I do not own Voltron or anything even remotely associated with it. Heaven knows if I did, I would still have the toys. Thanks again for the reviews, I love hearing what people think about things. :):) There will be more flashbacks, never fear. There is much still to tell of Allura and Keith's story. :) Oh and the blasted thing got long again...I'm as long-winded as Liran, I guess.

Missing

Once again the Voltron Force and Arus' Chancellors waited for the arrival of the Arusian monarchs in order to begin their scheduled meeting the following morning. This time, at least, they were allowed to take their seats but it made the waiting no less irritable. Predictably, they had separated into their respective groups with the Voltron Force huddled together at one end of the table while the Chancellors carried on their own conversations at the other. Peter and the hapless Mika were the two seated near the Force. At their own end, the Voltron Force conversed quietly, periodically checking on the Chancellors who periodically checked on them. In an unintentional throwback to the old days, they were all garbed in their usual colors, Lance once more sporting his beat up jacket. Keith still wore one of GG's emblazoned vests, though his shirt was red, while Pidge and Hunk were also wearing shirts that matched their former lion colors. Arms folded, Lance cast a not too casual glance in Calinda's direction, the latter wearing canary colored robes that were less concealing than those of the day before, and looked up at the ceiling with exasperation.

"Liran has forgotten the meaning of punctuality," Lance threw in at last, still staring at the ceiling.

"Perhaps Allura's having difficulty picking out a dress," Pidge said jokingly, clasping his arms behind his head in the old manner and giving the ceiling his attention. Thankfully he was still without Mycin; the whereabouts of his strange companion were apparently unknown even to him but the young scientist didn't seem overly concerned. Once Keith would have thought he was keeping the creature hidden out of respect for everyone else but he was no longer so certain. Pidge had his own motives now and they were no longer carried on his sleeve.

"Allura's not the type to care about her dress. Most likely it's the Prince," Hunk said sadly, his big hands laced together on the tabletop. Frowning, Keith swallowed back the all too familiar admonition that it was none of their business and said,

"Whatever it is, I wish they'd get things moving. If it was so urgent for us to come here, why take all this time getting to it? I thought they were in a state of crisis."

"They are. Didn't you read your memo?" Lance replied.

"Did you?"

"Why bother? Liran'll spend the first half an hour telling us."

"Try to at least appear like you're listening," Keith gave in with a wry shake of his head. For a moment Lance ceased his scrutiny of the ceiling to look at him, a smile creeping at the corners of his mouth.

"There's no point. Once you've heard one of Liran's speeches, you've heard them all. I know exactly what he'll say. 'Chancellors of Arus, Voltron Force, Coran, Her Majesty, thank you for gathering here during Arus' time of need. Once again, I would like to thank the Voltron Force in particular for reassembling and coming here on such short notice. I know it was not easy for some of you..." Abruptly Lance trailed off, realizing that he had attracted the attention of all of the Chancellors and uncharacteristically embarrassed. Keith had been acquainted with the King of Arus for one day and even he knew that Lance's impersonation of him was dead on. Whatever reservations the Chancellors had about their ruler, it was clear they preferred them kept private and not aired for all to hear. Lance had the grace not to slink further in his chair, however, and simply resumed his scrutiny of the ceiling though the color had drained slightly from his features.

Any comment was swallowed by the opening of the doors, however, and Keith would have been hard-pressed to say who was more relieved by it, Lance, himself, or the Chancellors. Too late he wished he had questioned Lance more on his diplomatic dealings with Arus the past ten years; whatever it was, it was rapidly becoming far from friendly. And he had thought he would only have his own personal demons to deal with by returning here. If asked Lance would tell him not to make it his problem, along with some line about how he wasn't Lance's captain/superior any more but Keith was beginning to suspect that it was going to become his problem whether he liked it or not. And with every passing second the familiar boredom of his every-day routine at Galaxy Garrison seemed more and more appealing.

