DISCLAIMER :

VOLTRON AND ITS ELEMENTS ARE OWNED BY WEP.

Mystery of the Christmas Star

Chapter Three

That night, Lance was the last member of the team to make it back to the Castle of Lions – completely oblivious to the problem. "Hey guys! Hey Nanny! Next year I get dibs on planet Rowun! I have never had such a GREAT time! What's wrong with the three of you? Where're Keith and Allie?"

"Missing. They haven't reported in, and both were due in three hours ago! Lance, even Lotor is worried about this!" Pidge was nibbling on his bottom lip – clearly meaning that the genius was just playing a joke.

Hunk took over the report. "He's called six times since they missed their arrival time. And I have one of my bad feelings on top of that! Keith and Allie are in trouble – and for once I just know that Lotor isn't the cause of it."

Long before, Lance learned to trust the big guy's 'feelings'. The sight of Allura's Royal Governess on the verge of tears confirmed that this was in no way a joke. But, before Nanny could say a word, Koran came over the intercom.

"Lance, sorry to have such a bad report for your homecoming. But, Keith and the Princess are missing."

"I know Koran, the others just gave me the details. Any further contact from either them or Lotor?" Lance hated this acting like he could be the natural leader that Keith always was, but he was the team's second-in-command. And that meant he would be in charge until they got Keith and the Princess back again.

Koran could hear it in Lance's voice. "Lotor is calling right now. Do you want to take it?"

"I better. Hunk feels that Lotor doesn't have a connection in this, so we'll give Lotor the benefit of that grace. I'm on my way to the control room."

In minutes, Lance was looking at his enemy in a different light. Lotor's face showed how worried he was, in some ways proving that Hunk's notion was right – so far at least. "Hey Lotor. Do you have info about all of this?"

"I just received a report of some uncharted planet, where the debris trail leads to. If they survived the crash, then they're buried very deep in the planet's crust. I would've went in myself, but the gravitational pull is too great for any of my ships, and is why the ship is as far down as it is."

Lance didn't like the sound of that. "Just how deep are we talking about, Lotor?"

"About forty miles down. Haggar has found a series of caves that will take us down to the depth, but time is running out." Lotor rubbed his temples.

Lance wondered just how long he could actually trust Lotor. There had never been any love lost between the two of them. But, from his body language and voice, Lance could tell that the strain was obviously getting to the guy. It was only because this guy loved Allura, in some fashion, that Lance dared to hope that the guy was actually trying to help them, and not get them all killed.

Inside Red Lion's pilot prayed that he wasn't making the wrong choice in trusting their seemingly former enemy. "We'll meet you at these coordinates. You can ride down with me in Red Lion. Haggar too, if there's no problem with that. Lance out."

Before the screen had turned black, Lance could see that his words had stunned Lotor. Turning around, that same look was on the face of the others. No one had dared to guess that Lance would ever take the step that he had just made.

"What choice do we have? If he hadn't gave us the directions it would've taken us hours to find them! And without Haggar's help we would need days – maybe even weeks – to get to them! We don't have that luxury of time!"

Koran laid a hand on Lance's shoulder. "You don't have to explain your actions, Lance. It's just that you have never trusted Lotor before, and we half expected some show of that in you. Keith was wise in naming you his second."

That struck deep in Lance. Since Sven was wounded and left the team, he hated being second-in-command. He had never taken it seriously, and did all he could to make Keith choose another for the job. But the guy stood by him, and did all he could think of to whip Lance into shape to lead the team if it came down to it.

It looked like now he was stuck with the job long before he felt that he deserved it. No, he had to keep a positive out look! Not just for himself, but for everyone else.

Lance knew that he had to make everyone work a little harder than they all believed they were able to. Though he doubted that he could do it as well as Keith could, Lance knew that he had to do it as well as Keith could, Lance knew that he had to do his own best and pray that it would be enough.

Sven and Romelle had arrived an hour after Keith and Allura went missing. Originally they were there to enjoy the holidays and visit with their old friends. Now, it became an emergency. Romelle looked over at her only love.

"I knew that there was a reason for the two of us showing up early. Looks like my feeling was right this time, Sven. The team might need you there, and I'll be safe here in the Castle. You go on with them. Besides, Blue only allows two people to pilot her – Allura and you."

Sven smiled over at his lady. Romelle was right of course. But, he still felt like he had no right to take Allura's place in that Lion. Lance saw right through his old friend and knew exactly what was on is mind. "I don't think that was an invitation from Romelle, bud! Besides we'll need all the help we can get on this one. And we'll need a cooler head as leader than me, so …"

"You're not getting out of YOUR duties that easily, Lance. I have my own responsibilities on this mission, which does not including leading! Keith chose you as his second after I had to leave and had very good reasons to do so, or else he wouldn't have named you as my successor. Now's the time to prove that he was right in trusting you with that job, Lance."

Lance looked at the floor. "I don't think that he chose the right guy for this job. Why not Pidge or Hunk? I'm not cut out to lead!"

"Pidge is too young and inexperienced. Hunk is too sensitive. You have the nerve and strength that makes a great leader. Do you know that?" Sven rested a hand on Lance's shoulder. It was time for the truth to come out. "I got that straight from Keith himself, the night before he announced his choice – he called me and got my input. I doubted that you were the right choice, but Keith told me – word for word – all that I just told you."

Lance stared at his old friend, "Keith really believes that?"

Sven smiled and nodded at the gawking pilot; Keith had been held as a role model of all Lance thought that he himself would never be. Now, knowing that Keith didn't despise him, Lance found the courage to try. Quickly, the team – Sven included – was in their Lions and on their way to the rendezvous point.