I know, I know...WTF?
I PROMISE I WILL FINISH THIS!
I PROMISE!
Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but now that I have set a schedule, I WILL do better.
Thanks to those that are still following and are still interested!
Love to my editor, Mertz!
Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron...if I did then I would have had new episodes WAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY before now!
I now present...
Chapter 6
Coran stares at the doorway as the first members of the team arrive…namely Hunk and Pidge. "What did you find, Coran?" asks the teenager as Hunk comes up behind him.
"This is something that the whole team needs to hear…they should be on their way…"
"They're here, Coran…please tell us what is going on," Allura announces as she makes her way up to the dais…Keith and Lance come running in behind her…a little winded. "Fine…" the advisor turns to the screen and punches up the sensor pictures from the planet Dairuden, "There was a fighter landing on the flagship in that armada a few days ago and I was cleaning the shots to see who it was…this is what I found…" He punches in the blowup shot and they all gasp as they recognize the Arusian shuttle.
"Keero…" Lance hisses as his hand clenches into a fist. Keith shoots him a glance…feeling the anger flowing off of his friend. Coran nods in confirmation, "Yes…he joined that armada days ago, obviously becoming part of the new fleet. The information he has will be invaluable to Lotor now that Haggar has been taken prisoner."
Allura moves over to the console as she says, "But, we can't take for granted that she will not be a part of this. With the power she has…"
"It doesn't matter, Allura. Zarkon must feel betrayed…you know he doesn't take that too well. Besides, you are more powerful than she is right now…the last thing they want to do engage us in a war of sorcery with Haggar being a loose cannon." Coran supplies as he looks at his adopted daughter. Even with the knowledge from Soren about Allura's abilities, he doesn't want to put them to the test…the good thing being that Haggar cannot enter her mind anymore, gaining information about the Force and about her personally. The beautiful blonde stares over the men around her…all of them having done things to protect her and her planet that no one else could have possibly done, knowing that there isn't enough she could do to thank them. Her eyes fall on her Black Lion knight and her body tightens…he was destined to be hers even before they met those long years ago. Her smile is wistful as she thinks about the trials they have had to go through since admitting their feelings for one another…who would have thought any of this would have taken place because of it?
Keith captures her gaze, smiling gently…they may not be able to be fully affectionate in public, but the gentle caresses and smiles are still acceptable. He knows that everything is still new to her…and still very scary. Her mental abilities must be off the charts now that all of this has happened, but she has yet to attempt anything. She has asked Soren for help when the time is right and the seer agreed to return when needed…but so far, she hasn't pushed the issue. Clearing his throat, he says, "Well, now we know where he is…the lions are finished with their repair work, so we can take off first thing in the morning. The base on Dairuden was destroyed, but that doesn't mean they still won't use it." He turns to the team, "Pidge…make sure that the long range scanners are at optimum output, Hunk…check on the weaponry; have all lions armed with magna stingrays, and Lance…I need you to contact Pollux to let them know that we will be in their airspace and that they need to prepare for any fallout." The team nods at their commander before dispersing, leaving Allura, Keith and Coran to discuss other matters.
"This very well could be a trap, you know…" Coran says.
"More likely than not…but we'll be careful." Keith says as he looks over at Allura in a calculating way. She shakes her head, "Don't you dare even think it…I'm part of the team and I'm going."
Coran smirks a little…it's about time someone else had this conversation with her.
The Voltron Commander stares at her, "If this is a trap, I am not going to risk you being captured again. This is going to be a recon mission…four lions can handle it." He can see her eyes flash and her lips tighten…this is not going to go well.
