PREPARATIONS PART 2
Krolia had continued to direct the rest of the meeting. Debating back and forth with Allura and the Garrison Command until they finally, finally , hashed out a mutually agreed upon plan. The other Galaxy Garrison bases had been given their directives and everything was set in motion to bring about Earth's liberation. The room was dismissed with instructions for specific preparatory assignments, while the Garrison senior command hung back to discuss other things. Things team Voltron "didn't have the clearance" to know.
All five Paladins had been ordered to their lions; Pidge assigned to retrieve the additional Blade of Marmora operatives, and the others to surveil in case of emergency. Red being the fastest of the lions meant Keith had been instructed to monitor Pidge, while Yellow as the slowest had Hunk watching the local MFE pilots. Since Blue and Black were both faster than Yellow, Lance and Shiro were assigned the other four Garrison bases between them.
After a short detour to his dorm, Keith found himself practically skipping with elation as he made his way through the winding train tunnels under the compound; his paladin armour a welcome change from the restricting Cadet uniform. In the back of his mind Keith could feel Red's anxious purring grow louder with each step. Their time at the Garrison was now the longest he'd ever been separated from Red since becoming her Paladin and Stars he'd missed her.
Their procession was organized with Hunk and Shiro each pulling a small cart stacked with the large wooden crates storing the devices they were to load into the Green Lion. Lance prowled directly in front of them with his rifle aimed and ready, using its viewfinder to scan the many dark corners in the maze of tunnels, searching for any sign of hostiles. Pidge typed feverishly into a handheld device, orange light illuminating their face in a childish way aided by the fact that they had climbed atop one of the crates on Shiro's cart. Perched with their legs folded under them, the tiny tech worked away, occasionally grumbling as the cart was jostled, and nearly falling off entirely after a particularly sharp turn.
Keith was leading the charge, sword drawn, and blood singing in his veins as he stalked through the dark tunnels. Lance, Hunk, and Shiro had turned on the night vision in their helmet's visor but Keith didn't need it, his golden eyes glowed softly as he carefully scanned his surroundings. So far they hadn't come across anything other than the odd rat; a rather large one had been dubbed "Splinter" by Lance. The further into the tunnels they progressed, the stronger the underlying smell became. What had started as a faint odour clinging to the still air had now become nearly palpable and distinct. So very distinct.
~ Skip Mark ~
Keith had gotten used to fighting battles that he could just walk away from, not having to stay behind and deal with the "clean up". This particular smell was one he hadn't had to endure for quite some time and, though he'd had plenty of training on handling his stomach, it was a difficult one to get used to.
"OH GOD! What the quiznak is that?" Hunk gasped as he and the rest of the group caught up. "Ugh, it's filtering in through my helmet - huuyuuk - I'm gonna be sick!" Before Keith could turn around and stop him Hunk had already removed his helmet, emptying the contents of his stomach in the middle of the tracks. "Oh - oh man, oh it's so much worse now!" He cried out as his entire body lurched once again.
Lance was babbling on about the stench and Pidge was switching their helmet settings to seal out the air of the tunnels. But Shiro - Shiro had gone very still and very pale.
"Ugh, what is that!" Hunk cried again. "It smells like … like … I don't even have a reference! It just smells terrible!" He was shaking his head, one arm resting against the wall of the tunnel with his helmet gripped loosely in the other as sweat beaded on his forehead. Keith could see his dark skin take on a slightly green tint. Humans were fascinating.
"Decomp." The young Galra dismissed as he moved to place a hand on Shiro's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze in the same comforting way the man had done for him so many times. He didn't understand why they did this, but it had always managed to make him feel more grounded, like he wasn't alone. The gesture seemed to have the same effect on their Black Paladin as the far off glaze started to filter from his eyes and a more alert expression came over him. Shiro gave a short nod and a small smile, mouthing " I'm okay " to him in the process. Keith nodded in response and turned back to the others. "Come on, we're on a tight schedule!" he barked, urging them to proceed.
