It may be my birthday, but you're the ones getting the present today! Have the next chapter of anomalous point! I also hope all sports fans enjoyed the most important sporting event of the year... yes, I'm talking about the Puppy Bowl. Of course it's the Puppy Bowl. Was there anything else even showing on television today? I think not. Anyways, that said, I hope everyone enjoys the chapter, and I'll see y'all next update!
anomalous point
chapter twenty five
the sister
It turned out that rooting out a spy was a lot harder than he thought.
By the time evening rolled around, Lance was just about ready to throw in the towel. He must have spoken to hundreds of aliens, but hadn't turned up any real leads.
Okay, so maybe not hundreds. There weren't hundreds of aliens here. But it felt like it had been over a hundred, okay? That was what really mattered here. Even Hunk and Romelle looked like they were about ready to call it quits for the evening too.
"I don't get it," Lance groaned, "-how hard is it to find the one suspicious guy among the bunch? It's not like this Prince Lotto hired a real spy or anything."
"Pretty sure it's Prince Lotor." Hunk corrected- and yeah, he knew that- he was just using the wrong name out of pure spite by now. "And maybe he did?"
"I doubt it." Romelle shook her head. "Allura never would have accepted someone who seemed suspicious. Everyone here is fleeing from hardship caused by the war. We can't put them at risk by letting in someone who might be dangerous."
"So you're saying whoever is working with Lotor, he might like, have something against them?" Lance asked. "Well that sucks."
The dude had already taken one hostage- two, if you counted mullet. Who knew what else he might be capable of?
Sure, he and Hunk might not exactly be free- but they weren't exactly hostages either. Princess Allura wasn't using them against the Garrison, even though she probably could. Honestly, other than the part where they couldn't leave, she'd been nothing but a gracious hostess the entire time they'd been here.
It just sucked that someone had betrayed the princess' trust like this. She didn't deserve that.
"I still say it's Rolo." Lance huffed.
"You just say that because you don't like the guy." Hunk pointed out.
"Hey, what can I say?" Lance shrugged. "I've got good instincts."
"You mean like the instincts that got us abducted by aliens?" Hunk asked. "No offense, Romelle."
"None taken." Romelle said simply.
Glaring at Hunk, Lance just folded his arms in front of him. "Hey, how was I supposed to know Keith's terrible mullet was because he was part alien?"
Romelle frowned. "I do not think that Keith's hairstyle has anything to do with him being Galra. It used to be longer, actually, before we came here."
"Wha- longer!?" Lance blurted out. "How long!?"
Before Romelle had a chance to answer, they caught the fringes of commotion. Instantly forgetting the question of Keith's hair, Lance grabbed the first alien that he could find, curious. "Something going on?"
"The Blades have returned." The alien told him, using a hushed voice as if they didn't dare speak of it. "They brought someone with them. A human."
A human? What, had some other unlucky person wandered in here? Or was it-?
"Lance?"
Wait. He knew that voice. But it couldn't be. Why would she be here?
"Veronica?"
Turning on his heel, sure enough, it was his sister. Based on her uniform, he was willing to bet that she had come here straight from the Garrison. He was just about to ask when she broke away from her escort, scooping him up in an almost bone crushing hug.
"Lance!" Veronica exclaimed. "It really is you!"
"Uh, yeah, of course it's me." Lance told her, only slightly embarrassed to be seen being hugged nearly to death by his eldest sister. "There anyone else around that's this handsome? But what are you even doing here? Did the Garrison send you?"
"Sort of." Veronica told him. "At least, Iverson did."
"Iverson sent you?" Lance asked. "Why?"
"We would like to know that as well." Krolia stated.
Looking up at Keith's mom, Lance frowned. She looked... unhappy. Which he guessed he couldn't blame her for, given that her son had been captured. And seeing as that was basically the Garrison's fault, he could only imagine that she wasn't too happy about escorting someone wearing a Garrison uniform into their base camp.
But seeing as how they hadn't knocked Veronica out, whatever she had come here to discuss, it had to be important. There probably wasn't time to waste on heartfelt reunions.
"Oh, uh," Lance frowned, hesitantly pulling away from his sister, "-I guess you've got all kinds of important stuff to discuss with the princess, then. I should probably let you get to it."
