Ah yes, the second chapter! I want so badly to talk about the divergence from canon that takes place in it, but I will spare you that spoiler. I'll just say it's been something I've been looking forward to writing for a long, long time now. It's good... it's real good.
crimson
chapter two
black
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Ah, Acxa." Lotor greeted her. It was immediately obvious that the prince was in a good mood- not that she expected him to be otherwise. He had just effectively been handed the reins of the Galra Empire, however temporarily. "I was hoping to have a word with you."
Acxa frowned. It wasn't the request that bothered her, she was merely confused as to why Lotor had requested to speak to her in the privacy of his own chambers. Anything she could tell him was nothing that couldn't be repeated within earshot of the other generals.
Still, she sat. Lotor was her prince. He'd saved her life. That alone was enough to cement her loyalty, but it was his desire to bring peace back to a universe that had long since forgotten it, that served to render it unshakable. Even if she didn't always agree with every course of action he chose, she knew that it was all for the sake of the greater good.
"You encountered two of the paladins before, in the Weblum." Lotor began without any preamble. "What were they like?"
Acxa blinked. It was not a wholly unexpected question, given the fact that Lotor had ordered them to investigate Voltron's most recent actions. She just didn't understand why it was being asked in private.
"I met the yellow and red paladins." Acxa reported, just as she had before. "One appeared to be of the same species as the Champion, and the other was Galra."
Lotor hummed, much as he had the first time she'd told him. "This Galra... you said he was the red paladin, correct?"
Acxa gave him a stiff nod. "Yes. The yellow paladin introduced him as Kyix."
"Kyix." Lotor repeated, and then, in the common tongue, he added, "-pride, in other words."
Acxa merely sat in silence, waiting for Lotor to continue. She was used to his lapses of silence, knowing that it meant he was lost in thought about something.
It didn't surprise her that he had taken an interest in the Galra paladin. It was difficult for her to grasp the whole of Lotor's plans at times, but it wasn't hard to guess that he might wish to speak with them. If he asked her, she would advise against it- the vehemence with which the red paladin had tried to murder her did not suggest that he was someone who could be reasoned with.
She'd at first attributed it to being so young, little more than a child. But the more she turned the encounter over in her head, the more she realized that the red paladin wasn't young- or at the very least, not as young as she'd first thought. He clearly wasn't of mixed blood, which meant that he was likely ahlet instead. A small one, the kind who never would have survived had he been born in the Empire.
Under Lotor, that would change.
"Tell me," Lotor began, "-what was your impression of him?"
Acxa considered the question carefully. "If the yellow paladin had not been there, he likely would have killed me."
Lotor arched his brows. "You sound rather certain about that."
"He drew his blade as soon as he realized who I was." Acxa stated. "He could have skewered me while I was still trapped in my ship."
Lotor hummed, steepling his fingers together in thought. "It would seem Zarkon's witch has become aware of his existence. According to Ezor, she's taken an interest in him."
Acxa blinked, surprised by that. "Haggar has?"
"Yes." Lotor said. "I have reason to believe that the red paladin is reazit."
Reazit. Acxa was familiar with the term, though the only reazit Galra she'd ever met was Narti. All others were taken in at a young age and transformed into druikkcd.
"Suffice to say," Lotor continued, "-we can hardly allow her to get her hands on yet another reazit. Especially not one that's also a paladin of Voltron."
Acxa nodded. She agreed, completely. If Lotor hadn't found her, she knew that Narti would likely be a druikkcd now herself. Just like Lotor, she didn't like the idea of Haggar having a former paladin under her command- who knew if the process that transformed reazit Galra into druids would be enough to break that bond.
There was so little that they knew about the lions. Lotor knew more than she did- he had been studying them for centuries, along with all other aspects of his mother's lost culture. If he felt that there was reason to be concerned, then he was likely right.
"What is it that you wish?" Acxa asked.
"I want to speak with him, if at all possible." Lotor said after a moment's thought.
Acxa furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure that's wise."