They continued on once again with a slight adjustment to their procession. Hunk was far too shaky from emptying his stomach contents and thus switched roles with Lance who was surprisingly stronger than his noodle arms would suggest. Keith warned Hunk not to look at the ground, to keep his head up, and to switch his helmet to "vacuum" mode like Pidge had. That was one of the biggest perks of fighting in space; nothing really decayed. There were no unpleasant smells to encounter and space itself was vast, mostly empty, and damn good at locking away foul odours.
~ /Skip Mark ~
After several more dobashes, Keith could see the soft rainbow glow of five vibrant particle barriers just around the corner and, along with the others, let out a sigh of relief. Each of them no doubt feeling the same sense of excitement to be back in the presence of their lions. Red was elated, he could almost see a projection of a glowing red lioness smashing her head against him, rubbing her body against his legs, and caressing his back with her tail. The purr in his mind was so loud he nearly blushed. Nearly.
After a brief reunion, the team got to work loading crate after crate into Green's cargo hold, being sure to place two devices in each of their own lions for phase 2. Once they had finished, Pidge radioed the Garrison command and waited for their signal to launch.
Though he hated to admit it, Lance had been right in nominating Pidge; they were the only one with a reasonable cover story. If Green were to be captured, Pidge was to say that they'd come against the team's wishes in an attempt to rescue their father; declaring that the rest of Voltron was back at Central Command working on a new plan after the "defeat" of the ships Emperor Thace had offered. Ultimately, the presence of the other Lions was NOT to be disclosed.
The signal came and Pidge vanished from view as Green's cloaking was activated. Red's screen showed a shimmery green silhouette launching out of the tunnel entrance and in a matter of tics, the Green Lion was zipping past the Garrison's lunar base.
Even with their cloaking it was still a risky trip. The two arms were faster than the other lions and, though they had much less armour, with Voltron's shield on her back Green would be able to withstand more damage than Red. Keith hated not being able to help, or even do anything for that matter, but it was imperative that the other Lions not depart unless absolutely necessary. So he let out a huff and monitored his screen and coms for any, any , signs of distress from Pidge.
It didn't take long before they received another signal, this one alerting them that the MFE pilots were clear to begin the test flights. Red's screen lit up with security footage from the Garrison's surveillance systems, showing the four Cadet's exit the hangar and climb into their respective jets. One by one their engines lit up; a brightly glowing yellow-orange emitting from them that was almost the same shade as their hideous uniforms. The fighters moved into formation and the intensity of the light from their engines increased drastically as they shot out of the security provided by the Garrison.
James was in the lead, flanked by Nadia and Ryan on either side with Ina taking up the rear. They flew some quick drills to test the responsiveness of the crafts before zooming over the small mountain outcroppings to test their short range weaponry. Keith surveyed the skies with Red's tech, checking for any prying eyes that may be watching. Though nothing came up, he remained vigilant; performing a full scan every few dobashes incase of changes.
"Taxi is here." He heard Pidge's voice announce over the coms and snapped himself back to his assigned mission. The MFE pilots were Hunk's charge, not his. Activating one of the many view options on his dashboard, Keith was able to see the screens of the Green Lion, providing him the same view as Pidge. He watched as Green tentatively approached Titan, descending through the thick atmosphere and landing in one of the craters that littered the moon's surface. "Touch down!" Pidge announced again.
"Confirmed." Keith called in reply.
A group of masked Blades gathered at the base of the lion's cargo hold and Keith watched as they unloaded the crates, opening them up and dividing the contents amongst the various fighter pods resting on the moon. Two Blades, one slightly smaller than all the others, stood before the Green Lion's mighty jaws and the ramp lowered to allow access. It didn't take long, possibly 15 dobashes in total, before they'd finished unloading the devices and Pidge gave a quick (but thorough) run through of their functionality. Regris had been sure to program them in a similar fashion to most of the Blade's explosives, ensuring their use to be rather intuitive for the Operatives planting them. Keith could tell by Pidge's word choice that they disagreed with his methods. Ultimately Galran tech was vastly different from Human or even Altean tech and, since it was exclusively Galra using the device, Regis had won.
