Replying to Guest: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

Episode Eleven: Green Light

"Lotor gave us the frequency for a special energy signature put out only by Honerva's main base," explained Pidge. She was typing frantically on an orange screen in the Bridge of the IGF Atlas while the others looked on. "It's a lot like the Castle of Lions, actually—a spaceship that disguised itself as a castle. This," she added, as a visual popped up on the screen. "The Pyramid of Oriande."

Allura drew in a quiet breath, but before she could speak, Pidge just plowed on.

"This signal is ten thousand times more accurate than our wormhole signatures, and if we can locate it, it'll give us pin-point accuracy of where Honerva is to a fraction of a coordinate."

"If you can locate it?" asked Shiro.

"Well...yeah." Pidge spun in her chair to face the group. "That's the only problem. This signature is so faint, and our range of search so large, that we're gonna need a receptor way more powerful than the one we already have on the Atlas."

Hunk was scratching his chin in thought. "Yeah, either that or a range amplifier on the sub-scanner. But that would take some drastic re-engineering."

"And a quintillion watts of extra power," Pidge replied.

"Power won't be a problem," remarked Sam Holt. He was leaning over Pidge's shoulder and stood up to address the group. "With the extra quintessence that Allura put into the Atlas' crystal, we should have more than enough for another external system. It's only a matter of designing and building an antenna that powerful."

Slav popped his head in, holding up one of his many hands. "And we also have to cross our fingers and count to three for it to work!"

Sam raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

That's when a small electronic chime went off in the Bridge. "Captain, we're being hailed by a fleet of small ships," a blonde lackey called out to Shiro.

"Galra?" asked Shrio.

"No, sir."

Shiro stepped up to his platform and hit a button on the console. "Patch them through."

In the corner of the big screen where the stars were visible, an image of a few circular green ships appeared. But larger than that, and overtaking half the screen—

"This is the Olkari refugees, hailing Voltron," said a familiar face. "Do you copy?"

"Ryner!" cried Pidge, leaping to her feet and rushing to the platform. "You're alive!" She leaned over the console, tears of joy in her eyes.

Ryner chuckled warmly. "Hello, Pidge. We've been through an ordeal, but yes. We made it. I see you have a new ship!"

"Good to see you again, Ryner," said Shiro with a smile. "What can we do for you?"

"Permission to board, please," she answered. "We're on our way to a neighboring star system, but my people could use a rest."

"Of course! Welcome, and gladly."

"Thank you kindly," Ryner smiled.

When the transmission ended, Shiro turned to the lackeys. "Open up the landing bay. Send word to the crew to make room for the Olkari."

"Yes, sir!"

Shiro grinned at Sam. "Guess you're getting your amplifier after all."

Sam, Pidge, and Hunk threw fists in the air and hollered in celebration.

When Pidge and Sam Holt got to the landing bay, the Olkari were already streaming off of their ships. Some stayed behind on the ramps, with a few of the Atlas' crew members, to help the old, the very young, and the injured out of the pods.

"Ryner!" Pidge charged right at the Olkari leader at the front of the group and gave her a flying hug.

Ryner hooted in surprise, laughed, and gladly returned the embrace. "It's good to see you again, Pidge."

"I'm so glad you're okay." Pidge's fists were balled up in Ryner's robe, and she had to tell herself firmly not to cry. "I saw what happened to your planet, and...I was so worried about you."

"You never have to worry about us," Ryner replied warmly. She stepped back and took Pidge's chin in one hand. "Olkari always adapt. It's one of our greatest strengths." A smile twitched on her lips. "But I'm touched that you were concerned. It's good to have friends in times like these."

A little Olkari girl toddled up and gripped Ryner's robe in her fist, staring up at Pidge through wide eyes.

"Oh! Hi!" Pidge knelt down to talk to her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks," she answered shyly. "Do...do I know you?"

"No." Pidge thought for a moment. "But I know you. Well, kinda. Your planet showed you to me." She quirked an eyebrow, unsure. "Is that weird?"

"Not weird, but very unusual," answered Ryner. She sounded impressed. As Pidge stood up, Ryner continued, "Only the best Olkari scientists, most connected with the land, have ever been able to access the planet's memory banks. Though I guess I shouldn't expect any less from the Green Paladin," she added with a smile.

Pidge beamed so wide she thought her face would break.

Sam Holt stepped forward and extended his hand. "Welcome to the Atlas, Ryner."

"Sam." She shook his hand warmly. "Good to see you. You're looking much better since I last saw you on my planet."

"Couldn't be better." Sam's eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. "I've had a lot of time to rest and recover, and your people helped immensely with that." Then he put a game face on. "Sorry to put you to work so soon, but you came just in time. There's a sub-sensitive energy scanner that needs building if we're going to track down Honerva."