"Perhaps not." Lotor agreed. "But I would rather attempt diplomacy before having to resort to something as barbaric as killing him. We'll need the paladins if I am to retrieve the trans-reality comet from the Altean ship."
Acxa narrowed her eyes slightly. Perhaps the red paladin was not as young as he had first thought, but he was still clearly young. Someone had to have cared for him a great deal to give him the name he possessed, and to go through the trouble of hiding him from the Galra Empire long enough for him to get to the age he was. Killing him didn't fully sit right with her, though she had long since come to understand that in a war, death was unavoidable.
Others would call such feelings a weakness. Lotor thought otherwise.
"Why only ask me?" Acxa questioned. "The others-"
"-would leave less of a good impression." Lotor said simply. "Diplomacy is not exactly Zethrid's strong suit. Or Ezor's for that matter."
"And Narti..." Lotor trailed off. "Narti is hardly suited for the task."
While she had a hard time arguing with Lotor's assessment, there was still something about it that didn't sit easily with her. All she could think was that she would have liked for Narti to get the chance to meet a fellow reazit- even one who seemed wholly intent on murdering them. It was still an upgrade from the druids, who she swore all shared the same mind and could no longer truly be considered Galra.
Especially since this Kyix seemed to be so close in age to Narti, if a bit younger. Perhaps he had even been rescued from the same shipment of reazit children as she had been, the one that they had thought for so long she was the only survivor of.
Ironic, considering the fact that the shipment had been destroyed by rebels. Possibly the same rebels that Kyix swore his allegiance to.
"I understand." Acxa said after a moment. "I will attempt to speak with him, if I can."
Lotor looked pleased, and Acxa felt herself smile. Now that he was in charge of the Galra Empire, she could only imagine that things would start to change- for the better.
To that end, she would do whatever she could for him.
As Acxa left, Lotor was already turning over their most recent conversation in his head. Being brought out of exile and made Emperor, however temporarily, had not exactly been in his plans, but nevertheless, he would make good use of it. If anything, now that he had full access to the resources of the Galra Empire, he could even accelerate them.
Even better was the existence of new pieces, new pawns that he could potentially use. The paladins had foolishly left behind the massive teleduv that they had used to transport Central Command across the galaxy, and even now, pieces of it were being secured at various Galra bases along the outskirts. Even one of them would be vital asset to his plans, and thankfully, he'd already moved the perfect pawn in place to assure that he could obtain one.
All that was left now was Voltron.
His initial plan was to lure them to the trapped Altean ship, and use them to obtain the trans-reality comet. Voltron had traveled through the rift between realities once before, and all his research suggested that wasn't simply an anomaly. If he could get that comet...
...but first he would need to ensure that they could actually still form Voltron. His recent assault on Puig was not so much about taking back the planet- Voltron and their fledgling Coalition could keep it, for all he cared- but rather, about obtaining information. There had been a disturbing lack of sightings of both Voltron and the black lion after their battle with his father, so he would need to confirm a few things before he advanced his plans.
The red paladin was more of a... side interest, he supposed. Anything Haggar was interested in was worth looking into, and it would be exceedingly useful if he had another reazit under his command. They were rather difficult to come by in their unsullied state- he'd nearly had the chance to acquire a fair number of them deca-phoebs ago now, had it not been for the interference of the rebels.
He was fortunate enough that he'd been able to save Narti from the wreckage of the ship. He'd been a tad concerned when she'd proved to be both blind and mute, but she had bonded with Kova well- and his senses more than made up for hers.
Although... he had to admit, there was something about the red paladin that gnawed at him. Not his apparent burning desire to kill Acxa- that was to be expected, being involved with the resistance as he was. Rather, it was something in the way that she had described him that tugged at his memory, though what it was, he'd yet to determine.
Regardless, it would be worth it to see if he could potentially be used. And if not... well, he only needed Voltron long enough to obtain the comet.
Rising to his feet, Lotor smiled to himself. Zethrid and Ezor should be returning soon, and from there, they would plot their next move.
