Chapter 1 Rescue Mission

I don't own Voltron Legendary Defender. I'm just taking the characters out for a spin.

This chapter and several others came about from conversations with Puff the Ninja. Thanks for allowing me to bounce ideas your way. I really appreciate it.


Shiro stood next to Coran. "Is it my imagination or has Maya grown some while I was away?"

"Oh, you're not wrong there Shiro. She's now our cargo pilot since Allura is now a paladin," Coran twisted his ginger mustache.

Shiro ran his Galra hand through his white bangs. He chuckled slightly, "I never thought that would happen. How did this come about?"

Coran puffed his chest out as he told the former black paladin how Pidge, Hunk, and himself built the flight simulator and Keith gave her the pilot's test. "She just needs a mission to give her some confidence," Coran smiled at the human man.

Shiro tapped his index finger of his human hand against his chin. "I think I just might have the mission for her."

Coran's voice came over the com's gaining Maya's attention. "Maya, would you please report to the bridge."


Maya gasped as a drone fired a bolt of bright light at her. She jumped forward and dove into a roll came up on one knee with her chakram in her hand. She threw it and took out the drone attacking her but also the rest of the group that harried the paladins. As it returned to her hand, she stood and called out on her helmet com, "Coran, as usual, your timing is impeccable."

Pidge and Hunk snickered while Lance shook his head, Allura sighed, and Keith gave her a lopsided grin. "We'll continue training. Go find out what Coran wants. Back to work team."

As she strode for the exit, she heard groans behind her. Yeah, Keith was a definite taskmaster when it came to training, she thought as she stepped into the hallway and removed her helmet, tucking it up under her arm. She'd taken to wearing her hair pulled up into a ponytail making it easier to fit up underneath the helmet.

She knew training was important however it could be tedious day in and day out. But as Shiro often told her training only helped to make the reflexes quicker and it was an excellent way to relieve stress.

She pulled a cloth from a pouch off her belt and wiped the sweat off her face. I'd better see what Coran wants, she thought as she hurried down the hall.


Maya strode onto the bridge, "You needed to see me?"

Shiro turned, "Yes. When I escaped from the Galra, I stole one of their escape pods, but I was shot down on an ice planet.

"I was rescued by two freedom fighters who loaned me their only form of transport. It was destroyed by a Galra cruiser. But that's not the point. They're stranded on that ice planet, and I'd like you to go pick them up and take them to Olkarion. There they can join the Voltron coalition. "

"Anything thing else while I'm gone?" she asked as she tucked the ponytail into itself and slipped her helmet down over her head.

"I'm getting to that," Shiro replied and smiled to soften the sting of the words, as the Paladins came onto the bridge and stepped up near Shiro and Coran.

Keith gazed at Shiro, "What's up?"

"I'm sending Maya on a mission, but I don't exactly trust the two people I'm sending her to pick up. I mean they did give me their transport craft to escape the ice planet I was stuck on, but they thought I was a Galra spy at first. So that's why I want Lance to go with her."

"Me?" his voice rose several octaves as he pointed a finger to himself.

"Yes, you," Shiro replied as he gazed into the red paladin's face. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem," Lance replied.

"Good."

"We've checked the system," Coran said as he brought up the star map. "Here's Thayserix," he said as he pointed it out. Moving to the nearest system, "We've discovered the ice planet in this system." He transferred the coordinates to Maya's wrist gauntlet.

"I'll create a wormhole to get you there faster," Allura said as she smiled gently. "Once you have the passengers, return through the wormhole, and I'll create another to get you to Olkarion."

"Thank you, Princess," Maya replied as she bowed her head to Allura.

"No reason for you to be so formal now," Allura replied. "I'm a Paladin now, so call me Allura," she reached out and took Maya's hands in hers.

Lance glanced between the pair and Shiro could see the wheels spin in his head. He glanced at Keith who reached out and shoved the Red Paladin in the back. He hissed at the slightly younger teen, "Knock it off."

Lance turned to face Keith with their noses almost touching. He didn't yell like usual, but his voice lowered to a whisper, "Don't," and he stuck his index finger in Keith's face, "Don't play at being space dad since space dad is here!"

Shiro stepped between the two placing his hands-on Lance's shoulders and pushed him back a step. "I wanted Keith to do that because I know how your mind works and you don't need to bring attention to Allura just for being nice by thinking it means something else."

"Okay," Lance rubbed at the back of his neck as a blush formed on his cheeks and his ears grew hot. "Sorry."