"Kitty Verde is good to go! Take off in 3 … 2 … 1 - BLAST OFF!"
"Confirmed."
Keith switched the view back to the monitoring screen and felt his eyes drift towards the MFE pilots once again. Their test flight was nearing completion and the team was preparing to make their way back to the Garrison's base. Over the past few quintants a thunderstorm had been brewing, threatening to break. Even though it provided the perfect cover for the missions by interfering with signals, it also made the test flights riskier than they already were.
He had to remind himself to focus on Pidge. While he cared about Nadia and Ina's safety, the MFE squad was in good hands and ultimately not his responsibility. Keith switched between screens, flipping his view from the MFE's back to Green, then to the imaging of the land above them, then back to Green, then to the weather radar maps, then back to Green, then to the Garrison's security cameras, then back to Green, then to the four other test flights happening simultaneously at other bases, and finally back to Green once again as the lion slipped silently past the waiting fleet.
So far things had gone incredibly smoothly and it only served to make him more nervous. Their arrival had remained secret, the development of the particle barriers had gone well, the other bases had nearly completed setting up their own defences, and something was bound to give. His gut insisted on it.
Keith watched as all four jets landed smoothly; their brakes working overtime to stop each speeding aircraft as they skimmed along the runway holding tightly in formation. It was clear that the quartet communicated effectively, were all approximately equally skilled, and worked well with one another. Their control and teamwork was impressive. He would make a point of telling Nadia and Ina how proud he was of them, maybe even slide a compliment Ryan's way. But not James; he was still a dick.
"Greens back." Keith announced to the Garrison staff and Commander Iverson acknowledged in return. He watched the colour coded shimmer on his screen that was meant to represent their cloaked teammate as the Lion entered the old tunnel system and returned to their hiding place under the abandoned station. Green's particle barrier activated the moment her crew exited, and the other Lions followed suit after their Paladins stepped out.
Keith scanned the dark tunnel, his eyes glowing slightly even in the faint light given off by the Lion's. Their new arrivals remained had exited behind Pidge and masked and silent, following the paladins back to the Garrison base without a word.
His assessment from the screens had proven correct; one was significantly smaller than the other. The larger loomed over Shiro, their towering height and broad chest reminded Keith of Antok, though they lacked a tail. The other seemed midway between Lance and Hunk with a slight build and a clearly feminine gate as they swayed their hips with each unsettlingly familiar step.
The return trip was much quicker seeing as they were unencumbered by crates of explosives, and they made it back to the Garrison in nearly half the time. Hunk, Lance, Shiro, and Keith sealed off the tunnel entrance once again before the entire party made their way inside the compound.
Behind him he could hear the two Blade's murmuring back and forth in Galran. First they complained about the freight elevator and Earth's rather primitive tech, then marvelled at the heat of the Texas desert baking down on the tarmac, and finally theorized about the Humans. Keith fought back a snicker as he totally didn't eavesdrop. Luckily for them, the two operatives were speaking quietly enough that none of the Humans would be able to overhear lest their Altean Paladin armour translate every word.
The closer they drew to the Garrison proper, the more fully-armed guards they came across. Keith rolled his eyes at the show of arms and continued to march alongside his comrades, leading their new arrivals further into the base. He heard the odd muttering from the two Blades in tow, but mostly they continued in silence; the rhythmic pattern of their boot falls announcing their arrival around each turn. Cadets gawked from inside classrooms, soldiers turned their heads to watch the procession, and Keith felt as though they were on display - again. The entire ordeal reminded him of their own arrival to the Garrison.
