Chapter 2: The Party
"Might both cape and skirt be lined in pink?"
Allura stared at her reflection and tracked the fine lines of gold stitched into flowing folds of sparkling white and rich iris.
"Lovely choice, highness," the seamstress smiled gently.
"For…those we have lost," Allura felt compelled to add, gaze falling to her dark, slender hands peeking from light blue cuffs. "I think I will always wear pink, Felorose, for…" she swallowed, flexing her fingers.
"I understand, highness," Felorose brushed the shoulder, frowning as she noted something down on her tablet. "For our lost Altea. It's a grand gesture, and I have just the pink. It will compliment your markings beautifully."
Allura smiled her gratitude, but her heart twisted with shame. Felorose didn't, couldn't understand, and Allura felt a fraud to the people she was supposed to represent. What would they say if they knew in the depths of her heart she wore pink for a human man? She wanted to wear it for them, for the planet they'd lost, but with her past forgotten the most she could grieve in that regard was the loss of her own knowledge. It wasn't enough.
"Anything else you need, highness?"
Him, I need him.
"No, thank you," she murmured, lifting her arms. Felorose unpinned hurriedly; she had two vargas to finish it if Allura was to wear it to the farewell ball.
Almost three phoebs had passed since she'd accepted Prince Lotor's proposal. After presenting her to the enraptured crowds with the announcement broadcast to every civilised system, her duties shifted. She was still occasionally asked to move quintessence to this sector or that cynosith, but now spent most of her time holding Lotor's arm looking beautiful, a trophy and testament to his devotion to the Altean people; he could have chosen anyone and he chose one of them to be his life partner.
In public she was appreciative and humble, drawing on a pool of inner quiet instructing her to be professional and supportive of Prince Lotor's opinions. In truth, she found many of his decisions curiously in want of foresight, and often had trouble stomaching his presence. She watched, restraining herself from intervening as he discussed matters large and small with ally and foe. He always wore that secret smile, always spoke on the steady edge of mocking but was somehow never quite offensive enough for anyone to question him. The other diplomats ate out of his hands, and she assumed if they felt any animosity, they allowed him his nuances simply because he was royal; a certain amount of pomp was expected.
In private - as private as two could be when surrounded by servants and sentries - he showered her with praise in a smug, self-congratulatory manner. She had stepped into the role of Princess with such grace that Lotor was convinced she was finally where the universe meant for her to be, but in the depths of her heart, she felt neither relief nor love.
When Felorose departed her rooms, gown across her arms, Allura sagged onto her bed in her long, pale pink shift and stared at the ceiling. Soon the handmaidens would arrive to prepare her hair for the ball.
But for a dobosh, she was alone. Leant sideways against her pillows, she pressed her palm to the smooth wall panel and closed her eyes.
The thrum of awareness was there at once, as though they had been waiting for her to make contact. A bubble of emotion pounced on her mind, the most honest freedom she'd experienced since her life on the farms all those deca-phoebs ago. She laughed, just a huff of delight as the second thread joined the first, warm but more sober than its sister.
Focussing her quintessence, Allura sent a wordless question and the third emerged; stoic and vast, dark and light; protection so fundamentally comforting she wanted to fall into her essence and become one with it.
It had evolved from a stream of tangled feelings to gradual understanding, and then language. As she got better at communicating through quintessence, she learnt they were not the voice of the Castle ship as she had first assumed, but three separate beings belonging to the Castle, somehow constrained to their own home. She had asked how to find them and they had shown her only light and shadow moving impossibly fast, but nothing she could interpret as a map or directions, and she was never at liberty to explore for long anyway. When she had asked what to call them, they had returned more flashes of light that led her to identify them as colours: Azure, Ruby and Raven.
Tonight, Azure flickered?
The Princess affirmed, unable to help but feel sad. Yes. Tonight we fly.
They were leaving Quabyss after the ball, leaving the only world she had ever known. The Castle ship was ready and Lotor was impatient to show both his ship and his Princess off to the Empire. Their engagement tour would deliver them to the Galactic hub where she would be presented to Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva before the ceremony of union took place.
