They had arrived on the planet Velka hoping to meet a rebel force operating there but when Keith had come down on the planet to scout it with Shiro and Lance, they'd found that the rebels had been dealt with just a few weeks prior. The Castle was hovering on the orbit and they'd have to wait for the planets movement to bring it back on the right spot so they could fly back as quickly as possible. Until then they had to lay low and hide.
Shiro had told them treat this as a short vacation but Keith had always hated just sitting around doing nothing. It made him restless and gave him too much time to… think. If he didn't have anything to do, his thoughts always returned to the Galra blade hidden in his room. In desperation he even agreed to go on a food run with Lance.
They left their rented room and Keith pulled up his hoodie. Lance glanced at him annoyed.
"Could you stop that?" Lance said.
"It's not wise for people to see our faces."
"What do you think people are going to remember? A guy covering his face acting all suspicious or some dude they just passed on the street?" Lance said and looked around: "It's not like we stand out here."
Keith grumbled… but then pulled down his hoodie. Lance had a point.
In Coran's story planet Velka had barely gotten out of the middle ages when the original Paladins had saved them from a space locust. Things had changed a lot since then and Keith suspected it had something to do with the Galra military academy in the city. The city's technology had also far surpassed Earth's and become a hub world for trade and species from all over the universe now mingled there.
They entered the first restaurant they found and started studying the menu.
"This is stupid." Keith said.
"I know." Lance said from behind the menu: "No English menu. Stupid, racist aliens."
"Not that. How are we supposed to fight the Galra without allies? This is the third planet where this has happened."
"I'd imagine Zarkon is very good at blowing up rebels. He's had ten thousand years to practice."
Keith threw the menu on the table annoyed.
"How does anyone even live that long?"
"We should ask Zarkon before we shoot him off the universe. I wouldn't mind still be pimping at that age."
"I…" Keith said when he fell quiet.
Lance followed his gaze and whatever stupid joke he'd been thinking was caught in his throat.
Two Galras walked in.
Both were young women, looking like Galra equivalent of older teenagers and they were dressed in military academy uniforms. The one who walked in first was tall and fit with a cocky grin. Her friend was smaller, and she had a sharp glare hidden behind a pair of glasses. Keith couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something… off about the taller Galra. Her features… came together differently than her smaller friend's.
The Galra looked around disappointed when they realized there were no free tables.
Keith grabbed Lance's arm.
"We should go." He whispered.
"Or we should go on the offensive." Lance shot back and stood up: "My saviors!"
Lance waved at the Galras. The smaller Galra looked annoyed but the taller one seemed intrigued.
"We are?" The tall Galra said.
"Yes. Yes, you are." Lance said while walking up to them: "We just arrived here and have no grasp of the lingo. Mind helping a starving man? What is safe to eat?"
The tall Galra grinned.
"That depends. What's in it for me?"
"You need more than my gratitude? Fine. We can share our table." Lance said.
Cold sweat started running down Keith's back and he wished he had a weapon on him when the Galras glanced at their table.
The tall Galra crossed her arms.
"That almost sounds like I'm doing you another favor."
"Well… that's because you would. My friend is pretty to look at but there's not much going on upstairs. I prefer intelligent company during dinner." Lance said.
Prick, Keith thought.
"Dumb and pretty, huh? Sounds like he's right up Alsa's alley."
"Shut up, Razkha." The smaller Galra said.
The tall Galra… Razkha looked at Keith then at the smiling Lance. Finally, she grinned.
"Fine. We'll amuse you and your dumb, pretty friend but no hanky panky. I'm not that kind of a girl."
"And I'm not that kind of a boy." Lance said.
"Liar." Alsa said but followed her friend to their table.
"Not a liar. Just lucky. The name's Smith. My dumb, pretty friend is John." Lance said.
They sat in the same table and ordered what Razkha recommended. Keith tried to act natural and look like he didn't want to run away. The intel they could gather might make this trip worthwhile after all.
"I'm guessing you are students at the military academy." Lance said while they waited for their food.
"What gave us away? You a spy?" Razkha said.
"Me? A spy? I would never." Lance said.
Razkha pointed a fork at Lance.
"Sounds like something a spy would say."
Lance put his hands up.
"You caught me. Can we at least eat before you bring us in? Maybe I can even convince you to let us go."
"Fine. This once." Razkha said and put down the fork.
Keith and Alsa shared a look and for the first time in his life he was in perfect understanding with someone while they watched Lance's and Razkha's flirting. Then he shuddered. What was he doing? Emphasizing with a Galra. With the enemy. An uneasy feeling started forming in his stomach. Razkha and Alsa were… different. They didn't act like bloodthirsty monsters but… kids you could find in any military academy. He'd… gone to school with people like this.
"You two soldiers too?" Alsa said.
"I'm a lover. Not a fighter. And something of a master of my craft." Lance said.
"You move like a soldier. Your friend too." Alsa said.
"Give it a rest." Razkha sighed: "Sorry. She's an espionage trainee and won't turn it off."
"She'll get far. I was studying to be a soldier too but… something else came up. You know. One of those once in a lifetime opportunities." Lance said.
"And what is a once in a lifetime opportunity?" Razkha said.
"I'm not putting all my cards on the table just yet. Give me time and I might tell you." Lance said.
"Ooh. A mystery. I like those."
Their food arrived and what looked and smelled like pizza was put in front of them. It even tasted like pizza.
