DISCLAIMER :

VOLTRON AND ITS ELEMENTS ARE OWNED BY WEP.

Mystery of the Christmas Star

Chapter Four

Lotor's ship was the only one there when the Lion team arrived. Well that meant so far that he was telling them the truth. Lance prayed with all of his heart that somehow the guy was there to help them. By then, Keith and Allura were four hours overdue.

Inside Lance was hoping that the pair was all right, and able to make it until help could arrive. He was also hoping that Keith wouldn't kill him for getting help from Lotor. "Lance to Lotor … you ready for this rescue?"

"You know that I am. There's one thing I wasn't able to tell you before you ended the call. This planet can't be found by normal tracking." Lotor's voice told Lance that the guy was worried.

Lance swallowed his first reaction – to scream at Lotor a split-second before opening fire on his ship with everything Red Lion had. "How about explaining just how we're to find them."

According to Lotor, normal sensors couldn't detect the strange planet – nor would its coordinates stay in any computer file for more than a second. It was almost as if it was not really there. This insubstantial effect was spread across the debris field and all communication wavelengths.

The ships had been trailing an unusual star that had caught their attentions. It had been moving as a sort of beacon, but their instruments showed that it was a true star of an unusual size. It eventually led them to an uncharted planet with gravitational pulls of variable strengths all at once. That made all landing attempts impossible, but the crew was able to discern from the trail of wreckage that it was the missing ship, and they had detected two fair life signs.

Once the ships left the area to report their find to Lotor, the tracking data was lost. Lotor was surprised by the report, since he was about to order the ships to search for Keith and Allura's ship. It seemed that the star was the only way to get to the couple.

"Looks like we have to wait for this odd star. I know that this looks like a set up on my part, but I swear that this is the truth."

"Lotor, I know you're not setting us up. After all, you're not that good of an actor. And if you were up to something, Hunk would've known it." Lance grinned at the face on his monitor.

Then Pidge interrupted, "well I think that our pace star has just arrived everyone."

He was right! It was the size of the Star of Bethlehem, and was moving and changing the intensity of its light in urgency. The star seemed to know that time was running out and fast for their friends.

Lance's orders sounded as if they came from someone else. After all, Lance hated leading, and was never this strong in his decisions before! "Alright everyone, let's get this rescue underway! Team flank around Lotor's ship, just in case old Zarcon shows up. Time to go!"

As they followed the star, Lance thought back to his visit to that little orphanage on planet Rowun. To that little boy who called him his hero. To that song the kids had sung to him, not just another average holiday song – a song for one of the top five heroes of that group house. Lance recognized it immediately; it was old and from Earth, maybe from that Kenny Rogers guy.

'… if you can trust when trust is broken, and forgive along the way … then a light will light your way.' At least it seemed that was happening before them now.

Lance had been able to set aside his personal doubts about Lotor, and trusted the guy – despite all of the times he had proved that Lotor had been lying in times before. What's more was that Lance was able to somehow forgive Lotor of those past mistakes, a big step for the strongest grudge holder on the team.

Now this star showed up to lead them all to Keith and Allura.