I do not own Voltron or anything even remotely associated with it. Heaven knows if I did, I would still have the toys. This is very LONG and this time I am not exaggerating. It makes up for me taking so long to write it. :):) I will try to be speedier about the next one since I didn't get to everything I wanted to in this chapter. That said, enjoy my rather late Christmas gift to you. :)
A Missing Piece
Keith careened down the deserted corridors of the palace, taking the shortest route to the sick bay even if it wasn't the most efficient. It involved taking several flights of stairs, two at a time in his hurry and he nearly collided into a guard as he rounded the corner. By the time the man finished greeting him, he was already out of hearing range. As for the reason for his haste, he wasn't quite certain. Some inner sense seemed to be telling him that Frank's wakefulness would not last for long and if he didn't hurry, any information the fallen pilot could have to tell them. Briefly he wondered how many, if any, of the others had been sent for before he reached the sick bay floor and headed at a dead run towards the room where Frank was housed. A guard was stationed outside the door, a precaution he silently approved and the man promptly stepped away upon catching sight of him. Hurriedly swiping his key card through the slot, Keith waited impatiently for his identity to be confirmed. What was mere seconds felt like hours before the door opened before him and he strode into the room he had visited seldom during his five year tenure on Arus.
Several startled faces looked up at his arrival and Keith quickly surveyed the scene before him. The two figures nearest the bed he recognized as the doctor and chief nurse, both of whom he had spoken to before concerning Franks' case, while the others he dismissed as being less principal nurses. It was the man in the bed who interested him, however, a man whose resemblance to himself was as startling now as it had been the first time he visited the comatose Voltron captain. Thrashing from side to side, Frank's dark hair was plastered to his forehead and even from this distance Keith could see he was sweating profusely. Stepping fully into the room, he addressed the doctor,
"Are the surveillance cameras on?"
"No. Palace policy prohibits..."
"Turn them on before we go any further. I'm not taking any chances."
"But Captain, His Majesty..."
"I'll take care of His Majesty, see those cameras are turned on," Keith said brusquely.
Nodding hastily, the doctor hurried to communicate with the security room. Moving to the side of the bed, Keith dismissed the fretting head nurse with a look and knelt beside Frank's bed. Still thrashing about, the Black's pilot muttered to himself as if he wasn't aware of anything but what was troubling him.
"Must speak...need to know..." Glancing back at the doctor, Keith got his desire nod of assurance but he still checked for the familiar red light to make certain. Even eleven years past the time that Lotor had hoodwinked his way into the palace as a fallen victim was too fresh in his mind, along with the knowledge that three seconds of film would have been enough to expose his ruse. Rationally he knew there was no doubt of the thrashing man's identity but he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. The time with Lotor had been a close one...never before had he come so close to the Princess without attracting suspicion. Never before and never again, save for the last time. Banishing thoughts of Lotor, Keith turned his full attention on the Black's fallen pilot, his body still tossing from side to side. Frank's feverish eyes found him at last and a strange combination of recognition and clarity flickered within them. His lips twitched as if to smile but failed and his voice was stronger as he said,
"You." Keith's brows arched and it took all his self-control not to look behind him as the door opened to reveal a fully-dressed Lance. For once Keith was grateful for his presence; he knew no one, save himself, who was better at assessing a situation in seconds than Lance. Indeed, Lance only proved him right by moving to the other side of Frank's bed, crossing his arms, and looking from Keith to Frank with concern.
"An honor. Always wanted to meet..." Frank continued, his head no longer thrashing from side to side. In fact, the calmness that had come over him was rather startling. Even his sweating seemed to have lessened and though there was still a waxiness to his features, there was the slightest traces of what once would have been considered a handsome face.
"It speaks of you." At this Keith couldn't help but look briefly at Lance. His second-in-command's expression didn't change in the slightest. The door opened behind them, revealing none other than Pidge and Hunk, the latter still sleepy-eyed and in a poorly fitting pair of pajamas while the former was just as incongruous in a lab coat. Again Keith was grateful for the sensibility of his team; neither one of them said a word or expressed any feelings of surprise but simply moved to stand at the foot of Frank's bed.
