**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)

Despite the paladins' absence, the Atlas continued to venture further out into the universe and free planets from Galra forces. But with Allura gone, their progress became painfully slow, much to Shiro's disappointment. Coran and Sam pushed the Atlas as fast as it could go, but the battleship's advanced speed was still nothing compared to the immediate ease of traveling lightyears via wormhole.

Shiro sighed as he regarded the holo-map, taking in all the Galra territories that remained. Nearly half of the systems on their charts were purple, the remaining locations either green for the coalition or gray for neutral areas. From her station on the bridge, Veronica tapped one of the purple specks, turning it green for the planet they had recently liberated. She looked at him expectantly.

"Where to next, sir?" she asked, her hands hovering over her displays.

Shiro turned to the helm. "Coran?"

"The nearest Galra-controlled territory is a planet called Thoh," the knowledgeable Altean advisor provided, his eyes locked onto the purple dot that was the closest to the Atlas' current location. "It's about a quintant away."

"What do we know about it?" Shiro asked.

"It's a world made up of ice and snow, the farthest planet from its system's sun." He brought up images of a pale blue orb with patches of sheet-white landmasses covering the surface. More pictures revealed dark gray buildings jutting out of the snow. "There are no signs of intelligent life on it, but it is home to a Galra military academy."

"A military academy?" Shiro frowned.

"Is it still operational?" Iverson asked.

"With the Empire's fall, I would think not," Coran said slowly, hesitantly. "But whether or not the soldiers who were training there have turned it into a pirate hideout is unknown."

"We've received reports of fighter ships docking and departing from the facility recently," Curtis piped up, skimming through the logs on his screen. "I think it's worth checking out."

Shiro nodded, his mind made up. "Then let's set course for Thoh."

Nearly a day of travel later, the icy planet came into view. The Atlas descended into the atmosphere, breaking through layers of fluffy white clouds before the planet's surface was revealed below them. They came to a stop above the military academy, waiting for a potential attack from its inhabitants. When none came, Curtis opened a comm line, connecting the bridge with the base.

"This is Captain Takashi Shirogane of the IGF-Atlas," Shiro announced, his voice ringing loud and clear across the room. "We come in peace as leaders of the Voltron Coalition. We are here to ask you to join us to help bring peace and stability to the universe."

There was no answer. Not even the fuzzy din of static.

"Thoh Base? Does anyone copy?" Shiro asked, a hint of concern beginning to creep into his features.

There was still no response. A heavy silence settled over the bridge as the Atlas scanned Thoh's surface. Live images of the academy popped up on Coran's screens. The buildings were lifeless and dull, the power clearly out. Charred gashes scarred the structures, with towers and defensive cannons knocked out and blasted to irreparable bits.

"There appears to be significant structural damage. It looks like they were attacked," he realized. "Their systems must be out of working order."

"If they're without power, they could need help," Curtis noted.

"Or it could be a ploy to trap us," Iverson pointed out, and Curtis grimaced, unable to refute his cautious superior officer.

"Then let's send a team down to investigate," Mari suggested. "I'll take Acxa and Immea with me. They might know more about this place and how to navigate it."

Veronica nodded, already in agreement. "The MFE Team and I can go with you too to provide backup."

She stood, ready to suit up and go. They looked to their captain, waiting for his input. Shiro was quiet for a moment, mulling over the plan.

"Okay. Keep your comm lines open. Let us know if you run into trouble," he decided. "Be careful."

"Yes, sir."

With Veronica riding with Rizavi and Acxa and Immea with Mari, the Kintsugi and the four MFEs took off from the Atlas' hangars. They circled the Galra structure far below them, searching for a good space to land. Snowflakes rushed past their windshields in a messy blur, and they angled down towards a relatively flat landing strip that Acxa alerted them to.

"Not in a million decaphoebs did I ever expect to return to this place," she murmured almost to herself. She was glaring out the windows, her voice tight and her eyes hard with a controlled anger.

Immea raised a brow at her. "You've been here before?"