Raven wordlessly encircled her sadness with sympathy, sending a tentative impression; the potential of escape.
Allura shook her head firmly. She was not a prisoner, for she had agreed to marry the Prince. There was nothing to run from - or run to.
Ruby expressed herself suddenly, the rumble of quintessence snarling and fierce like a lick of flame.
Find me, she roared. We will fly to the stars now, sister.
Azure was quick to protest that Allura find her, and Raven sent a rolling thrum of amusement.
Wait. We fly when the time is right, Raven purred.
But I will not flee my duty, Allura assured.
This is not your duty, Ruby growled.
The knock to her door came and Allura let her hand fall, sluggish as she blinked herself back into a reality that felt cold.
The handmaidens were quiet as they approached, and Allura remembered she had to welcome them before they would address her. Glancing up, she forced a smile onto her face.
And she stilled, staring at three Alteans who definitely weren't handmaidens. One tall, one large, one tiny; two tawny, one pale, all three with dark hair in various states of disarray and with matching orange cheek markings, wearing the most peculiar, loose-fitting clothing. Allura squinted; something about their ears was…wrong? They were pointed, but the tall one's were somehow…lopsided, and the large one's were tucked into an orange headband, which would have itched monstrously.
Allura stood and mustered her diplomacy with a clearing of her throat. "Can I help you?" she asked. "Are you lost?"
The little one scowled at a tablet in her grasp, chocolate eyes pinned to it. "Maybe?" she hazarded with a swift tap-tap to the device.
"We're not lost, see?" the headbanded one chimed, peeking over the little one's shoulder. "Oh. Where'd she go? The sine was so steady a second ago-"
"And now it's gone," the small one drawled, eyes flickering to Allura uncertainly. "Think it's her?"
"Think I'm who?" Allura quirked an eyebrow.
"Dunno, hey. It looks like her."
"Doesn't matter," the tall, lanky one spoke and strode toward her. "She's here - we're here - let's get this show on the road."
"What show on which road?" Allura tried, tilting her head in confusion.
"Except it really does matter," the small one insisted. "The Alteans are a chameleon race, this could be a decoy."
"Stop being paranoid, we made it this far already," the tall one waved a hand. "Look at her, not the tech."
Allura took a step back; inspected the tall one, because he was closest to her. "I do not appreciate being talked at," she whispered, lifting her chin as a spark of indignation kindled. "Why are you here?"
He was steps from her, steeped in confidence. "For the goodbye party. Isn't everybody?" he shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Allura blinked. It had been deca-phoebs since anyone had spoken to her so informally. She closed her burgundy robe around her waist, a little self-conscious all of a sudden. "Yes, of course," she replied quietly, glancing to the pair between her and the door.
"Let me see the thingy," the large one was murmuring to the small.
She leaned over her tablet, mouth twisted and eyebrow arched as she showed him some readings. "It's not supposed to fluctuate so wildly."
"Yeah. Think they're onto us?"
"Nah."
"Are you…guests?" Allura asked with a frown. Were they here to hurt her, they surely would not be so…disorganised. "If you are in need of directions - the ballroom is on the other side of the castle. These are the private quarters."
"So, what you're saying is," the tall one rocked on his heels, "this section of the ship's pretty quiet? Not a lot of guards about?" he wagged his eyebrows, and she supposed he was trying to be charming?
"There are sentries all over the Castle," Allura corrected hollowly, distracted by the rubbery, pointed prosthetic stuck to the curve of a small, stunted ear - she could see it clearly now. Realisation dawned. "You're human, aren't you?" she whispered, met his eye, inspected his markings. Yes, they were painted on. "Why are you pretending to be Altean?"
His grin widened. "Smart, beautiful, elegant - throw that junk away, Pidge - this is our Princess."
"Seriously?" the short one glanced to the ceiling. "Why don't you just shout our names down the hall, Lance? Get it out of your system?"
"Supposed to be incognito, buddy."
"Yeah yeah," the tall one, this 'Lance', held his hand out to Allura. "It's all right," he winked. "No one's around, right?"
"Sentries," the small one, Pidge, reminded in a dry, pointed drone.
