Shiro flew Allura down to the planet's surface in the Black Lion. Rayzor had said in his last communication that the Council wished to meet her in person before witnessing the Lions form Voltron.
Just before she started down the ramp, Shiro reached out and caught hold of her hand in his.
"Allura - " he said. "- please - just - be careful, okay?"
She smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly, even as she let go of his hand. "I will."
He watched as she left and walked towards the Council, her head up high, her manner formal. He wished he could hear what they were saying, but then she had turned and raised a hand in a gesture that they had agreed upon, her palm flat and completely facing him.
It's all right. Proceed.
He breathed out a sigh of relief and lifted the ramp back up, heading back into the atmosphere where the other Lions waited.
"It's okay," he said. "She gave us the all clear."
Keith's voice came over the comms. "Good."
Shiro didn't hear any fear or nervousness in his friend's voice, but then, Keith had always been good at pushing aside feelings when necessary. And right now, they were going to show the Council that the Paladins of Voltron were a united unit.
"Okay," Shiro said. "Let's show them what we can do."
From her place beside the Council, Allura smiled up as the Lions flew in formation over the planet's surface. Her Paladins flew as they never had before.
Keith took great pleasure in seeing the Council's reactions to Voltron when the five Lions seamlessly merged into the Defender of the Universe. He half-suspected the Council had hoped his Lion would have some difficulty in making the transformation.
After they'd separated once again and landed the Lions side by side on the ground, the Paladins remained in their seats for a few moments, none of them keen to meet the people who had tried to kill them all only a week before.
"Come on," Shiro said. "Let's go out and…" he sighed slightly. "…meet the Council."
Everyone except Keith made various sounds of dislike that bordered on hostility.
"Can't I ice over just one lake before we do?" Lance asked. "There's one right over there - just close enough to make them jump." He heard Shiro sigh over the comms.
"No, Lance," he said. "Let's not get off on the wrong foot."
"They did kinda almost kill you and Keith - and then the rest of us - and then Keith again," Pidge reminded him. "Hard for first impressions to go downhill from there."
On his comms screen, Keith saw Hunk nod emphatically at Pidge's statement, and he half-smiled himself.
"Guys," he said, "Come on, let's just go already. Let's not give them any more reasons to dislike us. Or me. Whatever."
"Okay…" Hunk said. "But Keith, if they do anything suspicious, we're getting you out of here pronto."
Keith sighed. The Yellow Paladin was being super-protective lately. "Okay, sure," he said, knowing better than to try and argue.
Lance grumbled, and Pidge muttered, but Keith saw Shiro smile proudly to himself, and Keith felt glad to know Shiro was proud of him.
He was also glad his team didn't see just how nervous he really was. He still remembered the intensity of fear and hate the Council had directed at him, and how he'd nearly died from the injuries he'd sustained from his last visit to this planet.
Do not worry, my pilot, he heard Red growl. If anything like that even begins to happen, I will rip them to pieces. After I get you to safety, of course.
"Red…" he sighed, then realized none of the other Paladins would have heard Red's threat. "Uh - " he said, "-so - yeah - Red's - being Red. He agrees with Hunk, by the way."
Lance smiled, and it was a fierce expression. "Good," he said. "But Red probably also said something about destroying anything that tries to kill you, right?"
Keith nodded. "Yeah, that too."
Pidge grinned. "Awesome. Red says it like it is." Hunk nodded emphatically again.
Keith saw Shiro open his mouth, then shut it again. It was clear he agreed with the others.
"Anyway…" Keith said. He and Shiro exchanged a look over their comms screen.
You okay?
Let's just get this over with.
"Okay. Let's go," the Black Paladin said, and they all disembarked from their Lions and joined the Princess on the ground.
Allura made sure to greet them all with a nod and a smile, and Shiro took no offense at how she directed her brightest smile towards Keith. Right now, he knew that the more unity they showed as a team, the better.
"Well done, Paladins," she said, genuine pride in her voice. "Very well done."
Keith saw Rayzor standing near the Council, and he felt slightly - strangely - relieved. At least one of the Proselyt here hadn't tried to kill him the last time they'd met.
Well, sort of. If looks could kill, maybe that wasn't strictly true.
But, given how weird this all was, Keith would take any encouragement he could get.
Then a communicator on Rayzor's belt crackled, and a report came in that made the day a whole hell of a lot worse.