Coran, naturally, was first, for all appearances seeming not to have changed at all since the explorers last left. In the place of last night's formal attire was his usual suit, complete with its ridiculous tie and for not the first time, Keith swallowed back his snicker. Only the added lines in the older man's face suggested that any time had passed, accompanied by the slight dusting of gray at his temples. Out of nowhere the memory of the time Lance and Pidge had conspired to dye the man's moustache rose up before him and the Voltron Captain had a hard time concealing his smile. Even as Coran moved to one side and announced the arrival of their royal Majesties, he could only see him as he had been eleven years ago, one side of his moustache green while the other was red. It had been weeks before Coran spoke civilly to any of them, including the Princess, who had been in on it as well. Their moment of triumph had really come, however, when Nanny had turned away in order to keep Coran from seeing her laugh. Quickly arranging his face into more placid lines(all of his teammates were looking at him strangely)Keith managed to appear neutral as Liran entered the room in style, Allura on his arm. The royal couple was more reserved today; though still grandly dressed and in white, Liran did not seem to be playing the grand statesman this morning. There was a hardness to his fine chiseled jaw that hadn't been there the previous day though his hair was still immaculately straight. The question of how long the man spent fussing in front of the mirror every day flickered through Keith's mind and vanished before he could give it further thought. He had no idea what was the matter with him this morning; perhaps it was due to his not being active for more than a week now that he was poking fun at nearly everything or perhaps not. As for Allura, he had a feeling Cael had followed through with his intent to tell her about the journals shortly before the meeting seeing that her features had a slightly agitated cast to them. Otherwise her appearance was as flawless as her husband's, seeing as she matched him in a white gown conspicuous for its plainness. Parting from each other with little ceremony, the monarchs of Arus took their seats at either end of the table(Allura was near the Voltron Force naturally)and bade the others to do so as well. Only Coran remained stationed at the door, his hands clasped behind his back much in the manner of a guard. Again Liran gifted all of them with his smile, even if its radiance was somewhat lacking in comparison to last night and Keith desperately fought against his ever rising dislike for the man.

"Chancellors of Arus, Voltron Force, Coran, Her Majesty, thank you for gathering here during Arus' time of need. Once again, I would like to thank the Voltron Force in particular for reassembling and coming here on such short notice. I know it was not easy for some of you,"Liran began, completely oblivious to the looks circulating around the table between the Chancellors and the Voltron Force. Had it been anyone else, the Chancellors surely would have muttered, but seeing as it was Liran, they contented themselves with glaring inconspicuously at Lance who tried to appear completely oblivious. A smile kept forcing its way onto his lips, however, even as he stared at his friend, the ceiling. Hunk's head was bowed, his meaty hands clasped even more tightly together on the table as he fought to keep his shoulders from shaking. Pidge's head was tilted to one side–of them all, he seemed to be the only one listening to Liran without amusement. There was a gleam to his eyes however. Keith forced himself to look at Liran or at the Chancellors, at anyone that wasn't part of his team.

"However, the circumstances which brought us all here together could not be controlled.

Voltron Force, I assume all of you are aware of the situation?"

Tacitly electing Keith their speaker, the Voltron Force shared a brief look(none of them had quite recovered yet)before Keith nodded their assent.

"We are, Your Majesty. We would like to know more about the situation, naturally, as it was promised we would in our summons here. The Lions are missing, excluding the Black, along with the nine men trained how to fly them. The Black's pilot survived but is in a coma. We were wondering, Your Highness, how you lost them."

"I did not lose them, Captain."

"I didn't mean you personally, Sire, but in general," Keith replied smoothly, copying Hunk and clasping his hands on the table in front of him. At the other end, Liran returned his stare steadily, the slightest trace of irritation glistening in his eyes. He was not a man used to being met challenge for challenge, Keith surmised, except when Lance was around. How aggravating for him to have to deal with both of them at once.

"The current Voltron Force was out on a routine patrol; it was a suggestion, if you may recall, made by you, Captain, in your extensive manual on Voltron and they were following it faithfully as they have for the past ten years."

"When was this?" Keith interjected, avoiding Lance's eye even as his friend finally ceased his study of the ceiling and leaned forward in his seat. Each member of the Force was listening avidly now, along with the Chancellors, who also had not been privy to the full details prior to this day.

"Six weeks ago. It took several weeks to contact your team and arrange for your arrival here, plus the decision was not immediately reached."

"All right, six weeks ago the Force was out on a routine patrol, nothing out of the ordinary. What happened?"

"If you will permit me to explain, Captain, what details a routine patrol of Arus, for those of us seated here who aren't familiar with your manual." Keith simply gestured his consent, still meeting Liran stare for stare. The man's open antagonism this morning was both surprising and expected. Once he was through with the theatrics of what had happened, Liran would have to shift some of the control to Keith as the reinstated Captain of the Voltron Force and Keith was getting the impression that Liran was a man who needed to be in control.