Allura faltered, staring at his hand with a confused blink. "I'm sorry, what is it that you want, exactly?"
"To rescue you," he said quietly with an oddly-bashful shrug. "Lance McClain's the name. You can thank me later."
Allura blanked. "Rescue me?"
"Technically it's more a kidnapping at the moment," the large one held up a finger. "It'll make more sense once we've got you and the lions and regrouped with Coran. Trust us."
He spoke very quickly, and Allura only understood about half his sentence. "I'm supposed to trust three children disguised as Alteans who are technically here to kidnap me?" she baulked. How had they made it this far into the Castle without being caught?
"Technically," Pidge tucked the tablet into her pocket with a sigh, "we're not children. And we weren't supposed to tell you any of that yet. Can we explain on the way?"
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Allura returned, steady and watchful.
"Huh?" Lance lowered his hand, eyebrow raised. "You mean…you actually love that creep?"
"That is none of your business."
"You seriously gotta shut that mouth, Lance - look Princess, we don't want to just bag you and run-"
"Bag me?" Allura was unfamiliar with the term.
"Ohh, no no no, we are not gonna bag her, she'll kick our butts."
"So how do we rescue her when she doesn't want to be rescued?" Lance shrugged to the others.
"Maybe you should reconsider," the large one winced. "Coz we sorta can't get out of here without you, so…"
"What Hunk is trying to say," Pidge stepped forward hastily, "is that we could really use your help, Princess."
Allura glanced between all three for a tick. "My kidnappers want my assistance…to kidnap me?"
"We're really not selling the rescue part, are we?" Lance scratched an ear and dislodged the fake one a smidge.
"So that's a firm no?" Hunk shrunk back a little, glanced to Pidge. "He was right. She doesn't remember a thing."
"Okay," Pidge closed her eyes, took a focussing breath. "I'm sorry it has to come to this, Princess," she held her hand by her side and flexed her fingers. A small, green and white katar materialised in her grasp. "Really sorry," she repeated quietly with a wince as she lifted it, and aimed.
"Pidge," Hunk warned hastily. "I don't think this is a good idea."
Allura stared at the tiny glowing blade, eyes wide. "How did you do that?"
"Are you nuts?!" Lance screeched. "You can't shoot the Princess!"
Allura's attention snapped up in alarm. "Shoot me?! I thought you were here to rescue me!"
"Oh, so now it's a rescue?" Lance threw his arms up in defeat.
"Will everybody stop shouting?" Pidge grit out and clicked the weapon. With a flash, a bright green rope encircled Allura's waist, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Wha-!?" she uttered, falling from the momentum - only to be clumsily caught by Lance. "Unhand me!"
"If I let go, you'll fall!"
Flushing red, Pidge shook her hand and the weapon was dismissed. She raced to the door; it opened with a smooth whoosh, and she glanced down the hallway.
"Okay," Hunk hurriedly approached, hands out. "I know this looks bad," he placated, winding the cable to shorten it, "but I promise, it's for your own good."
Allura shot him an exasperated look. "The Prince will never let you leave with me."
Hunk grimaced. "Yeah we know. We haven't got a hope of getting you out of here alone," he gingerly took hold of the cable around her waist, the extra coiled in his other hand. "Our whole escape plan kinda hinges on you. Really hoping you'll change your mind about helping us."
"While bound?"
"Coast's clear."
"Where to next?" Lance slipped his hand around Allura's elbow, guiding her toward the door.
They stepped into the corridor, and Allura sucked in deep breath through her nose.
"Princess?" Pidge asked in a hush, retrieving the tablet and thumbing it awake. "Can you call to the lions? I've lost contact-"
Allura opened her mouth, eyes flickering from Pidge, to the empty hall. "Help-!" she screamed.
"Crap!" Lance startled, letting go of her.
Before she could run or scream some more, a hand covered her mouth - Hunk's large fingers muffled her cry and his other arm closed around her centre. Allura tossed to try break free of his hold, but he held her fast.
The sound echoed down the hallway and the three humans looked at each other in silent horror.