"I understand that you are worried about me, but what happens if you need Voltron? Who's to say this is going to be routine? Keero is out there and who knows what kind of evil agenda Lotor has in mind! You are going to need me whether you want to admit it or not!" Allura stares hard at the both of them before she stomps off. Keith knows that trying to convince her to stay on the ground will be like pulling teeth, but maybe later…
He frowns as he looks at Coran and sees his smirk. "Not funny…" Keith mumbles as the older man chuckles at him, "Now you understand my frustration!" The captain just shakes his head as he tries to figure out a way to calm Allura down and get her to listen to reason. He takes his leave of the advisor and heads down the hall to his office. He knows that the best way to get to Allura is to let her calm down first, then approach the problem logically…so he has to really think about what he wants to say before he sees her again.
oOOOo
Early evening falls and the team makes their way to the dining hall for dinner. Keith had kept himself holed up in his office for a couple of hours…trying to come up with a logical reason for Allura to stay on Arus, but everything he thinks of has a flaw that she will most definitely challenge. A devious smirk crosses his lips as he thinks of the most obvious way to convince her to stay grounded, knowing that is the most underhanded way to do it. I know that it would be near impossible for her to deny me if I…but I can't do that to her…he thinks, even as his body reacts favorably to the decision to do it anyway. Sighing, he looks over some of the reports that he has put off until that whole fiasco with Haggar was over with…and he was sure that Allura would accept him back.
Nothing was more important than that….
Putting the reports down once more, he opens a drawer to take out the small handkerchief that Allura had given him years ago. It still holds the aroma of the Arusian lilies that she loves to wear. It never fails to amaze him how just her scent can have him aroused within moments…it has been such a relief to be able to be with her as he had so dreamed of for the first few years the Explorers had been here.
But, now there are more important matters to have to deal with…Keero has been located and something has to be done. The captain frowns…why have we found him? He has done everything possible to keep himself hidden and he knows how our systems work…why has he made himself known now?
He punches up the sensor screens of Dairuden to study what it was that Coran saw…the scene looks almost set up, too convenient to be just a slip in judgment. Keero knows too much for this not to be something planned, something that was meant for them to find. Keith then punches in the coordinates of the base they ravaged on the planet surface. Heat sensors pick up a lot of movement and activity around that area…definitely something that needs to be checked out. The raven-haired captain jots down some notes as well as taking virtual pictures of the planet activity for the meeting that he scheduled in an hour. He sends the information to the terminals in the pilot's lounge and stands to leave with his other reports in hand. As he is walking out the room, he runs into Hunk and Pidge.
"Hey, Cap! We're heading to the lounge now…" Pidge starts, but is cut off by the big guy. "We're making a short stop in the kitchens first…need a snack!" Hunk says and Pidge stares at him sardonically, "Like you need anything else to eat…"
Hunk snorts, clapping his best friend in the back as he adds, "Yeah, well all work and no food makes Hunk a dull boy."
Keith smirks at the pair, who happen to be the nuts and bolts of the Voltron Force. "Well, the meeting isn't for another hour, so you'll have plenty of time to get a snack."
The larger man's face brightens as he makes his way to the kitchens, while Pidge stands there shaking his head.
"Captain…?" he starts, not quite able to look him in the face.
"Yes…you want to ask me something?"
"Yeah…I've been curious as to how long you and the princess have been seeing one another, I mean you guys announcing that you are getting married seems to be awfully rushed…" he stammers out. Keith looks down into the new styled glasses Pidge has created for himself, smiling…he has known for quite some time that the young boy has had a crush on the princess, but left it pretty much as that. This question doesn't surprise him at all…
"For years, I have had feelings for her…but we have only been seeing one another for a short period of time. I just knew she was someone I was destined to meet, someone that my life was joined with before I even realized it. Everything else was pretty easy…" Keith says softly.
A heavy sigh escapes Pidge as Keith puts a hand on his shoulder, "Let's get to the meeting, shall we?"
The young man nods as he follows his commander to the meeting.
oOOOo
Lance finally makes his way into the pilot's lounge a few minutes after the time given for the meeting to start. He walks in as Keith is handing out the reports that he has gathered for them to look over.
"Nice of you to finally show up…please take a seat. We have a lot to cover…" Keith says with a frown. Lance just shrugs his shoulders as he takes his seat next to Hunk. "Where the hell were you?" Hunk hisses at him.