"For the purpose of patrols by the Voltron Force, the planet was divided into five sections, each Lion taking one and scouting for any signs of irregular activity or to assist with any tasks that the Lions might be able to perform for the public. Each week they rotate so one Lion is not always in one area all of the time. On the date in question, the Black Lion was covering the Central sector, which includes the palace, the Red the North, the Green the East, the Yellow the South and the Blue the west. Patrols usually take from three to five hours, depending on what the Force chooses to occupy themselves with. After ever hour that passes, the members are required to check in with the Captain, in this case, Frank Barring, to report on their actions and to make certain nothing has happened. After three hours, they did not hear from the Blue pilot, Erran. The Red was near the western border, so he volunteered to check in on him. After another hour, Mick didn't check in either, along with the Yellow pilot Allain. At this point, both Frank and Drake, the Green's pilot, began to worry and decided to check on both of them. What happened after this, we will never know. Of the five Lions, only the Black returned, smoking and barely able to fly straight. By some miracle it reached its platform...Frank toppled out, unconscious, soon after. He has remained that way ever since."

"What about the logs in the Lion?"

"Nothing was recorded. It was a routine patrol, Captain. None of them expected to find anything that day," Liran repeated, his brows drawing together. Silently Keith refused to apologize for ruining his dramatic effect with a question and turned to Allura.

"I thought the Black looked like it retained some signs of damage when I looked at it yesterday. It was repaired?"

"To the best of our abilities, yes," she answered, glancing fleetingly at her husband.

"And nothing about the damage seemed out of the ordinary?"

"It was normal damage...why the Black hasn't...I couldn't say," Allura finished somewhat helplessly. Her mind was not on the proceedings, Keith realized and fought against the dismay it brought on. He had thought he would be able to count on her throughout the meeting...blast Cael and his curiosity, it had to have unsettled her. Perhaps it was better this way, however...Liran would not suspect her of conspiring with him if she appeared as surprised as he expected she was going to.

"And what was your next move, Sire?"

"Naturally we didn't want to leave Arus undefended so we contacted the five members of the Voltron Force personally trained by all of you ten years ago only to find that they, too, had mysteriously vanished from their homes."

"No one saw anything?"

"Wives, friends, children, neighbors, they were all questioned extensively. Timman, Kentley, Brack, Steven and Jack all disappeared without a trace. Their beds were untouched, their clothes unrifled through, none of their possessions taken. It was as if they simply ceased to exist. After a few days deliberation, we realized we had no other choice but to recall the original Voltron Force and hope they would respond, as they had pledged to, in our hour of need. And here you are, gentlemen. If you wish to speak to those closest to the missing pilots, it can be arranged."

"I would like that," Pidge put in, looking to Keith out of habit and receiving a nod of permission.

"Very well," Liran conceded, his lips pressed tightly together as if to keep from frowning.

"There is another person missing," Allura added. Liran's eyes flashed but she ignored the warning.

"We're not certain whether or not it's related, most likely the young man..."

"Arus' leading historian on Voltron disappears the same day as four of the Lions and their former pilots and you still think it's not related? There is a young man who works at the museum, Aran, who has spent his entire life studying Voltron...short of all of us, there is no one who knows more about it. He was at the museum that day, researching, but no one heard or saw him after he went into his office to take his lunch break. At the end of the day they broke down and unlocked his office to make certain he was all right, but he wasn't there. None of the surveillance cameras showed him leaving at any point, he hasn't been home, his landlady and neighbors don't know where he is or if he was planning a trip of any kind. Quite simply, short of the original Voltron Force, anyone who was intimately involved with Voltron is missing."

There was a moment of silence where everyone seemed preoccupied with their own thoughts; Allura determinedly avoided Liran's gaze as it remained fixated firmly on her while the Chancellors exchanged uneasy glances. Pidge, it seemed, was already going over questions in his head as his lips were silently shaping words. Hunk stared off into nothingness.

"Anyone heard from Sven lately?" Lance threw in casually but the seriousness of his question couldn't be ignored.