"What about you, John? Did you get a lifetime opportunity too?" Razkha said while wolfing down her… pizza?
Alsa smiled her crooked smile and adjusted her glasses much like Pidge would.
"I'm guessing he got kicked out."
Lance laughed and patted Keith's back.
"She got you there."
"Yeah." Keith admitted: "They said I had an attitude problem. Guess they were right. Even my… friends think I'm a dick."
Razkha growled.
"It's such bullshit. They're always harder on us half-breeds. Shit. My mom got practically disowned for marrying a Velkan. So… which of your parents is Galra?"
Keith and Lance almost choked on their space pizzas.
"What's wrong?" Alsa said suspiciously.
"I…" Keith said and took a drink of water: "I'm just surprised. People can rarely tell."
"Yeah. It's subtle but one half-breed knows another." Razkha said.
"And I thought I was quick on the uptake." Lance said and gave Keith… a look: "And it was his mother."
"So, we're in the same boat." Razkha said.
"Lotor is trying to crackdown on the discrimination in academies. If you're interested, I could talk to my aunt. She might be able to get you reinstated. People rarely say no to a hero's widow." Alsa said.
"Widow?" Lance said.
"My uncle…" Alsa said and suddenly her eyes turned misty: "… he died. Fighting the Blue Lion. We didn't see each other much but… he was still my hero."
A shiver ran down Keith's back and Lance stared at his pizza suddenly looking nauseous.
"… I… I'm sorry." Lance said.
"Guess we brought the room down, huh?" Razkha said: "But Alsa is right. We need all hands on deck now that Voltron is back. It's making the scum bold. The local rebels almost blew up our academy just a few weeks ago. If it wasn't for Lotor, we'd all be dead."
"It's insane that some people are still loyal to a slaver king that got dealt with five-hundred years ago and good riddance I say." Alsa said.
"Galra use slaves too." Keith said. He couldn't help himself.
The table fell quiet. Razkha looked like she'd been slapped and Alsa was eyeing them nervously. Lance was on the verge of a panic attack.
"We… heard about Balmera." Keith said.
Razkha pushed her plate away looking as repulsed as Keith felt.
"… yeah. That. The old guard held that planet. That's what happens when you live too long. Awful ideas stick around, and new ones can't breathe."
"Lotor will fix it. Commanding officers won't be able to act like tyrants soon just because they have no oversight." Alsa said.
Razkha smiled sadly at Lance.
"Try… not to judge us by the worst of our race."
They tried filling the dinner with empty chatter after that, but the spark had gone out. Once they'd finished their food, they made an excuse to leave.
"Going so soon?" Razkha said.
"We have to get in touch with our spymaster. We've confirmed that Galra girls are… third… fourth prettiest looking in uniforms."
"Faint praise, Smith." Razkha said.
"But honest." Lance said and kissed Razkha's hand: "I hope we meet again."
"I'll try not to think how many girls you've said that before." Razkha said and nodded at Keith: "Stay safe, cousin, and stay in touch. Maybe we'll fly together some day."
"Maybe." Keith agreed.
"But… try not to be too critical of the Empire. Not every place is as liberal as Velka." Alsa said and wrote down Keith a phone number: "Give me a call if you want to be a soldier again."
Razkha laughed.
"Look at you, Alsa. Going on the offensive."
"Shut up, Razkha." Alsa muttered.
They waved each other goodbye and went their separate ways. As the walked back to their lodgings, they didn't say a word. Finally, the silence became too much for Keith to bare.
"Lance… I…"
Lance didn't answer and dodged on an alley. Where he threw up. Violently. Until all he could do was gag and spit out yellow water.
"Lance?"
Lance looked up with a haunted look in his blue eyes and wiped his mouth.
"… that was a… terrible idea. They… Razkha and Alsa seemed… nice."
"… I… yeah." Keith agreed.
"… guess her uncle was nice too. How many… nice people do you think we've… killed? How many have I killed?"
Keith didn't know what to say.
"… this is war." He whispered.
"… guess it is." Lance said and looked at him: "… your mother, eh?"
"… I… Lance… I… you…" Keith blubbered.
All the things he wanted to say… they were strangling him, and he couldn't get any of them out.
"How long have you known?" Lance said.
Keith looked away.
"… not long."
"And when were you going to tell us?"
Keith looked up and wondered if one of the stars in the sky was the Castle of Lions.
"… never. I was never going to tell anyone. Would you? The Galra… Allura… they destroyed her planet… killed her people."
It was all too much. He was so tired. Keith sat down on the cold street.
"I… I don't know how it happened. Dad… he never told me and… please. Lance, please. Don't tell anyone."
"So… even Shiro doesn't know?" Lance said.
"… no."
Lance groaned… and then he sat down next to him.
"Damn it, Keith. Goddamn it."
Keith rubbed his face… and realized he was crying.
"… please, Lance."
"… stop… just stop… stop crying… you're making me cry too." Lance said while rubbing his eyes.
Keith couldn't stop. Neither of them could. They cried together on the sidewalk. People passing them by hastened their steps when they noticed them.
"… we're making a scene." Keith sobbed.
"… guess so. We… should probably go."
They walked away together leaning on each other for support.
"… I trust you." Lance said and sighed: "… and I won't tell anyone."
Without thinking about it, Keith pressed his head against Lance's shoulder.
"… thank you."
They kept walking and despite how sick he felt… there was also a sense of relief. Then a thought came to him.
"Who's Lotor?"