"We'd be happy to help," said Ryner with a gleam in her eye.

"Everyone seems pretty excited about this amplifier thing!" said Lance. He walked at Allura's side down an almost empty hall in the Atlas, his hands in the pockets of his uniform trousers. "I hope it works."

"Knowing the Olkari, it definitely will," Allura said with a chuckle. She couldn't help but find his enthusiasm adorable.

"Yeah, that's..." Lance frowned and stopped in his tracks. "That's not what I'm worried about."

Allura frowned. She stepped to his side, concerned, and asked, "Then what is it?"

"Well, it's—it's Lotor's signal." Lance shrugged. "He said it'll help us track down Honerva, but he's lied before. I just don't if we can trust him."

Internally, Allura winced. "Actually," she said softly and stared at the floor, "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

Lance blinked and faced her. "What is it?"

Allura took a deep breath. This would be a difficult story to tell. "When we still had the Castle of Lions," she began, "—actually, right before you discovered Lotor's treachery—he and I were working on the sincline ships in the hangar. And, well..."

She winced, and then tried a different approach and a lighter tone. "We'd experienced some amazing things on Oriande, and I felt we'd gotten quite close. And I..." She sighed. "I kissed him."

Lance's blue eyes were wide. "You...what?"

"Again, this was right before Keith returned with Romelle," Allura blurted in a panic. "I had no idea what he'd done."

She could see the gears turning in Lance's head. "So when you defended him—you thought—"

"That we had something special," she finished for him with a sigh. "Yes."

"You thought...and he..." Lance was beyond, beyond angry, his fists and shoulders quivering at his sides. "Tch—who does he think he is?!" he cried, tripping over his words in his anger. "Messing with you—playing you like that! I gotta—I got half a mind to go in there and—and show him who he's dealing with!" He gripped his fists and stormed towards the prison sector.

"Lance, please!" Allura grabbed his arm. "Now is not the time."

"Well, when is the time?" he demanded, and punched his fist into his hand. "Because that guy deserves to be decked!"

"I did not tell you this so that you could take revenge," she said firmly. An image of her own hand crashing the glass of the pilot's canister came to her mind. "Believe me, I've already considered it multiple times myself. That doesn't make it right."

Lance took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. "Fine," he said, still grumpy. "So why did you tell me?"

"Because..." As Lance's posture relaxed, and he looked like he wouldn't run, Allura pulled her hand back and clasped it to her chest. "I'm afraid my own feelings are still divided, and it's something you need to know." This wasn't something she was proud to say, but she had to do it at some point. "Even when the entity was calling out to me, it made me hallucinate three figures: my mother, you...and Lotor."

Lance's reaction was like nothing Allura expected—not that she could have expected anything good. He simply cast his eyes to the ground, upset, and grumbled, "Figures."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I dunno," he answered slowly, thin eyebrows scrunched. "It's just that...well...sometimes I wonder if I'm really worth...you." His voice petered off. "I know how I feel, obviously, but that doesn't mean anything. Sometimes...I think you could do better."

Allura frowned. "Lotor is not better."

"Well, sure, but—"

Allura took his hand and clasped it to her chest. "Lance," she began softly. This was the easy thing to say. "You've never been duplicitous. Even from the beginning, you've always—how do you say it—worn your heart on your sleeve. You say exactly how you feel, and that's how I know I can trust you."

She looked him in the eyes. Lance still didn't answer, but he looked calmer—more at peace.

"No matter how I feel, I've chosen you," she said in finality. "You never have to be afraid of that."

And with that, she lifted his hand and pressed her lips against his knuckles.

Lance smiled. "Thanks, Allura," he whispered.

"No—thank you, for understanding." She held their clasped hands in front of her. "I do wish we'd talked about this sooner. If we're going to make this work, we have to be willing to discuss these things."

"I guess you're right," he said with a chuckle. "From now on, no secrets."

"No secrets." She smiled.

And when he leaned in towards her, she tipped her chin up to meet him.

"Sonic ratchet?" Matt asked through the radio in his helmet, holding out his hand.

"Here." N-7 placed the tool in his hand and went on working.

"Thanks." Matt made the last few adjustments in the panel of wires and smiled. "And that's done." He shut the paneling and turned to the others. "These Olkari designs are amazing! So intuitive."

"All that's left is to hook it up to the main power conduit," said Pidge with a grin. She floated nearby, the Atlas under her and flanked by the stars. "Then, we're done!"

Matt sighed happily and pushed off the ship, floating a few yards from the Atlas and turning slowly until he was upside down. "This is great. Building stuff out in space—I'm here with my favorite girls—" He threw his arms out towards them.