"Wait no, Lance," Veronica grabbed his hand, "-come with me."
"Uh..." Lance trailed off, his gaze drifting towards Krolia. He was all for it, but...
Krolia merely heaved a sigh. "He can come."
"See?" Veronica beamed. "Oh, I see Hunk's with you too."
Behind him, Hunk offered Veronica a small wave. "Hey."
"You should all come." Commander Kogane said. "We could use all the help we could get right now."
"Uh, are you sure?" Lance asked. "Because I don't know how much help we can be."
"Speak for yourself," Romelle huffed, "-I can be extremely helpful."
Veronica blinked, finally taking notice of the Altean. "Who's this?"
"Oh, this is Romelle." Lance told her. "She's Princess Allura's body double or maid or something?"
"A bit of both." Romelle said. "I assume this is your sister. Veronica, was it?"
Veronica narrowed her eyes. "It's Veronica. You're Altean, aren't you?"
Romelle blinked. "Last I checked. Is that a problem?"
Veronica opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it, shaking her head. "No, it's fine. I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the whole alien thing. Although," she added, glancing up at her surroundings, "-I guess there's no way I can deny it now. Is that a spaceship?"
"It is the Castle of Lions!" Romelle chirped. "Our people's pride and joy. The greatest of all our ships."
Veronica just arched her brows. "And it's a castle?"
"Yeah, I had that same reaction." Lance told her. "Come on. Wait until you meet the princess. She's-"
"Lance, if you're about to say that she's out of this world, I'm going home." Veronica cut him off.
Frowning, Lance furrowed his brow. "Yeesh. Guess nobody appreciates a good pun around here."
Clearing her throat, Krolia focused their attention back on her. "I understand that you are enjoying your reunion, but there's much we have to discuss. If you'll follow me, I can show you to the princess."
Something told Lance that wasn't a suggestion.
Right. While he was busy having a heartfelt reunion with his sister, Keith- Krolia's son- was still being held captive, by either the Garrison or by Prince Lotor. And from what little he had been able to gather about the heir to the Galran throne, the guy was serious bad news- and also seemed to have a like, weird interest in Keith.
And also had someone on his side who had creepy brainwashing powers? Yeah, that too. Basically, what he was trying to get at was that he could understand Krolia's rush. He'd be pretty anxious too, if it were Veronica or anyone else from his family- or Hunk- in Keith's place.
And it wasn't just Keith. It was Matt and Katie's mother, too.
"Right, yeah," Lance nodded, "-got it."
"We can talk later." Veronica told him, giving his hand a squeeze, before pulling away from him. They all fell into step behind Krolia, with that new Blade- Regris, he was pretty sure his name was Regris- bringing up the rear.
"For what it's worth," Hunk whispered as they started to walk, "-I thought it was a good pun."
Lance flashed his friend a smile. "Thanks, buddy. I knew I could count on you."
In spite of the urgency of the situation, Veronica kept finding herself taking glances back at her baby brother. She hadn't expected to see Lance so soon, and was just glad that he seemed to be no worse for wear. She'd been surprised to find him out in the open- she'd pictured... she didn't know. Him being kept in a prison cell or something, but from the look of it, he was more like a guest than he was any kind of prisoner.
She had so many questions, but she guessed she'd just have to wait to get them answered. Right now, she had a job to do.
Still... she was so glad to see Lance. And Hunk, of course- he was her brother's best friend, after all. It was good to see that both of them were doing well.
Still... when she'd been briefed by Iverson, the only thing he had told her was that there was an alien ship somewhere out on the valley, on Commander Kogane's family land. She hadn't expected an entire pop up town filled with nothing but aliens.
She definitely hadn't expected Commander Kogane to be in the welcoming party.
Glancing between him and the woman who had curtly introduced herself as Krolia, she could sort of see how Keith was their son. What she remembered of Lance's (largely self-declared) rival was that he was a pale, lanky kid who had teeth that were too sharp and an eerie stare- both of which could probably be explained by the apparent fact that he was an alien.
Or at least, half alien.