He had to admit- part of him was almost looking forward to seeing these new paladins in action. To think that they had not only managed to damage Central Command so severely, but that they had also defeated his father... he couldn't deny his curiosity.
But the bulk of his interest lay with the black paladin. He knew all too well how obsessed his father was with the black lion- so anyone who could manage to pry it away from his hands was of great interest to him. Exiled as he was, he had never gotten a chance to see this Champion in action- though he'd certainly heard the stories.
He could only hope that he did not disappoint.
The Castle of Lions was no stranger to tension, but it wasn't usually something that pervaded the lounge. But that was exactly the sort of air it carried, everyone looking around as if they didn't want to be the first one to address the reason they had all gathered there in the first place.
Finally, Allura heaved a sigh. Squaring her shoulders, she rose to her feet. "We need to talk."
"Is this about the black lion?" Hunk asked. "Because it sounds like it's about the black lion."
Allura gave him a regretful smile. "I am afraid it is. We made a promise to the Coalition, and I intend to fulfill it."
All eyes settled on him, and Keith shifted a bit in his seat. He stared down at his boots instead, trying to pretend that they were more interesting than they actually were. He wasn't totally used to the lingering sympathetic feeling he kept picking up on from the paladins- it wasn't like the Blade of Marmora was so cold that they didn't acknowledge when people were grieving, but it was... different from this.
Casualties of war were to be expected. They grieved, and then they moved on. Having a grieving period that lasted over a phoeb was pretty much unheard of.
But then, so was someone simply vanishing into thin air.
"I know this is hardly ideal," Allura continued, "-but if we are to have any hope of winning this war, then we must find a new black paladin."
"I mean, Zarkon's dead, right?" Lance asked. "Doesn't that like... I don't know, give us some time or something?"
"No." Keith said firmly, finally looking up. "No. If Zarkon's dead, they should have called a Kral Zera by now, but they haven't."
He knew now would be the best time to tell them about Lotor, but he couldn't bring himself too. It was still too raw, even though it had been deca-phoebs since he'd learned the full truth. Just thinking about it made the burning sensation in his throat return, though thankfully he was able to chase it away quickly this time.
Later. He would tell them later- if Lotor became a problem.
"What's a Kral Zera?" Pidge asked.
"It's a ceremony in which the Galra choose their new leader." Allura explained- or under explained, actually. She'd left a lot out, but it was probably just as well. "And Keith is right. If Zarkon was truly dead, then they should have called one by now. Otherwise they run the risk of the Empire falling into chaos."
"I'm guessing that's not a good thing." Hunk said.
Allura shook her head. "No."
"So, what?" Lance asked. "Does that mean Zarkon's still alive?"
"I cannot say." Allura admitted. "But it does make finding a new black paladin all the more pressing."
"Allura's right." Keith said. "As much as I hate to admit it, it... might take us awhile until we find Shiro."
If he was still around to find, Keith mentally added. He didn't want to think like that, but at some point, he had to accept the fact that it was a possibility.
Everyone's face fell, clearly thinking the same thing he was. Shiro had just vanished from his lion. Something like that had never happened before. Even Coran, who had been around for the entirety of Voltron's early days, couldn't tell them what might have happened. There just wasn't any precedence for this.
"So what do we do?" Pidge asked. "How do we even find a new paladin?"
"Maybe we could hold auditions?" Lance suggested. "Get some more alien diversity on this team. You know, other than Keith."
Keith merely arched a brow, but otherwise said nothing. He knew Lance didn't mean anything by it, but he couldn't help but worry that his presence here would make it tough to find another paladin. The Coalition might have accepted him for now, but he didn't know how it would go if they asked one of its members to work with them as a paladin- much less as Voltron's leader.
Once again, he found himself as a potential disruptive element to Voltron's unity. Just when he thought he was finally ready to open up to the rest of the paladins, this had to happen. Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes, half-drowning out Allura and the other paladins. Maybe if they searched the Blade of Marmora, they might find someone the black lion would accept, but he didn't know if the black lion would even be willing to accept another Galra paladin after Zarkon.