As Allura's cry faded, the distant, tinny voice of a Galra sentry replied.
"Acknowledged. Commencing transit."
"Yeah, time to go," Pidge murmured.
"What if we have the wrong princess?" Hunk whispered urgently as he picked Allura up, hand still clasped over her mouth; his pace steadily increased. "I mean, if she were super-strong, she'd have whipped us by now, right?"
Pidge ducked into a slimmer walkway. "Well maybe whatever that creep did to her sapped her strength, too?" she murmured, clearly annoyed.
Allura glowered; they were mad, the lot of them.
"Oh, right. Ow!"
"Shut up, Hunk, this is hard enough as it is!" Pidge stopped by a utility doorway and worked frantically at an access panel.
"She bit me!"
"Bite her back!"
"You will not bite me back," Allura hissed. "If you don't return me to my people at once, I will scream again-"
And her threats were cut off, muffled suddenly as a cloth pressed against her lips. Behind her, Lance tied a piece of material around her head. "We are your people," he insisted. "You're just not great at listening."
"Hey!" Hunk protested. "Now we're gagging the Princess?!"
Allura tried to spit the material out - caught sight of Hunk's hair falling around his false ears - but Lance only tightened the headband, pinning her ears and oh yes, it itched. Allura glared at Lance as he stepped back and lifted his hand to his chin, considering.
"This really is starting to look like a kidnapping," Lance commented quietly.
"Got it," Pidge muttered. The door she was working on slid open, and she motioned for them to follow.
The four squeezed into the closet, and Pidge closed them in.
They were plunged into darkness, only a thin, bright line under the doorway casting a sliver of the hallway's light on their boots. Outside, the metal clang of footsteps approached, and the three held their breaths as one. Hunk put his hand over the Princess's gagged mouth, for good measure.
She didn't care about getting the attention of the sentries now; being in closer quarters, Allura was able to press her fingertips to the wall, and she closed her eyes, pooled her quintessence and reached out.
Help me, she called. They are taking me.
She could feel both Ruby and Raven's interest, but it was Azure who replied with urgency.
Find me, she sent, bubbling with anticipation.
The metallic footsteps passed, and receded.
Find you, Allura repeated in desperation? I am being taken from the Castle!
You are free. Find me.
Hunk shuffled the Princess forward, inadvertently breaking contact, and Allura's eyes flew open, mind jarring at the switch.
Pidge's face was lit up by a teal-blue glow; she had activated the tablet again, but her eyes were glued to Allura. "Okay," she stammered in a whisper. "I think we have the right Princess."
Allura made eye contact with the girl and did not react.
"Yeah," Hunk eased his hold to glance at the screen. "You were talking to them, huh?" he asked in such a disarming manner that had she not been bound and gagged, she might have offered the truth.
Allura couldn't move much - but she managed to angle her wrist so her finger pointed up toward the gag - and she raised her eyebrows as though it explained everything.
"That's exactly what she was doing," Pidge glanced down, eyes tracking symbols as they scrolled and lines zig-zagged across the centre. She frowned, shaking her head. "Why am I only catching one signal? Intel said there were three."
"Maybe she disabled the other two?" Lance whispered.
Pidge shook her head, tilting it. "I don't think they can be disabled."
"Maybe they don't want to be rescued either?" Hunk proposed. "They won't let just anyone fly them."
"Yeah, but she's not just anyone."
"Told you we should've brought Green," Lance sniffed. "The lion's would've listened to her."
Green, Allura thought vaguely, eyes on the back of the translucent tablet. A steady wavelength curved in the middle, the peaks and troughs strong and constant.
"Yeah, but if Lotor got his hands on Green, he'd have four lions, and the Princess," Hunk pointed out.
"And we'd be dead," Pidge stared at Lance for a tick, utterly unimpressed.
"How do we get to the one broadcasting, then?" Lance shrugged. "We only need one to get out."
She glanced back to her readings. "I guess," Pidge sighed. "Not ideal but…"
"Better than being dead."
"Right. Yeah, you're right. Okay, let's go get her."
Her?
Did they mean Azure?
Were they taking her to Azure?