But all these aliens... they didn't look like soldiers. She was pretty sure some of them were even children. Others appeared older- senior citizens, maybe. They definitely didn't seem like any kind of invading force.
Sure, maybe there were soldiers inside this Castle of Lions- it was big enough that it looked like it could have held a few units. But somehow, she didn't get the picture that these Alteans were here to invade.
They just looked like they were hiding.
Maybe Iverson was right to send her. Frowning, Veronica fixed her gaze in front of her. Krolia lead them all into some kind of pod, one that would presumably take them up into this Castle of Lions. She shifted on her feet, counting the seconds it took for the pod to dock.
When the doors opened, someone was waiting to greet them.
Oh. Suddenly she understood Lance's terrible pun.
"Welcome," the young woman spoke, holding herself with the kind of grace and dignity that Veronica didn't even know was possible, "-I am Princess Allura, of the planet Altea."
Based on her initial greeting, she'd expected something more hostile. But if this princess bore any strong feelings towards the Garrison, she was keeping them well hidden.
Shaking off her stupor, Veronica squared her shoulders. "Veronica McClain. I'm an analyst with the Galaxy Garrison."
"And Lance's sister, I hear." Allura remarked, her expression sobering. "I must apologize. Whatever our reasons, we have caused you and your family unnecessary grief. I can assure you that he has been well taken care of here."
She hadn't exactly expected an apology, especially not one that sounded so sincere. Either this princess was an excellent actress, or she meant every word that she said. Somehow, she felt it was the latter.
"Knowing Lance, I'm sure he did something stupid." Veronica quipped.
"Hey!" Lance protested. "I'll have you know I had a very good reason for coming here."
"Lance, you got jealous because you saw Keith with a pretty girl." Hunk pointed out. Veronica had to fight back the urge to snort. Because yeah- that sounded a lot like her brother. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done something dumb because of a pretty girl, and given that he had a few years left until adulthood, she suspected it wouldn't be the last, either.
(Not that she hadn't done dumb things because of pretty girls at his age. She had. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.)
"Yeah, well, I didn't hear you try to talk me out of it." Lance pointed out.
"Uh, yeah, I did." Hunk said. "Like, several times."
Lance just glared at Hunk. "Whose side are you on anyways?"
Clearing her throat for a second time, Krolia once again refocused attention on her. "She claims to have been sent by a member of the Galaxy Garrison's upper command."
"It's not just a claim." Veronica stated. "Commander Iverson has noticed... inconsistencies in the information the Galra Empire has given the Galaxy Garrison."
"So he wishes to hear from the other side?" Allura frowned- and for a second she almost seemed disappointed. "Very well. Since you have come all this way, you have our full, undivided attention."
"I suggest we relocate to the bridge." Krolia said.
Allura nodded. "Agreed. Coran is already waiting for me there. Romelle, do you think you could fetch Shiro and the Holts? That is, if Katie is finished installing that cloaking device. Ulaz should be with them, if he is finished with Ezor."
"Of course." Romelle said. "Where exactly is Shiro, though?"
"I believe he should be on the training deck." Allura replied. "If you can find Adam as well, that would be a great help."
Adam? Veronica blinked. She didn't mean Adam Warner, did she? Glancing towards Lance, he just shrugged. Come to think of it, he hadn't shown up for work today. She knew he'd been on close terms with Keith back when he was at the Garrison, but she thought that was just because of his relationship with Shiro.
Romelle peeled off from the group, and Allura turned back towards her, a diplomatic smile on her face, one that showed a fair bit of strain. "Come. I will show you to the bridge."
"Us too?" Hunk asked.
Allura blinked, looking towards him. "If you wish."
"Uh..." Hunk hesitated for a moment, before firmly nodding. "Yeah, I guess I do. Lance?"
"Yeah, you can count me in too." Lance said.
With that settled, they made their way through the Castle. She wished she had a little more time to appreciate the fact that she was inside an alien spaceship, but even though the princess was going through lengths to conceal it, she could still sense an air of urgency. She already knew part of the reason why- by now, Admiral Sanda had probably already traded Keith to Prince Lotor.