Or if the universe would.
In other words, they just needed to find a non-Galra paladin who was totally okay with working with a Galra. One with leadership skills. One who wasn't afraid to face down the Galra Empire- and probably also someone who had the training to do so. Having Voltron lead by a complete novice sounded like a recipe for disaster.
It was a tall order to fill. He wasn't sure if there was anyone who even could...
Opening his eyes, his gaze fell on Allura. Maybe there was someone who could fit the bill.
"Why doesn't Allura try?"
The question was out of his mouth before he even realized it was moving. Blinking, Keith felt all eyes fall on him, and instinctively tensed. For a long time- an uncomfortably long time- no one said anything. They just stared.
Then, finally, Allura spoke. "Me?"
"Actually, Keith might be on to something." Pidge said. "You know more about the lions than anyone."
"And you have pretty much been like Voltron's second leader anyways." Hunk quickly added. "We would have never been able to save the Balmera if it wasn't for you. You even destroyed that komar thing."
"I, for one, would let you lead my anywhere~." Lance winked, causing half of the room- himself included- to groan. "What? I'm serious!"
Allura frowned. "While I admit I have been considering it, I'm not certain if the black lion would accept me."
"Well," Coran, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, "-there's one way to find out for sure, princess."
It was not the first time she had found herself in the black lion's hangar since Shiro's disappearance, but it was the first time she had approached the lion itself. Even though it remained in a crumpled heap on the floor, somehow it still managed to loom over her, its presence filling up the room just as much as it would have if it were standing.
For whatever reason, she found herself thinking back- far back, to her earliest memory of the black lion. Out of all the Voltron lions, it was by far the largest- and for the longest time, she remembered being afraid of it for that very reason. She had remained so until Zarkon had taken her by the hand and led her inside, showing her every nook and cranny. She had sat in his lap as he showed her how to fly it, pretending that she was the one the black lion was listening to, not him.
She'd forgotten how gentle he'd been.
It hurt to think about now, after all these years. She had buried the memory- along with so many others, where they couldn't hurt her. But now, standing before the black lion, she felt herself stripped bare, her thoughts drifting back to times long past.
A time that she could never get back.
Drawing in a breath, Allura momentarily glanced behind her. Coran and the paladins were gathered towards the far end of the hangar. They caught her eye, and she forced herself to smile at them, for they looked so encouraging that she couldn't at least try.
Turning back to face the black lion, Allura squared her shoulders. She hadn't been lying when she'd said she had been considering becoming the black paladin. Thus far, it felt as if all she had done was sit on the sidelines, watching as everyone else fought her war for her. The paladins, Kyix aside, hadn't even been involved with the Galra until they had shown up on the Castle of Lions- if the blue lion hadn't been hidden on Earth, they might have very well gone their entire lifetimes without ever learning what a Galra even was.
It was only right that she do something to change that.
She only hoped that would be enough to convince the black lion.
She steeled herself as she entered the jaws of the massive beast, no less dangerous now that it was asleep. Perhaps it wasn't, though- as she ran her hand against its wall, using it to guide her, she swore she could feel it pulse underneath her touch. Like it was almost alive, in a way that she couldn't explain.
She didn't dwell on it, and instead made her way up towards the cockpit. There was just enough power left to allow the door to open, though the lion was dark otherwise. It was here that the pulse was the strongest- at least, until she drew her hand away from the wall, and sat down in the pilot's seat, at which point it faded.
For a tick, she did nothing, simply sitting there. Then, slowly, she drew in and let out a breath, feeling her shoulders relax, and then tense again. There was no hesitation in her as she reached out, grasping the lion's controls, but she did hesitate to grip them tightly- for no sooner than she had, all sorts of memories better left buried came flooding back to her.
They were all of Zarkon.
Not of the tyrant he had become, but the person he'd once been. The one who kept giving her the same helmet every year for her birthday, even though they never fit. The one who her father had trusted, even considered a friend- Voltron's leader, its black paladin.
