**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)
A week had passed and Mari had yet to make a decision about Te-freya's offer. It was difficult to do when no one from her inner circle ever seemed to be available to talk. In the end, all of the conversation happened between herself and the space mice. But at least she was making progress. She was getting closer to reaching a decision, she could feel it.
She stared at the pros and cons she had carefully listed out on her phone:
PROS: 1) I get to help the coalition in a bigger way; 2) I get to see Ellosh and Treble; 3) More freedom and independence; 4) More chances to explore and learn about the universe; 5) I get to lead and be my own boss; 6) No more awkwardness with Takashi; 7) I'm excited.
CONS: 1) I'm scared; 2) I won't be able to see Takashi or the others very often; 3) I'll be on my own without the others; 4) How does one lead?
The pros currently outweighed the cons and she couldn't think of anything to add to either half of the list. Mari sighed as she stashed her phone. Te-freya had told her there wasn't any rush, but she couldn't let the Kythran wait forever. She had to give her an answer.
Her mulling was interrupted as Hunk's voice crackled over the Castle intercoms. "Everyone, if you could kindly make your way to the dining hall," he requested, a smile behind his voice. "Dinner is ready."
Steeling herself for another uncomfortable meal with a varying amount of teammates for company, Mari pushed off her bed and headed for the dining room. Upon her arrival, she was mildly surprised to see all the paladins there for once…well, except for Keith, who was no doubt out with the Blades. Again. As always, Allura sat at her spot at the head of the table while Coran was seated to her left. To the princess's right were Shiro, Lance, an empty chair for Hunk, and Pidge. No one said a word as she casually slid into her seat next to Coran, their minds focused on a million other things.
When Hunk burst through the door leading from the kitchen, he balanced two trays of steaming hot bowls in his hands. Scarlett and Mitsubishi followed right behind him, carrying plates of purple salad and slices of green, pink, and blue fruit. The trio danced around the table, setting one of each food in front of their friends as they went. When everyone was served, they took their seats and Hunk cleared his throat as he prepared to introduce the food they had laid out before them.
"For tonight's meal, we have the space equivalent of stir fried noodles, a salad, and Ryner gave us these really cute fruits that grow right here on Olkarion!" he explained, an excited grin lighting up his face. "They're sweet and soft and they kinda taste like mangos. I love 'em. Bon appétit, my good peeps."
The others began to dig in. As always, Hunk's cooking was absolutely divine. Everyone seemed to relax as they ate — Mitsubishi's hair turned a content yellow; Lance and Allura engaged in a casual conversation that wasn't work-related for once; even Shiro's brow wasn't furrowed as he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of the pink, mango-tasting fruit. For the first time in a while, the atmosphere around the residents of the Castle of Lions was calm and friendly. With (almost) everyone here, smiling and talking so easily amongst one another, it felt (almost) like old times.
Mari suddenly stopped mid-bite of a fork-full of noodles. (Almost) Everyone was here and relatively happy. This was her chance to tell them about her situation with Te-freya. She was finally going to receive some helpful advice. She quickly chewed and swallowed the rest of her food before opening her mouth to broach the topic. But before she could get one word out, Scarlett grabbed everyone's attention.
"So I have some good news!" she exclaimed loud enough to be heard over the clinking of utensils and the murmur of side conversations. "I've finally finished it."
The table went quiet as they looked at her, eyes wide. Pidge nearly leapt from her seat. "Hey, I thought we were gonna wait until next week to tell them!" she hissed, and Scarlett shrugged.
"But we don't know what next week is gonna look like," the Utearen claimed, waving away the Green Paladin's annoyance. "While we have mostly everyone here, I wanna take the chance to show them it."
"Wait, seriously?" Lance asked, his eyes twinkling with a newfound excitement. "It's really ready?"
"Are you sure it's safe?" Shiro piped up, frowning in concern. "You've tested it and worked out all the bugs?"
Scarlett nodded, confidence exuding from her person. "Absolutely! It's all ready to go."
"That's wonderful, Scarlett!" Allura beamed, clasping her hands together in uncontainable delight. "I can't wait to see it!"
The sharp clang of Mari's fork dropping into her bowl interrupted their giddy talk. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at them, fed up with being left in the dark. "Okay, you've had your fun keeping 'it' from me," she said, cutting to the chase. "If 'it' is done now, will someone just tell me what 'it' is already?"