Admiral Sanda had instructed Shiro to lead their team, announcing as if it were a command that as the most senior officer in their party he was in a position of authority over the others. Keith wanted to comment, he wanted so badly to point out that DUH of course Shiro was in charge. But he bit his tongue like a good soldier and was instead left dumbstruck when the annoyed Princess spoke up to explain the role of the Black Paladin. Allura was not used to being submissive to an outside authority and, while she tried her best to hide it, the frustration had been clear in her tone.
Under Shiro's direction the Paladins made their way to the primary briefing room where Krolia, Plak, and Regris were waiting for them. The lighting had been dimmed considerably from its normal level during briefings and he sighed at the relief he felt, no longer needing to squint against the harsh fluorescence.
"Welcome. Take your seats." Krolia announced in Galran and gave a confused look as the Paladins began pulling out chairs and generally making themselves comfortable. "Let me clarify - Blades: take your seats. Paladins: you are dismissed." Keith smirked a little to himself as he watched the others rise from their seats and head out the door, grumbling the entire way.
Keith had been disappointed to learn that he once again classed as a Paladin and would therefore not be privy to the information being exchanged. What did a guy have to do to be considered essential personnel? Be a member of the exclusive organization that was having the meeting? - check - Be (or have been) a member of the Galaxy Garrison? - check - Be an integral part of the upcoming plan of attack? - check - Be a literal hybrid between the two most pivotal species involved? - quiznaking check ! Honestly, there hadn't been a single Human in that room! Who was going to correct them if they overlooked something the Humans may take offence to? Well, in that case it would probably be best for Shiro to be present, but Keith had some knowledge of Humans at least.
Without him being the voice of reason who would stop Regris from making things needlessly complicated? Or stop Plak from most likely hitting on either (or let's face it: both) of the new Blades? Or remind Krolia that the Humans were technically in charge and that she still needed to consider them in her plans? Not Keith, that's for sure; because he was dismissed with his fellow Paladins. Not that he's bitter in any way.
… Maybe just a little.
As it turned out, his presence was probably needed. The two mystery Blades revealed themselves to be a high ranking operative that Keith had never met before but had heard many, many impressive stories about, and Acxa; Lotor's former top General. Briefly he wondered if the Garrison Command had been made aware of her not-so-distant allegiance? Likely not.
With the addition of two new non Human personnel, the sleeping arrangements needed adjusting. Plak insisted that, because Hunk had taken him on an extensive tour of the grounds, he had adequate knowledge to navigate on his own. This, coupled with the implementation of their Common / English translator program, meant he was offering his shared room with Hunk to Lahndik. On the surface it seemed quite generous and sacrificial of him - until Keith realized that would pair Plak and Acxa as roommates. He levelled a knowing stare at his former mentor who grinned unapologetically back at him. At least they'd be able to communicate.
Keith hated this feeling; this tension that started quietly in the back of his mind but had continued to grow, to fester, until it was gnawing at his consciousness. He longed to be back on Central Command, or one of the Blade bases, hell he'd even take the quiznaking Castle of Lions right now if it meant access to a training deck. All he wanted to was to run, or fight, or scream. Something, anything , to alleviate the incessant feeling of anxiety he'd been plagued with.
Nothing was helping. He'd tried retreating back to the roof again for some much needed peace and quiet, he'd tried joining in on a combat training class if only to find a decent sparring partner, and he'd even tried running up and down the residence halls. But alas, nothing worked.
Phase 2 was supposed to begin tomorrow and Keith was practically begging the stars to make time go faster. Anything to actually feel useful. The Garrison Command, Krolia, Allura, Plak, and Shiro had been in and out of meetings all quintant but none of the others were permitted to attend; not even Coran or Matt. Apparently Sanda didn't want Matt interjecting into their plans, something about being distracted or biased towards finding his father. Which, honestly, Keith couldn't fault him one bit. If it had been Krolia or Kolt being held by Sendak you could bet your ass Keith would have charged that ship eons ago. Actually, the mere fact that all three Holts weren't melting the Admiral's face off like a bunch of angry weblums was a testament to their collective character.