The one who had once been so excited to become a father.
The thought sat in her stomach like a stone. If Haggar was truly Honerva, then what had become of little baby Lotor? Honerva was still pregnant with him when Zarkon had gone with her into the quintessence field- so naturally, she'd assumed he'd died with her.
But if Honerva was alive, then... what of Lotor?
She shook her head. Surely if Zarkon had a son, she would have heard something about him by now. Besides, perhaps it was for the best that he hadn't made it. She was loathe to think what the product of their union, once so heralded as a sign of peace, would have turned out to be had he been raised in the Galra Empire as it was now. Better to die as an innocent, unknowing.
Drawing in another long breath, Allura opened her eyes- for she'd closed them at some point. Perhaps the flood of memories was the black lion's way of testing her- to see if she were truly worthy of the mantle of black paladin. She had been trying to keep them all buried, using her memories of the tyrant that Zarkon had become to fuel her, but perhaps... perhaps she needed these memories too.
Because in the end, what had truly sealed Zarkon's fate was not greed- but love.
With that thought, she finally tightened her grip on the black lion's controls. For a time, nothing happened- and then slowly, the lion came to life around her.
She sucked in her breath, feeling its energy pulse through her. It was nothing like she thought it would be. She'd thought it would be regal, noble, almost imposing- and while it was certainly noble, it was also steady and reassuring, like a firm hand placed on her shoulder, or the stern but kind advice of her father.
It was also full of sorrow- of loss, of pain. But so too was it strong- strong and unyielding, and resilient- as if for each loss, each tragedy it experienced, it only grew stronger.
And it was hers.
Closing her eyes, Allura swallowed. She could feel herself tearing up, but made no effort to wipe them away. This was a gift, she realized- a gift, as much as it was a privilege.
She would do whatever she could to live up to it.
Keith watched with mixed feelings as the black lion rose to its feet.
There was awe- unexpected but undeniable awe. The last time he had seen the black lion come to life like this, it had been when he was in his own lion, and he'd been so distracted then that he'd barely paid attention to it. But seeing it rise up, from only the perspective of his own height... it was breathtaking.
There was relief, because it meant that Allura had successfully connected with the black lion. If Allura could take up the mantle of black paladin, then it meant all of their problems were solved. No searching for a new paladin, no having to get used to someone they didn't know, someone who might not be too thrilled about fighting alongside a Galra.
There was also dread, because the black lion accepting another paladin made it feel like Shiro was really gone. Shiro, who should be back on Earth, taking Adam out for what he'd referred to as a date night, a curious mating custom that Keith had never really gotten a hold on. Instead he was lost, possibly even dead- so far from home that it would take quintants to get back even with the most advanced hyperspace engine.
He wasn't sure he was ready to accept that yet.
He watched with the others as the black lion lowered its head, depositing Allura back on the ground of its hangar. She looked just as conflicted as he felt, and for a tick, he wondered what it was that she'd had to face in there.
Something, clearly.
"Well," Allura began, smiling by the time she reached them, "-it seems the black lion views me as fit."
"Your father would be proud." Coran told her, though there was a reluctance in his tone. "He always knew you were destined for great things."
Allura's smile faltered. "Thank you. I only hope I can live up to it."
"Well I say this calls for a celebration!" Lance piped up. "How about you and I head back to the space mall, maybe pick you up something sparkly?"
"As much as I would love something sparkly, there is still much work to be done." Allura told him. "But thank you."
Lance pouted a bit, but seemed to accept it. "So what now? Do we spread the word? Tell everyone there's a new black paladin in town?"
Keith bristled a little at how casually he put it, like he was just writing off Shiro, but managed to hold his tongue. He probably didn't mean anything by it.
"We should." Allura agreed. "But not until we-"
The emergency alarm cut her off. Whatever it was that they needed to do would have to wait.
She knew it would only be a matter of time before the Galra organized a counterattack, but still, the news that Puig was under attack managed to catch her off guard.