Shiro turned to the others. "Okay, it's time for Maya and Lance to go."

Pidge glanced up at Hunk, "Uhm… what was that all about?"

Hunk shrugged.


Maya made last-minute preparations on the shuttle pod while waiting for Lance. He entered the pod bay with Shiro and Keith. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," Keith said as they stepped up to the pod.

"Keith, stop being so pessimistic and allow Maya a chance to grow," Shiro replied.

Maya hopped down from the pad where the pod rested. "The shuttle is ready to go."

"Be careful you two," Shiro said as he glanced between them.

Keith stepped up to Maya and pulled her into a hug, "Come back in one piece." As he released her, he turned to Lance, "Watch out for her and bring yourself back."

"Don't worry we'll be fine," he added in a whisper, "I hope."

Maya heard his comment and chose to ignore it. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Before Shiro disappeared, he was comforting, approachable. Now he seemed a little distant. Maybe the Galra had done something to him while he was on the ship this last time. She couldn't help but feel sad.

As Maya and Lance turned to the pod Hunk ran in. "Maya, Lance, wait up."

The pair turned as Hunk raced up to them with a couple of sacks. He bent over with hands on his knees sucking in several deep breaths and blowing them out as he calmed himself down. He shoved the sacks towards Maya and Lance. "I know you two didn't get a chance to eat so I fixed you two a couple of go bags of food and there are some water pouches in there too."

"Aww, Hunk, you are my main man," Lance said as both he and Hunk fist bumped.

Maya smiled at the largest of the paladins, "Thank you, Hunk." Her eyes grew as she found herself caught up in an embrace. She returned the hug, and as she was released, she saw a trace of moisture in his eyes. "We will return."

Before they could turn again, Shiro cleared his throat catching their attention. "Lance, Maya is in charge of this mission."

"Wha…" Lance said as he felt the urge to argue. Why was she suddenly in charge? He thought. He was the paladin after all. He had more actual battle experience than she did.

"No arguments," Shiro replied.

Maya turned and hopped back up to the pad where the pod rested and climbed into the pilot's seat. As Lance joined her with a grumble, she waved back at the others and then touched the ignition that activated the hovering sequence of the pod.

She turned the white and black pod towards the bay's particle barrier that kept the cold of space out of the castle and activated the pod's particle barrier that closed the cockpit. She ignited the engine and maneuvered the vehicle out of the bay and into space.

"Shuttle pod to Castle of Lions, we're in space," she said over the com channel.

"That's an affirmative," Coran replied. "Good hunting," he called out as a wormhole opened.

Maya aimed for the blue and white circle, and the shuttle pod flew through it.


Maya checked the coordinates that Coran had given her. "We're on the correct heading for the ice planet, we should be there in about seven varga."

Lance huffed, "We could have been there sooner if we'd just taken the Red Lion."

Maya sighed, "I know that Lance, but that's not the point of this mission."

"And what is the point?" he asked not kindly.

"To see if I can do this. I'm now the Castle's cargo pilot which means that I will be allowed to go on missions to pick up supplies or whatever which free you and the other paladins from menial tasks like that."

He rubbed his chin with one of his hands, "Well, I guess then Shiro had a point then of giving you this mission." His stomach grumbled reminding him he needed to eat since breakfast had occurred several varga earlier. He picked up his bag from off the floor by his feet and rummaged through it. He pulled out a wrapped round package, opened it and cried happily, "A burrito!"

She pressed a button putting the shuttle on autopilot and picked up her own bag and opened it finding something similarly wrapped and opened it to find her own burrito. She remembered her conversation with Hunk while they prepared food while Keith and Shiro went over to the Blade of Marmora base. That had been a scary time, but it was simpler. Shiro wasn't as distant as he was now.

She glanced away from the main screen and out the view of the window as she tried to fight down the depression that threatened to rise again. Slowly she lifted the burrito and took a bite barely tasting anything. She pulled out a water pouch and inserted the tube into the bag and sucked up some of the water. She finished eating the burrito. Drained the rest of the pouch of the water and put the trash into the bag.

Lance dug down in his and pulled out a couple of other burrito's. He ate with a gusto that Maya couldn't feel.

She thought back to the day they decided to try to find a new paladin for the Black Lion. The day Keith became the head of Voltron. And the almost fight that took place and how she reacted to Lance. It's not that she didn't like Lance, she found he was funny and was really a good person. She wanted to like him, but he seemed to have a problem with her.