"This is where my former companions and I were trained to become soldiers for the Empire," Acxa elaborated. "It was one of the few military academies that accepted half-breeds."

"This place? In the middle of nowhere?" There was a frown in Rizavi's voice over their comms. "How'd you not freeze your butts off out here?"

Acxa seemed unfazed by her dismay. "Enduring the frigid cold was a part of our training," she said, as if this were only natural.

"Brutal," Rizavi murmured. "I hate the cold."

Mari's heart clenched with guilt, her grip on the Kintsugi's controls tightening as she internally reprimanded herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you back here," she said, casting Acxa an apologetic frown. "I know it's full of bad memories."

She could remember all the late nights they'd spent sharing stories of their youth, all the rare instances in which Acxa had tentatively told her about her grueling days enduring Galra military training. She'd witnessed torture and the deaths of comrades who weren't strong enough to survive. She'd endured brutal punishment and mistreatment just for being a half-breed. This place held so much pain for her. She'd been pushed to her physical and mental limits here, and there was no forgetting it. It was a wonder she was still willing to join Mari on this mission.

"It's alright. I can handle it," Acxa tried to quell her worries. But there was no missing the way her brow furrowed and her jaw set the longer she looked at the academy they were closing in on.

"Are you sure? If this place holds a lot of trauma for you, you don't have to go," Veronica gently chimed in. "The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable on this mission."

"I am fine. I do not need your concern," Acxa snapped, cold and clipped in her rising irritation. "This is nothing more than a dead place to me now."

An awkward silence filled the air. But Veronica, thankfully, was careful not to push the matter, and the rest of their flight was concluded in silence. They landed next to the facility and hopped out of their ships, helmets and masks on and their suits' heating systems activated. The packed snow crunched beneath their boots as they approached the nearest building, where some sort of explosion or cannon beam had long since blasted a large hole through its wall. They clambered through the opening, the deafening noise of the harsh winds dying down now that they were sheltered. A couple broken and inactive Galra fighter ships sat in the hangar they found themselves in, but not a single sentry or living soul was in sight.

"This place is huge," Rizavi whispered, activating her wrist flashlight and taking in the vast space and beyond. "How're we gonna find anyone in here?"

The others followed her lead, switching on their own lights. "We should split up," Mari said, already squinting through the darkness for the door that would lead them deeper into the base. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"I agree," Acxa nodded.

Veronica's brow pinched with worry. "I don't think that's a good idea," she admitted, and the corners of Mari's lips quirked downward. "We still don't know much about this place. We should stick together."

"It'll be quicker and more efficient to divide and conquer," Immea huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest, already becoming impatient. "The sooner we can leave this place, the better."

Veronica pursed her lips together, her authority as a senior Garrison officer neglected in the face of the Blade and the two rebels. Kinkade, Rizavi, and Leifsdottir glanced between her and the others hesitantly, waiting for a determined plan of action. Finally, James cleared his throat, breaking the growing tension.

"I'm with Immea," he said slowly. "The sooner we finish up here, the sooner we can move on to the next Galra-occupied territory. We can't keep the captain waiting."

That seemed to make Veronica give in. She sighed, her lingering concern bright in her eyes. But she didn't argue as she relented, "Alright. We'll split up."

They formed two teams: Immea, Kinkade, Rizavi, and Leifsdottir would search the west half of the base while Mari, Acxa, Veronica, and James took the east half. Weapons charged and held at the ready, they parted ways, venturing down the dark and eerie corridors of the military academy.

With Mari and Acxa leading the way and Veronica and James protecting the rear, the beginning of their team's trek was quiet and uneventful. They cautiously poked their heads into each room they passed, searching for signs of life, but there was none to be found. Bits of broken sentries and shattered blasters and droids were scattered here and there, of which they shuffled around or nudged out of their path. Scorch marks and dried blood droplets decorated the walls and floor in such messy areas, the scars of a battle long passed.

"I wonder who attacked this place," Veronica whispered, sidestepping a sentry's torn-off arm.

