Okay, the first official chapter is done! I feel like I should clarify a few things about the timeline off the bat- there's been a time skip since the prologue, of about just over a year! Lotor has been reigning as Emperor for pretty much most of that time, give or take a month or two, but he and Allura haven't been to Oriande yet. The events of Omega Shield happened, just not the parts where Shiro was affected by Haggar going to Oriande since she obviously hasn't been there either. Hope that helps!
Thanks for reading!
ignis
chapter one
the deserter's colony
"Ah, Princess Allura and the black paladin. How good of you to come."
"We would hardly ignore such an urgent summons." Allura said, rather diplomatically even as she allowed a small smile to grace her face. "We assumed it had to be a matter of importance if you called us both."
"Not yet, but it very well could become one." Lotor said, rising from his throne.
It was hard to believe sometimes that it had been nearly a year since Lotor had seized control of the Galra Empire- with their help no less. Or well, his help. The other paladins had been less than thrilled with the idea of dropping Lotor off at the Kral Zera at the time, but he'd seen the benefit in it and had acted on instinct. Thanks to that, the Galra Empire was now under the control of an ally of the Voltron Coalition.
Or at least, a sizable chunk of it was.
Shiro frowned at the thought. There were still countless segments of the Empire that were in full revolt. Sendak's was the largest, leading the Fires of Purification, but they had been quiet for some time now. The former Commander Gnov was less trouble in comparison, but she was a lot more wily and less straightforward than Sendak, which could prove troublesome all on its own.
Haggar and her druids had been completely silent, which was most worrisome of all. He suspected she was planning something, only he had no idea what.
And the Blade of Marmora, their first Galra allies... the Blade of Marmora had gone dark.
The last they had heard from Kolivan had been a month or so after the battle of Naxzela. At the time, they hadn't realized it would be their last contact with him, but that same night, the Blade of Marmora simply disappeared. All known active agents left their posts, and while he could only assume that there were several still entrenched in the Galra Empire, he didn't know who they were or even where they might be.
It was unnerving. Up until then, Kolivan had given the impression that business in the Blade was running as per usual- they hadn't even noticed anything amiss. They didn't want to think that the Blade of Marmora had become their enemies, but they couldn't ignore the possibility.
He wondered if this would have happened if Keith were still alive. He had been their bridge, linking the two groups as both paladin and Blade. But now he was gone- they had passed the one year anniversary of his death months back.
It still didn't feel real to him.
"What's the problem, Lotor?" Shiro asked, burying his own thoughts. He couldn't let himself get distracted from the task at hand.
"There is a colony," Lotor began, "-a colony of Galra that exists outside of the control of the Galra Empire. But unlike the ones that have only gone into revolt after my ascension to the throne, this one has been in revolt since my father's time."
"Deserters?" Shiro asked.
"Something to that effect, yes. Not loyal to my father, at any rate." Lotor nodded. "They remained hidden from the Empire for the duration of his reign, though I managed to stumble upon them in my travels during my long exile. They are a peaceful lot, in so far as any Galra can be peaceful."
The remark was spoken with no harshness, or any emotion at all. Just a fact, stated plainly. The Galra were a warrior culture at their core, and even peaceful Galra were known to engage in violent- if not rule and honor-bound- traditions. He'd seen that much in the Blade of Marmora, when Keith had been forced to undergo their trials.
Maybe if he had been more forceful then, Keith never would have joined the Blade, and never would have lost his life. At every turn, he could see places where he could have stopped Keith, but didn't have the foresight to. For the Blade of Marmora, sacrifice was normal- he should have never left Keith in that kind of environment. He should have fought harder to have him stay as a paladin.
A paladin without a lion, he thought grimly. He never would have taken back either black or red. He could have forced Keith to stay, but he would have been even more miserable as the sixth wheel than he would have ever been with the Blade.
But at least he would be alive.
"If they were not loyal to your father, then what seems to be the problem?" Allura asked, her smile fading into a slight frown. "It does not sound as if they have caused any trouble."