"I had…some business to handle." Lance returns in a cold tone. The big guy has to look over at him to see the frozen expression on his face…knowing that something has gone completely wrong. "Lance, what's bugging you?"
He just snorts as he prepares himself for the beginning of the meeting. Keith stands and presses the button on his terminal to show the rest of the team the surveillance shots from Dairuden. "Team, we have gotten proof that Keero has joined Lotor and is part of the armada amassing at Dairuden. The one thing that has been bothering me is that for months now he has been under the radar…almost completely invisible to all of those that had bulletins out for him. Now, after all this time, he makes an appearance in the Alexian Quadrant…"
Lance stares at him, his face hardening at the mere thought that Keero is this close, but can't put his hands on him. "What are you trying to say, Keith? He's letting us know where he is?"
"Exactly. He has been trained by the Garrison and was here with the Voltron Force for a while…he knows enough about how we handle the security and surveillance to have been able to avoid us forever. But, he didn't."
As much as the lieutenant wants to deny what his leader is telling him, he knows that everything he has said was true…Keero may be a bastard, but he isn't a stupid one. His hands clench as the sheer anger that has been festering since that day he flew off Arus burns brightly within him. Keith sees the hard look on his face and instinctively knows what he is upset about, but he will have to speak with him later. The captain turns back to the group and continues, "We have to investigate, but I am not sure that it will be safe. It's possible that all of this is a trap to capture us or to engage in a battle that we are not ready for."
Allura stares at him, knowing why he's saying all of this. He will not let this rest, will he? I know his worry, but I can't let him go out there without having Voltron at the ready. I will not lose him again… Her eyes follow him around as he moves to sit down at a terminal. "Please, punch in the scans I have downloaded here…I need you to see something."
The team does as asked and they pull up the heat signature scans from the base on the planet. "Now punch in the area around the ramp letting the fighter in…" As they all comply, Keith sits down and leans back, "There is an anomaly in that area that looks like someone is actually waiting for the fighter to land…I was able to hone in on who it is."
He hits another button and the screen changes…Allura gasps at what she sees while Lance's jaw clenches. There, in shadow stands the obscure visage of Keero Takashi.
"Damn, he's not on that fighter? He sent it out as a decoy?" Pidge asks as Keith nods. Lance stands and walks over to the window to place his hand on the sill.
"Lance?" The commander asks as he watches his friend's reaction to the discovery. The chestnut-haired man says nothing, just looks intently out the window. Allura looks at Keith, wondering if there is something that she can do to help him…but Keith just shakes his head.
**This is something I have to handle…he's pissed that he can't get to Keero. Has been for a while now.**
Allura nods, **I hope he won't do anything crazy…**
**You know Lance**
Her face freezes, **Yes…have one of the others look after him until we can investigate…**
Keith smiles, **Thinking like a true Explorer…**
She smiles warmly as Keith makes his way over to his friend. The rest of the team take the hint and begins to get themselves together. Remembering that he still has assignments to give out, Keith looks back at the group and says, "We are going to launch first thing in the morning, so make sure that everything in control is set up to monitor from long range…we can't be too sure that this is not all a trap." They all nod as they leave the room…Allura hanging back to see if Keith needs her. He walks over to her to kiss her on the forehead, "Let me talk to him…I'll see you later tonight."
"I'll leave the door unlocked…" she murmurs as she looks back over at Lance. The princess kisses Keith on the cheek then turns to leave.
"You could've gone with her…I don't need a babysitter." Lance growls…a cold look in his face. Keith keeps his tone carefully neutral as he says, "I know how you feel…I understand how angry you are…"
"Do you really? Because of me, a young man lost his life and Katia almost got killed!"
Keith comes over to him and places a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah, I do know how you feel…at least Katia isn't being stalked by one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy!" Lance glances at him, not able to come up with anything to say. Keith moves over to sit on one of the chairs, "We will get Keero…you can be sure about that and Katia will stay safe. In the meantime, I have to stay vigilant just in case Lotor decides today or tomorrow to try to take my fiancée away from me again."