"Just this morning," Coran said from the doorway, his features falling into the familiar lines of disapproval. Meeting Liran's gaze at last, Allura raised her chin and gave him back his intense stare, second for second. Heaving a sigh, Liran was the first to break it and for the first time since Keith had known him, the man displayed a sign of weakness and passed a hand over his forehead with weariness.

"Voltron Force, I ask that you find it in your hearts to serve Arus again. Without pilots, we cannot retrieve the missing Lions or make the repairs that might be necessary, even though their keys are still intact. Without pilots, we can't form Voltron, for ourselves or for another planet that might require the robot's services. Will you help us?"

"Our presence here is our consent, Sire. Do you wish our stay to be indefinite?"

"Only until the missing pilots are found or replacements trained."

"Any replacements we train will just turn up missing as soon as we leave," Keith replied with a shake of his head. One of Liran's brows arched and his mask of humility slipped as a shadow passed over his face.

"What makes you say that, Captain?"

"I would think it was obvious, Sire. Why abduct all nine of Voltron's trained pilots? It would be far simpler just to take two. Eliminate the two men who fly the Blue Lion and you've effectively eliminated the usage of Voltron for awhile at least. Why take all of them, or try to, at least?"

"I cannot fathom," Liran said stiffly, his features hardening. Tilting his head to one side, Keith smiled somewhat indulgently at the Arusian monarch before doing something unconscionable.

"Lance?"

Starting, Lance gaped at Keith for a moment, his arms falling from behind his head as his pose changed from one of lazy contemplation to fierce apprehension. Brows drawing together as he looked from Keith to Liran, Lance muttered something under his breath that was one of the more foul Doom phrases and said slowly,

"To re-unite the original Voltron Force. Which you've done, quite splendidly, I might add."

"What?"

Giving Lance an apologetic glance(which was staunchly ignored), Keith answered Liran,

"If you think about it, Sire, it's the only logical explanation. Whoever abducted the other pilots knew that if they took both sets, you would choose recalling us over leaving yourselves defenseless. They also knew that we would be duty-bound to come. And so they lured us here, quite effectively. Which leaves us with yet another why...why the original team?"

"Indeed. There's no one left with a score to settle. You made certain of that yourself, Captain."

A spasm crossed Keith's features as he looked at Liran and for a moment the classically handsome face of Liran vanished, replaced by the sneering image of Lotor and the Prince of Doom's voice sounded in his mind anew, "Choose for yourself, Captain and choose well. It may be the last choice you ever make." As quickly as Lotor had appeared, he vanished and Keith was once again looking into Liran's unfriendly expression.

"Perhaps it isn't a matter of settling a score. Why they wanted us here is something we won't be able to know for awhile, we can only speculate. What matters is retrieving the Lions."

"I am in complete agreement with you on that matter, Captain. Coran has their locations mapped out, if you would care to adjourn to the control room..."

"I have one last question for you, Sire. Actually, you could consider it a favor." Again Liran arched a brow, but Keith could have sworn he saw the barest flicker of pleasure cross the man's features. It made what he was about to say all the more delightful.

"If you will pardon me, Sire, even with all five Lions, there isn't anyone to fly the Blue. Even if you could get Sven to reconsider, and there is nothing in all the galaxy that could convince him to, his presence wouldn't trigger the actions of our abductor. He is technically the original pilot but whoever it is wants the Voltron Force that was known throughout the galaxy. I want Her Majesty to fly the Blue Lion."

A collective gasp echoed throughout the room. At the door, Coran took a reflexive step forward before thinking better on it and remaining where he was. Staring at each other in stupefied silence, the other three members of the Voltron Force shared half grins before looking to their former teammate. Mouth hanging open, it was hard to say who was more shocked, Allura or Liran as they stared at each other across the table. Dropping her husband's gaze, Allura buried her face in her hands for a moment, indulging herself in unqueen like behavior as she struggled with her own emotions. Shocked into impropriety, the Chancellors openly murmured amongst themselves, their heads turning rapidly from one side to the other as they surveyed the two ends of the table. Removing her hands from her face, Allura smiled helplessly, still avoiding Liran's gaze, and turned towards Keith. Even as she opened her mouth, her husband was quicker.

"I cannot permit this."

"Liran!" Liran glared at her outburst.

"Sire, you will accomplish nothing with only the four of us."

"Do you honestly expect me to consent to my wife flying with the four of you when you've just said that reuniting the original Force is exactly what this maniac wants?"