"Suggest things...maneuver. Annoying actually. Usually works though." Something like a smile managed to form itself on his lips and Keith returned it before he was even aware of it. Abruptly Frank's smile faded and his features became even more pallid as he said suddenly,
"You...in danger. All of you." His gaze left Keith and scanned the surrounding Voltron Force. He opened his mouth as if to say more only to be cut off by the opening of the door. Something altered in Frank's expression and Keith looked along with the others even though he was already certain of the identity of the new arrivals. Regrettably later than they should have been, the royal couple had finally made it to the sick bay, both in a state of disarray. Liran's housecoat, while immaculately designed, was a trifle askew and most noticeably, his hair was not completely straight for the first time since Keith had known him. As for Allura, her hair tumbled freely down her shoulders and even at a glance, Keith was certain that there was little, if anything at all, underneath the pale green robe she wore. Pain sprang to life within him as his earlier suspicions were confirmed, a pain he told himself he had no business feeling. It grew stronger just to mock him. Moving to stand beside Lance, Allura's gaze met his for an instant before she dropped his gaze, the slightest hint of a flush spreading across her cheeks. Keith's pain only intensified and he wished furiously that there was no one else in the room so he could tell her she owed him nothing, that she should no more feel embarrassed than he should feel wounded by her relationship with Liran. Liran was her husband and he...he was just her old flame, nothing more. The stirring of the man in the bed before him brought his attention back to more important matters however. The calmness that had previously filled Frank's features was rapidly slipping away and his voice was strained as he spoke again,
"All of you," he repeated, shuddering as he took a breath. "What...he wants."
"What who wants?" Liran interjected. Instantly all five Voltron Force members shushed him, his wife including a glare that effectively silenced him. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Liran's flabbergasted expression might have been comic. Keith suspected he had never been shushed before in his life, or if he had, not by so many people at one time. Later it would all be rather amusing. Later.
"Wants...Highness," Frank continued, his breath increasingly becoming more difficult. On the other side of the room, the doctor began to move towards the crowded bedside, his brows drawn together. Frank resumed thrashing for several minutes, his face contorting with what looked like acute pain before he regained control. Breathing heavily for several moments, his gaze found Keith's again and he became serious once more as he said,
"Danger. Never knew. Can't trust...Aran."
"Aran!" Allura and Liran cried together, though this time neither of them was shushed. Frank's gaze locked onto Keith's for several moments, the dark depths growing increasingly more intense, almost as if the man was trying to tell him something. Whatever it was, Keith would never know as Frank suddenly and abruptly slipped out of consciousness. Allura and Pidge both cried out in alarm and the hovering doctor pushed his way through to examine his patient. Stepping back from the bed, Keith fought back a twinge of guilt as he heard the doctor mutter, "Knew it. Too many people, he's slipped back into it. It's a miracle he ever came out." Features once again lifeless, the fallen Voltron Captain scarcely seemed even to breathe and Keith turned his back on the scene. His companions were studying things other than the patient in front of them as well and it took several moments for him to regain their attention.
"Lounge, ten minutes," was all he said, fixing each of his male teammates with a stare in turn before moving towards the door. He had taken but three steps before Liran's broad frame blocked his path and Keith looked up at the taller man with poorly disguised irritation.
"What do you think you're doing, Captain?"
"I intend to discuss Frank's testimony with my teammates while it's still fresh in our minds, Your Majesty," Keith answered simply. Liran's fists clenched and unclenched at his sides but his smile didn't falter for a moment as he continued,
"Need I remind you, Captain, that all discussions relevant to the situation which brought you here are to be conducted in the presence of myself and the Chancellors?"
"You needn't, Sire, but this case warrants an exception, I believe."
"You do."
"Frankly, Sire, I don't see the point in dragging the Chancellors out of bed to hold a meeting that can just as easily be held in the morning. And while I understand your desire to be informed, I feel more comfortable discussing things with my team rather than your Chancellors."