She needed to find out what that problem was and maybe they could repair the bonding that had taken place before she completely recovered from the flu. She checked the readings, and they still had at least six and a half more varga to go.

"Lance," she spoke quietly. "I'd like to apologize for everything."

"Huh?" he said as his eyebrows rose and his eyes grew. "Uh… Okay," he said. What was she up to now, he thought. Trying to befriend him just to make a fool out of him? Just like those assholes did when he was in middle school. The ones who acted like they were his friends and then made fun of him because he had a growth spurt and was taller than they were. Well, he wasn't going to let that happen.

"You probably don't believe me, but it's true," she sighed again as she glanced away from him the burrito she ate sat heavily in her stomach. She gazed at the readings on the screen and turned off the autopilot and gripped the control yoke with her hands. She focused on flying and let silence settle in the cabin between them. If he didn't want to accept her apology, well she'd just focus on the mission.

Several dobashes went by maybe it was the silence that got to him, but finally, he turned to her, "Look, I don't hate you. I want to like you, but after those pranks, I'm not sure if I can."

"I understand, Lance," Maya replied. "I suppose I should explain," she reached over and put the shuttle back onto autopilot. "You see the first one was Pidge's idea. She thought I should pay you back for calling me ignorant, and I guess it still stung a bit. That's why I agreed."

"What about the next one and the video game?" he asked.

"That was also Pidge, but her reasoning was sound. Everyone including myself was so down after Shiro disappeared," her voice cracked on the last word. "Losing Shiro was like losing my father a second time. He's so strong just like…" she blinked unable to continue at that moment.

She took a breath, held it for a moment and released it. "Pidge said everyone needed a laugh to relieve some of the sadness. It worked for a little bit. But as Allura said a new paladin for the Black Lion was needed. Everyone got so heated, I was going to prank you again by mimicking you, but I was afraid you all were going to fight over it, and then you turned and saw me and well everything just kind of went to…"

"Hell," he finished for her. "That was my fault. I didn't even give you a chance to explain. But it did spook me for a dobash. So I guess I'm sorry there too."

Maya agreed silently, she didn't want Lance to feel guilt over what was ostensibly her fault. She glanced over at him again, "I-I just want to be useful," she stammered.

"I get that," Lance replied. "I really do," he said as he gazed at her. He sighed as he leaned back in the seat. He fell silent for a few dobashes. "You know all this sort of falls back on Pidge," he chuckled. "I didn't know she had it in her."

"I don't think anyone did," Maya said as she smiled at him.

A thought struck him as he turned his head to her, "Mind if I ask a bit of a personal question?"

"I don't mind," she replied as she took the shuttle off automatic pilot again.

"What is going on between you and Keith?"

"We're like brother and sister."

"Really?"

Maya nodded, "Yes, he's like my brother from another mother."

Lance chuckled again. "Kind of like me and Hunk."

"Yes," she smiled as she thought of the Black Paladin.

A blip caught her attention as it flashed and beeped at the same time. I guess all this talk actually made the time pass more quickly, she thought. "We're coming up on the ice planet, prepare for entry into the atmosphere."

"Are you sure you have this," he said as he licked at his upper lip and he gripped at the sides of his seat, and his body stiffened.

"I do, Keith did pass me you know for the pilot's test. Coran gave me extra practice, so I know what I'm doing. Just sit back and enjoy the ride," she replied as she entered the atmosphere at the correct angle, so they wouldn't burn up in the atmosphere.

"Activating scanners to search for two humanoid life forms," she informed Lance.

She smiled, "I've got them, they're just ahead in that system of ice caves." She looked for a safe place to land and found one near the mouth of the caves. She engaged the hovering system and lowered the pod down behind an outcropping of rocks.

"Why'd you land us so far away?"

"Remember what Shiro said? He didn't quite trust these guys, and I'm going to take him at his word," Maya gazed at Lance. The particle barrier went down so they could hop out and it re-engaged to secure the cockpit. This one was attuned to her biometric authentication.

"How do we get back in?" he asked.

"It's attuned to my biometric authentication," Maya replied. "Coran said I needed to attune myself to one of the pods and I liked this one."

"Cool, sort of like how I'm bonded with the Red Lion," he said as he walked toward the rock outcropping. He stopped and turned around to face her. He held his arm out to her, and she clasped his forearm in the traditional form of a space handshake. Lance grinned as he yanked surprising her with his strength and he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug.

