Two.

Two feinted as they walked off the ship and across the tarmac to an awaiting group of natives. Shiro helped them up, which did nothing to help them stay up.

"I feel like if I sneeze, they'll flay away," Hunk hissed at GG who nodded.

"they are surprisingly sturdy. Their bodies can take an amazing amount of damage which actually makes them perfect to handle volatile substances and reactions."

"Thank you for seeing us on short notice, Hya," Lance said walking ahead of everyone else to one standing off to the left.

"Maltak and GG are always welcome," she replied, "as are the heros of the known universe."

"My friends demanded they meet you after I told them about you," Lance said gesturing to Hunk and Pidge, "They are every bit as excited to get to know you and your work."

"We are flattered," she said, trying very hard to remain calm, but the hand she was fanning herself with was starting to shake as well.

Allura leaned over to Pidge and whispered, "is it just me or is this making your skin crawl as well?"

"No, no," Pidge grimaced, "the boy is weird. Crawling skin is ok."

It wasn't just because the helmet made his voice unrecognizable, but his speech pattern wasn't normal either. They had assumed they'd seen all of Lance's many new faces. Out of all of them, they liked this one the least.

It was just…unnatural…

"Please," Hyas voice shook slightly as she addressed everyone else, "our lab is this way."

She led them into a nearby building and down three flights of stairs. For an advanced civilization, they had expected elevators of some kind.

"Here is where we do most of our research," Hya explained opening a door into a wide area lined with screens and tables, "we do ground theory here before it is sent to the practical uses in the next building over. The actual experiments are conducted above ground in various places around the compound."

"We landed in the middle of your compound?" Shiro asked, thinking that the Garrison would never allow a breach like that to take place no matter how important with people inside the vehicle were.

"Landing sights 5-7 are within our compound. Normally for anyone else we would have had you land at 4, but Maltak said you would explode if you did not speak to us."

"Why the-"

"thank you for your quick action," Lance cut in, feeling the heated eyes stabbing him in the back.

"He also said you wished to ask questions and work with us here," she said, "I and Gerein are the lead researchers of the quintessence that GG and Maltak have brought us. We will answer what ever questions you have and would be honored to have your insights as well."

"Our turn," Pidge pushed passed everyone, giving Lance a harder shove, and dumped her stuff on the nearest table, Hunk did likewise.

"If its alright with you," Shiro said, "do you think we could look around?"

"Ummm," Gerein hesitated, "W-we would feel better if you didn't go anywhere…well, a lot of our experiments are…explosive. We just finished cleaning up a large mess before you got here. We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if you were damaged because of a failed reaction."

"Oh," Shiro sighed. He may have been an honor student, but he truly was more of a man of action than one of study.

"What if Pep'ya showed us around?" Lance asked, "we'll stay clear of the more dangerous one's. I also would like to have another look if you don't mind. We'll stay mostly out doors, promise."

Any excuse to get out and walk around! They couldn't tell him to stay in the castle because they needed him and GG to brake the ice, but that didn't mean Lance wasn't going to exploit it for all it was worth.

"Well…if Maltak insists…"

"He insists," came the chorus of voices. They weren't blind to his ulterior motives.

"Then, Pep'ya, you and Gha take who ever wishes to go on…the safest tour you can. Do make sure you avoid Xan's building…he's been in a mood lately, oh, and avoid the eighth and ninth forums, they're adding the catalysts today. I think that's the more dangerous ones…"

"The second bridge is also switching," Gha supplied, "we will tour the out door experiments and the planning facilities."

"An excellent itinerary," Hya sighed, "more places for an explosion to go when outside. Less chance of major damage."

"Preferable," Gerein agreed.

Farrah stopped Lance before he left to go on the tour.

"GG and I are staying here. I don't need to remind you of the rules?"

"Sight and sound," Lance repeated. The rule for him leaving the castle was that he was to remain within sight and sound of one or more of them. Solitude was strictly not allowed.

()

Their group consisted of Shiro, Lance, and Keith.

"So, what are these guys called?" Keith asked nodding at their two guides. Lance shrugged.

"Don' know."

"You've been supplying them with quintessence and have visited this planet on multiple occasions and you don't know?!"

"Don't know what?" Pap'ya asked, "we will answer any questions to the best of our knowledge."

"Ah, um," Keith flustered, unsure of how to ask.

"Keith was reminding me of my lack in manners," Lance replied, playing to his character, "I have neglected to ask what it is that you call yourselves. I have even neglected to ask the name of your planet."

"We are the Yems," Gha said, "our planet is named Yemmik."

As they continued walking Lance couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Hey Keith."

"What."

"They're called Yems."

Shiro slipped in between them so Keith wouldn't start throwing punches. To his surprise Keith didn't even try. He just glared at Lance with seething hatred. And although his face was covered, you could sense that he was ginning.

()

"this doesn't make any sense," Pidge said after they had compiled all their data. She and Hunk and brought op multiple screens and were flicking information from one to the other.

"Pure does not necessarily mean 'raw'," Hya explained, also reviewing the data, "You are confusing the two. When quintessence is raw it can take on any color or consistency normally based on the life it was extracted from. The closer the quintessence gets to being colorless, the purer it is. To use any quintessence it must first go through a refining process so that it can easily be adjusted to its new environment."

"But you're able to separate the two different purities of quintessence after they had already been refined and are fused and blended together," Allura added, "That should be impossible."

"We only separated them after we partialized it and were able to slowly separate one particle from another. Even then, I'm afraid the container we were using exploded and we were unable to finish that theory in its entirety. We are forming the experiment again, using stronger material, in hopes that we will be able to conclude our hypothesis."

"Can we see it?" Hunk asked.

"What?"

"I want to look at the machanics if I can," Hunk said, "I may be able to help make it better. I've been doing a lot of research myself on matirals that may or may not work and I'm curious to know what it looks like."

"Oh well," Gerein pulled up another screen, "we have the schematics and-"

"I would like to see it in person," Hunk said apologetically, "I'm a hands on kinda guy."

"If he gets to see it I want to as well!" Pidge snapped jumping up.

"Oh dear…" Hya sighed.