"I was hoping to talk to you." Krolia said.
"About what?" Shiro asked.
"The Blue Paladin."
Shiro tried not to wince but couldn't stop his cheek from twitching. He stepped to stare out of the window into space to avoid looking Krolia in the eyes.
"What about him?"
"He seems to be… close with Keith."
Shiro rubbed his artificial arm. He had spent a long time here at the final frontier that he had almost forgotten that there was a so-called civilized world out there with all its petty prejudices. Was their alliance going to stumble on them before it had even begun?
He could make out Krolia's reflection from the window and studied her face. Trying to crack the code of her expressions but Krolia had a good poker face. Her eyes saw much and revealed little. Shiro couldn't help but be impressed. He had always prided himself on his ability to read people.
He would have to take a gamble.
"It doesn't get in the way of their duties and… it has made Keith more… balanced."
Worry crept into Krolia's voice.
"And he hasn't always been… balanced?"
"I've known hm for a long time." Shiro said.
Curiosity got the best of Krolia and she leaned closer. He could also sense a hint of jealousy from her.
"Really?"
"I was the one who scouted him into the Garrison." Shiro said.
"And Trevor… his father… had no objections?"
His hand balled into a fist. He couldn't help it.
"Look… Krolia… about his father…"
"The Blue Paladin told me. I take it… this happened… after."
Shiro sighed in relief. He would have to thank Lance later for making his job a little easier… for handling some dirty business on his behalf. He had seen combat in his military days but… what had almost broken him was letting families know… their loved ones weren't coming home.
"Yeah. Keith was… alone. Angry. Confused. But he had a lot of potential and I didn't want to see it go to waste." Shiro said and snorted: "When we met the first time… he stole my car."
Krolia bared her teeth in a goofy grin.
"No."
"Oh, yes. Eleven years old and he just took off with it. You should have seen the cops faces."
"And yet you still had his back?" Krolia said.
"Someone had to… and I understood. What it's like to be alone… and angry. My parents… did not approve of my… lifestyle choices and cut me off. I had to take a tour in the military just to afford university."
Krolia nodded.
"Then I am in your debt for being there for him… when I wasn't." Krolia said and smiled sadly: "You remind me a bit of Trevor."
"Thank you."
"But Trevor never dodged a question. The Blue Paladin…"
A coating of iron appeared in Shiro's voice.
"Is this about him and Keith being close?"
"No. How… many missions do you think you can get out of him before he… breaks?" Krolia asked and then gave him an accusatory look: "And don't pretend you haven't noticed."
Shiro crossed his arms like it could guard his heart.
"Why did you choose him?" Krolia said.
"I… did not choose Lance. The Lion did. If it had been up to me… he would never have come here." Shiro said and smiled without any humor: "Did you know English isn't his first language? Its Spanish. Yet he did well enough in the written exam become a pilot. If I hadn't been doing his interview, he would have made it too. It took me three minutes to realize that shooting someone would kill him."
"And yet… here he is." Krolia said.
"I don't have much of a choice on pilots here, do I? And… when the fighting doesn't happen up close… it's easier to pretend you're not killing people."
"He wised up." Krolia said.
"I know." Shiro said.
"There might still be hope for him if you took him off the field."
"And who would take his place?" Shiro asked.
Krolia was silent for a moment and this time it was Shiro who was being dissected with a glance. When Krolia had learned everything about him she could by looking, she spoke.
"You could give me a chance to bond with the Blue Lion." Krolia said.
"You?"
Krolia stepped closer.
"I have decades of combat experience. I know what it takes to fight Zarkon."
Shiro turned away and thought. Allura would not like it… nor would many of their allies. If two of their pilots where Galra… how many would think that Voltron would be just the next boot stomping on their neck? But… Lance was dying. He had been dying ever since Velka… and Shiro did not know how to save him.
Finally, he looked at her.
"Could you do it?"
"I can try. I don't want Keith to lose anyone else." Krolia said.
Keith sat in the only place he could feel at peace. Inside the Red Lion. Just the thought of stepping out made his palms sweat and his heart beat too fast. It was all too much. Mother… his mother…
"What should I do?" Keith asked.