Keith lay on his bed staring up at the bars of the top bunk above him. Regris was with Hunk and Coran down by the particle barrier working on something technical that Keith didn't understand nor care about. He knew the others were off doing their own things as well, various projects they each determined helpful or necessary, but there was literally nothing for him to contribute and the growing frustration was starting to make him go bonkers.
A single, confident knock on the door told him the visitor was most likely Galra and he groaned out an "enter" in his native tongue. Expecting his roommate, Keith was mildly taken aback to find the late Prince's former General standing in the entryway and looking every bit the frustrated alien she was. After nearly two movements of speaking exclusively English or Common, Keith welcomed the ease of slipping back into Galran.
"You are lounging?" She said in lieu of a greeting, her voice laced with the custom mix of exasperation and indifference she'd been known for. Keith merely shrugged in response and turned his attention back to the very interesting bars above him. "Come; make better use of your time by showing me around this prison."
"It's a military academy." he replied offhandedly, not bothering to move his gaze in her direction.
A not-at-all-subtle huff sounded from the doorway. "We are not allowed the freedom to wear our own garments or speak our own language and we are watched by armed guards at all times: Prison! Come, Red Paladin." Well she wasn't wrong he thought to himself as he groaned and pushed up from the bed.
Forgoing the more Human habits he'd picked up, Keith met her gaze as he stated his name, not feeling the need to elaborate further as he knew Acxa would understand. "Keith."
She responded with a curt nod. "I know your name, I was being polite." With nothing better to do, he resigned himself to leading the former General turned Blade on a guided tour of the Galaxy Garrison; thankful for the distraction from his growing anxiety.
Their tour ended in the cafeteria, as most tours did, and the pair of half-Galra sat at a small table off to the side eating various meats that had been set out for the Cadet's scheduled lunch. Between the two of them they had managed to clear the buffet of bacon and nearly all of the roast beef slices, with the vast majority of the former being piled on Acxa's plate. The blue skinned woman inhaled her lunch, marvelling at the rich smoky taste and the crisp texture.
Keith thought back fondly to his first experience with bacon after arriving on Earth. His father had taken him to a small diner in Plat city before an exhausting day of shopping and forced socialization. He wasn't sure what Acxa's other parentage was, which made knowing what she could and could not eat a little more difficult, but she seemed to enjoy the food nonetheless. Almost everything here was safe for Keith given that the food was meant for Humans and he was both Galra and Human. The Galra members stuck mostly to meats while the Alteans ate exclusively fruits and veggies.
Acxa had asked a few identifying questions about dishes, piling some on her plate and scowling in disgust at others. Under different circumstances he might even find it interesting to categorize the differences between himself, Regris, and Acxa compared to the Humans and full Galra. While Reg ate a lot of fruit, Acxa preferred root vegetables. In fact, her tastes seemed to line up rather closely with his own. Whatever her other parentage - they was clearly quite similar to Humans.
They chatted amongst themselves as they ate and while their meal progressed, more and more Cadets filed into the large cafeteria. Most paid them no mind, having already become accustomed to seeing colourful aliens parading around campus, while others stared intently at the newest addition. Said new addition had squared her shoulders and straightened her back as a group of four young Humans made for their secluded little table, lunch trays in hand.
Though most probably wouldn't notice, Keith could feel how uncomfortable Acxa had become; the tension radiating off her nearly palpable. In an effort to calm her nerves he whispered at a level none of the others could hear.
"These are the MFE pilots. They're around my age." When she levelled a blank stare at him, Keith elaborated. "Human adolescents. Approximately 20 deca-phoebs old." Her eyes widened at the revelation and she muttered "Kits" under her breath as her shoulders relaxed.
