MP: Enjoy Chapter 7!
Summary: Sneaking into a Galra controlled structure TAKE 2!
This time, Keith and Allura are infiltrating a Galran Orbital Habitation Module that's certainly no moon. Will Voltron finally get ahead or will Keith's family continually thwart them?
Arlioth finds himself hot on his nephew's trail across the galaxy.
Orbital
"We're trying this again? Last time—." Lance was cut off by Allura waving a hand.
"Last time, we made the mistake of trying for a Galra military outpost. This time we're going for a civilian outpost, where Keith's age won't look odd," Allura said.
"It's an Orbital Habitation Module orbiting a Gas Giant planet called Andorran VIII. It's one of eight. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of a military presence in the OHMs but there is a fleet just beyond the adjacent Gas giant called Andorran VII. If we approached from the Gas Giant Andorran IX—."
"The Gas Giant would cover our Worm Hole, and we could have a shuttle make its way to Andorran VIII's OHM's, as you put it, would be preferable but who of us would be going?" Coran said stroking his mustache.
"I'm going," Keith said.
"You don't know enough about Galra culture to fit in," Allura said.
"One of you would probably have to go with him," Shiro said. Everyone turned to look at the Black Paladin. "You've already pointed out his age would look odd to a military establishment, it would even more odd to see an unaccompanied minor running about space without someone taking care of him."
"But he doesn't look like Coran or Allura," Hunk said, "They're not furry and they wouldn't become furry whenever they shifted, right?" The Alteans exchanged looks.
"He has a point," Allura said, "but better to have a mismatched family unit than to have Keith wandering around alone."
— —
"Alright, plug this into any terminal, and I can get into the system," Pidge said offering them a device that Hunk must have had a hand in too: Pidge often forgot niceties like making sure the object was fully sealed at times whereas Hunk always kept things nice when they were finished and even used colored duct-tape-like-stuff he'd found on the ship, to make it look nice on the outside. There were also two of these devices. One for Allura and one for Keith in case they needed to split up or one got destroyed. Allura had changed her clothes to be more like the clothing Keith's mother had given him. A simple black tunic and black pants that went well with her armor's boots. She tucked a blade into one of her boots at Coran's prompting.
"Galra didn't go anywhere unarmed before, and after 10,000 years of conquering, I doubt that's changed," He said. Keith's dagger was strapped onto his belt and his bayard hidden from sight, just in case.
"That symbol covered up?" Allura asked. Keith nodded.
"Alright, we'll be back as soon as possible," Allura said, "Oh. Wait. We need some GAC."
"Why?" Lance said.
"A shuttle just doesn't land at and Orbital Habitation Module for no reason, usually unless their inhabitants of that particular one, it's for trade or fuel reasons," Allura said.
"I have some," Keith said before he ran off and returned with a pouch minutes later.
"Excellent," Allura said.
— —
"How are we going to get away with this?" Keith asked after they disembarked the shuttle. Landing had gone smoothly, but now there were in a more populated area.
"By acting like this is normal," Allura said out the side of her mouth. Walking next to Galra formed Allura, Keith did feel smaller, but she stood out amongst even the Galra who were like that Druid had been. In contrast, Keith could have probably faded into the background if he wanted to, and aside from his size, he wouldn't have stood out at all.
"Where did you take him from?" Allura and Keith blinked at the question an angry Jungle Galra female had snarled at Allura. Keith suddenly realized that his own mother was small for a Galra because this woman was taller than Allura by half a head, and broader.
"I didn't take him from anywhere, he's under my care," Allura said after a few moments.
"Is this cross-breed lying?" the woman asked Keith. Cross-breed? Oh, right. Allura didn't look like a pure Galran.
"No," Keith said, "My mother knows who I'm with."
"Come along, Kioreth, we need to get supplies," Allura said after she brushed off the Gara woman's derisive sniff.
"What was that about?" Keith asked once they were clear.
"Galra are very possessive of their young and protective of younglings in general," Allura said, "You played along quite well."
"I didn't technically lie," Keith said with a shrug. Allura smiled at him.
"Neither did I," she said.
