A/N Hello every body, just wanted to let any new readers now that I started writing this Fic immediately after I finished watching Season 1, so I had no idea what was going to happen and therefore created by went off what I thought. Basically what I'm saying is that this is an AU Fic so a lot of things won't fit perfectly into canon. So, if that upsets you, don't read, if you're okay with that then I hope you enjoy.
Deep space, millions of miles from the closest planet, a lone starship floats through the darkness. Its sheer size dwarfs the numerous hunks of debris scattered throughout the void. As it went various lights positioned along the hull where casting an eerie blue glow across the vessel's jet black surface. The only place not covered by this glow was the ship's bridge located amidships. On said bridge, a single man stood atop an elevated platform. His position granted him an unobstructed view of the various command stations surrounding him. The man perfectly matched the ship he commanded. He was dressed in black armor the same shade as the ship itself. Four bars of blue light adorned his chest, yet another aspect of his garb that mimicked the look of his vessel. This, combined with his stern expression, gave the impression that he was actually a part of his vessel, almost as if they'd been made for each other. Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence.
"Shipmaster, the sensors have picked up an unidentified object directly off the starboard bow. Roughly thirty standard measurements away, floating among the debris. It appears to be some kind of vessel, but I'm not sure."
The Shipmaster answered, his expression still locked on the viewport in front of him. "Aye, Helmsmen Vex. Lieutenant Zek, lock all sensors on that object, I want to know what that thing is."
"Aye Shipmaster." he responded, taking a few moments to type away at the screen in front of him before continuing. "I can't seem to get an accurate reading. The debris field appears to be interfering with the sensors. I am picking up a faint electrical signal, which means it's probably a vessel of some kind. We'd have to get closer if you want a more precise reading."
"Aye Lieutenant. Helmsmen, take us closer to the Debris field. Zek, as soon as we're in range, I want a full tactile analysis on that object."
"Aye Shipmaster." His two subordinates answered simultaneously. Immediately the hulking vessel began to change direction before continuing along its new heading. A few moments later Zek's console lit up in a vibrant display of colors and shapes.
"Shipmaster, I've completed the analysis. We now have a full tactile read-out on the object."
"Good work Lieutenant, transfer the feed to my command station." The Shipmaster ordered.
Within seconds the young officer was surrounded by a number of holographic screens each one displaying various charts and informational readouts.
After reviewing them for a few minutes he began to think to himself.
Well, it's defiantly a ship. Unknown classification, that's odd. Whatever it is, its small, defiantly not a capital ship. One life from aboard, probably the pilot. I wonder if they're still alive in there? It's defiantly be damaged. At least the life-support's still operational, that's a good sign. It's defiantly not a Galra ship, energy signature's all wrong. I know I've seen a signature like this before, but I can't quite place it.
"Lieutenant, cross reference these readings with all Lincar historical records."
"Aye Shipmaster... The records indicate these readings most closely resemble technology originating from... Altea."
The Shipmaster froze as soon as he heard that name, his stern expression replaced by one of stunned confusion.
He began to softly mutter to himself. "Alteans, it can't be that's impossible. Unless..." He paused for a second before speaking, his previous expression slowly returning.
"Lieutenant Tar," he shouted. "ready the tractor beam. Ensign Caz, have a flight crew prep the main hanger bay. I want that ship brought aboard and secured now. Helmsmen Vex, as soon as we've secured that vessel take us to the edge of the system as quick as you can. I want to put as much space between us and the Galra Empire as possible. No matter what happens, we cannot let them get their hands on this ship."
"But Shipmaster," the lieutenant asked, his voice shaking ever so slightly. His words were filled with an odd mix of fear and anticipation. "our mission is to patrol the border."
"Our mission has changed. If that's what I think it is out there we cannot let it fall into Galra hands. Commander Shrike, I want you to assemble a medical team and have them sent to the hanger."
"Aye Shipmaster, but if you don't mind me asking, what do you think this is?" Vex asked. His expression slowly twisting into one of worried confusion.
The Shipmaster paused before finishing. The anticipation of what he was about to say was almost tangible. It was as if the whole bridge was collectively holding its breath. Until finally, he spoke. "If I'm right we've just stumbled upon the signal most powerful weapon in the entire galaxy. The key to defeating the Galra Empire, the defender of the Universe... Voltron."