The others exchanged knowing looks, but kept their lips sealed. Scarlett's legs swung back and forth beneath the table. "I'm glad you asked," she said. She smirked as she stared at the human, her tone turning rather condescending as she continued, "You've been so good staying out of my lab while I worked on it. I guess you do deserve a little reward."
She reached up and lightly patted her on the head only to quickly retract her arm as Mari moved to smack it away. "Stop it. I'm not some dog," she snapped and Scarlett granted her a teasing smile.
"We'll be happy to show it to you, Mari," Hunk calmly intervened, the only one kind enough not to keep pushing her buttons. "But first, finish your dinner."
"I am not a child!" she groaned, her irritation growing. Still, she didn't argue as she shoved another fork-full of goodness into her mouth, very much aware of the eight amused looks she was getting. "God, you all are impossible."
Mari utterly refused to be blindfolded as Scarlett, Mitsubishi, and the others dragged her out of the Castle and to the Olkarion lab. She didn't know what to expect of their project, but she certainly wouldn't go into it blind. For all she knew, 'it' could've been a deadly alien nuke. Or some sort of wacky prank machine designed specifically to make a fool out of her. Deep down, she knew her friends would never spend months making something as absurd as that. But with the way they were all giggling and grinning at her oblivious expense, she was starting to seriously consider it.
"Okay, we're here," Scarlett said when they'd come to a halt in front of a pair of massive hangar doors. She and Mitsubishi grabbed the handles and she turned to them with a dramatic grin. "Are you ready to see the final version of it?"
"Let's see it," Shiro prompted.
"Yes!" Pidge, Allura, Hunk, and Coran chorused in varying levels of anticipation.
"Heck, yeah!" Lance pumped a fist in the air.
"Let's just get this over with," Mari groaned.
Scarlett nodded to Mitsubishi and together they threw open the doors. Inside the vast space, parked alongside a couple scruffy cargo ships, was an unfamiliar spaceship. Sleek silver, black, and blue with hints of Olkarion green and gold, it was about the size of a Galra fighter and less chunky than an Altean pod. Flatter, sharper, and thinner, it was a brand new ship.
Lance let out a whistle and Pidge, Hunk, and Coran giddily walked around it, inspecting it from all angles. Allura's mouth had formed an 'O' of surprise and even Shiro looked impressed.
"Scarlett, it looks wonderful!" Allura gushed, and the Utearen girl grinned with pride.
"Thank you, thank you."
Mari stared at it, her initial anxiety ebbing as relief took over. "So 'it'…is a ship?"
"Well, don't sound impressed or anything," Scarlett tsked, casting her a tiny pout. "What did you think it was?"
"Um. I was kinda hoping it was some magical item that could remotely obliterate Lotor…" she said lamely, refusing to share her original suspicions.
"I wish," Lance muttered, and the corners of Shiro's lips quirked up into a half-hearted smile.
"We're inventors and engineers. Not miracle workers," Mitsubishi deadpanned, his hair slowly fading from yellow to a neutral brown.
"Lemme give ya the specs on this baby," Scarlett chirped, already guiding Mari closer to the aircraft. "It's made with Altean materials and some of the strongest metals on Olkarion, and it's powered by a Balmeran crystal. It's got two double blasters for aerial combat. Our test flights showed it was nimbler and faster than both a Galra fighter and an Altean pod. Unfortunately it's not as strong as a cargo ship and you can't carry too many heavy things, but you can fit around six to eight people in it."
Like a proud mother bragging about her golden child, Scarlett pointed out each of the ship's features as she gave everyone the grand tour — the engines, boosters, all the storage hatches, the Balmeran crystal that was about the size of a baseball, and the cockpit controls.
"It still doesn't come close to comparing with the Voltron lions," she admitted, plopping down in the pilot's seat as Mari, Mitsubishi, Lance, Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Coran, and Shiro crammed around her. "But it's got some of its own neat features. Check it."
She plucked a tablet from the dash and brought up her blueprints and programming. "Not only does it have an autopilot feature, but it automatically adjusts to your flight style and the environment you're flying through. The controls even allow you to activate it and summon it from afar. Say you get into a pinch and need a quick out during a mission. BOOM! This baby's en route to pick ya up!" she rambled fervently. "It's even got a stealth mode — the outside surface turns reflective and blocks incoming signals in case you need to sneak past enemy ships. Although, it can't be kept on for more than a few dobashes. I'm thinking about eventually incorporating a voice-command feature at some point…Oh! And it has seat warmers!"