"Not directly." Lotor said. "But there is a bit of a... dispute, it seems, between the colony and the planet that the moon it is located on orbits. It has the potential to turn violent."
"Go on." Allura said, her expression growing grimmer still.
"The planet in question is known as Viridi, located on the outskirts of the Galra Empire. In a way, it is not dissimilar to your home planet of Earth, in that it is the only planet in its system capable of supporting life." Lotor explained, glancing over in his direction as he spoke. It had ceased to surprise him how much the prince turned emperor knew about Earth and it's solar system- he was nothing if not well prepared. "It is how it has evaded the Empire's interest for so long, and why it made such an ideal location for the deserters to set up their colony, far from my father's eyes."
Shiro frowned. "If this planet is the only habitable one in the system, how did these deserters even set up the colony in the first place?"
"The Galra have always been a rather hardy race." Allura answered for Lotor. "They can survive conditions in which others cannot."
"Which makes us ideal for terraforming." Lotor concluded. "In the much more traditional way, rather than using the Altean method of using specialized plants to do it for them."
Allura grimaced, not having forgotten the damage one of those very same plants had nearly done. If it hadn't been for Keith...
...well, none of them would be here.
"I will admit, there are certain... advantages to doing it the more natural way." Allura said. "What can you tells us of current situation?"
"I have sent several envoys to the colony in an attempt to open up negotiations," Lotor began, "-but all have been refused. And while that is... troubling, it is far from the main issue. That lies in the changing opinions of the Viridi. When the colony was first set up, originally they had no issue with it, since the moon wasn't of any use to them."
"This was, I am assuming, before the Galra Empire grew in power?" Allura inquired.
"Quite." Lotor said. "I believe that the colony began a few deca-phoebs after the destruction of Altea, when it started to become clear that my father's greed had no limits. He pushed for even further militarization. Anyone who could not serve to further the Empire's campaign of conquest was deemed useless. Naturally, there were a number of Galra who rejected that."
"So they left." Shiro said.
"The ones who survived did." Lotor frowned. "The era after the destruction of Altea was nothing but one massive purge of the Galra populace. Anyone who didn't agree with my father and his Empire's ambitions were imprisoned and eventually killed. I myself was too young to remember most of it, but I can understand why even the hardiest of Galra might choose to flee rather than stick with the Empire."
Allura narrowed her eyes, a grim expression set on her face. "Are you saying Zarkon slaughtered his own people?"
"Yes." Lotor said simply. "I admit, the Blade of Marmora would know more about the subject than I. I don't suppose they've reestablished contact...?"
"No." Shiro said. "There's been no word."
Lotor frowned, allowing himself to appear troubled for the span of a few seconds. "I see. Regardless, we may be hearing from them soon. I have long since suspected that this colony possesses ties to the Blade, though I have never been able to confirm it."
Shiro felt his frown deepen. The Blade of Marmora's continued silence was a troubling issue, but it had been on the backburner in recent months. As far as they knew, they hadn't made any moves- but if it was as Lotor said, and the Blade did have some kind of connection to this colony, then that might be changing soon. Given that they still didn't know what Kolivan's motives were for withdrawing the Blade, that wasn't a thought that rested easy with him.
Especially when he factored in the fact that while they might not have any way of knowing what the Blade was up to, he didn't doubt they did. Kolivan was too cautious for a total withdrawal- only the Blades whose identities they knew had vanished. He had no way to confirm it, but he was positive that there were still Blades left in the Empire.
"So I take it the Viridi no longer approve of the colony." Allura said, putting the discussion back on track.
"In a sense." Lotor said. "The Viridi have suffered a number of natural disasters in recent deca-phoebs. As a result, the amount of habitable land has been drastically reduced. They simply no longer have enough land left to support their surviving population, not for a long period of time, at any rate."
"And if the Galra have been terraforming their moon since the start of Zarkon's reign, I would imagine it has come a rather long way." Allura mused. "I think I am beginning to see the issue."