Allura stopped fighting then, though no amount of eye widening or muffled noises or eyebrow lifting or strained pointing encouraged them to loosen the gag.
"I know this is really confusing for you," Hunk shook his head regretfully. "But we can't have you yelling out again. We're not gonna hurt you, okay? We'll explain as soon as we can."
Somehow the stumbling humans moved through the castle without alerting any of the sentries. As time ticked by, Allura wondered why nobody had raised the alarm; surely by now her real handmaidens had arrived to find her rooms empty.
Soon, they were traipsing through a section of the Castle Allura had never seen made of sleek, darker panelling, no less elegant than the white sectors they had come from, and linked by those comforting, familiar blue lines of purest light.
Hunk let her walk again, though kept a firm hold of the green cable, winding it around both his hands to tether them together.
Studying the tablet all the while, Pidge led them to a vent, along a duct, and unclicked the screen at the end carefully, poking her head out of the opening.
She was back inside in a flash, eyes glowing with triumph. "Found her!"
"Ah, which one!" Lance shot forward, peering out the gap. "Hah!" he cackled. "Good work, Pidgeon!" he ruffled her mop.
Pidge swore as she swatted him off, but grinned. "Let's go meet her."
"Hard part over," Hunk let out a puff of air as he smiled with relief. "Really hope she lets us in."
"She will!" Lance crowed, slinging his gangly legs out and dropping out of sight. "Okay, send the Princess down!"
Allura's skin tingled - suddenly she was desperate to throw herself into the chamber beyond. It was brimming with Azure's quintessence.
Hunk lowered her down by the cable, and Lance caught Allura at the bottom. He hugged her close as Hunk dropped the end after her, and Allura saw her chance - pushed herself off Lance's chest, and broke free.
All three humans called for her to stop, but she ignored them and turned, darting toward the energy that would protect her from-
She looked up and her mouth fell open; her heart stuttered to a stop.
Enormous blue robotic lion encased in a force field.
Allura dropped to her knees by the geodesic shield as Lance caught up to her. The boy skid to a stop, grabbed the end of the cable and hurriedly tied it to his belt.
He said something about trying that stunt again, but Allura didn't really hear him.
Azure, she thought? The reply was soft - though affirmative, weakened through lack of contact. She tried to touch the shield, forgetting her hands were locked to her sides. Indignation filled her, and she whipped her head to Lance, eyes flashing with anger. Remove the gag.
Lance stood and took her arm, helping her to her feet.
"That was too close," Pidge murmured, stepping into view. The shield reflected in her glasses, and with a rather proud smirk, she placed her hands on her hips. "Okay. So we got the Blue lion and the Princess. Not a bad rescue."
"Yeah, I'm really surprised nobody's caught us yet," Hunk commented, shoulders hunching as he glanced around uncertainly. "Surely they have sensors all over this room. Lance, you wanna do your thing already, or…?"
"Oh - right," Lance stepped closer, his nose a hairsbreadth from the shield. Lifting the hand not clinging to Allura, he rapped his knuckles against one of the glowing blue hexagons.
The shield dissolved with a whisper of power and a flash of blue. Azure lowered her head and opened her mouth; a ramp descended.
"So, that worked," Pidge drawled.
"Told ya," Lance grinned.
He stepped forward - touch light on Allura's arm as he guided her up the ramp.
"Isn't she great?" Lance asked in a whisper. "I've been dreaming about this day for months."
Allura couldn't stop staring as Lance led her onboard. With the barricade gone, the trickle of emotion became a flood of expectant hope. Azure might have been a colossal robot lion on the outside, but inside, she was jittering with excitement and so ready to fly through the stars again that Allura could almost taste her want.
And, Allura noted with a hint of resignation, after welcoming her and confirming she was uninjured, Azure's attentions focussed entirely on reaching the boy guiding her.
"I think she's a bit bigger than Green," Hunk commented, his hand drifting along one of the lines of blue light leading them within.
"I should hope so," Pidge quipped. "She is a leg."