...
A bright flash of light and then, darkness. That's the last thing Pidge remember. They were escaping, something had gone wrong and then, nothing. Suddenly the darkness disappeared and she found herself sitting up in a large bed screaming bloody murder. Beads of cold sweat slowly dripped down her face and onto the luxurious bedspread she currently found herself wrapped up in. She quickly wiped the haze from her eyes before frantically scanning her surrounds. She desperately searched for any sign of the familiar until, finally, something caught her eye. There was a small table next to the bed, and there, lying on the polished black marble tabletop was her Bayard. In one swift motion, she leaped from the bed, snatched her weapon and ignited the blade as she landed beside the bed. She stood there for a few moments taking in her surroundings. That's when she realized, she had absolutely no idea where she was.
She currently found herself standing near the rear of a large room with steel gray walls. Oddly enough, the chamber itself was practically empty. Besides the two items she'd already seen, the only furnishing was a desk placed up against the left wall. For some reason, there was a metal bar attached to the wall opposite the desk. A metal sliding door, one of two in the room, was located just to the right of the bar. The other door was position in the middle of the wall opposite the bed.
"Where the quiznak am I?" she muttered.
"I don't think you're using that word correctly."
Startled, the young paladin spun on her heels, pressing the blade of her weapon against the neck of the stranger before her. She stood there for a few moments, sizing up her opponent. He was about a foot taller than she was, with broad shoulders. His frame actually reminded her of Shiro. It was clear whatever species he was she'd never met one before. He lacked the purple skin of a Garla, the odd facial markings of an Altean, or the absurd physical figures of the countless Galra slaves she and her friends had freed. Instead, his skin was the color of amber covered in dozens of tiny scars. He did share some characteristics with her Altean friends, his ears were pointed much like Allura's, only his were longer and more triangular. His hair was also the same shade as her friend's, of course, his haircut was different, very different. His hair had been cut into a short Mohawk, maybe half an inch tall, that ended just before the back of his head. Besides this, he was completely bald. Truly his most striking feature was his eyes. They reminded her of wolf eyes, cold and calculating. This combined with their color, an intense icy blue, made it seem as if he physically froze whatever he looked at. Suddenly the stranger spoke, breaking her concentration.
"You've been staring at me for quite a while now, are you okay?"
"Wha…" she began only to be immediately interrupted.
"It's not that I mind the attention, it's just I'm not the biggest fan of having a blade held to my throat. If you don't mind, would you please remove it?" his voice was quite calm all things considered, and this actually surprised Pidge. She hadn't really expected him to react that way. Of course, that might have been because he was a member of an alien race. For all, she knew situations like this could happen daily here. Hell, it might even be an integral part of his culture.
"Give me one good reason why I should." She said gathering all the fake confidence she could muster and funneling it into her words.
"Well, the truth is, I don't really feel like dying today."
"Is that the best you got?" She asked, a smirk plastered on her face.
"No, I also have a pistol aimed at her spine, but I felt like the first reason was more polite." Pidge's smirk disappeared the instant the stranger finished.
He had to be lying, she thought to herself.
She quickly glanced down at her stomach, low and behold, there it was. The barrel of some strange blaster pistol was about an inch from her stomach.
"How about this?" the stranger began. "On the count of three, we both lower our weapons."
"Three ticks or three seconds?"
"What's a second?" he asked, clearly confused
"Ticks it is then."
"Three, two, one, now." With that, the two warriors lowered their weapons and slowly stepped away. And there they stood, staring each other down until finally, the Shipmaster broke the silence.
"I see you found your weapon, it is a unique piece of engineering."
Pidge remained silent.
"I had a few of my engineers take a look at it. Not a single one could figure out how it worked. Same way with your ship. Speaking of your ship, I need your help with a situation in the hanger bay."
Pidge remained silent.
"Are you actually going to say something, or are you just going to stand there and try to glare me to death?"
Begrudgingly, Pidge finally decided to speak. "Why should I talk to you?" There was anger in every word.
"Because you're just as curious about me as I am about you. I can see it in your eyes. If I wasn't standing here, you would have already searched this place top to bottom. Am I right?" he said cocking his eyebrow. Pidge blushed slightly, he was right. Even now her head was filling with questions, of course, one kept showing up over and over again.