"You do not trust us, Captain?"
"It isn't a matter of trust, Sire. Anything I will say to them, I could say in front of you, but it's the way we're used to doing things and I see no reason to change it. I can see that our discussion is recorded and sent to you immediately upon its conclusion." At this, both Lance and Pidge started while the still slowly awakening Hunk managed only a look of faint betrayal. Even Allura's eyes had widened and she was looking at Keith as if she hadn't seen him in a great while. Keith stood his ground, however, meeting Liran's gaze steadily.
"Do so, then, Captain, if you must have your private meeting. The Chancellors and I will meet in the morning, naturally."
"The Voltron Force would be pleased to attend," Keith replied, desperately trying not to smile at Liran's reluctant concession.
"I will consider issuing you an invitation. Remember, Captain, the Voltron Force may be held in higher esteem now than it was during your original tenure here, but it is still the royal house of Arus that decides the fate of this planet."
"I wouldn't have it otherwise, Sire," Keith replied, topping it off with a bow. Sometimes he couldn't resist trying to pique Liran and it seemed he had succeeded even beyond his hopes this time. Liran's jaw clenched and he glared down at Keith for several moments before turning fluidly on his heel and stalking towards the door. Eyes still wide, Allura hesitantly rose to follow him, her gaze avoiding those of her teammates as she passed.
"The invitation includes you, if you want to come," Keith said quietly as she passed him. Startled, Allura paused and looked at him for a moment, her eyes seeming to grow all the wider. At the door, Liran's shoulders stiffened and his voice was devoid of emotion as he said,
"I beg your pardon, Captain?"
"Your wife is and was a member of my team. I don't wish to exclude her from something she has every right to be a part of. I would think it would please you, Sire, to have someone whom you can trust as a spy among us."
Allura gasped, along with Hunk at this statement while Liran's eyes narrowed to mere slits and he smiled chillingly back into Keith's placid expression.
"To use my wife in such a fashion has never crossed my mind, Captain, I'm surprised it even crossed yours. If Allura wishes to attend your little meeting, she may, I can and will not stop her. She is free to make her own decisions. Now if you will excuse me, I would hate to delay your discussion any further. Good-night." Pausing only to look fiercely at his wife over his shoulder, Liran promptly exited the sick bay, his housecoat swirling out faintly behind him. Eyes flashing, Allura crossed her arms and fixed Keith with as fierce a glare as Liran had directed at her.
"I would never spy on you for him, or on him for you, for that matter, even if you had had the gall to ask me! How you could even suggest such a thing I don't..."
"I had to call his bluff before he could think of implementing it. He would have asked you, in time," Keith said wearily, his shoulders sagging slightly now that Liran had departed and it was no longer necessary to appear aloof. Allura's eyes flashed all the brighter and she tossed her head in a decidedly un-queen like manner as she continued,
"And you just assumed that I would agree to it, in spite of everything I...
"Princess, I was only trying to spare you from having to choose. The lounge, ten minutes. Pidge, we're going to need anything you have that mentions Aran."
"I was planning on bringing them," Pidge replied, smiling faintly even though he still surveyed Keith somewhat quizzically. Smiling at each of them in turn, Keith quickly exited the sick bay. In the absence of his adrenaline, he was realizing how tired he actually was and while he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with Frank's words turning about in his mind, there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and forget all of this had happened. Wickedly his mind showed him Allura's disheveled appearance as she burst into the sick bay and he promptly banished. That was something he didn't dare think on, at least not now. Heading down the corridor, he turned in the opposite direction of the lounge and not even towards the closest thing he was in search of: one of the palace terminals. For reasons he didn't dare examine, he didn't want any of his teammates to suddenly come upon him. Choosing one of the more out of the way locations, Keith scanned his card and waited for the palace database to load, stifling a yawn as he did so. Pressing the necessary buttons, he fought against another yawn and waited for the security room to load. As expected, when the image finally came into view on the screen, he saw the various security members bustling about the room, most likely preparing copies and transcripts of the testimony he had just witnessed. Clearing his throat noisily, Keith waited patiently for the head of security to spot him. Smiling wryly, the man approached the screen, his features looking more haggard than usual. Keith liked the head of security, partially because he was one of the few members of the castle staff that had been employed during his previous stay there. Ten years ago Mick had been indistinguishable from the other guards in the palace, now he was head of security and running things more smoothly than even his predecessor had. The other reason Keith liked Mick was their shared understanding about security in general; the man hadn't protested once when he resumed his nightly patrols, recognizing instantly that they were not the insult they appeared to be.