"Man! I want seat warmers," Lance whined and Pidge rolled her eyes
"We do have seat warmers," she said.
"What? Since when?" he shrilled.
"Since forever," Hunk said and the other paladins nodded.
"Why has no one ever told me this before?" he demanded.
"Lance, your lion is linked to the element of fire," Pidge said, incredulous. "How have you not figured out there were seat warmers?"
"Sorry, but I guess I don't have time to fiddle with the controls and get my buns warm before we get yeeted into battle and have to form Voltron!" he huffed defensively, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That didn't stop the rest of us from figuring it out," Pidge said and Lance looked like he wanted to strangle her.
"So, Mari," Scarlett said, ignoring them as she turned in her seat to face her. "Whatcha think of it?"
"It's awesome," she admitted, honestly amazed by her work. "I can't believe you built this in just a few months."
"Of course," the Utearen preened. "I'm just that good."
Mari rolled her eyes and gave her a playful nudge. "So are we gonna see you fly it?" she asked. "Wait, can you even pilot a ship?"
Scarlett raised an eyebrow at her. "Um, no? It's not meant for me. I thought that should've been obvious," she chuckled. "This ship is for you."
"Why do you think we've been keeping it a secret from you this whole time?" Lance grinned, and the others nodded. "Surprise!"
Mari's heart nearly leapt into her throat. The air in the cockpit suddenly felt unbearably heavy as she stared at the Utearen sitting before her, trying to comprehend her words. "You — You built an entire ship for me?" she stuttered. "Why? I mean, I'm flattered, but I don't…"
Deserve it. Her voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence. If she said anything more, she feared she'd start to cry. She bowed her head to stare at the floor, and Allura took her hand in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"We all have our lions. And Coran and Shiro have the Castle," she said, her tone unbelievably tender. "You're doing so much for the coalition without complaint. It's only fair for you to have this."
"You've worked hard for all of us, even if you may not think so. I just wanted to show my appreciation," Scarlett chimed in. Her antenna glowed dimly, illuminating the light blush as it rose to her cheeks. "Plus, I did this cuz I wanted to! I've always wanted to experiment with ship design. It was so fun!"
"Your dream is coming true," Shiro piped up. His gaze was soft and a bit sad as he looked at his younger sister. "Now you have a little more freedom to spread your wings and fly."
Mari's heart clenched at their words. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she furiously brushed them away. "Thank you, Scarlett — everyone, actually." She took a shaky breath, trying to quell the swirling emotions bubbling beneath the surface. "Oh god…none of you are making this easy on me…"
Here she'd been thinking that none of them had time for her when they'd been planning this gift for her all along. For months. No matter how busy they were, they were still her friends. They still cared about her and they would always be there for her. They trusted her to thrive on her own. Now Mari just had to trust herself.
She sniffled. It felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders as her resolve stabilized. "I have some news too. I've been meaning to tell you all, but there was never a good time." She inhaled and exhaled slowly before looking up to face all of them. Her expression was set and confident as she continued, "Te-freya is setting up a rebel base on Vurelle. It'll mostly be a hub for refugees and a place to store and ship supplies, but it'll be a lot of work to manage. She needs an officer stationed there to oversee everything, and she wants me to fulfill the position."
The others startled, their eyes widening. Allura pressed her lips together and her usually bright eyes lost some of their sparkle. "That is…good but unexpected news," she said, the joy draining from her voice.
"What did you tell her?" Shiro inquired, his brow furrowing as he tried to process this information.
"I said I'd think about it. I've sat on it for a week now, but I haven't really been sure what to do," Mari answered, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with him. "But after all this…I think I've come to a decision. I'm going to Vurelle."
No one said anything for a moment. Mari's heart pounded uncontrollably against her ribcage as she waited from their reactions. She'd said it. She'd made her choice. There was no going back now.
"Wait. Wait, you're — You're really going to leave Olkarion?" Hunk's big brown eyes were pooling with tears, and she felt a twinge of guilt knowing she'd made the cinnamon roll of their team cry. "You're gonna leave us?"
"It won't be for forever. When this whole war is all done and over and we can go back home, I'll be there," she rushed to assure him. "I rarely see you all nowadays as it is…I didn't think it would matter to you this much."