She also knew that there was a high chance that Prince Lotor was holding Colleen Holt hostage. She'd been stunned when she heard that, but not as stunned as she had been when she'd learned that the crew of the Kerberos mission were meant to have been traded off to the Galra Empire. Presumably, it was in exchange for Earth's continued security, but the actions of their prince cast a shadow of doubt over that claim.
Even if the claim was honest, it still wouldn't have been a fair trade. Not if those involved didn't know about it.
Still, she did take a moment once they arrived on the bridge to marvel at it- especially the crystal that hung down from the ceiling. This place was almost more of a work of art than it was a spaceship. Guess that was what happened when you had mastered space travel- you could start worrying less about function, and more about form.
"Ah, princess!" A man with an orange mustache greeted them- Coran, she was assuming. "I see you brought our guest."
"That I have." Allura gave him a warm smile. "Coran, this is Veronica. Veronica, this is Coran. He is my father's most trusted advisor."
"Always a pleasure to meet one of the locals." Coran remarked. "Though I do wish it could be under better circumstances. Ones that involve substantially less kidnapping."
Veronica just arched her brows. Well, at least they were aware of it.
"Now, while we are waiting for the others, I must ask- what is it that the Garrison actually told you about us?" Allura inquired.
"Me?" Veronica asked. "The Garrison didn't tell me anything about you. The first I heard that they were dealing with aliens was from Commander Iverson this morning."
"Oh." Allura frowned. Well, in that case, what did this... Commander Iverson tell you?"
"Well," Veronica began, her gaze briefly darting towards Lance before it returned to the princess, "-he told me that the Galaxy Garrison had been contacted by aliens a little over two years ago. They called themselves the Galra, and said that they were searching for something- and someone."
"I would assume that someone would be me." Allura observed.
"Right." Veronica nodded. "He said that they claimed that they were involved in a war with aliens known as Alteans. They... didn't exactly give a very glowing picture of you."
Allura didn't look the least bit fazed. "I would imagine not."
"Commander Iverson went along with Admiral Sanda's orders for the most part, but recent events have convinced him that the Galra Empire might not be on the level." Veronica said. "So he sent me here, in hopes of establishing contact with you and your people."
Again, Allura frowned. "So he has no information on Keith?"
Veronica shook her head. "They're planning on trading him to someone called Prince Lotor. The exchange may have already been made."
Krolia spat out what she was pretty sure was a swear. "He asks us to trust him, but will not act against his superiors?"
"From the sound of it, he doesn't exactly have a choice." Veronica said. "She keeps them out of the public eye, but apparently the admiral accepted the prince's generous offer of several sentries to help with base security. Your son left quite the impression."
"So... you're saying Lotor's basically holding the entire Garrison hostage?" Hunk asked.
"That does complicate things." Allura admitted.
"There were definitely sentries there when I broke in with Keith." A new voice confirmed. Turning on her heel, she took note of the three newcomers- two she recognized as being Katie and Matthew Holt, who had reportedly gone missing two weeks ago, and someone that she definitely didn't recognize beyond his armor- another Blade, from the look of it.
Maybe this was Ulaz. The princess had mentioned something about him being with the Holt siblings. He was tall, taller still than Regris- another Galra, she guessed.
"In which case, we will need to disable the sentries, which could prove a problem." The Blade stated. "Regris and I are both familiar with remotely disabling them, but we may be needed elsewhere."
Allura gave him a curt nod of her head. "Ulaz is correct. If we are to stand any chance of taking down the lunar base, then we will need the Blade of Marmora on our side."
"You could teach me." Katie offered.
"Wait," Veronica cut in before they could get any further, "-taking down the lunar base? What's that supposed to mean?"
Allura frowned. "Did Commander Iverson not include that in his briefing?"
"I- he mentioned that Prince Lotor was using it as a base, but-" Veronica cut herself off, shaking her head. "Look, all I was sent here to do was establish a secure, direct link between you and the Commander. He didn't exactly tell me everything. We didn't have the time."
"Then let's establish that link."
Another new voice, but this time, one that was more recognizable. Turning to look behind her, she confirmed it- entering the bridge was none other than Takashi Shirogane- and with him, alongside Romelle, was Adam Warner.
Guess she had meant that Adam.
Adam stared at her. "Veronica?"
"Adam?" She asked. "Why are you even here?"