"Recording came through without a hitch, if that's what you're wondering, Captain. I've just sent one to His Majesty's computer, would you like one sent to yours as well?"
"Yes, along with my team's and the one in the Force lounge."
"If you don't mind my saying, Captain, I don't think you really have that much more to go on. I've never heard Frank make less sense in all the time I've known him and he and I used to talk a great deal. He had all sorts of notions on how to make the castle more secure. Got all huffy whenever I told him to stick to flying and let me handle the intruders that got past him. Will there be anything else, Captain?"
"I need the cameras in the Force lounge turned on."
For the first time since his return, Keith saw Mick's features pale and the man couldn't meet his gaze as he replied slowly,
"The cameras in the Force lounge have been on for the past three weeks, Captain."
"What?"
"His Majesty ordered that the Force lounge be kept under constant surveillance. To the best of my knowledge, he's only watched one tape but he hasn't ordered them shut off. I'm sorry,
Captain."
Desperately trying to keep his anger in check, Keith smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner and said carelessly,
"Don't apologize for following orders, Mick. Tell His Majesty something malfunctioned with the visuals but that the audio remained intact when he asks for the recording of this evening."
"But Captain, there's nothing wrong with the..."
"Of course there isn't. But should something malfunction your staff would certainly be far too busy sending copies to the Chancellors to look into it before morning." For several moments Keith simply met the gaze of the man on the screen, knowing that what he asked of him was unfair and yet asking it of him anyway.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Captain," Mick finally said, heaving a sigh and throwing Keith a look that promised his silence.
"I didn't think you would. Thanks, Mick, for your help. Good-night."
"Good-night." Smartly Mick saluted him and then vanished from view, leaving Keith with the main screen once more.
"Laboratory," he said briskly, hoping that he was still in time. The monitor faded out for several moments before coming back into view with a fuzzy picture. An object blocked part of the view and Keith smiled unconsciously at Pidge's obvious attempt to prevent prying. Predictably he couldn't bring himself to completely knock it out of commission(though Keith didn't doubt the young scientist knew ways to do so that would boggle the minds of Mick's staff),but Keith was hoping he could be persuaded to go against his code this once. If he was still in his lab. The sound of keys typing reached his ears and he sighed softly with relief.
"Pidge? Are you still there?" He called out, even though he knew it was highly doubtful anyone else was in the laboratory. Mycin stood watch and there was not a soul in the palace who would dare the creature's fury and enter the room unaccompanied by Pidge.
"Yes, Keith?" The clacking of the keys paused briefly and then resumed.
"I need you to do me a favor. Liran's had the cameras turned on in the Force lounge ever since we got here."
"I'm not surprised. He doesn't trust you and you haven't given him a reason to. Makes your offer somewhat pointless, doesn't it?"
"I promised him a recording, I didn't promise him a play for him to watch at his leisure." Again Pidge's typing ceased, followed by a noise that sounded distinctly like a disc being copied and then the youthful face of his companion appeared in the view not blocked by whatever object he had placed in front of the camera.
"Is it really necessary for you to continue playing games with Liran? It's only making it worse."
"Pidge, even if I didn't do a thing to antagonize that man, he'd find a way to be offended. I'm trying to meet him blow for blow. If it was up to me..."
"You'd go on blithely ignoring him, I know. I'll do it...how long do you want it out of commission for?"