"Indeed." Lotor frowned. "They wish to set up a colony of their own on the moon, which by all rights, no one has an issue with. The Galra who live there have been trading with the Viridi for generations, and for most of that time, they have had good relations with them."
"So what's the problem?" Shiro asked.
"The problem is that there is a small but extremely vocal number of Viridi who don't wish to simply cohabit." Lotor explained. "They would rather see the Galra removed entirely. That would result in hundreds of Galra who have no ties to the Empire being displaced from their homes. An influx of Galra refugees is exactly what we do not need right now."
"They would be welcome in the Coalition, of course." Allura said absently. "But you're right. There are still many among the Coalition who still do not fully trust the Galra, and even worse, people like Sendak might try to use the situation to their advantage."
Shiro grimaced. Hundreds of non-Empire aligned Galra being displaced from their homes had the makings of some pretty powerful propaganda. Regardless of the colony's ties to the Galra Empire, and thus, to the Coalition, it wouldn't be a good look if they just sat around and did nothing to stop it. Used right, it could result in entire sections of the Galra Empire splintering away from Lotor's control. And he was right- that was the last thing they needed right now.
"So what is it that you need us to do?" Shiro asked.
"I need you to go to the colony and negotiate an arrangement between the Galra and the Viridi." Lotor instructed. "They may not accept my negotiators, but I hardly think they'll turn away Voltron. Provided of course, you have the time."
"Sounds easy enough." Shiro said. "And I don't think we have any other upcoming missions."
"Nothing that the rest of the Coalition cannot handle on their own." Allura said, shaking her head. "And I am a bit concerned about the situation myself."
"Excellent." Lotor said, clearly pleased. "Though of course, you needn't go alone. I can arrange for one of my lieutenants to accompany, if you wish."
Exchanging a quick glance with Allura, Shiro looked back towards Lotor, giving the prince turned emperor a curt nod. In spite of working with Lotor and the Galra for nearly a year now, there was still a lot about Galran culture they didn't know. Having an actual Galra around might help with the negotiations.
"We'll take you up on that, then." Shiro said.
"Very good." Lotor said. "I will see to it that First Lieutenant Krolia meets you at your ship. She's dealt with them a few times in the past under my orders. She can give you the coordinates for the colony."
"Then, if there is nothing else to discuss...?" Allura trailed off.
"Nothing at the moment." Lotor told her. "We have heard no word of Sendak nor Gnov, or any of the other, smaller factions, but I will be sure to inform you if that changes."
Allura gave him a curt nod. "We will do what we can to resolve this situation peacefully."
"I have great faith in your abilities, princess." Lotor smiled. "I look forward to your results."
Shiro turned on his heel to leave, before he paused, turning back towards Lotor. "Just one more thing, actually. Does this moon have a name?"
"Ignis. I believe it is called Ignis."
Just like Lotor promised, there was someone waiting for them at the docking bay. Based on the lieutenant's armor that she wore, he was pretty sure it was safe to guess that the Galra woman was First Lieutenant Krolia.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd expected when Lotor had mentioned her. The Galra were diverse enough that it was hard to anticipate what any of them might look like. Still, he had to admit, she was more... human wasn't the right word, but it was the only word that he could come up with to describe her. She was more human looking than he would have thought- no fur, no scales, just purple skin. She was taller than him, but was still significantly shorter than other Galra, but based on how she held herself, he never would have guessed that if he weren't meeting her in person.
Her eyes had pupils, a vibrant violet color that reminded him with a pang of Keith.
"Princess Allura." Krolia stuck out her hand, her tone pure business. "I am Krolia."
"Krolia." Allura smiled, accepting the woman's arm. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope we aren't imposing upon you."