"Of course it matters!" Pidge exclaimed, getting teary herself. "You've been doing so much to help here."
"It's not enough, though. There are still days when I'm alone and have nothing to do and it drives me crazy. I can't keep waiting around while the rest of you are out doing your own part to fight Lotor," Mari insisted. She paused, trying to find the right words to get them to understand. "No matter what I do, it never — it never feels like it's enough. But maybe on Vurelle it'll be different. Maybe…I can finally feel like I'm making a difference."
There was a long and heavy silence as she let her words sink in. Sadness and confusion swam in each of their eyes, but none of them could argue against how she felt.
Finally, Shiro sighed, his mind made up on the whole situation. "Okay."
"'Okay'?" Mari repeated unsurely. "As in, 'Okay, no, it's not happening,' or 'Okay, go for it'?"
"Okay as in I approve," Shiro elaborated, a small smile gracing his features. "You've come a long way as a pilot and a fighter. And your efforts for the team have been more impactful than you could ever know. The work of the individual strengthens the coalition as a whole. If you think you're ready to be on your own, then I trust you're ready too."
Mari blinked at him, surprised. With how aloof and strict he had been acting recently, she had been preparing herself to be met with resistance from him. It had felt so long since he had looked at her with such gentle warmth, she almost didn't know how to react. "Oh…Thanks," she managed, her tone awkward and hollow.
"I know I've been a little distant lately. But I am so proud of you, Mariko." Moving carefully, he drew her in for a hug, holding her close as he murmured into her hair, "If you ever need us, we'll always be here for you."
Fresh tears threatened to spill forth and Mari screwed her eyes shut as she buried her face into his chest. "I know," she whispered. "Thank you, Takashi."
"Wait, wait, wait! If you're going, then I'm going too!" Scarlett jumped to her feet, her expression furiously determined as she scowled at Mari. "Someone's gotta provide maintenance on your new ship."
"I'll go too," Mitsubishi immediately chimed in. "With what we learned here, we can help with building up Vurelle's defenses."
"Nooo, not you guys too!" Pidge cried. "Dang it! I'm gonna miss you all too much!"
"Aww man, you have to call us every week!" Hunk insisted through his sobs. "No, twice a week. No, no, no, three times a week!"
The moment Shiro released her, he scrambled to his feet and wrapped Mari in another hug. Pidge and Scarlett practically jumped in after him, and as Allura, Coran, Mitsubishi, and Lance followed suit, she found herself suffocating beneath their unyielding embrace.
"Okay, okay! I'm not leaving this very second!" she gasped, trying to squirm out of the group hug. "We have to pack, and I have to let Ellosh and Te-freya know, and I'm definitely testing this ship before I go." A stabbing pain jabbed at her gut as she realized she'd have to say goodbye to Keith too, and her newfound relief deflated a bit. No one seemed to notice though as they pulled away, permitting her to breathe again.
"About that. There's one last final touch you've gotta add before I let you fly it," Scarlett said. She leaned against the central control panel and grinned. "You've gotta give it a name."
"A name?" Mari asked.
"Yeah," Lance pitched in, warming up to the idea. "You don't see people calling something as epic as Voltron 'That Big Guy Made Outta Five Lions.' How about…the Starship Shirogane?"
Both Shirogane siblings cringed and Pidge gagged at the suggestion. The others cast him doubtful looks and he shrugged innocently. "What?"
"We are not naming all my hard work something cheesy like 'Starship Shirogane'," Scarlett scoffed. "It's her ship, she gets to name it."
"I know, I know. I'm just trying to give suggestions."
"Suggestions on what not to name it?" Hunk wondered and the Red Paladin glared daggers at him.
Mari crossed her arms over her chest, staring in deep thought at the ceiling. A name, a name…It had to be something meaningful. Most ships had names like that, right? Something that represented her and all she was.
"What about…Kintsugi?" she decided, and a wave of excitement washed over her as she spoke the name.
"Yeah! Kint-su-whatever!" Lance agreed with too much gusto for someone who couldn't pronounce it. "I have no idea what that means, but I like it!"
Shiro smiled, immediately taking a liking to her choice. "It's Kintsugi," he corrected Lance. He cast a knowing look Mari's way, his eyes shimmering with encouragement as he said, "And it's a perfect name for the ship."
**Check out my tumblr to see some cool art: pufftheninja