"As long as possible?"
Pidge groaned and shook his spiky brown head. Passing a hand over his forehead, he turned at a sound behind him and tucked something into his front pocket. Giving Keith a faint smile, he tilted his head and pointed one finger at his Captain as he said,
"All right. But you owe me big for this one. They'll know it was me and I'll have to lie."
"I didn't think that bothered you."
"There was a time when it would have bothered you."
"Things change."
"And some stay the same. Can I be late to this meeting of ours?"
"If you have to be. And Pidge...thanks."
A true grin flickered across Pidge's face and the pair ceased transmission at the same time. Heaving a sigh of relief, Keith wondered idly why he continually seemed to fade in Pidge's eyes as he headed wearily towards the Force lounge. Part of him suspected that the esteem Pidge had had for him in his youth had faded somewhat due to his current behavior and he was saddened by it. Pidge had changed, too, however. He still found himself searching for the boy he had known and was continually puzzled by the man who had replaced him. Perhaps it was the same for his youngest team member. One thing he was sure of, however, it was unsettling to always have Pidge reminding him of the man he had been. It made him feel that the man who had replaced him was unworthy of even bearing his name. Taking yet another detour, Keith committed himself to being late to his own meeting and gritted his teeth in anticipation of what Lance would have to say. Though if Lance beat him, that really would be something. He had never known Lance to be on time for anything, except maybe a meal. His detour was necessary, however, or at least it seemed so to him. If Liran wasn't playing fair, Keith certainly wasn't about to do so either. With a start, he realized that ten years ago, he would have sighed and taken the higher ground and let Liran take advantage of him without retaliating. He wasn't certain which course was right, either, but what he had in mind was not so much playing dirty as giving Liran a dose of his own deception.
Exactly thirteen minutes after he had left the sick bay, Keith arrived at the Force Lounge, a stack of paper and a bundle of pens under his arm. Once again using the ever handy keycard, he opened the door to the lounge and peered inside. For possibly the first time since he had become captain of the force, he was one of the last to arrive to his own meeting. Sprawled out on the largest couch inside, Hunk was clearly fighting against sleep as he yawned rather loudly and folded his arms across his chest. In the far corner of the room, Pidge stood in front of one of the two camera locations, his brows drawn together as he studied his handiwork. Allura was there as well, a fact which pleased him more than he cared to admit even though she looked like she would rather be anywhere other than the lounge at this moment. Unfortunately it seemed he hadn't given her enough time to change or she had chosen to keep her wardrobe the same as it had been. The sight of her in the green robe was a reminder of something he cared not to think about, not to mention a trifle distracting. He supposed it was his punishment for assuming she would willingly spy on her teammates if her husband asked it of her and told himself it wouldn't become a problem. There was a part of him, however, that was infinitely grateful his outrage had prompted him to disable the visuals on the lounge cameras. Distracted by the sound of approaching footsteps, Keith turned from the lounge door with some relief to survey Lance, hands in his pockets, strolling towards him.
Whistling softly, Lance took in the sight of his commander hovering in the doorway with only an eyebrow raise and moved to pass him into the lounge. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Keith shook his head and threw a glance over his shoulder before turning back to Lance. Features strangely blank, Lance looked neither amused or angered by Keith's lateness but simply bored by it all. All at once Keith wondered if Lance had been interrupted much in the same manner Allura had but dismissed it as he said in a low tone,
"Liran's had the cameras on in the lounge ever since we got here." Lance's brows arched and he swore softly under his breath, the blankness leaving his features to be replaced by a darkness that was somewhat startling.
"Makes a grand show of how you don't trust him and then he doesn't trust you himself. Typical. I take it you're rethinking your offer?"
"On the contrary. He'll get his recording, it just won't be the recording he thinks it will be." Holding up the paper, Keith looked from it to Lance and watched as understanding dawned on his second in command's face. Grinning for an instant, Lance looked over Keith's shoulder in the room where their teammates waited and replied,
"It really is old times, isn't it? She wasn't privy to that though."