It was strange to see Allura engaging in the traditional Galran greeting of a forearm clasp, but although she still had her own hang ups about the Galra, she had come a long way since she'd first come out of the cryopod. Between the Blade of Marmora, and now working with Lotor, she'd had plenty of chances to see more of the Galra, and had begun to understand that even within the Empire, things weren't entirely so black and white. The pain and betrayal she felt over Zarkon's actions would probably always be there, but she wasn't going to let it get in the way of their best shot at finally obtaining lasting peace.
"Hardly." Krolia said, releasing Allura's arm and glancing towards him. She narrowed her eyes slightly, though her expression otherwise remained completely neutral. "The black paladin, I presume."
He didn't think much of it. Maybe she just wasn't that wild about working with the paladins. She wouldn't be the first.
"Takashi Shirogane, at your service." Shiro introduced himself, sticking out his own arm. "I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise." Krolia said, grasping his forearm. He fought the urge to wince- she had quite the grip, enough that he could feel it even in his prosthetic. Thankfully she didn't hold his forearm for long, releasing it and turning back to Allura. "Are the rest of the paladins onboard?"
Allura nodded. "They should be waiting on the bridge with Coran to see what our meeting with Lotor was about."
"Good." Krolia said. "The less time we waste, the better."
Allura frowned slightly. "I wasn't aware the mission was quite that urgent."
"Not yet." Krolia said. "But these situations have a way of escalating."
"Yes, of course." Allura quickly agreed, her expression becoming more grave. "We can head straight to the bridge, then. I'm sure one of the paladins can spare a few minutes after we debrief to give you a quick tour of the Castle. You will be staying with us, won't you?"
Krolia wordlessly inclined her head, in a way that reminded him of Keith. She sort of looked like him, he thought with a pang- it wasn't just the eyes, but they way she held herself, the shape of her jaw, and even the style of her hair, though he didn't quite know if Keith was the type to sport a rat-tail. He was suddenly seized by the knowledge that Keith's mother was Galra, and for a brief second, he wondered if she could be Krolia.
He quickly dismissed it. Keith's mother would have to be a Blade, and he doubted that Lotor wouldn't have thoroughly vetted anyone he trusted enough to go on a mission with them. Krolia probably wasn't related, even if it would be just like the universe to throw Keith's mother at them only after he'd died.
Besides, Keith's mother should have every reason to hate them- himself especially. He didn't know her story, but with the universe in the state it was in, it wasn't hard to guess that she'd probably left him behind on Earth for his own safety. Not only had he dragged him out into the very war she was trying to protect him from, but he had also allowed him to die.
(He knew, logically, Keith's death wasn't his fault. He hadn't asked him to die for him- for all of them. But the sense of guilt was still there.)
Taking up the rear behind Allura and Krolia, Shiro forced himself again not to dwell on Keith. It had been a year now- past that, actually. He didn't expect to be over it, but he'd thought... well, not that he would have moved on, that maybe it would have gotten a little easier to deal with. Maybe he'd gotten to the point where he didn't need to work constantly to forget about the pain, but he hadn't gotten any further.
What he had gotten good at was faking it.
Heaving a sigh, Shiro ran a hand through his forelock. He had to set a good example for the other paladins, he knew. He was the only adult, Coran aside, and sometimes it felt like he wasn't exactly being the best role model- especially lately. Keith's death didn't help matters, though it wasn't the root cause of his issues. No, those had started long before Keith had sacrificed his life for them.
Coran's sleep aids had worked like a charm, but sadly, the Altean hadn't been able to conjure up anything for his now chronic headaches. He'd learned to deal with them, but they could make him snappy at the worst of times, and irritable at others. He knew he could be- and should be- better than this, but some days just holding it together was all he could manage.
The team was... understanding, or at least, they tried to be. But he knew he'd stepped on more than a few toes, Lance and Allura's especially. They always forgave him, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel that they really shouldn't have to. They had every right to be angry at him.
(Even if the darker part sometimes whispered that all the choices he'd made had been right. That he should be the one angry at them, not the other way around.)
"Princess, you're back!" Coran's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. They must have reached the bridge already. It was either a shorter walk than he thought, or he must have been really out of it. It was more likely the latter.
