"Hey, boys!" Pidge stuck her head into the lounge where the others were talking. They looked, even Paxix, like they were really trying to get to know Jrida.
"Lance wants you boys out in your lions," Pidge said when she had all their attention.
"Right."
They stood and waited for Jrida to as well. But the older galra was looking at Pidge.
"Jrida and I will do some special training," Pidge added, "Hurry up."
When the boys left Pidge entered and took a seat opposite her successor. They sat in silence for a while and Pidge picked at some dirt under her nails.
"What is the training?" Jrida asked after she could no longer handle the silence.
"First I want you to know that we know," Pidge said looking up at the galras eyes and locking them there, "we've been betrayed enough to know a potential threat when it faces us."
Jrida just barely kept from flinching.
Pidge continued, "but the green lion chose you for a reason. You must be very intelligent and flexible, or else you would never have been chosen, but you see, we need you on our side."
Jrida snorted, "and I need to get home."
"We need to trust you."
"I need to find a job."
"We need you to fight."
"I have no wish to fight," Jrida sighed and held up her hand to stop Pidges next words, "they young one is protected by law and can't be killed, but I am an adult. If I'm found for treason, I will be killed immediately. My parents will be killed and the rest of my family. We are loyal to the empire, end of discussion."
Pidge nodded, "good. You should be loyal to your empire."
Jrida scowled, she wasn't expecting that.
"But its your emperor that we have an issue with. Lotor has done nothing but take lives and ruin others. Don't you think its not right that you have to follow one path your whole life? Wouldn't you like to live in an empire that lives along side others and not just dominates everyone?"
"If the stories are true, Voltron put Lotor on the throne in the first place."
"and I told you that we've been betrayed. This is also kind of a personal…vendetta we have against Lotor, but for you, it can be as simple as just wanting the right to do whatever you want."
"I can already do whatever I want," Jrida snapped, "I just went exploring on my own, on a whim!"
"you said you needed a job, though?"
"that's different," Jrida sighed, "order is key to a functional society."
"I agree," Pidge smiled, "but I also believe that too much regulation stifles imagination. Have you ever felt that if you were given just a little bit more room, you could create something SO much better than what already exists?"
The Galras jaw dropped a little, and she closed it quickly.
"So what?"
"Soooo," Pidge prompted, "tell us that you will fight with us. Fight for the right to invent and create things to better the lives of others! That's what your intelligence is supposed to be used for anyway. We all made from the same stuff, so why should we not help each other with all our talents?"
()
"Hunk, if you don't stop pacing, I'm going to freak out," Lance said languidly. He sat on the dais on the bridge of the Atlas as he and hunk waited for Pidges update. Either she had hope that Jrida would come around or they would have to come up with a way to erase the galras memories and find a new green paladin.
Hunks body may have changed, but he was still a worrier. Lance was actually happy to see that his friends hadn't changed too much.
"How long are they going to talk?" Hunk asked, wringing his hands slightly.
"They're girls, Hunk, they'll talk till the cows come home and then some. The trick is to just wait, because there is no trick."
"That something your dad would say?"
"Grandpa, actually," Lance grinned, "then grandma would roll her eyes…"
Hunk sat next to Lance and sighed, "Its strange…it doesn't feel like so much time has passed, yet we all know so much of it is gone. I wonder why I can still remember my family at all…"
"Mm," Lance agreed.
"Lance?"
"Yeah?"
"You never did finish that story about whats-her-name and your family history.-"
Lance groaned loudly, "Gads, YOU still remember? Wait, look who I'm talking to, of COURSE you do."
"Hey, if we're waiting, we might as well."
"You say 'we' so lightly," Lance narrowed his eyes at hunk, "I'm doing most of the talking!"
"Which you love to do," Hunk grinned, "You should thank me."
Lance laughed in spite of himself, "Yes, you're right, thank you."
"You're welcome. Now tell me the story."
()
Gwenilin had one child: Raymond.
The child was quick to pick up his motor skills and was able to speak from an unnaturally young age. But This all happened out of sight of the other villagers and inside the small home Gwen and the fey had built for themselves. Raymond was christened well after he knew how to walk and in secret at a church in another town.