"I assume your age is why both Commander Krolia and Lieutenant Plak are so protective of you?" she asked after a beat and Keith didn't know whether or not he felt offended. On one hand he genuinely was considered very young by Galra standards, on the other hand he was a competent and accomplished soldier.
"Krolia is my mother and Plak was my former trainer and mentor. They are protective because they are family." She nodded in understanding at his explanation. The four MFE pilots continued in their approach and a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Oh, Acxa - make sure you speak Common when they sit down. The translator doesn't do Galran."
He lay on his back, the hot roof of the Galaxy Garrison rapidly cooling in the deluge that poured from the heavens. Acxa was cowering under one of the solar panels, clearly terrified she may melt like the wicked witch of the west. Heh, that was funny. Keith looked around excitedly for anyone to verbally repeat it to but found no one. He'd made an Earth pop culture reference and none of the Paladins were around to hear it, not even Nadia! He let out a huff and sat back up, resting his weight on his outstretched arms and folding his legs beneath him.
The sky rumbled loudly and a flash of lightning cracked across the sky. The Texas desert was mostly flat and open all around them, save for the outcropping off in the distance. From the roof he could see far beyond the edges of the compound's edges, the height offering a magnificent view of the raging storm. Right now it was uninterrupted, no glowing orange particle barrier to obstruct his view and block the rain, but that wouldn't last much longer. The upgrades were nearly completed and the barrier would be back up in a matter of dobashes. Until then though, he would lay here and enjoy the marvel of being on an actual planet with actual weather patterns and actual rain. His first time experiencing it and the only company he had was a terrified Acxa.
Several more dobashes went by before a familiar and energetic voice sounded from the tarmac below. " KEEIITH! KEITH!" Lance called. It was quiet and far away as the storm tried its damnedest to mute him but Keith's sensitive ears picked up on his name, allowing him to focus and catch the tail end of the Blue Paladin's call. "- in the rain! Get down here, dude!"
Without a tic's hesitation, Keith leapt to his feet and made for the edge of the roof. "Where are you going?" Acxa called in a slight panic. "You can't leave me here, Paladin."
"Keith! Come with me."
"Into the … Wet?" She asked skeptically and he smirked, paying her only a moment's glance before turning to peer over the edge of the building.
Down on the below was the entirety of team Voltron, new additions included. Regris and Plak were marvelling at the rain pelting down around them, Coran and Allura seemed wary - though that may have more to do with how they'd described rain on Altea, and Krolia appeared as disinterested as ever.
Keith watched them for a moment longer before Lance noticed him standing there. "HEY! Get down here Mullet!" In typical Lance fashion the lanky Blue Paladin had both arms stretched wide, his soaking wet Cadet uniform clinging tightly to his thin body as he twirled around, head tilted back and mouth hanging open. He beamed up at Keith, clearly enjoying every drop of the deluge.
"Acxa, you coming?" Keith asked over his shoulder, switching back to his native Galran and turning to see her shaking her head. "Suit yourself." He shrugged.
Keith took a deep breath, finding his centre and calming the energy buzzing through his body. He'd never tried to cross a distance this far before and just the thought of it made him jittery with excitement. That adrenaline, which had proven so useful the first few times, was now more of a hindrance. It prevented him from focusing properly, from achieving an almost zen like state, and from accessing the true extent of his abilities. So Keith breathed in - hold - and out, inhale - hold - exhale. One more time, inhale - hold - and exhale. Patience Yield's Focus he heard his inner Shiro repeat and with his mind fully concentrated on a patch of tarmac directly behind the Cuban boy, Keith imagined himself standing there. He pictured it in his mind and, when that now familiar tingle spread across his body, Keith seized it and pushed .
The thunder boomed overhead and a bolt of lightning split the sky, masking the crackle of Keith's druid magic as he apparated from the rooftop. His sudden presence made the tan skinned boy scream and jump back, losing his balance and stumbling into a nearby puddle as Keith laughed.
