The Paladins and their rebel allies were walking towards the city, through some rather uninteresting fields. Hunk looked up in worry. The fire from the Atlas flared up against the shield, shining brighter than the sun. "Shouldn't we have told Shiro to hold the fire?"
"Hunk, the entire problem we have is that the shield won't collapse." Lance answered. "And Shiro can locate our position, once the shield collapses, I'm sure he won't fire at the areas of town we are in."
"So," started Pidge, looking at Lance curiously "are we just gonna walk in? Into the enemy's capital? Full of Soldiers?"
"I actually trusted our rebel friends would have a solution for that." Lance answered eyeing General Elluag.
"Yes, we do." The general supplied. "To be precise," he and the other two rebels stopped in front of a large rock and lifted it up revealing the entrance to a tunnel system. "we're already there. Like I said the rebellion is hundreds of years old, we had time to prepare."
"How practical." Commented Allura.
"Too practical." Said Pidge. "This feels like a cliché."
Lance started climbing down the ladder in the hole. "While certainly not my favorite movie trope, I think it will suffice this time."
They're little party started through a long tunnel. The rebels advised them to turn off the com systems in their helmets, any communication activity could be intercepted.
"So, this will lead us directly to the palace?" Lance asked the general.
Elluag had gotten out a map and looked at id with concentration. "Yes, but to be honest, I think it would be better if all of you came with us to the shield generator. I know you want to save your friend, but he is probably brainwashed by now anyway."
"No way!" Lance answered firmly. "We are not leaving Keith in Sioul's grabby hands! Brainwashed or not."
The general sighed. "If you insist."
"But we have to take the shield down and rescue Keith at the same time. So, two of us will come with you."
Hunk was confused. "Why do we have to do it at the same time?"
"Easy," Lance started explaining with a rather smug face. "If we free Keith first, Sioul knows we're here and reinforces security around the shield. If we take down the shield first, he knows it's over for him and he will use Keith as a hostage to bargain for his safety."
Pidge eyed Lance. "I guess I have to re-evaluate my views on your intellect."
"That's one weird way to compliment me."
They reached a junction of the tunnel system.
General Elluag pointed to the right. "That way leads to the palace. Take this," He handed Lance a copy of the map of the tunnel system and another map. "It's a floorplan of the palace, it is not complete but it's all our operatives in the capital could get."
"Thanks," Lance looked to his fellow paladins. "Allura you're with me. Hunk, Pidge you help the rebels wreck the shield generator." He looked at Elluag again. "Pidge can hack anything hackable and if it can't be hacked Hunk'll turn it into rubble. How long will you need to take the shield down?"
"I'd say you've got about a quarter an hour to free your friend, give or take a few minutes. Don't worry the palace isn't far from here."
Lance sighed, some more time would be nice but he could understand that the rebels wanted to move quickly. They all wished each other good luck and Lance and Allura stated jogging down the tunnel towards the palace.
The corridor ended with a ladder, Lance climbed it up to the ceiling of the cave. The was a something that looked like a floor tile above the end of the ladder. Lance carefully pushed the tile upwards and peeked out to see what was above. It really was the inside of the palace, from what he remembered from his two visits they were near the ballroom in a small minor hallway. Much to his amazement and relief no one was there.
The blue and pink Paladin climbed out of the hole and looked around.
"Now what?" Allura asked.
'Good question.' Lance thought. Really, he had started just winging this from the point they had entered the capital. He briefly studied the floorplan the general had given them. Now, where would they hold Keith? There was a prison in the palace's east wing but considering Keith was probably brainwashed by now there would be no reason to keep him there. That left two options, the throne room, where they had last seen him during the transmission and – 'Oh please no!' The King's private quarters.
"Keith must either be here or here." Lance explained, pointing at the two locations on the plan. "They are in completely different directions though. I guess we have to split up."
"Isn't that a bit … dangerous?" the princess asked unsurely.
"No offense to the furrinans but from the way some stupid galra sentries almost overran their capital, I don't think they pose much of a thread to us. Keith might be a different story if he was brainwashed to fight us but really, we're running out of time here. You go to the throne room, if you find Keith and he seems like … not our Keith try to ambush him and hide somewhere with him until the rebels take the capital, if he is fine and himself, yank that mind blocker off his head and the black lion will do the rest. In case he's not there come to the private chambers and search for me."
Allura nodded and ran off in direction of the throne room.
Lance himself started running as fast as his legs would allow him, he was worried sick. If what he thought was true and Keith was in the royal chambers, what if Sioul had – he would torture that king to death himself.
As the Paladin approached a junction of two corridors, he could hear voices, so he quickly hid behind one of the columns that adorned the palaces hallways.
Two furrinan guards walked into sight, one limping, one holding his probably broken nose. Yup! This was the way to Keith.
"I can't believe he did that to us while he was handcuffed." Said the limping guard. "Are you sure we should leave him alone like that?"