"Some warlord, no doubt," Mari muttered, trying not to pay mind to the hints of carnage around them. "They're the only ones with enough firepower to bring down a Galra military facility."

"This place has no value as a main base of operations," Acxa noted. "With how empty these rooms are, it looks like they pillaged the armories and left."

"What about all the students who were here?" James wondered, already dreading the answer and unable to hide the growing unease in his voice.

"They either fled…" Acxa paused, grimacing as they passed a particularly large splotch of blood that had been splattered violently along the length of the wall, handprints dragging down to the floor. "...or were killed."

James clenched his teeth, his grip on his rifle tightening. Veronica's face was grim and she averted her gaze from the painted walls to the backs of the women walking in front of her. Mari pulled her attention away from the sight of it, opting to glance at Acxa instead. Her blue cheeks seemed paler than usual in the strange white glow of their lights, but whether she was starting to feel physically discomforted or not, she made no verbal indication.

The worry in Mari's heart expanded. "How're you holding up?" she ventured to ask.

"I'm fine," Acxa replied, quiet and curt and far too quickly. She wouldn't look at Mari, her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes steely as they locked onto the corridor in front of them. A beat of silence passed before Veronica piped up again.

"You two seem close," she observed. Her tone was chipper than before as she changed the subject, her own way of trying to ease the effects of their unsettling surroundings. "Actually, I've been wondering about this for a while now, but how long have you known each other?"

"A few years," Mari provided when Acxa made no indication of answering. "We were traveling companions during the time Voltron was missing. But before that, we met in the stomach of a weblum."

James lifted a brow. "A what?"

"It's a giant space worm," she explained.

"And what were you guys doing in a…worm stomach?" he asked.

"We were gathering scaultrite for our respective teams at the time," Acxa said tersely. She was starting to sound annoyed, like she wanted to end the conversation or stop talking altogether.

Veronica seemed unbothered by her rising irritation. "Scaultrite? What is that?" she asked.

"It's a material produced by the weblum," Mari said. "Scaultrite lenses help run the teludav to create wormholes."

"Huh. Weird," James murmured. There was a long pause before he nonchalantly continued, "And, uh, how long have you known Immea?"

"About the same amount of time," she replied.

"She's Scarlett's sister, right?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Not by blood, but yes."

"Ah. Gotcha." Another pause. "So…is she, uh, seeing anyone currently?"

A mischievous grin stretched across Veronica's face. "Ahh, so that's what this is," she mused, nudging him playfully in the side. "You've got a crush on a Blade."

His face scrunched up, struggling to maintain an air of indifference and looking anywhere but her. "What? No. I…just think she's interesting," he said, searching for any other response besides 'yes'. "She's got an admirable sense of duty and dedication. I respect that."

"Riiiight," Veronica drawled, but there was no extinguishing the teasing light burning in her gaze. James rolled his eyes and she smiled fondly at him, an older sister in her element.

"I don't know Immea well enough to know," Mari admitted in response to his question. "Scarlett might, though."

"Or you could just ask her yourself," Veronica hummed, and his frown deepened.

"The Blades aren't the type to consider courting," Acxa bluntly intervened. "It's a distraction. Survival and the mission always come first to them."

"But there has to be some exceptions, right?" Veronica pressed. "Keith makes it work out. Dating as a Blade and a paladin, he seems perfectly happy and focused."

She looked knowingly at Mari and Acxa scowled. Mari sighed, unsure of how to explain it to their two human comrades. "He…comes from unusual circumstances," she finally decided.

"He always did find a way to bend the rules," James muttered dryly, more to himself than to any of them. There hadn't been any hostility or anger in his voice, but there was an undeniable hint of exasperation, perhaps even envy.

Mari cast the pilot a glance over her shoulder. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something too: what's your beef with him?" she wondered, careful to keep her tone as casual as she could make it despite the defensive emotions beginning to bubble within her.

"We don't have beef," James muttered, but even he didn't sound like he'd convinced himself of this.