"Keith." Krolia's stern voice pulled him out of his laughter as he turned to face her, offering a single grunt and head nod of acknowledgement. "Where is your charge?"
"Melting into a puddle under a solar panel." He replied, trying to make his voice sound as casual as possible. "If you listen closely you might hear her screeching." Lance snorted beside him but Krolia was not amused though that didn't matter to Keith, it wasn't her reaction he was after any ways.
"Did you - did you just make a 'Wizard of Oz' reference?" Pidge asked from under the protection of some makeshift shelter, their laptop seated safely in their lap. Keith nodded and beamed with pride at having absolutely nailed it!
They stayed in the rain until Hunk and Matt finished whatever tinkering they'd been working on and the group was ordered back inside. Keith focused his energy on the rooftop once again, taking another deep breath and igniting as the tingles swept through him. He arrived in his previous position, startling Acxa just as the bright orange particle barrier flickered back into place and the rain was blocked out once again.
They'd spent another two vargas finishing their sparring session before finally calling it quits and heading back inside. If it weren't for their obvious hunger Keith felt they both could have trained for several more.
Acxa had proven to be every bit his equal in combat. As a halfling he wasn't nearly as strong as a full blooded Galra but he was fast and agile, two skills he used to his benefit. Unfortunately Acxa was equally fast, equally agile, equally sharp, and equally trained. She also had the advantage of being older than him and plenty of experience with other halflings to know to expect the unexpected during a sparring session. Afterall, Lotor's Generals had ALL been halflings. He'd even heard that the pink one could turn invisible - like Mizor and Pozzi.
Even with their similarities, there were still glaring differences between them that they'd inherited from their respective other parentages. Acxa had an innate ability to track his movements, seemingly able to tell his bluffs from when he would actually attack; it was eerie and annoying. She was also the better marksman between them, easily switching from her blaster to a Garrison issue pistol with little to no noticeable drop in accuracy.
Keith, on the hand, had far more endurance. There were several times where Acxa would need to stop and take a breather, dropping to the ground and struggling to regain her breath under the hot Texas sun. Keith would take these moments to rehydrate as well, though he knew he could keep going. Ultimately, while they were equally skilled and evenly matched, as his dad used to say "when push came to shovels" Acxa would drop from exhaustion before him. As long as he could hold out, he could beat her.
Keith had walked the former General back through the labyrinth of halls to her shared dorm with Plak, leaving a plate of shepherd's pie behind that the latter had been eyeing up enviously, and headed for his own room alone. The chaos of the quintant was winding down and in the morning they'd be heading out on their assignments. He should be excited, this is what he'd been waiting for; something to make him feel useful. But instead the sense of dread he'd been feeling doubled down, clenching at his heart and making his breath come faster than before.
An uneasy sense of being watched started after the particle barrier returned and lingered with him into the late afternoon. He could feel it still now, nibbling away at the back of his consciousness and twisting his insides in an unpleasantly familiar way. This was different from the feeling of seeing Acxa again, and different from the feeling of nerves or anticipation. This was stronger than any anxiety he'd ever felt and if he had to find something close to it, some time where he'd felt a similar twisting of his guts it would have to be -
Keith stopped dead in his tracks. No. No it couldn't be. They'd made sure to hunt down every last one of those foul creatures. Haggar was dead, her corrupted minions were dead. But it explained everything, wrapped it up in a neat little package with a sparkly bow on top. There was no other possible explanation. It wasn't nerves at all, it wasn't mounting anxiety; it was a warning.
Turning on a dime Keith sped off down the hall, someone else needed to know about this. He couldn't risk their entire mission on the off chance that he was wrong. He wasn't - he knew that. His gut was never wrong and Keith felt incredibly stupid for having dismissed it before. They would all be heading into certain death if they weren't prepared.