"I think she'll understand...if I haven't offended her too much."
"You said you didn't want her to have to choose, but she has to. Every day she chooses. I don't think she was afraid until now that it was the wrong choice." All at once Keith was unable to meet Lance's steady stare and he dropped it in favor of the floor. Moving past him into the lounge, Lance briefly touched him on the shoulder, his gaze a sympathetic one but Keith still couldn't bring himself to meet it. Once again he found himself lacking; it was a sensation he was unfamiliar with until now and he was increasingly displeased by it. Had he always been this way and just not noticed? He was beginning to think so and while part of him longed for his prior oblivion, another knew it was better he was more aware of his faults. Was it wrong of him to be surprised that there seemed to be so many? Giving himself a shake, Keith turned and entered the lounge, locking the door behind him and trying not to feel a pang at the sight of Lance casually seated next to Allura. Tonight was a night for irrational pangs of jealousy it seemed. Very well, he would acknowledge it and move on. Scribbling hastily on one of his sheets of paper, Keith handed it first to Hunk and went to stand next to Pidge in front of what he hoped was a temporarily disabled camera. The nod of assurance he received from his youngest teammate did much to reassure him and a faint smile managed to find his lips. Waiting as the paper made its rounds throughout the group, Keith watched as Allura's eyes widened and her lips parted slightly and when she raised her gaze to his, there was a silent apology in her eyes that he knew he didn't deserve and yet he smiled in acknowledgment of it anyway. Stepping away from the corner, he distributed the paper he had brought among them and spoke at last,
"I know this isn't the way we usually do this, but under the circumstances...we have no choice. Thank you, Princess, for coming...it means a great deal to all of us to have you here. I'm sorry if I put you in a position you never wanted to be in...it couldn't be helped. First impressions about Frank's testimony?"
"It seems to me you were late to your own meeting, Keith. Doesn't that warrant some sort of punishment? How about forfeiting your nightly patrol for a week?" Lance said jokingly, writing something on one of his pieces of paper and passing it to Allura as he did so.
"Very funny. You were late, too, as I recall, Lance. Should I force you to do my patrols in my place?"
"I think the honor would be too much for me. As for Frank, the most he did was confirm what we'd already thought in the first place. Whoever attacked him did it for the sole purpose of bringing us all here again."
"But what Highness did he mean? We've got three to choose from," Hunk put it in, still yawning on the couch. Allura finished reading what Lance had written her and nodded her understanding at the four of them.
"Tradition would imply Allura," Pidge said slowly, glancing from her to Keith.
"It would make sense. They drag us all back here, go after the same target," Lance supplied, placing his hands behind his head. "And it can't be Liran," he added a moment later, causing both Hunk and Pidge to chuckle softly while Keith quickly wrote on his own piece of paper. Holding it up, he watched as they read his single word : Cael. Allura's features paled considerably and her gaze searched his for a confirmation he couldn't be entirely sure of.
"His Majesty isn't a native Arusian and that alone eliminates him, but that could be what they want us to think. It depends on whether or not our enemy is from Arus or elsewhere. If it's a homegrown foe, they could be displeased by his policies and if it isn't...then the Princess is their most likely choice."
"Has anyone considered that we might be dealing with a copycat?" Pidge put in thoughtfully after Keith had finished speaking. Under the cover of his words, Allura had written him a question that he was now trying to compose an answer to that wouldn't alarm her too terribly. She had asked him why anyone would be after Cael; his only reply was that he was the new heir to Arus' throne and that made him far more valuable than either she or Liran.
"What do you mean?" Hunk asked, stifling his third yawn in as many minutes.
"Think about it. We're all in agreement that we were brought here specifically. There isn't any other reason to eliminate all the other pilots. What if the person we're after thought the Doom forces got the short end of the stick? Suppose they brought us back here to repeat the past, right down to assuming the role of Lotor and kidnapping the princess."
