Title: It wasn't you

Rating: T

Chapter 25

From Heart of the Lion

Veronica pulled the vehicle up to the particle barrier. There was a squad waiting for her, weapons aimed at the vehicle.

"Hey, it's just me. Didn't Lance let you know I was coming?" She raised her arms as she stepped out.

"Yes, ma'am, but we had to be sure. We are to escort you to the control room upon your arrival." One of the soldiers responded.

"Okay," Veronica activated the cuff on her arm that allowed her to pass through the particle barrier. Commander Holt was a genius, she thought fondly. The older man had been very supportive of her throughout her career, until he had disappeared and then when he had returned, he'd been the support she needed again, finding out about Lance and the war.

The base seemed tense, like it always did during a major mission, but she couldn't help the worry building in her as she moved across the base. This tension was dark, negative, things were not going well. Given her insight she shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to see the battle stats on the screen.

"Veronica? Are you okay?" Commander Holt rushed over to her.

"Yeah, I'm good." She peered over his shoulder, why were there so many fighters around the cannons?

"Good, we need you." His eyes dark and serious. "Get checked by the medic and changed. I had your uniform brought over." He gestured to a young man waiting by the door. A loud yell from Hunk echoed in the room. "Hurry."

When Veronica returned the scene had gotten worse. She rushed to her station. There were too many, the Lions were dealing massive damage to the enemy, but the enemy just kept coming. They were not going to make it through to the cannons. The MFE's weren't going much better, though their size and maneuverability seemed to mean they were taking fewer hits, a good thing since their defenses were not as strong.

The cannons launched. It was clear to everyone fighting and everyone in the room that they had been betrayed. The MFEs were coming home and the Lions were going after Sendak. Lance was going after Sendak. Veronica could feel herself holding her breath as Voltron broke through the atmosphere, but she couldn't make herself breathe. Then she saw it, the energy build-up, the blasts, all in a blink of an eye, too fast to even scream a warning.

The screams shook her to her core. Were they dead? No, the readings still indicated life, but no response, nothing. She looked back at Shiro. His face was devastated, she feared he would fall over, but as quick as she had seen it - it was gone. His face only registered determination now. She remembered what he had been through, what Commander Holt had told them and what Lance had told her. She decided he might be the single strongest human being she had ever had the honor of meeting. Commander Holt stood at his side, two tears running down his grim face. Coran's serious expression was so at odds with the man she had come to know through Lance's stories. She wondered what her face looked like right now.

The lions were being pulled in with a tractor beam. The paladins were in the hands of the enemy.

From Trial by Fire

"I recognize you." Sendak's voice echoed in the docking bay where the paladins were being dragged from their lions and thrown onto the floor.

"Are you sure? I have a very common face." Lance tried.

"You were quieter before, I liked that better. I believe I owe you pain." Sendak towered over him.

Lance couldn't move, his body still not cooperating from the painful blast of the cannons, not to mention the battle and wreck from before. So, when Sendak raised his foot to bring it down on him, there wasn't much he could do about it other than wait. The booted foot slammed into his back slamming his chest and head into the floor and knocking him about again.

"Lance?"

"I don't know Mami, but we need to get you guys onto the Atlas. Everyone." Veronica was hurrying them out the door of their building. All around them families were scrambling to board the Atlas. No one would be left behind at the base.

"Come on, dear, let's make sure we haven't forgotten anything." Papi grabbed Mami's shoulders and led her back through the apartment. Veronica could see her shoulders shaking as the sobs threatened to break through, she took a deep breath.

"We have everyone loaded in the transport Veronica." Luis wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You're doing good. She'll be okay."

"I wish I could do more. I wish I knew more."

"We'll just all have to go up there and get him back again." Luis reassured calmly.

"Just like that?" Veronica turned to stare at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Why not? There is nothing that is going to keep this family apart for long. Haven't we proven that?" He met her eyes carefully and waited for her to nod. "Good then, let's be ready for them when they leave. Mami will probably make Papi lock up." A smirk rested on his lips at the comment.

"You're right." Veronica sighed.

"Aren't I always?"

Colleen and Bae Bae made their way through the crowds. Her suitcase was clutched in one hand. It was huge, but she had shoved in everything she could for Sam and Katie as well. Her other hand clutched Bae Bae's leash. The soldiers at the first checkpoint had suggested she leave him behind. She had glared holes into him and firmly let him know that no one was being left behind - not this time. This time she was going with them and it filled her with such purpose and strength. She knew things were bad right now. She knew where Katie was, but it didn't matter. This time she was going to be there to help and she wasn't going to let anything happen to her daughter or her husband. Hell, the way she felt right now, when Matt got home, she was going to join his rebels and go look after him too.

"Fuck!" Lance slammed his fist into the wall. Sanda betrayed them and they were stuck. Stuck on Sendak's ship, not able to do anything but sit and wait for their world to be destroyed.

"Lance?" Pidge called from the other side of the wall.

"We need to get out of here. We can't let this just happen!" Lance knew he was freaking out, but he couldn't stop it. He staggered to his feet and rammed himself into the door. He blinked back stars, but of course the metal door did not budge.

"Lance, stop." Pidge sounding more concerned.

Lance took a few steps back and ran at the door again, crashing into it even harder. His breath was coming in gasps now combining with the pain to take his vision away, whiting out till all he saw was the door.

