of structural beams had countless moving parts, moving across and over the planet to different locations. There were no piloted vehicles, but it was easy to see that they were in fact being directed. The weapons on the arrays, although powerful looking, were vastly outnumbered by the radars and sensors. Perhaps they fought with a one-shot-one-kill mindset. Regardless, the battle seemed to be overwhelming the Eridian forces.
The Paladins were quick to step in, sending the Galra packing. It wasn’t a particularly difficult fight, given that there was no major-name Commander or General there to give them trouble. No, the issue was most definitely the communication barrier.
Unable to clearly differentiate Voltron from the Galra Warship, the Eridians had also begun attacking the Paladins, even after the enemy retreated.
“Okay, the Galra are gone, now what?!” Keith was not one to take such things lying down. His instinct was to disarm before the team could get hurt, but with the Eridians, he showed restraint. A part of him burned with the desire to swing Voltron’s sword and end the attacks, providing them an opportunity to talk. The rest of him understood that doing so could damage any potential future relations with the species.
“Pidge, shield up while we figure out our next steps!” Quick to protect his team, Shiro did what he could to buy his team time to think. “Think, what could we do to get them to lower their weapons?”
“Dr.Grace was able to communicate with them, right?” Lance, ever the fanboy of notable spacemen, was the first to suggest just outright communication. “How about we just ask nicely?” Unfortunately, Pidge was the first to shoot him down.
“Dr.Grace only mentioned one Eridian, Lance! There’s no guarantee that their methods of communication passed on to the rest of them, and I’m not sure we can rely on chance!”
“Well, what have you thought of then?!”
And so, the team began falling apart into squabbles for a good minute. It was in that minute that they failed to notice the attacks from the Eridians had ceased. In fact, in that minute, something entirely new had been making its way over across the planet’s arrays.
“Paladins, control yourselves!” It was Allura, who had been observing from up in the castle, who had noticed what looked like a crude cross between a radio and a speaker. “The Eridians have stopped their assault. Now, quit being an embarrassment to both Humanity and Voltron’s legacy and focus!”
At her words, the group finally noticed the difference in the situation.
The weapons the arrays had branded were retreating, pelaced by the satellite/speaker device. It was quite large and seemed almost dangerous, if not for the miages covering every surface of the device. It was a smile above a stylized megaphone symbol with radiating arcs indicating audio, indicating the device's function.
On the screens, both inside the Lions and the Castle, a message began to display.
Greetings.
We are the inhabitants of this planet, Erid, the Eridians.
Please confirm you can understand this message.