"Be fair. You don't know if the guy's a maniac," Lance threw in dryly.

"I won't have my wife put in danger."

"She won't be in any more danger than she was fifteen years ago," Lance continued,

adopting Keith's cause.

"I wasn't here then and if I had been, I certainly wouldn't have allowed it."

"If you're through, don't I have a say in this?"

"Allura..." Liran began, the breach in protocol so severe it was a sure sign of his distress, but his wife continued, her voice deliberately mild,

"He isn't asking for your permission, Liran, and he even if he was, he doesn't need it. The decision is mine to make, just as it was fifteen years ago. And if you really think you could have accomplished what Nanny couldn't...you don't know her very well. If I don't fly the Blue...we won't be able to form Voltron and the replacements will keep disappearing. Fifteen years ago they were able to keep me safe...can't you trust them to do the same for me now?"

"Trusting them isn't the issue. I don't want you deliberately putting your life at risk. You have a planet to think of, a son, and a husband. What of your responsibilities to us?"

"Isn't it my responsibility to keep you safe? I have to do this."

"I can persuade..."

"I'd like to see you try," Keith put in, his tone warning against further argument. Liran looked very much like he wanted to strangle him.

"If you do this, Allura..."

"I'm going to whether you want me to or not. There isn't a choice, I'm the only one who can. Can't you understand?"

Liran didn't answer her. Allura's face fell and she turned away, her lip trembling slightly. Several of the Chancellors shifted uncomfortably in their seats while the Voltron Force sat, to a man, staring down at their laps. Occasionally daring to glance at Allura, Keith didn't wonder if he had gone too far. She was right, as was he, there was no other choice. Necessity demanded that Allura fly the Blue Lion again. Stepping forward, Coran managed a wobbly smile for those assembled and said,

"Voltron Force, Her Majesty, if you will join me in the control room...uniforms have been prepared for you. Keith, I expect you plan to take the others with you?"

"Until we reach the first Lion, then we'll separate. The sooner the Lions are retrieved, the better."

For a moment the two men looked at each other, Keith's gaze flickering to Allura for the barest instant. Imperceptibly Coran nodded and amended,

"I will expect you in half an hour." Nodding to everyone in turn, the older man strode from the meeting room, the tails of his coat swirling out behind him. A frenzy of sliding chairs ensued as the Chancellors made similar excuses, scurrying from the room in a mass exodus that would have been amusing under other circumstances. The Voltron Force watched them go, still strangely rooted in place. Of the four, Hunk was the first to rise, stretching his limbs and groaning loudly.

"I never told you guys this before but...I hate those uniforms."

His three teammates simply stared at him.

"They're not made for fat men."

Pidge and Keith continued to stare at him while Lance clapped a hand over his mouth.

Nodding emphatically, Hunk pointed a finger first at his Captain and then at Lance.

"You and you...and even you now, I suppose, all look dashing while I look ridiculous. Squeezed into it...and the helmet pinches my head. Even the boots are too tight and my feet are the thinnest part of me. Now I've got to wear it again...oh to be home."

Sighing Hunk trudged out of the room, running a hand through his hair as he went. Hand still clapped over his mouth, Lance managed only a strangled, "excuse me," before he ran from the room. Moments later, his laughter was heard echoing throughout the hallways. Shaking his head, Pidge self-consciously straightened his glasses and rose to his feet. Facing Liran, who was glowering at Keith, he bowed flawlessly and said,

"Thank you, Sire. It means everything to us to have Her Majesty a part of the team."

Liran glanced at him but couldn't manage the necessary reply and Pidge gave Keith a meaningful look over his shoulder as he exited the room. Even though the meeting room was the absolute last place he wanted to be, Keith was having difficulty willing his feet to move. This was a matter for Allura to resolve in private with her husband and only now did he feel a twinge of guilt for having brought it on. Slowly rising, he copied Pidge and bowed to both of them in turn, saying nothing. If Liran expected an apology, as he suspected he did from the way the man's gaze was boring into his back, he was going to be disappointed. He would not apologize for something that needed to be done or for aiding Allura to defy him. Even so, he felt foolishly as if he were abandoning her as he exited the room. No one knew better than he that Allura could fend for herself. Yet...he did not feel easy about leaving the two of them in the room together. Alone.