"That didn't take long." Pidge observed, tilting her head upwards to look at Krolia. "Who's this?"
"This is First Lieutenant Krolia." Allura introduced the Galran woman with a smile. "She'll be joining us on our next mission."
"Next mission?" Hunk asked, his lips twisting into a frown. "It's not Sendak again, is it?"
"Not this time." Allura shook her head. "It's actually more of a diplomatic endeavor."
"Good, because I am not in the mood to deal with tall, dark, and scary again." Lance rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you think the guy would catch a hint."
"He's a bad guy, Lance." Pidge adjusted her glasses. "They generally don't take hints."
Clearing her throat, Allura flashed the paladins a broad smile, while also sending them a pointed look. It was something he'd only seen Allura pull off, and it always silenced them without fail. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all quieted down, waiting for whatever Allura was going to say next.
"Krolia, these are Lance, Hunk, and Pidge." Allura said, with a sweeping gesture towards the paladins. "They pilot the red, yellow, and green lions respectively."
"Well met." Krolia said.
She didn't question why Lance flew the red lion, and yet his armor was blue. They were long since past that. The fact that Keith had ever been a paladin had begun to fade from the public consciousness, reduced to a mere footnote in Voltron's history. It didn't feel right, even if Shiro also knew that Keith wasn't the type to care about something like that.
Allura had wanted to build a grand statue, since that was apparently how Alteans memorialized people. He'd managed to talk her out of it, but now sometimes he wondered if that was such a good idea. He couldn't imagine Keith wanting a huge statue of himself, but it would be a lot better than just being forgotten.
Not forgotten, Shiro reminded himself. They still remembered him. They might not talk about him much, but he knew that was just how the paladins coped.
(Even if sometimes it just felt like they were forgetting him too.)
He listened with half an ear as Allura went on to introduce Coran, and then moved on to detailing exactly what their next mission would involve. Gazing out the window, he wondered what Keith would think about them working together with the Galra Empire- and with Lotor- like this. He'd always had an issue with the Galran prince, and part of the reason he'd left them in the first place was to pursue Lotor.
Dwelling on it didn't produce any answers. He'd known Keith for a long time, but sometimes it felt like he still didn't fully understand him. And now that he was gone, he never would.
"Shiro?" Allura's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
Blinking, Shiro turned to look at her. He must have spaced out again, because not only were Krolia and Hunk gone, the yellow paladin presumably having been selected to play tour guide, but everyone else was getting in position to undock the Castle from Central Command.
"Sorry," Shiro gave her an apologetic smile, "-what did you say?"
"I asked if you were alright." Allura told him with a frown. "You seem..."
"Distracted?" Shiro finished.
"I wouldn't have put it so bluntly, but yes." Allura said. "If there is anything on your mind-"
"I'm fine." Shiro quickly assured her, offering her what he knew was a strained smile. "But thanks."
"She looks a bit like him, doesn't she?" Allura asked, glancing back towards the bridge doors. "Krolia."
Shiro blinked. He hadn't thought anyone else had noticed. Honestly, he'd already started to convince himself that he just was seeing things, but he guessed not. "A bit."
"You don't think she's...?" Allura trailed off.
Shiro shook his head. "I don't think so."
There was a slight doubtful note to Allura's continued frown, but she didn't push. He almost wished she would- sometimes it felt like the other paladins were walking on eggshells around him these days. He didn't know if it was just because of Keith or because of his temper flare-ups, or both, but at times it could get to be a little too much. He didn't want to be treated like he was either delicate or unpredictable, but this was his issue, and he had to find a way to deal with it on its own.
"I'll just get to my station." Shiro told her.
Allura didn't stop him, but he did hear her sigh slightly as he left. He felt something twinge deep inside of him, but he pushed it back. That wasn't something to get angry about.
For all that he used to tell Keith patience yielded focus, some days it felt like he was short on both.