"Anyone who wants to be like Lotor has to be completely off their rocker," Lance put in, writing something of his own and handing it to Keith. Taking it, Keith read quickly: Liran isn't popular on Arus and he has been targeted before, but he's not the focus here. It's Cael or Allura, most likely the prince, but Pipsqueak's got the right idea. They took too much trouble to recreate the past for it to be otherwise.
"It might not be about being like Lotor. It might just be about revenge. Maybe something happened during one of the attacks on Arus and they blamed the Force for it. Or the castle. But that could be done without dragging all of us back here. We still don't know enough." The barest trace of frustration crept into Pidge's voice and nearly all of his teammates looked at him in slight alarm. In the past, Pidge's frustration had been familiar to them all but it had vanished as he aged. Its reappearance now was both interesting and startling.
"What did he mean by mentioning that fellow from the museum? Aran," Hunk said, closing his eyes briefly.
"That's the real question, big guy. I met Aran the last time I was here and he's nothing to write home about. It's hard to believe he could be behind something like this, even if he does know more about Voltron than practically anyone in the galaxy," Lance added.
"He couldn't have," Allura said simply. "He was too...good. He was so quiet and unassuming...I can't imagine how he could have ever been involved in this."
"Maybe he was forced into it," Hunk suggested, his eyes still closed.
"Would you pick a stuffy Voltron historian for your accomplice if you were trying to kidnap the current pilots?"
"Maybe whoever forced him into it had no choice. He could have discovered them and..." Hunk continued his argument with Lance while Allura shook her head.
"Aran wasn't the type to poke his nose into other people's business. Unless someone came to the museum asking questions...even still, he would have told someone before he went looking for trouble. He would have told Cael...he's one of the few people Aran would ever talk to. Sometimes he'd talk to me but it was usually if he had a question about something or one of you. I suppose I don't really know him that well but I know he couldn't have been involved in something like this."
"Did he talk to the pilots on a regular basis?" Keith interjected. Allura thought for several moments and then nodded.
"Yes. They..have special events at the museum where they...re-enact certain battles and events. The current pilots always stand in for the four of you and Aran always ran them so they would be as historically accurate as possible. He couldn't stand for anyone else to be involved."
"There wasn't any signs of a struggle in the Red or the Blue Lion. Perhaps it was because the pilots recognized whoever it was," Keith said carefully.
"And you think it was Aran?"
"I think it's possible it was him or that he was used as a decoy to put the pilots at ease. I don't think he launched an attack on the five of them on his own," he replied, watching her as she shook her head but said nothing further. Scribbling quickly, Keith passed her another note and waited for her response. Following the pattern they had established years ago when a visiting dignitary had insisted he be privy to their "private" meeting, the others conversed over the sound of her writing, debating the likelihood of Aran's acting on his own or being used as a decoy. Neither seemed completely plausible, there was still something missing. Handing his piece of paper back to him, Allura watched as he read it over, her eyes unusually wide. I am worried about Cael...but it isn't anything I haven't thought of before. It's natural for him to be in the same place I was ten years ago. It's his closeness to Aran that's troubling me now. If Aran really was involved, then it's even more likely that they would go after Cael, especially if they think we're close to figuring out their identity. Unless that's what they want us to do. I don't know...I just want my son to be safe and none of us can promise that. Not even you. Keith's jaw tightened at the last; she did still know him. Everything that was in him wanted to promise her that he would see that no one laid a hand on Cael, but he had made that same vow concerning her own person only to not be able to fulfill it. She didn't hold it against him, but she wasn't about to believe in promises he couldn't truthfully make anymore either. Trying to smile encouragingly at her, he drew his attention back to the conversation between his three teammates.
"That's all you could find out?" Lance was asking skeptically of Pidge as he flipped through his notes on the missing museum historian. Nodding, Pidge's mouth tightened and he thrust the pages at Lance somewhat angrily.
"Read them yourself if you don't believe me. That is if you still remember how. Other than
being overly passionate about Voltron and running the museum more smoothly than its curator, Aran didn't make much of a name for himself. He was born and raised here, saw the effect of Doom's attacks for himself and the peace that followed. He's never done anything wrong to the best of my knowledge and you should remember that I'm good at finding out things."