The Red Lion was silent. Coran called them living beings that you had to bond with to fly but what kind of a living being was the Red Lion? Could it truly understand humans? Not that either of them was one but could a piece of metal understand betrayal? Anger? Bitterness? All of them stewing for years just waiting to boil over?
Keith struck the cockpits wall without thinking and left a dent on it.
An electric shock followed the blow and it knocked him back on his seat.
What do I know of being betrayed?
The voice was deep like the purring of some large cat when it echoed in his head. Visions followed the words. A world on fire. A sky darkened by instruments of war. He could see… his predecessor… Allura's father amongst the flames. Barely standing. Bleeding from too many wounds to count.
"It doesn't have to end like this, old friend."
Zarkon stepped out from the flames and his yellow eyes shined brighter than the burning planet. A mockery of a friendly smile played on his scarred lips.
"Where is my Lion? Tell me and you might still have a planet left to rule." Zarkon said.
Alfor raised his weapon… not even a Bayard… and attacked. Zarkon just sighed like a good-humored parent whose child was throwing a temper tantrum.
"Fine."
Zarkon raised his Bayard and… cleaved Alfor in half.
When the vision was over, Keith was left panting in his seat. When the Red Lion spoke to him, it sounded sad enough to break a heart.
Don't talk to me of betrayal, Keith. Zarkon betrayed us all… and I betrayed Alfor. I should have fought by his side.
"You can… talk?" Keith panted.
I always have. Is it my fault that you don't listen to anyone but yourself? But since you are here now, don't call your mother a traitor. She made herself bait to save her cub.
"That's not the same! She…! She could have told me! Called me! Written to me! Why…?! Why didn't she take us with her?!"
I don't know, Keith. I'm not a human being.
Keith slipped into sullen silence but then he spotted Lance walking in the hangar. Looking more miserable than he had ever seen him. Lance stopped before the Blue Lion, but the sight of his mount didn't soothe him. Keith got out of the cockpit.
"Lance?"
When Lance turned to look at him, his eyes were hollow, and his smile faded.
"Hi."
"Are… are you alright?" Keith asked.
"Peachy… I just… thought of Razkha and… Alsa… and her uncle. How… how are you holding up? With the mom situation?"
"My… Lion talked to me."
Lance grinned and looked a bit more like his usual self.
"Your Lion? Blue always gets pissy when I call her mine. She's a free woman."
Keith snorted. More out of politeness than any genuine humor. Then he hugged Lance. When he did, Lance sighed and some of the tension left him. He smelled of soap and chlorine.
"She was looking for you." Lance said.
"Let her." Keith said and pulled Lance closer: "I have been looking her for all my life. She can wait for an hour or two."
They did not get an hour or two. They barely got a minute of tenderness when they could convince each other that everything would turn out alright. He didn't hear the footsteps. It was only when the scent hit him that he noticed… her. The Galra… his mother… looked at them awkwardly.
In a flash, Lance had jumped away from him and his brown face had a tint of red in it. When he needed it the most, Lance's sense of humor abandoned him.
"… uh… I… we… uh…"
"Uh… yes." His mother agreed: "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt."
"… uh… yeah." Lance said.
Kill me, Keith thought.
Be careful what you wish for. You might get it, The Red Lion whispered to him.
"Blue Paladin… could you…?" His mother said.
Lance didn't answer right away and instead turned to look at Keith. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Keith knew what Lance was offering. If Keith needed him, Lance would be here for him. Keith thought about it… and decided to bite the bullet. This had to be done sooner or later… so it might as well be now.
He nodded.
"Sure." Lance said to his mother.
They watched Lance walk out of the hangar.
"He… seems nice." Mother said.
He was but Keith didn't feel the need to say it. Some things were self-evident.
"Why are you here?"
Mother looked at the Blue Lion and reached out to touch it. When her fingers brushed against the smooth metal, she pulled her hand back fast like she had been cut. She rubbed her fingers before answering.
"I… heard about… Trevor."