Allura had opted to wormhole into the system Viridi and Ignis were located in, rather than directly to the colony's coordinates. The situation was probably tense enough as it was, he couldn't imagine that the paladins of Voltron showing up completely out of the blue in their skies would make it even less so. Better to give them at least some warning that they were on the way rather than drop in on them unannounced.
"Open a hailing frequency, Coran." Allura instructed, once they had completed the jump.
"Yes, princess." Coran began to comply, before he turned back, glancing towards Allura. "To which one?"
"We will start with the Galra first." Allura said. "The last thing we want is to give them the impression that we have come to either force them to join the Empire or to vacate their home."
"Wait, we're not trying to get them to join the Empire?" Lance asked with a frown.
"Lotor has sent multiple envoys to get them to do so, and all have been refused." Allura said. "Clearly, they value their independence."
"They are a colony of deserters." Pidge observed. "Maybe they're just not wild about the whole Empire business, no matter who's in charge?"
"Pidge is right." Shiro said. "We have to keep in mind that these are Galra who have been living independently from the Empire for generations. We don't want to step on any toes."
"So if they don't follow the Empire, who do they follow?" Hunk asked.
"They elect their own leader, once ever ten deca-phoebs." Krolia stated. "I believe the current ruler should be the same as on my last visit, a half-Galra woman by the name of Linum."
Shiro's brows shot up at that. That was a pretty marked departure from what he knew of the Empire- not only did they elect their leader via combat, but those of mixed blood were usually viewed unfavorably. Even with Lotor on the throne, those feelings persisted. It was part of why some factions had broken away from the Empire upon his ascension in the first place.
Krolia caught his gaze, looking towards him with a nearly unreadable expression. "It was only under Zarkon's reign that the Galra became concerned with purity of the blood."
Shiro could only nod. It was true enough that there had been countless half-Galra in the Blade of Marmora, and he'd never heard a word against them. They had even embraced Keith, who at least physically looked as human as could be. It wasn't such a surprise that a colony that existed outside Zarkon's reign should have a similar attitude towards those of mixed blood.
"I'm opening a hailing frequency, princess." Coran said.
"Good." Allura nodded. "Let us hope they are willing to speak with us."
They didn't have to wait long before they got a response. Coran hastily patched it through, bringing it up on the main screen of the Castleship. The Galra woman who appeared onscreen had to be Linum, Shiro concluded. She was just as purple as any other Galra, her skin a fine coat of scales, but he'd never seen horns like that on a Galra before. They rose from her brow, rising above her head and then curling inwards in a spiral loop. A secondary pair of horns stuck out from either side of her head, though they were far less impressive. She had the standard yellow sclera he had come to associate with all Galra, but she also had vivid green pupils- although her right eye was permanently sealed shut, a vicious looking scar over it.
Curiously, she didn't wear any armor. It occurred to him that he hadn't actually seen any Galra without it- even low level civilians wore some form of armor.
"I am Linum, the current governor of Ignis." She stated, confirming Shiro's suspicions. "State your business."
Allura stepped forward. "I am Princess Allura, of the Voltron Coalition. We have come here because we have heard of the situation your home is in."
Linum's gaze flickered briefly towards Krolia, then back towards Allura. "From the new Emperor, I assume. Our people have no intention of joining the Empire, regardless of their new ruler's claims of changing their ways."
"I can assure you, that is not what we are here for." Allura told her. "We are simply here to help negotiate an agreement between your people and the Viridi."
Linum's expression didn't change. "We have no need of negotiators. This is a matter our people can resolve on our own."
"I am quite certain you can." Allura said. "Nevertheless, we wish to help."
Linum stared at Allura, unblinking, for a few seconds longer, before seemingly heaving a sigh. "Very well. We will permit your ship to land."
"Thank you." Allura said, bowing her head slightly.
The transmission cut off there, and Shiro could hear the paladins jointly release a held breath. For his part, he felt no small amount of tension wash out of his shoulders, turning towards Allura with a half-smile. "That went well."