"And you're telling me this why?"
Sighing, Keith leans forward on his knees to say, "Your situation is nothing compared to the rest of us. We all know how dangerous Keero can be, but he is someone we can handle a lot easier and quicker than we can handle who he's working for. The thing that makes Keero a danger is not knowing what exactly he has in mind and with what resources is he going to do it with."
Lance sighs and comes over to flop down on the sofa, "I know…I know that Lotor is the bigger threat, but I let Takashi get away. I let that bastard kill the man and get away!"
"It wasn't your fault and there wasn't anything else you could have done. It wasn't until then that we knew how far that man would go to escape." Keith replies, but the lieutenant shakes his head. "Lance, you need to get your head into this…I'm going to need you at your best when we go out there. You know that this is more than likely a trap and even though she has been told different, Allura will not stay behind…"
Lance grins, "I get you…you need me to help you protect your wayward bride!"
The handsome commander has to smile as well, "Yeah, well…I'm going to try again to get her to see reason, but you know how that is going to go…"
"Yeah, nowhere!"
They both laugh as they stand to leave. Lance looks over at his friend before asking, "So, what do you plan to do with yourself until dinner?"
Keith scratches his chin for a second, then he smiles deviously, "How about sparring? You look like you could use some practice."
"You're on…and don't think it'll be that easy this time, oh Fearless One!"
Chuckling, Keith claps him on the back, "Never that…never that."
oOOOo
Keith is still laughing as he walks back down the hall to his room…having completely kicked his lieutenant's ass. Oh, Lance did give him a good run for his money, but as always the Voltron Commander comes out on top…much to the chagrin of Lieutenant McClain. Keith presses the button to his room, entering to take a shower before heading to the dining area for dinner. He looks around the small room, smiling. I won't be in here too much longer… he muses as he grabs a towel to head into the bathroom. Turning on the water, he checks to make sure that water is hot before stripping down and entering the shower.
**Keith…what are you doing?**
The raven-haired man smirks as once again his beloved Allura finds him at the most inopportune time, **Lance and I just got finished sparring, so I'm taking a shower…**
He can feel her desire rise before she sends, **Shower, huh? Need someone to wash your back?**
**You wouldn't be in here to just wash my back, you minx!** he sends back as he places his face under the water. He's hoping that she won't do anything devious to have him beyond aroused during dinner…
**What makes you think I would do that to you?** he can almost see her devilish smile.
**Allura…I know what you're thinking and you should be ashamed!**
**It is all your fault…you did this to me, it's not my fault that you're irresistible!**
Flashes of past intimate moments enter his mind, thanks to his aroused soulmate…and he quickly turns the water to cold…
**Ahhhh! What was that?** Allura sends anxiously, sensing the coldness hitting Keith.
**You're misbehaving again…**
**You love it when I misbehave….**
Keith groans as he tries to wash and get out before she gets any worse, **Stop, Allura…you're going to make it hard for me at dinner!**
**That was the whole idea…**
**Okay…I'm going to get my payback, Princess!** Keith smiles as he gets out the shower and starts to dry off. There is a short pause before…
**Again…that is the whole idea…**
Laughing, he heads back into the bedroom to get some clothes to wear to dinner. As he grabs his underwear, he thinks about what kind of payback he's going to give, as well as try to convince her to stay behind on this mission. He stares at the Lion Warrior ring he has on his finger, hoping that it will give him a glimpse of what will happen…but it does nothing. It's still hard to believe that he has such a connection with powers such as the ones Allura possesses.
Keith frowns as he tries to imagine how powerful Allura actually is. Since finding out about her abilities, the princess has been reluctant to try using them without the assistance of Soren, which is why he is pretty much on call. I hope he isn't needed anytime soon… he thinks as he finishes dressing. Looking in the mirror, he doesn't even try to tame his wild hair before he takes his leave to head to the dining area.