The mouth closed behind them and Lance paused to untie the Princess's gag. "Here," he tossed it at Hunk; the man fumbled to catch it. "Should be safe enough to-"
"Who are you?!" Allura spat, jaw aching as she threw her shoulder into him, rough with frustration. "How did you know about these beings?"
Lance cringed and held his hands up, catching her. "Cool your jets, we said we'd explain!"
"Sorry about shooting you, Princess," Pidge untied the knot securing her to Lance, and unwound the section pinning her arms to her waist. "Lance, can you get us out of here?"
"Dunno. I think so. Let's find out!" he bolted for a staircase with a whoop of joy, a mirror to Azure's response.
"He's gonna crash her," Hunk sighed, resigned. "We're dead."
"Do it quietly!" Pidge called urgently, hastily palming the mess of loosened cable at Allura. "We don't want the entire Galra armada following us!" she raced after him.
Allura watched Pidge disappear up the staircase and slow-blinked at Hunk. She turned the end of the cable in her hand; it was smooth and slightly warm. "This lion is a vehicle?"
"Yeah," Hunk grinned, motioning for her to follow the others up with a nod as he re-tied his headband. "Your people built them."
"My people?"
"The Alteans. On Altea. When there was an Altea," he mumbled.
"You know of Altea?"
"You can let go of that now, we're not going to tie you up again," he waved at the cable, his voice meek.
"Oh," she let it go; watched it coil, a green slash against the steel-grey metal flooring.
"And yeah, we know about Altea," Hunk nodded, guiding her up the stairs. "I mean - a little bit, just the parts Coran told us."
"Who's Coran?"
"Man, that creep really did a number on you, didn't he?"
The ship - lion - Azure - shuddered and the ground rolled under their feet; jolting, Allura and Hunk grabbed for the hand rail.
The juddering persisted, but she couldn't let go of what he'd said. "That's not the first time you've said that," she hauled herself upright as the shaking reduced to a dull grumble. An impression feathered her mind; Lance and Azure were communicating, though crudely, as she taught him how to fly her. Allura turned her attention to Hunk; the conversation between lion and boy felt as though it should be more private than it currently was.
Hunk frowned, his eyes on the path above them. "Let me guess, he told you your amnesia is a result of your time in stasis?"
Allura watched her footing as she ascended, gathering the skirt of her robe so she wouldn't trip on the hem. "Isn't it?" she whispered.
"Sorry, it's not. Altean cryopods are actually really good at healing the body and mind, not taking from it."
She reached the top of the stairs and found herself in a close auxiliary hallway. There was a distant boom, and the floor lurched under them again.
"Sorry!" Lance hollered.
"Activate inertial dampeners!" Hunk bellowed back.
No reply came, but the shuddering stopped.
Allura righted herself and a comforting hand steadied her back.
"You okay?" Hunk asked quietly.
Allura just stared at him as discomfort pooled within her, thick and acidic. "So…tell me why it is I don't remember anything before Quabyss?"
Hunk frowned, his eyes heavy with sympathy. "He didn't want you to remember," he muttered. "We're guessing Lotor dosed you with a really specific neurotoxin."
"He…wanted me to forget?" she confirmed with a dry swallow. "But why?" she uttered, mind reeling to the treatments she'd endured for those two deca-phoebs after she'd woken; how dull and disconnected it had made her feel. Yet she hadn't even questioned what they'd been putting into her veins.
"He probably knew you'd never help him if you remembered who you were," Hunk shrugged bashfully.
"And who am I?"
"Princess of Altea."
"Altea is gone, I know that much."
"Yeah. Yeah, that's true, but - its legacy lives on, in you and all those people in the colonies," Hunk offered her a sad smile. "And you, you can operate the wormholer, navigate through space, communicate with the Castle and the lions, as easy as others can breathe."
"He showed me how to do that," Allura spluttered.
"Oh, so he made you think he-" Hunk faltered, glancing to the ceiling. "Okay, I can see how it'd seem that way. It's probably better if Coran explains - he knows you and the Castle better than anyone."
"How?"
"Well, his grandfather helped build-"
"Breaking atmo!" Pidge called out. "Hunk where are you?!"