"Adam's been spying on the Garrison." Matt supplied.
"Wait," Veronica frowned, narrowing her eyes, "-you've been spying on the Garrison? For them? Do you mean that you've known where Lance has been this entire time, and you just didn't say anything?"
Adam, to his credit, flinched, taking half a step back. "I couldn't exactly-"
"We can discuss that later." Krolia cut in. "If you're here to establish contact, then let's not waste time."
Turning back to look towards Krolia, she watched as Commander Kogane rested a hand on her shoulder. They exchanged a look between them, dashing away any doubts that she might have had that this was Keith's mom.
Okay. That was a thing, then.
Pausing to glance back towards Adam for a brief second, she quickly fixed her attention back on Krolia. "In that case, I'm going to need the transmitter you confiscated from me."
Krolia considered it, before giving her a curt nod of her head. "Regris. Give her the transmitter."
The Blade named Regris complied, retrieving the transmitter that had been taken her when she first arrived. Not for the first time, she noticed the way he towered over her even as he pressed the transmitter carefully into her hands, seemingly mindful of his claws.
"Thank you." Veronica said, curling her fingers around it.
"Krolia is only so curt with you because she is concerned." Regris informed her. "Let us hope this commander of yours can see sense."
He didn't give her a chance to say anything back, because he left her side to return to Krolia's. Ulaz had joined them, the trio of Blades flanking together, Commander Kogane remaining the only human among them. She guessed he must have spent considerable time with them, if he'd really raised his son in space.
"Hold on a tick before you get started," Coran piped up, "-we just need to make sure this link of yours is really secure."
Veronica merely frowned, but held out the transmitter, allowing Coran to scan it. She couldn't read what his monitor displayed, but whatever it was, it was apparently enough to satisfy him.
"Alright then, everything seems to check out." Coran said. "Princess?"
Allura nodded. "Begin the transmission."
Taking a breath, Veronica booted up the transmitter. A few awkward minutes of no response went by, before a screen flickered to life, Iverson's one eyed visage appearing on it. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, the image flickered. For a second she wondered if something had gone wrong, but no sooner than had she thought that, did Iverson's image appear in full, on the bridge's main monitor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Coran twirling his mustache. Ah. His handiwork, then.
For his part, Iverson merely blinked. She could only imagine what it had looked like from his end. Still, he sought her out among the crowd. "Officer McClain."
"Sir." She saluted, half on instinct. "As requested, I've established contact with the Alteans."
"I can see that." Iverson stated, his gaze drifting towards Allura. "I assume you're Princess Allura."
Allura stood tall, her back almost impossibly straight. "I am."
"I'm sure Officer McClain has already mentioned it, but I'm Commander Iverson. I'm part of the upper chain of command at this Garrison base." Iverson said. "Although my actions are, for the moment, completely off the record and against orders."
"So we have been lead to believe." Allura stated. "Officer McClain has briefed us on the situation."
"That makes things simple, then." Iverson said, before his gaze darted to the side a bit. He seemed to blink in surprise. "Kogane?"
Commander Kogane merely gave him a lazy salute. "Iverson. See you never got that eye fixed."
"Well I'll be." Iverson almost chuckled. "Guess you really are in on all of this."
"You always said I ought to find a pretty girl to settle down with." Commander Kogane shrugged, before resting a hand on Krolia's shoulder. For a split second, she swore that the Galra actually blushed. "Reckon I just did what you told me to."
For a split second, Iverson looked like he almost wanted to dispute that, before he seemed to remember he was on more or less an official call. Clearing his throat, he fixed his gaze back on Princess Allura. "I was able to speak with Cadet- no, with Keith, before he was handed over to Prince Lotor. So was the admiral."
"He told us both that Prince Lotor engaged in the abduction of Colleen Holt," Iverson continued, "-and that he was using her to try and force a trade."
"Your information is correct." Allura stated. "If you need proof, we have the recording that he sent us."
"So the Garrison really didn't know that Lotor kidnapped my mom?" Katie asked.
Iverson blinked, glancing down towards Katie, seemingly surprised to see her there- and with her brother and former Lieutenant Shirogane, at that. "No." He stated. "We had no involvement with that."
