By the time Thace gets to the bridge to shut down the main power generator of the battle station, he feels lightheaded with loss of blood, and his vision starts to get blurry on the edges. Too much pain during the last two days must have messed with his mind, because he has to make effort to suppress the urge to scratch himself for no reason. He leans on the terminal for support and starts typing in the code. When the druids appear, he doesn't bother turning his head towards them. They don't matter anymore. Nothing matters now, when he is so close.
"You are too late," he hisses as he sends the code off. Finally, his deed is done and he doesn't have to hide anymore.
"No, Thace," one druid answers. " You are too late, we already changed the code!"
Panicking, Thace looks at the display and yes, it is blinking red. They surpassed him! He failed! Everything he hoped for is done for! The druids start off to him, but before they can reach him, a small figure cuts across them and throws a knife. The disgusting creature explodes from inside at the contact, and the blade falls down to the floor, rattling. Not just any blade. The Blade .
"Maybe we haven't yet lost!"
But there is no time to be surprised or celebrate, as the second druid already regained himself and sends a wave of dark quintessence at Thace. The lieutenant manages to dodge it, even if the movement sends a wave of scorching pain through his side. The intruder grabs his knife and attacks the druid, toppling him over, and Thace throws the enemy at the reactor. One second, one flash, and he is gone like his counterpart.
Thace exhales. Now what? The intruder does not let him think properly, though.
"I am Keith," he says, his voice edgy and a little too loud for Thace's ringing head. "The paladin of the red lion."
Shut up and let me think, Thace wants to say, but also: thank you .
"And a fellow Blade, as I see," he manages instead.
He is very young, a child still, but his eyes are those of a warrior. He is strained beyond imaginable, like a string that might break any instant. Not that it matters, though: Thace is too weak, too tired of physical and emotional pain, too desperate and hurt to be happy about meeting new people. He turns towards the terminal and starts examining it, barely listening to the boy talking to Kolivan. The terminal is a high-security one, Thace tries several codes and keys, but nothing works. Soldiers start shooting from the other side of the door. Soon they will break through, the time dwindles and Thace has to make a decision; he starts re-plugging the wires. He knows he should be scared, but instead, he feels relieved. At last, it will be done. At last, this weight will fall off his shoulders. At last…
"What are you doing?" the boy asks.
"I'm using the main power to overload the system. There's an exit through the main power conduit. It leads to the second deck."
The boy doesn't understand yet.
"Go, now!" Thace exclaims. "You must, I will shut down the system."
The boy's purple eyes widen with shock. Poor thing, he is not used to losing his comrades yet, even if he hardly knows them. I need to say something reassuring, Thace understands. Something that will raise the boy's spirits, help him in his fight. Something that Kolivan could say if he was here.
"Paladin, this is where my journey ends. As a member of Voltron, you have a bigger mission."
His own voice sounds petty in comparison to the leaders deep, assured tone. Still, the child nods, thinking that he understands Thace's reasons. What does he even know... The boy dives down from the edge and Thace raises his gun to start shooting as the door is broken. He shoots as long as he can, then he hides behind the terminal. It is time.
Happiness engulfs Thace, he feels calm and warm at last. It is so close. He will not have to wait too long. Very soon, he will see Prorok on the other side. The reactor starts glowing brighter, pulsating, and Thace can't help but smile when he looks at it, even if tears are burning his eyes. He briefly wonders what Prorok will look like in the other world. Will he still have his sweet belly or will he be thin and athletic, like he always wanted to be? It doesn't matter, though. The important thing is that this is going to be Prorok. His darling, his heart and soul, the only light in his life that he extinguished with his own hands thanks to his stupid beliefs.
"I will tell you everything this time, each tiniest detail, I swear!" Thace whispers frantically, his vision blurring. Suddenly, it seems that Prorok is standing right next to him, but Thace has no energy left to stretch his arm and touch him.
"I will beg for your forgiveness. I deserve any kind of punishment, I will kneel as long as it takes, let you do anything, just to earn your smile again, just to make you look back at me! I know you will forgive me, you always have. You can still love me... I am coming, just a couple more seconds… "
As the reactor lights up from the inside and the heat becomes unbearable, Thace closes his eyes and smiles. See you in the afterlife, my love.