"Ohhh man, I really wish we hadn't started this conversation yet," he glanced to the doorway leading up.
"I understand," Allura conceded, deflating. "Go. Your friends need you," she drifted toward the connecting chamber so he would follow.
"You sure?"
She nodded, and resolve swelled within her. "I have waited for over five deca-phoebs for the universe to return my past," she whispered. "I can wait a dobosh more."
"Five? Five years? That's - that's horrible," Hunk faltered. "I'm sorry it took us so long to come get you. We didn't know where you were, until the announcement-"
An explosion rocked the walls. With her fingertips pressed to the smooth, cool side panel for balance, Azure brushed her mind fleetingly.
You found me, the lion sent with a pulse of warmth. You found my Paladin.
Allura shook her head. They found me. Us.
Hunk and Allura entered the cockpit. Pidge stood, gripping a guiderail, eyes on a screen displaying a series of tiny, purple pulses.
"They're in pursuit," she flicked an angry glance their way, returning immediately to the screen. Her free hand typed frantically at a touchpad. "Trying to install the chameleon code, but she doesn't want to listen to me."
"Coz she ain't yours," Lance sat in a large, wide chair in the middle of the chamber with an array of heads-up displays flickering over the large windows before him.
"Helpful!" Pidge quipped sarcastically. "Guess you're getting us out of here on skill alone."
Allura's breath caught, eyes fixed on the endless black beyond the screens.
"We're in space?" she confirmed.
Hunk sidestepped, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Beautiful isn't it?"
"Yes."
Allura lowered herself to a bench and glanced between her three kidnappers. Rescuers.
Hunk joined Pidge by the input, grabbing hold of the same rail. "Does the basecode for the default shield match Green's? I thought your mod fit right over it."
Pidge nodded. "It's the same, she just doesn't want to compile."
"Doesn't want to?"
"Well, she is kinda busy teaching Lance how to pilot without crashing or burning out."
"That doesn't make sense, the chameleon code would make her job easier."
"Then maybe she doesn't want to hide?" Pidge exclaimed. "You try reasoning with her!"
A flash exploded, filling the left view screen with bright white; Hunk startled back, Pidge swore and Lance grit his teeth.
"C'mon baby, give me some more speed," he muttered.
Allura just gripped the rail behind her and stared, feeling disconnected from - everything. The steady thrum around them grew louder and the tiny, pin-prick stars turned to tiny, glowing trails.
"That's more like it!" Lance cheered, patting his dashboard fondly.
Allura huffed in bafflement - in sudden, inexplicable relief - and sagged against the wall.
Contact restored, Azure hummed with contentment, and Allura found her mind wrapped in the lion's affection.
What of Ruby and Raven, Allura asked with a pang of regret?
Their Paladins will come, Azure purred.
—
The vast stillness of the Castle's command deck was heightened by the glow of the screens before the only two occupied stations.
Lotor watched as the Blue lion shot into the sky and disappeared from his screen. He dismissed the now-empty panel and glanced up wearing a thoughtful smirk, eyes on the constellations glittering above.
"They're away," General Acxa murmured, leaning back in the wide, elegant seat to observe him. "Your father will be furious."
"Let him rage," Lotor stood, the tail of his dress cloak swishing behind him as he turned to leave. "Soon we will have all five lions in our possession."
"And the Princess?" Acxa queried quietly. "She will remember everything."
"She might," Lotor stopped by Acxa, laid a hand on her arm. "But to what end? She will die soon at the hand of Marmora, and we will have Voltron to avenge her and wipe their scourge from the universe," he strode toward the door and swiped it open, raising his voice in alarm. "Cancel the party and summon my council, Zethrid. The Princess has been kidnapped."
"Understood."
"Uh - sire?" a hint of surprise entered Acxa's tone.
"What is it?"
She pointed to her screen as it flickered, briefly tracking a streak of purple-white.
"Somebody just stole the Black lion from its hangar."
A/n: So, I'm kinda very determined to make this AU work to the end of TPB, now I look ahead and see the challenges in making these two universes work together. It's really fun to write - hope you're enjoying it too. Thanks for the comments/messages on the first chapter!