"I'm not spending another second with that maniac!" The other guard shot back. "He looked like he would actually kill us if he wasn't chained to the bed after we put him in that stupid outfit. Plus, I wanna get my nose checked."
So apparently the mind control attempt apparently failed noted Lance. Hope sparking up inside him.
"But there is barely any security personal left here, since most of the guard has been called to defend the generator."
"Oh please, no one can even get into the city, much less the palace!"
The two guards passed the column Lance was hiding behind. He waited few seconds longer and then made his way down the hallway they had come from.
He found this whole situation suspicious. Really no one was here? He understood that Sioul's primary concern was the shield generator because with that gone, so was he. But still-
Lance's line of thought was interrupted by the voice of someone grunting and cussing. The blue Paladin had reached a large double door and could clearly hear Keith behind it still fighting on.
Bayard in his hand, he kicked the doors open and – needed some time to comprehend the situation.
Keith was kneeling on a gigantic bed with silky red linen. Both of his arms were cuffed and long chains kept him on the bed. The chains were long and loose enough for him to move but not leave the room.
That all seemed mostly normal (?) Lance guessed, for a kidnapped damsel in distress at least. What wasn't normal was Keith's outfit. If you can call one piece of red silk an outfit.
The fabric was draped around Keith's waist and right shoulder like a Greek chiton. It was very short but surprisingly tight on his hips and did NOT leave a lot for the imagination. The only thing holding it together were a golden belt and a brooch on Keith's shoulder. On his head there was still the tiara shaped mind control device, nestled in his black luscious hair, with the mind blocker ringlet directly underneath.
Lance had to admit, Keith looked gorgeous. If Lance was a crazy pervert king that kidnapped people, he would make the same clothing choices.
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
The Keith deflated visibly and smiled fondly at Lance. "Of course, it had to be you who saw me in this outfit. I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"
Lance was glad, that definitely was their Keith, his Keith. "Nope, you aren't! I wish I brought a camera."
Keith chuckled lightly at the joke as Lance crossed the room. Keith's eyes widened in surprise as Lance suddenly took him into a deep hug.
"I'm so happy you're okay Keith."
'It really had to be you. It always was you.' Keith thought as he returned the hug.
Lance released Keith from the hug, as nice as it was, they still had to get out of here and find the others.
"Let's get that crap off of you!" He said as he threw the tiara away. The mind blocker though … was another story.
"Lance, wait- "
Lance pulled and pulled and pulled with all his strength but the ring stayed firmly around Keith's head.
"Ow! Ow! OW! Lance stop! I already tried that! It's too tight." Keith complained.
The blue Paladin gave up and sulked. "I really hoped we could just make a stylish escape in the black lion."
"Oh, believe me, if I had any connection to my lion right now Sioul and his lackeys would wish I'd just kill them already. Unfortunately, they knew that and so made sure it stuck."
That reminded Lance. "Speaking of them, how come they didn't 'reprogram your brain' or whatever?"
Keith put on a sly smirk. "They set that thing to brainwash humans, not half-humans."
Lance mimicked his expression. "Huh, who would have guessed that you being half-galra would come in handy here."
"GOD! FINALLY!" King Sioul and six of his guards entered the room. "I was worried you two would never get to the point, this was a serious gamble."
Lance extended his bayard in it's altean broadsword form and activated his shield. Six guards? He could handle that!
Siouls pondered. "Then again, I guess I could have tortured you or that princess until you told me … What you're going to fight us?"
Lance swung his sword in a motion, Sioul's eyes couldn't entirely follow, at the two guards closest to him. These said guards then noticed that their guns were now each in two halves.
"I don't think It'll be much of a fight!" Lance said, taunting the king with a smile.
In reality Lance was freaking out internally, how did he not see this obvious trap? The lack of security should've given it away. Sure, he was worried sick about Keith and they had to move fast but still.
He was also worried, Sioul knew about Allura, was she alright? Did he know about the others too?
Lance considered his options. The other four guards also weren't a problem, but while he was busy with them Sioul would run away and call who knows how many reinforcements.
Sioul meanwhile regained his composure he had lost after Lance's show of swordsmanship. "Alright, you're a bit more of threat than I thought, so on to plan B." He said as he bolted for the door and slammed it shut.
"You got yourself a great king there." Lance commented and charged at the guards.
After destroying all their weapons and knocking them unconscious he turned to Keith.
"Sweet moves." Keith said. "For a rookie."
"What was that? You wanna be left here?" Lance asked.
"Very funny. But really let's leave before more guards show up."
"Can you believe that guy? He just ran away!" Lance mocked as he cut Keith's chains with his sword. "Some leader he is."
"He certainly – "Keith sniffed the air.
Then Lance noticed it too, an odd smell, that couldn't be good.
They ran to the door. "It's locked!" Keith yelled.
Lance changed his bayard back to a gun. "I'll blast it open!" He said but … he was so tired he couldn't keep his gun straight.
"Shit!" Keith said as frantically pulled on the door. "It's …. Sleeping … "he leaned against the door and then collapsed.
Lance followed swiftly.