Written for Day 18 of Sheith Month: Right Hand.
This could have been for tomorrow's prompt (Galra) as well, really, heh. (Instead, the one for tomorrow is another 'why did this long story jump me during Sheith Month?' one. . .)
"You would trust a Galra as part of your team?"
While the rest of them flinched at the words filtered through the comms relaying Shiro's meeting to the bridge, Keith didn't react visibly.
They shouldn't necessarily have known that - Keith's bloodline wasn't exactly a secret, but it wasn't common knowledge either, and he didn't exactly show his Galra blood to look at him. And personally Lance thought they should sort of shove it - yeah, the Galra Empire had only narrowly been fought off from taking them over, so they had some poor associations, but. . .
Unlike many of the places they had freed, this place hadn't ever been under Galra control, and they'd been spared that now only by the efforts of Voltron - including Keith. Lance snorted. He might pick at and needle the man, but Keith was if anything more likely than any of them to throw himself into the breach to protect people like the inhabitants here.
"I trust Keith, as I always have, as my right hand - and the right hand of Voltron." Shiro said sharply in reply.
"But surely you can see-"
"Keith fought to save your people and your planet, as he has fought - as we have all fought - to push back the Galra Empire all across the universe." Shiro said, not harsh but uncompromising. "He has dedicated himself to the fight to free the galaxy."
"Sir Paladin!"
Shiro cleared his throat, not quite an interruption but perilously close - especially for someone as courteous as Shiro, when it came to dealing with the often frightened and angry leaders of the planets they rescued. "Princess Allura of Altea will come down herself to speak with you, along with myself and the rest of the Voltron team, once we have all had a little time to regroup from today's battles." Shiro said, almost a dismissal.
Another protest was met with the firm reminder that Keith would be part of that meeting, or Voltron would not, as he was only complete with all five of his Paladins.
A few minutes later the comm brought back nothing but the sound of the Black Lion taking flight.
"You know they're full of it, right, Keith?" Lance said, moving across the bridge to Keith's station. "They have no right to-"
"I'm fine." Keith said abruptly, though he wasn't looking at Lance - he wasn't looking at his screens, either, though he seemed to be. His eyes weren't focused on anything they displayed.
"Keith. . ." Lance rested a hand cautiously on Keith's shoulder. It was tense under his fingertips.
"It doesn't matter." Keith said, his tone clipped, but he looked up at Lance this time.
"They're ready for a meeting," Shiro said as he strode onto the bridge, "tomorrow at mid-morning planetary time, you think, Princess?"
"That should be fine." Allura agreed with a smile. "Give them some time to prepare and think over what could have happened, and assess the damages. As we need to do. Coran, how is that coming?" she asked, bringing up a comm screen.
"Coming right along Princess!" Coran called happily from the engine room . . . or wherever he was by now. Lance tuned him out as he continued reporting, looking back down at Keith.
"Keith," Shiro said, tone gentling, "can I talk to you?" he asked.
Keith swallowed, but nodded, rising from his station and moving around Lance even as he backed out of the way. Shiro slid a hand across his shoulders and fell into step with him, drawing Keith away and just through the doorway off the bridge. No further, though. Lance drifted after them curiously. There was nothing else for him to do on the bridge at the moment, and it was unusual for Keith to look so checked out, even if he was ignoring Lance - anyone. He could admit he was concerned, at least to himself.
"-doesn't matter, Shiro." Keith said as Lance got close enough to be back in earshot. "They're safe, it doesn't matter what they think of me."
"It matters." Shiro said, looking like it had been him hurt and not Keith. "They shouldn't think that of you. You could have - you would have - died trying to protect them today. It isn't right that they-"
"They're free to think what they want." Keith said with a crooked not-quite-smile. "That's what Voltron is about, isn't it?"
Shiro looked even sadder, but he nodded.
"It's all right. We'll go down and talk to them about the war tomorrow. Maybe they'll change their minds and maybe they won't," Keith paused, swallowing, "but it'll be their choice where they go from here. That's what we fight for."
He looked a little steadier, and Shiro tugged him in close. Lance turned away as Keith melted into Shiro's arms, feeling a little spike of irritation and a little flare of respect for Keith's eloquence.