"Why were you watching me sleep?" she yelled, internally debating whether or not to attack him. If he didn't know how her Bayard worked then he didn't know it could fire a grappling hook. She decided against it, though.
"I wasn't really watching you sleep. I only came in a few Ticks ago, my lancers said you were starting to stir. I thought you might be about to wake up, and I wanted to be there when you did."
"Why?"
"I have a few matters I'd like to discuss with you, and I'd prefer if we discussed them in private. That's why I had them bring you to my quarters after they took you out of the healing pod."
"Yeah, cause that's not creepy as hell. It's not bad enough I wake up on some random ship, but it turns out the captain has some creepy obsession with me." She said, her glare intensifying.
"Don't get the wrong impression, my interest in you is purely professional. You see, all the historical records I've ever read say that Voltron was one of the most powerful weapons ever created. Five lions that could join together to create a ship so devastating, it could wipe out whole fleets. They also say that Voltron was destroyed at the end of the Great War, ten thousand years ago. So, imagine my surprise when my crew and I stumble across one of these mythical lions, floating at the edge of Galra space. The way I see it, there are two possibilities. You're either a Galra spy, or you really are one of the legendary Voltron Paladins. Personally, I think you're a Paladin, but I have a duty to protect my crew. So, I have to be absolutely sure of your identity before I let you go anywhere on my ship." His tone shifted towards the end there. It ceased being calm and collected. Instead, it was intense and threatening, but not angry. More like dangerous. It actually scared Pidge a little, not that she let it show.
"So" he continued. "Seeing as how both have questions that need answering I suppose a trade. You ask a question; I give you an answer. I ask you a question; you give me an answer. Deal?"
She hesitated for a second. It seemed like a fair deal, but she wasn't sure. She couldn't quite figure out how she was supposed to feel about this stranger. Her first instinct was not to trust him, but for some reason, he gave off this weird fraternal vibe. Maybe it was because he shared a passing resemblance to her friend Shiro. Or maybe it was because she'd more than likely suffered some form of head injury. Whatever the reason, she agreed to his arrangement.
"Seeing as you're the guest here, why don't you ask the first question?"
"Okay then. Why don't we start with, who are you?!"
"A fair question." The stranger began. Gently he brought his hand to his chest and slowly lowered his head. "My name is Captain Sun Vac, Shipmaster of the Corsair and loyal servant of Queen Najera, Monarch of the glorious Kingdom of Lincar. I would like to officially welcome you to my ship."
Okay, Pidge thought to herself. That answered absolutely nothing. Who the heck is Queen Najera, what the heck is a Shipmaster? Well, I guess it must be some equivalent of a captain. But he also called himself captain. Maybe captain's a rank and shipmaster just means he commands the ship or vice versa. I guess it doesn't really matter much.
"So now you know who I am but I don't know who you are?" Sun asked cheerfully.
"My name is Katie, Katie Holte. My friends call me Pidge, and for your information, I am a Voltron Paladin." For some reason, Sun didn't look too convinced. She couldn't decide whether or not to take this personally.
"So, Sun Vac, where are my friends? What happened to them?"
"Excuse me?" Sun replied clearly confused.
"My friends, the other Paladins. We were together, where are they?"
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. Yours was the only ship we found out here and there was no sign of anyone else in the area, and believe me, we checked. No ships, no life forms, nothing but debris, and even that was nothing more than chunks of rock and ice. If your friends survived whatever engagement damaged your ship, they're not here."
"Where even is here? You said you found me on the edge of Galra space, but the last thing I remember is attacking Zarkon's Command System..."
"You attacked Zarkon's Command System?!" he asked, clearly shocked. "You're telling me you and your friends attacked the heart of the Galra empire?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Are you insane? No wonder you and your friends lost, that place is impenetrable. What could possibly compel you to attack that place?"
"We didn't have much of a choice, our leader, Princess Allura, was captured and we needed to save her."
"Wait, you'll telling me you've met Princess Allura...the Princess Allura? How old are you?"
Something about the way he said that seemed to aggravate her.
"Why?"
"Princess Allura died ten thousand years ago along with the rest of the Altean race. For you to have known her when she was alive, you'd have to be at least…."