"That's not what he said."

He huffed. "Fine. We went to school together. Then we were in the same class at the Garrison. We didn't exactly get along." He grimaced, embarrassed by the unspoken memories of their shared childhood. "I was a little shit back then. Especially to him."

"I heard you two fought a lot," Veronica nodded. "But that was a long time ago, you're both big boys now. Things have mellowed out between you. You two can work together without arguing, at least."

She proudly patted his back and James shrugged, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

Suddenly, the sound of something crashing against the floor echoed down the hall, followed by a disgruntled growl. Their group came to an abrupt halt, the breath catching in their throats at the noise. They zipped their lips, waiting for another sound. Several seconds passed before there was more grinding of metal against metal.

Hearts racing on high alert, they crept along the walls, shuffling towards the noise. When they rounded the corner, they could hear breathy huffs and heavy footsteps coming from the first room on their right. Something big was moving around inside. The doors had been blown open, allowing the four trespassers to chance a peek.

They had stumbled upon the academy's cafeteria. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the opposite wall, illuminating the vast room in a bright bluish glow. Banners with the insignia of the Galra Empire hung along the walls, many torn and others fallen onto the floor. Rows of tables and overturned chairs filled the space. Utensils, dishware, and packets of rotten food goo had been strewn everywhere. A serving counter sat at the far left of the room, with a commercial kitchen right behind it.

The source of the noise was a six-legged creature the size of a small car. It had shaggy white fur, pointed tusks, sharp claws, a large and flat snout, and no eyes. It's back was turned to them, unaware of their presence as it padded closer and closer to the serving counter, sniffing at canisters along the wall and piles of rotting mush.

"What is that?" James whispered, watching as the thing practically buried its nose in the bad goo.

"An Aalampho," Acxa murmured, her brow furrowed and voice tight with concern. "One of the few native species of Thoh."

"Is it dangerous?" Veronica wondered.

The creature's head jerked away from the goo, baring a set of dagger-like teeth. It snorted in disgust before using its tusks to swipe the garbage away, sending it flying across the room. The goo hit the wall with a wet SPLAT before sliding pathetically to the floor, leaving a streak of moldy bits in its wake. The Aalampho stomped over to the heavy metal canisters, furiously throwing them into tables and chairs and easily snapping the furniture in two. Others slammed into the wall with so much force, they left behind cracks and dents. When its anger had been released, the creature continued to snuff around the counter in search of food. Veronica swallowed at the aggressive display and James drew his rifle closer to his chest.

Acxa remained largely unfazed. "Very dangerous," she ground out, her attention never leaving the beast. "They're carnivores prone to excessive violence. We used to fight them to hone our close-range combat skills. They're blind and reliant on smell. It's only a matter of time before it catches our scent."

"So what do we do?" James asked. "Kill it?"

"We can't have it following us while we're here," Mari said. "Or have it track down the others."

They nodded in agreement, already charging their blasters. But before they could burst into the room and jump into action, the Aalampho let out a throaty snarl and dove behind the serving counter. A pair of startled screams pierced the air and two very young Galra scrambled out from their hiding spot there. The Aalampho roared, shoving the counter out of the way with so much force, it unbolted and screeched along the floor, sending up tiny orange sparks as it went. It stampeded after the fleeing duo, clambering over tables and chairs and splintering them underfoot. The two frantic Galra were making a beeline for the exit, bringing the beast right to the four intruders.

A/N: Shoutout to Dotalot345, thank you for the review! Lol yes, Pidge says NO to all of that mushy stuff. I'm glad you love the fic so much! It's okay about the reviews though, I don't mind. :) It takes time to write a review and I know not everyone has the time or energy to leave one, so I really appreciate the reviews that do come in! But it's totally okay to be a silent fan/reader/lurker (I tend to be one myself!). As long as people are enjoying the work and I can bring some sort of joy to their day, that's fine with me. :)

**Check out my tumblr to see some cool art: pufftheninja