"I don't doubt your talents, Pipsqueak, it's just strange that there's absolutely nothing about this man anywhere and yet he keeps popping up. He had something to do with it."
"Lance, I really don't think he..." Allura piped in again, her defense of the young historian surprising in a way.
"Ally, just because he made it onto Cael's worship list doesn't make him a saint. Cael would worship Lotor if he sat around and talked about nothing but Voltron for hours on end."
"He would not."
"Oh no? Then it was some other prince of Arus who was found sitting outside that prisoner's cell for hours last year, listening enraptured to his tales of life on planet Doom?"
"What prisoner from planet Doom?" Keith interjected before Allura could leap to her son's defense. A silence fell over everyone in the room and the unpleasant sensation of being excluded washed over Keith. It was unusual for him, especially among this group of people and he rightly concluded as their silence lengthened that they weren't going to tell him now. Possibly not ever.
"All right, we'll save that for another time, shall we? Though if the four of you were aware that someone from Doom had survived, it seems strange that I was not informed," he said, fixing each of them with a stare.
"He was a member of Lotor's personal guard. Would you really have liked to have heard his testimony?" Allura said sharply, meeting his gaze evenly. Keith faltered slightly but forced himself to return it; why did they all think they still couldn't talk about it?
"Look, guys, none of this matters. What matters is that we find out who did this so we can stop them from doing it again. And though it doesn't make sense, it seems like this Aran guy was involved, so we need to find out everything we can about him. And if we can't ask people about him since he was a loner to rival our Captain here, we'll have to do it another way. He had to live somewhere, didn't he?"
Hunk interrupted, swinging his legs over the side of the couch and stretching. For several moments his teammates simply stared at him, unused to Hunk speaking for so long at one time and to playing the peacemaker. Idly the thought occurred to Keith that being a father could come in handy during situations such as these and he began to smile at the thought of Hunk viewing and treating the rest of them the same way that he did his children.
"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting, big guy?" Lance asked slowly, running a hand through his hair and looking not at Hunk but at Keith.
"Book types usually keep journals or notes, something like that. He has to have them somewhere. Where did he live?"
"At the museum," Allura whispered after a moment, her gaze also resting on Keith.
"Then we'll go to the museum. Good night," Hunk replied, stretching and yawning before making his way to the door.
"We'll go to the museum," Keith repeated numbly. Hunk nodded and exited the lounge, but not without giving his captain a sympathetic look that Keith didn't even register. The Voltron captain was no longer aware of anything, save for his increasing horror that he was going to have to set foot in the building that had repulsed him the moment he laid eyes on it. Part of him had known he wouldn't be able to avoid it and yet...he could think of nothing he wanted to do less. The others might be going to the museum but he...he was going straight to hell.
K–
There are several reasons why Allura has a son and not a daughter, one of them being that it simply never occurred to me for her to have a girl. Another is that if she had a daughter, it would be too tempting to make her the spitting image of Allura and Keith is having a hard enough time as it is seeing her looking out at him from Cael and if the child looked like her, his growing attachment to her might become somewhat creepy. There's also the whole aspect of Cael's obsession with Voltron, if he were a girl, she would just be like Allura all over again, both in her love of the flying robot and her eventual bond to the Voltron Captain and I didn't want history to completely repeat itself. Plus there's Cael's relationship with Liran to consider. Liran would be more willing to forgive a girl for not being like him, in fact, he would hardly expect her to be like him whereas with Cael, he naturally had the expectation that his son would follow in his footsteps and their entire relationship is based upon Cael's refusal to do just that. I'm glad you asked though, it made me think on why I gave her a son. Feel free to ask me anything you want. I might not always answer if it pertains to something that's relevant to later plot developments, but I won't get mad if you ask me things. And if I did, I'd just never write another flashback scene. Just kidding. lilmione :):)