"She's not dead!" Pidge yelled cutting him off "She's alive and so is Voltron. And step by step we're taking the Universe back from Zarkon and his goons."
"Heh, so Zarkon's not the only one who's survived since the Great War. Interesting." Sun said, a small smirk forming on his face. That's when Pidge realized maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go around shouting all their military secrets. But wait, why didn't he already know this? How far away was she from her last position? And where was everyone else? This whole experience seemed to yield more questions than answers. For example, where the quiznak was her armor! For some reason, she was wearing a weird nightgown, smock thing.
"What happened to my armor?!"
"Actually, I believe it's my turn to ask you a question."
"No, not until you tell me what happened to my armor! And why I'm wearing this... thing?!"
"It's a medical smock. It's the only thing we had that would fit someone of your... stature. We had to remove your armor to place you in the healing unit. If you want, I can have it brought here." He then brought his hand to a collar he wore around his neck that lit up when he touched it. "Commander Shrike, have our guest's armor brought to my quarters." He then lowered his hand and turned his attention back to Pidge. "So would you mind if I ask my question now?"
"Go ahead." She answered still pretty upset.
"You're not Altean, and your defiantly not a Galra. So what are you?"
"How do you know I'm not Altean, our race is known for its shapeshifting properties." She bluffed. If she could keep any more aliens from finding out about earth and mankind, she would.
"Lincar records show Alteans could only change their physical appearance, not their biology. I had my medical technicians run a number tests on you once you were brought aboard. None of them matched records of Altean biology. That, and your ears are a dead giveaway."
"Crap" Pidge muttered to herself. Her ruse derailed she decided there was only one thing left to do, tell the truth. "I'm a human being, we hail from the planet Earth. It's a peaceful planet, it doesn't even know about Zarkon or the Galra empire."
"No wonder I've never seen anything like you before. Earth's way out in the middle of nowhere. I think Zarkon technically has a claim to that part of the universe, but its way out there on the fringes."
"Wait, how does everyone know about Earth?"
"Well, the Lincar learned about most of that end of the universe from the Galra and I believe they learned about it from the Alteans."
"Wait, your friends with the Galra!?"
"The Galra Empire and the Kingdom of Lincar are far from friends. I've lost count of the number of times we've gone to war. At the moment we're technically at peace, but skirmishes still happen constantly. It's one of the reasons I decided to pick you up. If Voltrons back, we might finally be able to defeat the Galra."
"Wait you're telling me you guys…"
Suddenly, Pidge was cut off as Sun's collar began to blink and beep wildly. Then it began to broadcast a women's voice, it sounded like she was panicking.
"Shipmaster Vac we have a problem! You're needed on the bridge immediately!"
"Commander Shrike, what's happening?" he asked as he made his way to the room's exit.
"We have two ships attempting intercept course. Galra Destroyers, escort class. They're gaining on us and fast. Should we try to outrun them?"
"Negative, they're too fast we'll never outrun them. Our only option is to try and fight them off. Sound the alarm, have all crew members report to battle stations immediately. Have lieutenants Zek and Tar ready all weapons."
"Aye, Shipmaster. I'll see you on the bridge, Shirke out."
"Sun, I can help, bring me to my lion."
"No. You're not ready to fly, besides, the Lions not ready to launch," Sun replied, his face and tone were far more serious than they were just a moment before. It matched the way he'd acted earlier. Back when he began to speak to Pidge. He was even giving off the same aura of danger and calm intensity. All Pidge could do was nod in agreement and watch him leave.
...
A chorus of voices and mechanical sounds echoed off the walls of the bridge as the staff went about their business preparing for the battle to come. Shipmaster Vac was standing atop his platform, Shrike positioned next to him, her white armor clashed harshly with his own. They both stood there stone-faced, eyes locked dead ahead.
"Shipmaster, Galra ships closing fast. At this rate, they'll overtake us in 300 ticks." Zek said, his eyes glued to his screen.
"Aye, Lieutenant. Helmsman Vex, increase speed by thirty marks. Head straight for that moon."