"How do we know this isn't some kind of trick?" Katie pressed. "Maybe this is all part of Lotor's plot."
"Katie," Shiro warned her, "-lets hear him out first."
That silenced her, but she didn't seem happy about it, tightly folding her arms in front of her. Shiro just offered a weak smile up towards Iverson. "Commander. It's been awhile."
"Shirogane." Iverson stated. "Arm's new."
Blinking, Veronica looked in his direction. Huh. She hadn't even noticed the prosthetic arm. She'd heard that he'd lost his arm during the Kerberos disaster, but when he had walked in here with two, she just assumed she'd heard wrong. Guess not.
Grinning, Shiro clenched his right fist. "A gift, from the princess and the Blade of Marmora."
Taking that as her cue, Krolia stepped forward. "Commander Iverson. I am Krolia, of the Blade of Marmora. You claimed that the Garrison handed Keith over to Prince Lotor. Is that correct?"
Iverson eyed her warily, clearly connecting the dots. "I'm afraid so. I apologize, but I was unable to do anything to assist your... son."
"Then assist us now." Shiro said. "We already know that Prince Lotor is hiding out on the Garrison's decommissioned lunar base. We also have reason to believe that's where Colleen is being held."
"Before this discussion goes any further," Allura interjected, "-we need to know if we can trust you."
Iverson considered her words. "Cadet Kogane also informed me that Lotor is aware of your location."
"That is correct." Ulaz said. "He sent one of his generals to raid our base. That is how we came to learn that he had abducted Colleen Holt."
Iverson narrowed his eyes. "I see the missing cadets are with you."
Glancing back towards her brother and Hunk, who had both been largely silent until now, she watched as they exchanged nervous glances.
"Yeah, yeah," Hunk said, nervously bobbing his head, "-we're here. Just a bit of a mishap really. See, Lance saw Keith when we were over in the west town on a dare, and-"
"He doesn't need to know all that Hunk." Lance cut him off.
"I mean, I just thought if he knew how we ended up here, then..." Hunk trailed off, his shoulders slumping a bit under Lance's glare. "Okay, right. You're right."
"Yes, I must apologize. I am afraid that Keith made a bit of an error in judgement that lead to their internment here." Allura stated. "But I can assure you, we have been looking after your cadets quite well since they have joined us."
"This true?" Iverson asked.
Lance shrugged. "I mean... yeah, I guess. Other than the fact that we can't leave and that I've had to look at Keith's ugly mullet every day, I've got no real complaints. Even got to meet some cool alien chicks."
He winked at Allura as he said that, who merely stared at him blankly, before clearing her throat, returning her attention back towards Iverson. "I suppose our own actions have not exactly leant themselves much towards building a trusting relationship, but I can assure you that when we arrived here, we had no intentions of putting your planet or your people in danger."
"But there is no changing the fact that we have," Allura continued, "-and for that, I am truly sorry. But if you are willing to work with us, I believe that not only can we keep your planet safe, but that we can also end this war, once and for all."
Iverson considered her words. "Kogane always had a good nose, back at the Garrison. I don't think he'd be working with you folks if he didn't believe you were on the right side of things. Definitely wouldn't have married one."
(Veronica swore she heard Regris mutter something to the tune of but he has a terrible sense of smell underneath his breath. She had to fight the urge to laugh.)
"You can trust the princess and the Blade of Marmora, Iverson." Kogane said. "You won't regret it."
Iverson merely heaved a sigh. "Guess I'll just have to take your word on it then."
"So then we have an agreement?" Allura asked.
"We do." Iverson stated. "But I'll be frank with you. My ability to assist you is limited."
"Can you get us the blueprints and the access codes to the old lunar base?" Adam asked.
Iverson arched his brows. "That I can get you."
Allura smiled, her expression set in one of cold determination. "Then that is all we'll need."
The discussion continued for at least an hour. Iverson agreed to send them the files that they would need, and Allura promised that they would do something about the sentries still stationed around the Garrison. She learned that even prior to her arrival, they had planned to sneak onto the lunar base in order to free Lotor's hostages, and with any luck, to kill the prince.
The blueprints Iverson sent them would make that more than possible.