"Ooh, I'm telling Mom," teased Pidge, her hand on her hip.

N-7's smooth robotic face couldn't form expressions, but she lifted a hand to her chin and seemed to be smiling.

"Mom is a lady, Pidge," Matt corrected her.

"I'm a lady!" squawked Pidge.

N-7's shoulders began to shake.

Matt pulled himself back down, threw his arm around his pouting sister, and laughed. "Getting there, Pidgey-bird. Getting there."

The smooth metal door hissed open and shut behind Lance. The room was silent as he stepped into it, but the tension was so thick he could cut it with a knife.

Lotor looked up through the colored glass, then cast his eyes back to the floor. "Ah. I was wondering when you'd be here."

Lance said nothing. He just stood there, thinking.

Eventually, Lotor lifted his head. "It's not like you to be the quiet one," he remarked.

Lance's tone was measured and low. "I'm just trying to pick my words."

"Is this about her?" he asked after a pause.

Lance tried to hide his surprise. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Call it a hunch." Lotor leaned forward where he sat on the edge of his berth, elbows on his knees. "I notice she's chosen you now. I should congratulate you."

Lance's fists tightened at his sides. "Look," he said softly. "If it wasn't for the colony, I wouldn't have even cared, if it had been you. All I care about is Allura being happy, and it looks like she almost was." As his volume rose, his arms swung out, gesturing wildly. "But you just had to go and kill all those people, and lie, and pretend like you cared about her—!"

Lotor leaped to his feet and roared, "I pretended nothing! It—" As if suddenly realizing what he said, his eyes went wide, and he deflated and dropped back to his berth. "It wasn't all a lie."

Lance stood frozen, his voice caught in his throat.

"Allura was my first taste of a real connection in ten thousand years." Lotor's voice was deathly quiet, his white eyebrows quivering. "All others had been torn away from me when I was young—as punishment, to teach me to crush all others underneath my feet."

Lance lowered his head and stared at the floor.

"I don't deserve a second chance with her. I never did." Quieter, Lotor pulled his knees closer together as if to make himself small. "Don't worry. I won't interfere."

Lance felt a pain in his chest, even as he thought back to his own family on Earth. "Look. Whatever happened to you...I'm sorry."

Lotor didn't move. When nothing more was said, he finally lifted his head. "But?"

"No buts." His voice was firm. "Growing up like that sounds terrible. I wouldn't want that for anybody."

Lotor looked stricken. He lowered his head, eyes wide and forming tears on the corners.

Lance sighed and leaned on the glass, crossing his arms. "You...you broke our trust pretty bad," he said softly. "It's gonna be hard to get that back."

"I know." Lotor didn't lift his head, but he wiped the tears from his eyes, determined. "It's just something I'll have to earn with my actions."

Lance looked up at the ceiling and thought about it. "Well, in that case, I guess the signal is your first step."

Maybe Lance was going crazy, or maybe Lotor gave a single, wobbly smile.

"You know," Lance said, pushing off the wall to face Lotor, "I said this to Allura a while back, but...you're not the only one who's made a million mistakes. The only thing you can do is get back up and try to make it right."

Lotor took a moment to process that, and then he lifted his head, a light in his eyes and the slightest smile on his face. "That's what I aim to do."

A few vargas later, Pidge, Sam, and Slav were in the computer room, staring at orange screens. Tension and excitement hung in the air as they anticipated the scanner's first test launch.

"All right," said Sam, scanning the readouts on his screen. "It's receiving the ship's internal power at full strength. We should be good to go."

"But are you crossing your fingers?" asked Slav, bending over backwards to look at him. Sam just returned a tired glare.

Pidge hit a few buttons on her screen and said, "Okay, everything's in place. Fire it up, Dad!"

Sam flipped a switch. The machine hummed and then whirred to life.

On the Bridge, Shiro had the big screen primed to receive the amplifier's output. A star map of the universe appeared, crisscrossed with grid lines, and then a small purple blip appeared on the screen. The shot zoomed in to the star system.

Allura stared up at the screen and gasped.

"Got it!" cried Pidge over the PA. "Sector 47-A-beta! Sending the coordinates to you now."

"But the star system. Those moons. That's..." Coran faltered.

Allura finished his sentence, her eyes wide. "Altea."

Shiro stood stunned, but he got his game face on and bent over the console. "Atlas, ready the teleduv. Prepare for wormhole jump.

"We're going to Altea."

A/N: Someone please tell me if the paladins ever found out that Allura kissed Lotor because for the life of me I can't remember if they did or not. That's the only reason this took so long to post.

Next up - Episode Twelve: The Last Battle