— —
The market sector was chaotic, and filled with more than just Galra. There were at least 20 species present. Though, most other species were either traders or lowly employees of Galra. Allura made sure to drag Keith to at least four different food stands and buy some food with the GAC they had to keep their cover. Keith was carrying the supplies whenever he lost sight of Allura. She must have seen her chance to use Pidge's device. He found a place to sit down in the middle of the massive indoor market. Setting the items he was carrying down let him stretch his arms in relief. He stopped whenever he heard a sniffle. His ear twitched and he looked down and under the bench he was sitting on in front of a fake plant was a very very small Galra child. They had long violet hair, pointy ears that were more like Alluras, yellow eyes, and scent placed the child as female.
Maybe his nose had been good before, and that's why he'd known about Pidge….
He snapped out of his thoughts and crouched down to eye level.
"Hello," he said. The little girl backed away from him, at first, but after a few moments crawled out.
"Where are your parents?" Keith asked. If he, a teenager, wasn't supposed to be on his own by Galra standards, there was no way this little one should be without parents or guardians of some sort. The little galra girl grabbed onto Keith's side and just cried some more. Allura made her way back to Keith.
"I—oh. Hello there," Allura said looking at the little girl.
"I think I can find her parents," Keith said. Allura nodded after tapping her own nose.
"I'll be right here," Allura said. gesturing to the bench.
"Ok, I'm going to find your parents," Keith said to the little Galra girl, who stopped sobbing.
"Promise?" she sniffed. Keith nodded,
"Now hold still," he said as he sniffed her and concentrated on his scent. He picked her up and sniffed the air. It was a poor environment for tracking, but he caught a faint scent like the girl's and followed it through the crowds dodging others and nearly running headlong into some. He stopped whenever he lost the scent all together.
"You there!" Keith turned to see it was a guard. This galra was more lizard like.
"Yes?"
"Where did you find that cub?" he asked.
"Over that direction. I was trying to track her parents," Keith said. The guard shook his head.
"They're over just beyond this point at the Guard Station worried sick over her," he said making a "follow me" gesture at Keith.
— —
"MERRA!" A Galra woman about Allura's size rushed him and pulled the toddler off his hip and showered her with kisses, making the little one giggle. She looked like a grown up version of her daughter. Her husband was a more lizard like Galra like the guard whom Keith had followed to the station.
"My thanks for returning her safely," he said offering a hand to Keith. Keith grasped his wrist like he had his own mother. The Galra man let go with a nod.
"What academy are you looking to go to in the future?" he asked.
"Academy?" Keith said.
"At your age, you need to be thinking about this, but should you need any help at all, let me know and I'll give you a solid recommendation," the Galra said.
"That's not necessary," Keith said.
"Nonsense. You returned my child to me," the man said, "General Golroth is a Galra of his word."
"Thank you," Keith said.
"May I have your name?" it was the General's wife.
"Kioreth," Keith said. At this rate, that was going to become his cover name. The General's eyebrow quirked but he shook his head,
"I guess we can't all have namesakes as amazing as a Princess, like my little treasure," he said smacking Keith lightly on the shoulder.
"I'd better get back," Keith said.
"Of course, you wouldn't want to keep your family waiting," the General said.
"Bye!" Merra said.
— —
"Everything alright?" Allura said.
"We'd better go," Keith said.
"Agreed," Allura said, "Was she happy to find her family?" Keith nodded.
"That's a relief," Allura said before they made it into the lift back to the shuttle levels.
— —
"How would I describe the cub who brought my Merra back? Well confident, calm, and clever. He used Merra's scent to try to find us, taking advantage of his heritage," General Golroth said. Arlioth pulled out a hardcopy image and slid it to the General.
"Did he look like this?"
"That's him. Your highness, why do you ask?" General Golroth said.
"That's not your concern. Thank you for your cooperation General. Should you run into this cub again, capture him if you can. He is also not to be underestimated. Not only is he clever, but he is extremely skilled both as a pilot and a warrior."
"Who is he really, Prince Arlioth?"
"I cannot tell you. Just know that he is to be taken alive at any and all costs. His life is precious to myself, my siblings, and my father."
MP: Hello, it's Wednesday again!
Poor Keith can't seem to get away from Arlioth, can he?
I almost named "Golroth" "Gorioth" but decided against it as my spell checker was already correcting emthat/em to "Goliath." -_-
Until next week,
-MP
P.S. I've hidden various Sci-Fi references throughout Lab Rat, see if you can spot some of them.