"It certainly could have gone better." Allura said. "But I suppose we should have expected a somewhat frosty response, given our history with Lotor."
"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Hunk asked. "I mean, she kind of made it sound like she really didn't want us here."
"No harm will come to you." Krolia said. "I have been to Ignis many times by Lotor's request. Governor Linum is not so unreasonable that she would view you as enemies simply because of your connection to the Empire."
"There you have it." Shiro said with a shrug. "Did they send us those landing coordinates, Coran?"
"That they did." Coran told him. "I'm putting them in the system now. At our current rate of speed, we should be there in about fifteen doboshes."
"Good." Allura said. "Maintain course."
"So what is this place like anyways?" Lance asked.
"Most of the moon is a desert environment." Krolia explained. "Over the past few centuries, the Galra who lived there have built oasis cities in various locations around the moon. Most of the population live in those, but there are a few others who choose to live in the desert."
Shiro frowned. Talk about the desert always made him think about Keith. He probably would have liked it here.
"Are there any toxins we should know about?" Allura inquired.
"None." Krolia said. "The atmosphere should be perfectly breathable, to both human and Altean alike. The Galra here haven't been terraforming the moon for centuries for nothing. It was once a far harsher environment."
"Oh good." Lance said. "Because let me tell you, I've been to planets where we can't take off our helmets, and it is not fun."
"Why would it be fun?" Krolia inquired, staring at Lance without a hint of sarcasm.
"That's not-" Lance began.
"Alright," Shiro cut in, "-let's try to stay on task. This will be the first impression these people have of the Voltron Coalition. We want to make sure it's a good one."
"So wait," Hunk began, "-we're not trying to make them join the Galra Empire, I get that. But are we trying to make them join the Voltron Coalition?"
"Yeah, they don't really seem like the joining type." Pidge said.
"We're not trying to make them do anything." Shiro said, feeling a slight twinge of exasperation. "We just want to establish good relations, that's all."
"Well in that case, have no fear." Lance said, placing a hand over his chest. "Because I'm something of an expert on good relations."
Twitching, Shiro felt his headache momentarily spike. "Lance, this is serious."
Not that Lance was ever serious, Shiro thought to himself. They had been at war for nearly two years now. He would have thought that he would have started to take things more seriously, but sometimes Lance still acted like this was all one big game to him. Sometimes it felt like losing Keith didn't even matter to him. It wasn't as if they had ever gotten along, and now that Keith was gone, he was permanently the red lion's paladin.
It had all just worked out for him, hadn't it?
Exhaling, Shiro banished the thought, internally scolding himself for even thinking that. He knew it wasn't true. Lance did care, and he certainly wasn't trying to take advantage of Keith's death. Nobody was.
Turning, Shiro fixed his attention on his controls and nothing else, even as the rest of the paladins continued to chatter behind him. He had to hold it together better than this. Keith had given his life to save them. As Voltron's leader, he had a duty to honor that sacrifice by living up to what he would have expected of him.
He could do better. He could be better. He knew he could.
So why did it sometimes feel like he couldn't?
"Very well. We will permit your ship to land."
With the transmission cut off, Linum rose to her feet. Turning sharply on her heel, she turned to her waiting messenger. She had summoned him when they had detected the Castle of Lions wormholing into their system, having received prior word that the paladins were on their way here.
She knew better than to doubt the Blade of Marmora's intelligence.
"Qui," Linum began, "-go and contact Cinque. I think her guests will be interested in hearing this."
Bowing his head, Qui hastily left. Alone in the transmission room, Linum turned on her heel, gazing out over the city that stretched out the window before her. She didn't like the idea of dragging her people into danger, but this could very well be the chance that they had been looking for. They would take down the mole and set things right, whatever the cost.
Bringing up a screen with the wave of her hand, Linum stared hard at the image displayed on it. It was hard to believe, but she had no reason to doubt the intelligence Kolivan had given her- not when it had come from the mouth of someone who would know best.
The black paladin was a fake.