Once the transmission with Iverson ended, Allura had excused both her and her brother, along with Hunk. She suspected it was probably just because they wanted to reduce the number of people who knew the exact plan for the base raid, but she didn't mind. She hadn't seen her brother for three weeks- she wasn't about to miss out on catching up with him now that she had the chance.
Especially since she would have to leave before the sun rose. There had been some debate about that- Krolia had wanted to keep her here, but Iverson pointed out that if she didn't return to work tomorrow, it would only arouse suspicion. Eventually, his argument had won out.
"I wish you could come back with me." Veronica said, staring down at Lance. Hunk had graciously bowed out, giving the two of them some much needed time alone.
"I wish I could too." Lance told her. "But you heard Allura."
"No tipping our hand?" Veronica asked. "I know. But I still wish that you could come home. Everyone's worried sick about you."
"Well, look on the bright side." Lance said. "At least I shouldn't be here too much longer."
"That's true." Veronica said, ruffling his hair. "But you have to promise me that you'll be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Lance frowned. "I should be the one telling you that. You're the one who's about to put herself in danger."
"That's sweet," Veronica said, "-but I'll be fine. I've come this far, so I'm not about to back out now."
"Yeah, I know." Lance said. "I just wish there was something more that I could do. Right now I just feel like extra baggage... which I guess I am, since you know, I'm not actually supposed to be here right now."
"And I hope this has taught you a lesson about following people." Veronica said, before giving her brother a soft smile. "But trust me Lance, you're not extra baggage. Sometimes we just run into situations where there's not much we can do. That doesn't mean we're useless."
"Yeah, I guess." Lance said. "It just sucks that there's this whole big war out there and the only thing I can do is just sit around."
Heaving a sigh, Veronica bit back a comment that she would rather have him sit around than stick his neck out for a war he had nothing to do with. He probably knew that already. "Your time will come, baby brother. Sometimes you just have to be patient."
Lance still looked unconvinced, but at least he smiled at her. "Are you sure you have to go? I don't like the idea of you having to go back to the Garrison. It's not safe there."
"Like I said, I'll be fine." Veronica promised him. "And we'll see each other again soon. Especially if these Blade guys are half as good as they're supposed to be."
"Ugh, don't get me started." Lance rolled his eyes. "Keith told me that if I could get even a single hit on him, he'd let me go home. Guess what I couldn't do?"
She might not know Keith that well- or at all, really- but she was pretty sure he'd only made that promise because he as damn sure Lance never could. "I'll just take that as a good thing. The faster they can take care of this Prince Lotor, the faster you and Hunk can come home. I just wish I could tell everyone that."
She knew her mother had been in frequent contact with Hunk's mother. It killed her a little inside to know that she couldn't tell them both that their kids were okay, and that with any luck, they both would be home soon.
But also... just in case things went wrong, she didn't want to give anyone false hope. If there was one thing that she had grasped from all this, it was that there was a massive danger looming over not just the Garrison and the Castle of Lions, but over all of Earth. Even if they dealt with Prince Lotor, from the sound of it, there was still the Empress to deal with- and she couldn't imagine she'd be too happy about her son being killed.
And also... there seemed to be some kind of weird tension to the room, whenever Keith was brought up. But nobody was willing to talk about it.
Maybe they were just worried because he was in the enemy's hands. She would be too, if she were in their shoes.
She didn't dwell on it long. Not when Lance was the one who initiated the hug this time.
Smiling down at her brother, Veronica buried her head in his hair, returning the embrace. "You take care of yourself, baby brother."
"You too, Veronica." Lance said. "And stop calling me your baby brother already."
"I'll stop calling you that when you stop being my baby brother." Veronica told him.
"Yeah?" Lance asked. "And when will that be?"
"Never."
Watching Veronica go was hard. He'd admit that. Turning around to find Romelle way too into his personal space? Even if you pressed him, he wouldn't admit that he'd yelped.
"Why are you screaming?" Romelle frowned. "Anyways, it doesn't matter. I think I know a way we can find our spy."
Opening his mouth to say that it very much did matter, Lance quickly shut it. "I'm listening."
Romelle just beamed. "How are your feelings towards being bait?"