Perhaps it was because she had been so focused on the issue of finding a new black paladin, that for a moment, she had forgotten about the possibility of retaliation. In a way, the timing couldn't be better- though she was uncertain if they would be able to form Voltron right away, at the very least, they now had all five lions back up and running.
Hopefully, that would be enough.
She lingered on the bridge long enough to instill the Castle with some of her essence- enough to wormhole away should things take a turn for the worst. She hoped it wouldn't come to that, but experience taught her that it was best to prepare for the worst. Once finished, she made her way to the black paladin's console, hesitating for only a tick before she stepped forward, activating the mechanism that would bring her to the black lion's hangar.
She hadn't even had time to change out of her pressure suit, but she supposed that was for the best. She would have to create a new suit of paladin armor for herself- and she couldn't deny that there was a tiny part of her that felt almost giddy at the prospect. She had always wanted to be a paladin, and now she was.
She only wished it was under better circumstances.
Part of her was almost afraid that the black lion would have changed its mind, but it still lit up at her touch. She pulled her helmet on, taking a deep breath, before she let the lion's consciousness flow through her. Though she considered herself a skilled pilot- she had been flying the Castle of Lions for deca-phoebs now- she wasn't sure how that would translate over to a lion.
The black lion recognized this, and prompted her accordingly. It felt... strangely familiar, she thought, but in a way that she couldn't place. She chose not to focus on it. Right now, the priority was Puig. She would not allow the planet to fall back into the Galra Empire's grasp.
Determination set, she gripped the controls tight. This wasn't how she wanted it, but she was a paladin now- and not just any paladin.
She was the black paladin.
Voltron depended on her. The universe depended on her. Her people, her father, who lived on only in her memory now, depended on her. She would not fail them.
So she took a deep breath, and took her first steps as a paladin- launching the black lion from the Castle's main spire. She took only a moment to enjoy the sheer feeling of exhilaration it brought her, before she focused the entirety of her thoughts on the task ahead- taking back Puig.
She was soon joined by the other paladins, their lions dotting the sky before her. She felt herself smile at the sight, taking comfort in the fact that she had them here with her. It faltered, however, as she realized it made Shiro's absence all the more pronounced. He should be the one in this seat, not her- and though she knew that the black lion would not have chosen her if she didn't have what it took, she suddenly couldn't help but feel like an imposter.
The feeling was accompanied by a soft presence, one that she swore nearly felt like Shiro. But she quickly dismissed it as her imagination, knowing that there was no way he could possibly be here. As if to strengthen that belief, no sooner than had she thought that, did the presence fade away.
She must have gotten more attached than she'd thought, to conjure up something like that. Still, even if it was simply her imagination, it served as a reminder that this was what Shiro would have likely wanted- for them to continue the fight, even without him.
(Though he never should have been involved in the first place, she reasoned.)
"Everything okay, Allura?" Lance's voice piped up over the coms.
"I'm fine." Allura was quick to reassure him, grateful that he hadn't opened a video link. She wasn't entirely sure what expression she was wearing, but it was likely one that she shouldn't show to the paladins. If she was going to be the new black paladin, then she had to be strong- she couldn't allow her own feelings to get in the way.
"We're closing in on Puig." Pidge said. "But I don't see any-"
Before she could even finish that sentence, a massive battle cruiser emerged out of hyperspace, seemingly almost on top of them. It looked nothing like any Galra cruiser she had ever seen, but something told her it wasn't friendly.
The com signal flickered on the black lion's screens, and before she could even reach out to accept it, it started playing automatically. The person who spoke had a regal voice, one that hinted at a noble upbringing- and very quickly, Allura realized that her first instinct was correct.
This was not a friendly ship.
That wasn't the only thing it confirmed, however. Not by a long shot.
"Attention, paladins of Voltron. This is Prince Lotor, son of Zarkon, Emperor pro tem of the Galra Empire. Surrender now, or you will be destroyed."
Lotor. That name, neither fully Galran nor Altean, could not be a coincidence.
Zarkon and Honerva's son had survived.