"Lance!" Hunk tried.

He ran at the door again, colliding with a thud.

"Lance!" Keith yelled.

"NO!" He staggered back up and took a few steps back. "NO!" His voice was too high and shook and his breath whistled as his breath came too fast, too shallow. He rammed the door again.

"Lance! STOP! Please stop!" Allura this time.

"Lance, breath, Hermano. Breath with me. Come on. Breathe in…hold it…. breathe out." Hunk couldn't see him and was just hoping he was going along.

Lance was trying to breath with him, if only because he couldn't seem to get up off the floor. He listened as Hunk led him through the breathing exercise. Soon his vision returned to normal and tears he hadn't even noticed falling slowed to a trickle.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, but Pidge could hear him.

"You don't have to be sorry, Lance. This sucks." Pidge offered from her cell; her voice rough with tears of her own.

"Lance, we are going to get out of here. We are going to figure this out. Guys, we just need to focus. We will find the answer." Keith's calm reassurance filled them. Keith smiled when Hunk spoke up. They were getting out of here.

"Romelle?"

"Oh, hello, Coleen, right?" Romelle quickly wiped tears from her eyes and looked up at the older woman standing in the doorway to her room on the Atlas. "I, um, I guess I was expecting Coran, because why would anyone else come?" She put on a brave little smile and Coleen's motherly heart melted.

"My dear," She smiled and placed a hand on her face. "You have people who care."

"Oh," Romelle sniffled and more tears fell. "Did you, I mean why did you come?"

"I have something I wanted to share." She pulled a small metal device out of her pocket. "Sam gave it to me, now it is a secret." Coleen raised one eyebrow at Romelle.

"Oh, I can keep a secret." She promised, eyes lighting with interest.

"This lets me listen in on the bridge. In fact, I just heard that the Paladins have managed to activate their lions from inside Sendak's ship and are using them to join the fight." She smiled as the girl clutched at her hands.

"They're alive?!" She beamed. "I was so afraid."

"I know, me too, and I wondered if you would like to join me, while I listen in? You'll be able to hear Coran as well?"

"Oh, please come in." Romelle hurried her into the room. Peering out into the hall as if to be sure no one noticed, before securing the door and practically pulling Colleen into the sitting area. Colleen smiled; she had made the right decision. She had worried the other girl would be nervous or upset listening to the transmission, but it turns out that she also strongly wanted to be a part of what was going on and if today they couldn't fight, well at least they could listen in and offer their support.

"Lance, you sure you're okay?" Keith grabbed his arm as they were making their way out the impromptu door Black had made.

"I'll be fine." Lance gave him one heck of a fake smile.

"I know you can do this, but please, be honest with me." Keith met his eyes not buying it for a minute.

"My head hurts and I feel like I've been wrung out, but we all took that hit, so I'm thinking we all feel that." Lance sighed. "My shoulder hurts, because I'm an idiot who thinks he can knock down a metal door and I think Sendak left a boot print on my back, that a good enough run down?" Lance's lips smirked at his leader.

"Thank you." Keith nodded. He'd have to get the specifics on the boot print later, but at least Lance seemed to be giving an honest account.

"Now, let's get back to saving the Earth?" Lance jumped through the hole and Keith watched as Red scooped him up midair.

"Let's." He smiled as he jumped.

From Lion's Pride

"Shiro? Be careful?" Coran offered as Shiro moved off the bridge.

"I will Coran, feels like we owe Sendak a poisoned crystal." He smiled as he turned to leave.

"That we do." Coran turned back to the battle at hand. It was different overseeing the ship, when he wasn't alone.

"Sir?" The young man that had taken his position asked, Curtis was the name Coran came up with.

"Move into position, when those panels break, we need to protect Earth." Coran nodded to the young man who gave him a smile and a nod back.

Coran stood straighter and nodded to the rest of the crew. It wasn't just Shiro and the Paladins depending on him today, it was an entire crew and a planet below. He could do this. He could do anything for them.

"Readings indicate the beast is generating power?" Veronica called from her station.

"No, Quiznak." Coran confirmed.

"What is it? Is it not down?" Shiro turned to Coran.

"It's a self-destruct. A powerful one. The blast alone will destroy most of your planet, the dust cloud will envelop the rest." Coran's voice was solemn.

"How long?! Where is my power?"

"Less than five minutes," from Veronica.

"Power will be at least another twenty minutes," from Commander Holt.

"Wait. The lions!" Veronica pointed to the view screen. The lions were moving, picking up the beast, rising out of the atmosphere.

"Can they do it?" Shiro asked.

"At their current rate of speed? Yes, they will be able to get the blast far enough away to save the planet." Veronica's voice shook.

"But not clear the blast radius themselves," Coran finished his own voice rough.

"No." Colleen clung to Romelle as the young girl wept in her arms. "No." Her body shook with fear. They couldn't come so far and do so much to lose now. It wasn't right. She couldn't lose Katie now.

"Lance." Veronica reached out like she could catch the falling lions, tears streaming down her face.

***
Coran moved to stand by Shiro. His hand resting on the other's shoulder. Shiro placed his hand over Coran's each drawing strength from the other.

"They are strong." Shiro stated.

"The lions will protect them." Coran added.