"But Shipmaster," Shrike began skeptically. "You said we couldn't out run them. We should bring the ship about and face them head on. We have the advantage in size and fire power…"
"Yes Commander," Sun interrupted, to the clear aggravation of his second. "but they're faster and more maneuverable than we are. The first rule of warfare, never underestimate the advantage agility can give you in a fight Commander. Trust me, I know." his voice was stern, almost scholarly. "Lieutenant Tar, ready four proton charges and prime the ion Canon. Helmsman, increase speed and prepare to enter the moon's orbit."
"Aye Shipmaster. But if I may sir, I thought we weren't running."
"We're not. Like I said there's no way we could outrun them."
"Then what are we doing?" Shrike asked her voice void of the respect with which Vex spoke. "We're not running, yet we continue to increase speed. We're not turning to fight yet we're charging the ion canon. And now we're priming proton charges. Will someone please tell me what we're actually doing?!"
"Commander, may I remind you that I do not have to justify myself to you or anyone else on this ship. Lieutenant Zek, how far away are those hostiles."
"They've spread out slightly. First ones about twenty standard units to stern, the seconds five units behind that."
"Shipmaster." Vex cried out. "We're about to enter the moon's gravitational pull."
"Good, Helmsman, slingshot us around the moon. Tar switch ion canon to manual firing procedure. I want you to fire on my command and not a tick sooner."
"Aye Shipmaster, but we don't have a firing solution."
"We won't need one."
What happened next could only be described as spectacular. The Corsair entered orbit around the moon, using its gravity to slingshot around the planetoid. There it came face to face with the two Galra vessels. The lead vessel was just beginning to enter the moon's orbit while the second was entirely in the open. The Corsair's bow was aimed directly at the midsection of the rear vessel.
"Fire!" Sun yelled, his voice shattering the suspenseful silence of the bridge.
A neon blue beam went shooting out of her ion cannon racing straight for the smaller vessel. As soon as the beam made contact with the enemy ship it violently burned its way through the hull. A moment later a massive fireball erupted from within the ship only to be extinguished instantly by the cold void of space. Once the beam dissipated all that was left was the ship, now mangled by the impact. The damage was so extensive that the ship itself was nearly split in two, a few strands of charred and twisted metal being the only thing keeping it together. While this was going on the second ship was making its way around the moon following in the path of the Corsair. Soon, it found itself on the opposite side of the moon as its intended target. In a desperate attempt to catch up its prey, the smaller vessel violently accelerated. Its crew was so single-minded in their pursuit that they failed to notice the cluster of metallic spheres floating just above their bow. Suddenly, the bow of the ship was engulfed in blue flame as a shockwave rippled through space. The force of the explosion was so great that huge plumes of dust were kicked up on the moon's surface. When the dust and debris cleared the horror of what happened was finally revealed. The hull itself had buckled, causing the ship to nearly bend in half. Worse still, the vessels rear section was twisted at an unnatural angle. It looked as if a giant set of hands had literally bent the ship in half before violently twisting it. It was all over, the whole engagement had only taken ten minutes. In that time, two ships had been reduced to little more than mangled husks barely recognizable as anything but hulks of twisted metal. With its work done the Corsair, broke orbit leaving the remains of its victims trapped in the moon's gravitational field. Their fallen crews condemned to forever orbit a barren moon in a forgotten system far from anything they would consider even remotely familiar. A horrid fate perfectly mirrored by the condition of their demolished vessels. Unfortunately, sympathy for their vanquished foes was all but absent from the Corsair. Instead, the crew was cheering in celebration of their victory. Nowhere was this celebration greater than on the ship's bridge. Their people cheered each one, shouting the praises of their young Shipmaster. Oddly it seemed the only person who wasn't cheering was Sun himself. He simply stood there, his only sign of joy being a small smile. Standing right next to him was his first mate Commander Shrike. A look stunned amazement plastered on her face.
"Where did you learn to do that?" She asked as she ran her fingers through her own Raven hair. A nervous habit of hers. One that always seemed to rear its ugly head every time she was at a loss for words.
"Back during the war." Sun began "A Galra Commander once used that trick to fool me and another Shipmaster. Luckily I realized what happened before it was too late. Unfortunately, Garter and his crew weren't so lucky. Apparently, the Galra don't learn from the mistakes of others. That's rather foolish of them, don't you agree, Commander?" With that, he turned on his heels and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"If you need me, Commander, I have a conversation to finish. Until then, you have the bridge."
"Aye Shipmaster."