As the boy grew older it became more and more apparent that this wasn't a normal human. His features were too sharp, his eyes not a natural color, and under one eye was a suspicious mark. This mark was the same as his fathers and was clearly a mark of fey blood. If the church found out about it they would kill the child.
Out of fear, Gwen had the boy wear the star at all times for protection and told him to never take it off.
The real story comes when Raymond was older and left home for the first time, and without his parents permission. Because he looked different, they urged him to stay out of sight of the other villagers until he was able to hide the marks like his father could.
The moment he learned how, he left the house and traveled without a word. Gwen was devastated and the Fey left to look for their son.
Raymond, however, was having the time of his life. It was clear to anyone that he was a sheltered boy, and he lost all his money his first time in a town. But that did not damper his spirit. His mother had told him everything would always work out if he had the star with him, so that's what he believed. He slept out in the cold, and in the weather. But never once lost his excitement at being able to see new things.
Then he came across a barons strong hold. The town nearby was well enough and bustling. Having no money, he simply liked to walk around and observe the people. He stopped to talk to the merchants selling their wares, but the moment they realized he was penniless, they stopped talking to him.
He had never seen a building as large as the barons manor and he wanted a closer look. But was turned away by a gate and soldiers, but not before he caught sight of a very beautiful woman walking across the compound. He smiled at her, and she looked away as if she hadn't seen him.
That intrigued him. Usually people smiled back at him, but she didn't. Why?
Somehow, he managed to find work as a servant in the barons manor all to see the woman on a daily basis.
"Oh my gosh," Hunk interrupted, "you ARE related!"
"Stuff it," Lance snapped and continued:
All he wanted was for the woman to smile back and acknowledge his greeting.
Little did he know that the woman was a noble related to royalty. She may have been a bastard child, but because illness and the like normally killed successors off like flies, a wise ruler never got rid of successors willy-nilly.
She had been raised as a lady of station and would never lower herself to the level of a servant.
Until the barony was attacked. During one of the many wars between Ireland and England, the barony was burned down. Raymond saved the Lady, whose name was Gallia, and told her that he would keep her safe. She didn't believe him at first, but soon realized he was as good of a fighter as her own personal guard, if not, better.
She asked him where he learned to fight and he told her about all the lessons he'd learned from his parents. How his father had taught him to fight and about the plants in the forest. How his mother had taught him how to work hard and how to treat a lady.
As Raymond was traveling with Gallia to take her to a different barony where she had relatives, they ran into the fay, Raymonds father.
The fey was furious and demanded that Raymond return home to his mother. Raymond argued back, telling his father of his mission to see Gallia safely to her destination.
The fey looked the now comely lade up and down and reluctantly agreed she could not live on her own. But he joined them and set a much faster pace than they had previously been traveling at. This and other things cause a lot of arguments between Raymond and his father.
Having enough, Gallia join in the argument and made both of them quiet down. Raymond had shown nothing but love and respect as he'd told her about his parents, and she recognized the love a father had for his son in his angry words. And she pointed it out to them, only to be scoffed at.
But they did stop arguing.
()
"ALL DONE!" Pidge burst onto the bridge with Jrida. The Galra looked suitably ashamed.
"So what's the verdict?" Lance asked without missing a beat. Hunk scowled.
"Jrida?"
"…was I really that obvious?" she asked.
"Painfully so," Hunk and Lance said in unison.
"Fine," Jrida sighed, "but only if you promise that it will turn out exactly as you say," she pointed at pidge, "I want the empire you spelled out for me, no more, no less."
"Oh, there's always more," Pidge shrugged, "and things do tend to go wrong. Try and keep an open mind."
"Tisk," Jrida sneered, "what's the point then?"
Pidge sighed.
"The point," Hunk cut in, "is that you have a chance to fight for the empire you want to build. It may not happen, but it definitely wont if you don't do anything."
"Unlike Lotor, if you decide to not do it, we'll just send you back to whatever planet you want," Lance sighed, "no doubt you'll tattle on us and all that jaz, but I wouldn't put it past Lotor or his cohorts to torture you first to make sure you know your place. I mean, that's what they did to Dot."
