A/N: Shiranai Atsune suggested a story with a sixth lion, so here it is!
One thing season eight did was give us how the original paladins died. Which actually kind of stinks, because I liked the idea where the paladins went into hiding with their lions... Anyway, it helped me figure out a few things for this story.
Armored feet clattered down the hall, stuttering with a crash as the owner collided with the wall at a turn, before resuming the mad pace. Three more sets of feet followed, one occasionally losing rhythm and sliding between steps.
The runner in front, clad in battered red-and-white armor, bellowed, "Access code: Brown-6!"
The seeming wall in front of the red paladin whipped up and, without slowing, the paladin barreled through.
"Outer defenses at 50%" a calm, robotic voice informed the group.
"Reroute all power to defenses!" the paladin in front yelled. "Initiate the final levels of defense for the other labs. Lockdown on all doors except for the sub-level brown lab exit ramps one and six!"
Distant explosions made the group jump, but the hall remained stable. The door in which they had entered slammed down behind them.
The hall steadily slanted down, until the group couldn't hear the explosions. Still they didn't slow. Eventually, they reached a closed door, and the lead paladin halted.
Pressing his palm to the scanner, he said, "Access code: Alfor-king-1"
"Gee, Alfor, could you be anymore subtle?" kidded the blue paladin behind him.
"I thought it was rather ingenious, Blaytz," Alfor shot back, glancing over his shoulder to the paladin supported by Trigal and his weathered bow. "It goes on. Level: All-access-top-scientist."
"Wow," Blaytz said sarcastically.
"It gets the job done," Alfor informed him as the door swung open.
Lights instantly flickered on, flooding the massive lab with light. The other paladins followed, though they stopped with a gasp when they saw what filled up most of the space.
A lion, like the Voltron lions, sat in the center of the lab. Its shape was most like Red's, but with thicker armor. The metal was brown and white in color, with gold-tipped ears. Around its neck was a golden band, almost like a collar, with the word "Navigator" in bold brown script.
"Navi, power up," Alfor said, ignoring the others' stunned stares. "Diagnostic run-down."
Alfor scooped up a holo-pad as the lion's eyes glowed a yellow-brown color. The lion, nicknamed Navi by Alfor, stood and stepped closer with an audible purr that resonated through the lab.
"All systems are running, good," Alfor murmured distractedly. He lifted his head to give Navi a sad smile. "Ready for some action, girl?"
Navi gave another purr. She lowered her head, close to Alfor. Then, she seemed to notice that there were others in the room. Her head slid over to the others.
"Who… what…" Blaytz stammered.
"This is the Brown Lion," Alfor said. "I built her like the other Voltron Lions."
"What?" Grygan asked. "Why? What part of Voltron is she?"
"Navi isn't part of Voltron," Alfor said. "I built her to guide Voltron. She has all navigation data known to the Alteans in her system. She knows how to get anywhere in any system, and can lead the other lions there."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Grygan asked.
"She was supposed to be a surprise… for Honerva."
Silence settled over the paladins. Trigal unconsciously jerked back her hand that she had placed on Navi's muzzle.
"When Zarkon began to insist on using Voltron to further open the crack, Navi's purpose changed," Alfor said lowly. "She can take a paladin, but that is not her purpose now. I changed her programming, allowing her to take control of the other Lions and lead them away if things got bad." Alfor lowered his eyes. "I had hoped that I would never have to use her."
"Keeping the Lions here is too much of a risk," Trigal said as she carefully helped Blaytz sit against a counter. "If the Brown Lion can prevent Zarkon from stealing them, then we have no choice."
Alfor nodded to his friend. "I know. It does not make it any harder."
"I do not know what hurts more," Blaytz said with a wince, hand pressing to his side. "One of my truest friends being lost to his greed for power, or sending my Blue away."
"Take heart," Grygan said firmly. "All is not lost, as long as we still have breath in our lungs. Zarkon will be brought back to the light."
Alfor smiled at the confident words. "Thank you, Grygan. But for now, we must take precautions. I have chosen four locations in which the Lions can safely be hidden until it is safe for us to retrieve them."
"And what of the Black Lion?" Trigal asked.
"I have set up a hidden room for Black in the center of the Castle of Lions," Alfor said. "He is already there now, and the seal can only be broken when the other four Lions are present."
"The Lions will have to be long gone before Zarkon arrives," Grygan observed.
Alfor turned. "Navi, come to us in the Lion Bay in ten doboshes." He glanced at his companions. "We would like some time to say good-bye to our Lions first."
The three paladins nodded to the Altean king. Trigal helped Blaytz stand again, the blue paladin grunting as he did so.
"What if the Brown Lion is attacked on the way to the Bay?" Grygan asked. "Zarkon will try to catch any Lions that he sees."
"Oh, right. Navi, cloak."
Before the paladins' astonished eyes, Navi's form flickered, then she vanished from sight!
"I added cloaking," Alfor said. "In addition to the cloaking, her speed is second only to Red's, her armor is thicker than most of the Lions, and she has sonic echolocation like Blue's."
Trigal smiled at Alfor as he excitedly gestured. "She is an amazing Lion."
"There is deca-pheobs of work in her," Alfor said, his mood dropping significantly. "I only hope that it will be enough to keep the Lions safe."
A/N: I have this as a one-shot for now but if anyone is interested, I can further this story into the present time.