It wasn't fair. It made it so hard to be angry when she sounded so… sad. He'd had… a list. All the ways mom had let him and dad down. How dad had never stopped waiting for her. How her absence and unanswered questions had sparked arguments that Keith still regretted. Dad had been so understanding and patient… but Keith had wanted to be angry. He had wanted someone to scream at.
I want a mom! Everyone at school has one!
Dad… he had tried. Every day he had tried to fill a hole left by another person and more often than not… he succeeded. But it had tired him out and he could spend hours just sitting at a porch. Waiting. Worst part about his pain was… that he had forgiven mom. Keith had always resented him for that. When dad had presented him the knife… proof that he had a mother who cared… he had almost thrown it away. Only after dad… was gone… it had become something of an anchor. Evidence that… somewhere out there might be someone who… gave a damn.
The list… seemed so unimportant now. He couldn't even remember half of it. He was too tired to remember. Or be bitter.
"Why? Why did you have to leave?"
Mom kept her sights on the Lions. Unable to meet his gaze. He could see tears in her eyes.
"The Galra found me and… I couldn't risk them finding another world to conquer and… I wanted you to have… a peaceful life."
Keith let out a bitter snort.
"Sorry that it didn't work out."
"Yeah… but now I wonder if there is such a thing as peaceful life with Zarkon around. Maybe… I just put you in worse danger… by not teaching you how to fight."
Mom sighed… and tears fell down her face.
"Keith… I never wanted to hurt you. I swear. You or Trevor. I just… wanted you both to be safe and happy. I… I'm sorry that I failed both of you."
Keith… started laughing. He laughed until he cried. He couldn't help it. Tears would just force their way out until he was a sobbing, snot-nosed mess. Mom stood paralyzed in the shadow of the Lions but not for long. She stepped in to pull him in her arms…
… and Keith pushed her back.
He had never liked being touched by strangers and… even if Krolia was his mother… she was a stranger.
"Dad… never stopped waiting for you. He was always… waiting for you to come home." Keith said when he could speak again.
Mom could only nod at that.
Keith cleared his eyes.
"Will the Blades help us?"
"That's why we are here. We just… need to negotiate a deal on what… to do with the Galra when Zarkon is gone."
Keith tried not think what the Galra would have to deal with it when Zarkon was gone. There would be a lot to answer to… answering to an angry mob. Keith nodded and looked at his hand. He had his mother's hands. He was a Galra too… and their fate would be his fate.
"I… have a lot to learn about being Galra. When this is over… could you teach me about… our people?"
He had never seen someone be stunned by… happiness.
"I'd love to, Keith." Mom said.
Krolia watched her son go. He was a strange boy. So… tired out by emotions. A boy… who had given her a second chance. She would not squander it. She would be there for him this time.
For him and everyone else Keith loved.
She glared at the Blue Lion.
"You are killing him. Please. Let me save him. Let me do this one kindness to my son. He has lost enough."
The Lion remained quiet.
Krolia sat down in the lotus position without taking her eyes off the Lion.
"Am I not to your liking? Would Coran be more to your tastes? I heard all the Lions have a type." Krolia said and crossed her fingers: "Why him? Your Paladin is dying. You know it too, don't you?"
She was so lost in her pleading that she didn't notice Kolivan until he was standing behind her. An unforgivable act of carelessness.
"Krolia." Kolivan called.
Krolia stood up to greet her superior.
"Sir."
"Status report."
Krolia told him what she had learned of all the Paladins while Kolivan admired the Lions. She told him about the Yellow Paladin, the Green Paladin… and the Red Paladin.
"What about the Blue Paladin?" Kolivan asked.
"He… is too gentle." Krolia said.
Kolivan nodded.
"Me and the princess have reached an agreement. Will the Blue Paladin hold it together when we bring the fight to Zarkon?"
"… yes."
"But you don't approve?"
"Sending someone like him to face Zarkon…"
"I would sacrifice a million like him to defeat Zarkon and save our people." Kolivan said but then his voiced softened: "I am not in the habit of sacrificing soldiers for nothing and… he seems to be close with your son."
"Yes."
Kolivan nodded.
"If a Galra kills Zarkon and erases our shame… and finds love with an outsider… our people might still have hope. More than ever, we need hope. We could still find a place in the universe."