Jrida scowled, "The one named, Dot, is a child. Children are protected in the empire."
"Not if they're seen as useless or if they had contact with us, it seems."
"Children are protected."
"Not really."
Jrida swallowed hard, "I can't believe you."
"Don't have to," Lance shrugged, "Ask Dot."
The older Galra shook her head. It went against everything she knew and believed. There was a law that protected galra children under a specific age, and that young galra was surly that young. Even the emperor couldn't revoke that law, he had said so himself…
Jrida turned on her heal and left the bridge.
"I don't think you should've told her about Dot," Hunk said, "That's mean to Dot."
"She needs to know how even her own people are treated if they don't follow the masses," Lance said firmly, "As for Dot, I'll have to apologize to him later."
()
Jrida wondered around the ship until she heard the sounds of fighting.
"HoW?!"
"I was trained to protect my masters kids, that's how," Barkas deep voice floated down the hall.
That was another thing. How could a slave be loyal and fight against the empire all at the same time?!
"But-"
Thwack!
"Less talking, more training."
She came to the archway that lead to a large training area. Ko and Dot were doing physical training on the side while Barka and Paxix sparred.
The galra was upset enough, sparring was just the thing she wanted to do.
"Tag out," She said walking up to the human and snatching the practice staff from him in midswing. Paxix lost his balance and fell.
"What gives?" He glared up at her.
"I'll show you how it is done," she said, not taking her eyes off barka, "Your stance was off the entire time. Your footing was poor at best. And if you do not grip the staff lick so, your hands with get smashed."
Paxix looked from Jrida to Barka. Neither of them looked away from each other and he realized the fight had already started. Backing away slowly he made his way to Ko and Dot.
"What do you two think," Paxix asked, "Dot? Is interrupting a lesson normal?"
"Her age gives her authority," Dot said with a shrug, "She'll give Barka a level of respect because he's an adult, the three of us, not so much."
"What about you?" Ko asked, "Barka being a slave gives you a level above him, yes?"
Dot hemmed and hawed, "depends on what her views are. It seems she doesn't rely on class structure, so Barka being a slave doesn't mean much to her. Age does."
"You can tell this?"
"It was in her tone when she asked for my name and placement," Dot said with a shrug, "She talked down to me, not with me. She did not ask, she commanded."
"that why you looked like you were about to wet your pants?" Paxix ribbed.
"I was not," Dot blushed, horrified at the suggestion, "you should be quiet when people are sparring anyway."
"They haven't moved," Ko pointed out, but then they did.
They both attacked at the same time, exchanged a few blows, then backed off to assess each other some more.
"I don't know much," Paxix said quietly, "But I know enough to know that was pretty awesome."
Again they both attacked, Barka being pushed back, until he found better footing. He held his ground against Jridas onslaught of attacks.
"She's just whaling on him," Paxix frowned.
"She must be upset," Ko said, also frowning at the violent display.
"About what? Joining Voltron?"
"Be quiet," Dot hissed, "Its rude to talk-"
"YOU!" The three of them jumped. Jrida had stopped attacking Barka, who had been pushed outside the white line and therefore lost. Now she was pointing at Dot with her staff, "Take the slaves staff and face me!"
Dot glared at the other two as he moved to do as he was told.
But Barka held up his hand, stopping him, "Not if you're going to go at him the same way. His training is a little different than mine-"
"I had the same training he has," Jrida waved the concern away, "the teaching never changes. But since he's missing his last year of learning, I shall be the one to instruct him."
"I wasn't allowed to train with my peer group," Dot said, the heat in his face making him a much lighter shade of purple.
"why not?"
Dot didn't say. He had found a place with Voltron, but it still hurt to admit he'd been seen as useless.
"Never mind," she snapped, "I won't go easy on you, but I won't make any moves that you haven't learned yet."
Dot let himself sigh a little and earned an even deeper glare from Jrida. Stealing himself he held out a hand for Barkas staff. Barka reluctantly handed it over.
"Back out if you need to," He said and Dot actually laughed.