Maya returned the hug, and then a thought occurred to her. As they released each other, she spoke softly as she pulled her helmet off her head. "I'd like to create a connection with you."

"A connection?" he asked.

"An empathic connection. I need to touch my forehead to yours, and I'll be able to know if your in extreme stress or whatever. If I can help you in any way, I will."

"That actually sounds pretty cool," he said as he removed his helmet.

She bent over and touched her forehead to his. "That's it," she said as she replaced her helmet.

Lance pulled his back over his head as they continued to approach the outcropping as they came upon the rocks a raspy voice from above shouted down to them. "Get back in your fancy ship and go back where you came from you Galra scum." To punctuate the voice's point a beam of laser fire hit a nearby rock causing it to explode.

Maya called out from her position, "I'm here to speak to Vakala. I was sent by Shiro."

The raspy-voiced guy yelled back, "I don't know a Shiro." He fired his weapon several times at them.

Lance yelled up at the one firing on them, "Look, we were sent here by Shiro, a paladin of Voltron."

Another voice joined the conversation they heard him distinctly tell the first one, "Put that gun away. We can trust them, I think. If Shiro sent them, that means he survived." After a moment a rock clattered down as two figures began to move out from the stones above the cave opening.

Maya and Lance stood and climbed over the outcropping and walked up to the mismatched pair of freedom fighters who stood in front of the cave. Lance eyed the couple as Maya kept her hand on her chakram ready to throw at a moment's notice.

The smaller one held his blaster rifle down while the larger of the pair still trained his weapon on the two newcomers. "You said you were friends of Shiro's," he commented as he glanced at two wearing similar armor.

"Yes," Maya replied. Then she pointed to Lance, "This is the Red Paladin of Voltron, Lance."

"Let's get out of the cold so we can talk, I'm Vakala, and this is Kerk," he said as he led the way into the cave system. They stepped into a part of the cave where there was a hole in the ceiling that was iced over, but it provided some natural light into the chamber.

"Look, we're low on supplies," Kerk scowled as his eyes narrowed.

Maya shook her head, "You don't understand. Shiro sent us to transport the two of you to Olkarion."

"Olkarion? What's at Olkarion?" Vakala asked.

"That's where we're basing the Voltron coalition out of," Lance spoke up. "We're gaining new fighters every day who want to take the fight to the Galra. And he thought of you two, especially since you were nice enough to give him your only transport shuttle."

Maya nodded as she added, "Olkarion is a lot more hospitable than this place. And warmer too."

Kerk glanced over at Vakala who seemed to be the designated leader of the pair of freedom fighters.

"It would be nice to get out of here," Vakala stated. He gazed at the pair as he bit the inside of his lip and avoided direct eye contact. "We need to discuss this between ourselves." He said as he and Kerk stepped through another cave opening with a tattered piece of cloth hanging over the opening.

Lance elbowed Maya as he glanced around the room taking in some of the equipment strewn about. "Doesn't all this stuff look a bit outdated to you?"

"They're freedom fighters, Lance, I wouldn't think they'd have anything really high tech."

"That other group we were with on Icturn had more sophisticated equipment," he said.

"Yes, they did, but I guess other groups might have access to better equipment than these do," she said quietly.

The tattered cloth rippled as a hand pushed it aside, and the pair strode back into the room. "We'll go but not without our equipment. We've been recording Galra transmissions, and there might be something there the coalition might be able to use."

"Okay," Maya said as she and Lance helped them pack up the equipment.


They finished loading the pod, Maya and Lance hopped in the cockpit as the two freedom fighters climbed in the back. She opened a channel to the rear of the pod. "All set?" she asked.

"We're ready to go," Vakala replied.

Maya engaged the hover system of the pod. It rose up into the air and then she switched over to the crystal drive and engaged the thrusters which fired and pushed the shuttle up and out of the atmosphere.

It broke free of the planets gravity and Maya set the course for Olkarion. She opened a hailing frequency to the Castle of Lions. As Shiro, Coran, and Allura's faces came on the screen she said, "We've secured the freedom fighters and are in route to Olkarion."

"Very good," Allura replied. "Opening wormhole."

A blue and white glowing circle appeared in space before them. Maya piloted the shuttle in. She turned to Lance, "Even though the wormhole will shave a lot of time off our trip, it'll be several varga before we're there."

"No problem," he said as he leaned back in the seat.