Hello, it's here! Chapter thirteen! My mouse broke while I was working on this chapter- just the scroller, but man, you don't realize how much you depend on it until it stops working, rip. Got another one on order, so just have to hold out until then! But Keith finally gets to go home! The Blades are here! We'll be hanging with these guys for awhile, so stick around~!

maroon

chapter thirteen

homecoming

The ride over to the base was silent, awkward. Keith wouldn't let anyone into the red lion's cockpit with him, not even Shiro. None of the remaining paladins seemed to know what to say to the other, and nobody wanted to risk upsetting Allura further.

"So, uh," Hunk finally chose to break the silence, shifting nervously, "-are we doing this?"

"If you mean forging an alliance with this Blade of Marmora," Allura began, "-that remains to be seen."

Nobody dared speak up after that. Thankfully, the journey to the base wasn't long. They could all feel it as they touched down on the asteroid.

"We're here."

Keith's voice over the intercom gave them all a start, like they hadn't been expecting it. Allura merely narrowed her eyes, rising to her feet first. Adjusting her helmet, she strode forward, towards the cargo hold exit.

Behind her, the Garrison cadets all exchanged a glance. None of them knew how this was going to end. If it was going to end with them working together with the Blade of Marmora, or if Allura was simply here to return Keith- Kyix- to them, after which they would find a new red paladin. None of them even knew if that was possible.

Heaving a sigh, Shiro rose to his feet. "Right. Let's go."

Chewing on his lip, Hunk forced himself to stand first, Pidge and Lance quickly following suit. Whatever happened from this point on, they needed to be ready for.

"Guess we're about to lose our home field advantage." Lance muttered underneath his breath.

"To be fair," Pidge whispered, "-we've had that on Keith from the start."

Glancing over towards her, Lance considered her words. "Yeah. Guess so."

But now that would change. Now they would finally get to see the place- and the people- that had made the red paladin who he was.

The Blade of Marmora.

He could feel Allura's eyes on him as he left the red lion, but he didn't pay it any mind. He'd expected this. Even if the princess had a sharp glower to rival that of Kolivan's, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Besides, he was home now.

As soon as he stepped on familiar rock, he felt himself breathe a little easier. When he had left to find the blue lion, he hadn't known how long it would take him to get back here- so nearly three years wasn't such a bad amount of time. Still, it was longer than he had ever spent away from the base, and if he had to be honest, he'd been kind of lonely.

He wouldn't admit that out loud, though. Not something that made him sound that childish. Regris would tease him for sure.

Thinking of the Blade, he felt his lips twitch in a smile. Grateful for the mask that hid his face, he strode forward, briefly wondering who would be sent to greet them. He imagined they would have to get all the formal business out of the way before he could truly enjoy his homecoming, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a piece of it.

Ulaz's blade rested heavily where he had hung it from his belt.

Behind him, he heard Lance mutter about this just seeming like a plain asteroid. He resisted the urge to turn around, knowing full well it wasn't.

As if on cue, the rock before them parted, giving way to a pair of Blades. One he recognized in an instant- there was no mistaking Antok, even masked. The other took him a moment, if only because he couldn't recall when Vrek had returned to the main base.

Guess even in just three years, some things had changed.

"Kyix," Antok strode forward, wasting no time with formalities, "-it is good to see you safe, youngling."

Beaming, Keith held out his arm, Antok gripping his forearm tight. "Same to you. When did Vrek get back from the Rebulon quadrant?"

"Vrek can answer his own questions." Vrek replied, sounding indignant. "Mere quintants ago, actually. Imagine my surprise when I heard you had been sent away."

Frowning, Keith's brows knit together. "You make it sound like I'd been exiled."

"You were sent to a planet named after dirt." Vrek merely pointed out.

"...okay yeah, when you put it that way, it does kind of sound like exile." Keith frowned.

He'd pretty much thought the same when he'd first realized what his mission entailed. When he had learned that the Earthlings hadn't even managed to leave their own system yet.

But Earth hadn't been all bad, he guessed. There had been some good things. Like Shiro. And dogs. Dogs were nice.

Okay, that was pretty much the full list right there. He guessed hoverbikes were pretty neat, so three things, actually. Which was better than none, but still- three things.

"Keith," Shiro piped up, "-any chance you can introduce us?"

"Keith?" Vrek inquired, and he was certain his brows were arched under his mask.

"It's ah, my alias- from Earth." Keith told him, dimly realizing that they had been chatting in Galran the entire time. With the translators in the paladin's helmets, they would be able to understand him, but it was still a statement.

But they already knew he was Galra, so he guessed it didn't matter.

Exhaling, Keith turned on his heel. Allura was watching him with narrowed eyes, and he didn't miss the way that even Shiro looked a little unsettled. But after being held captive by the Galra for a year, it didn't surprise him that a group of a Galra speaking in their own tongue might make him a bit nervous, even if he could understand them.

"These are Antok and Vrek." He told them, switching to English. "They're both senior members of the Blade of Marmora."

Stepping forward, Shiro offered his hand. "Takashi Shirogane. I'm the black paladin. With me are Princess Allura of Altea, and the rest of the paladins."

Antok merely glanced at the hand, before grasping Shiro by the forearm instead. He blinked for a brief moment, before he chose to return the gesture. "Well met."

"Are we to stand here all day," Allura cut in, leveling a suspicious gaze on all three of them, "-or are we allowed inside your base?"

Releasing Shiro's hand, he didn't need to see Antok's face to know that a deep frown was etched into it. But instead of saying anything, he merely stepped back, allowing the paladins access to the elevator that would bring them inside the base. Without waiting for further instructions, Allura strode forward, taking her place, the rest somewhat awkwardly trailing behind her.

He could feel their eyes on him as joined them last.

"So uh," Hunk ventured, as the elevator began to descend, "-I take it you guys know Kei- Kyix?"

Antok merely hummed. "Since he was young."

"And smaller even than this." Vrek added.

Shifting on his feet, Keith frowned. Thankfully, the subject didn't stay on him long- the elevator ride was a short one, letting them off in the main hall. He felt his back stiffen, willing to bet that every senior member currently present on the base had gathered there, flanking each side of the hall.

At the very end stood Kolivan.

He didn't need to see his face to know it was set in an impassive expression behind his mask. His posture was closely guarded, watchful- outsiders had never been brought into the main base, and for good reason. If it were compromised, the identities of Blades galaxies over could potentially be exposed.

Including his mother, he couldn't help but think.

Steadying himself, Keith stepped forward. "Leader."

"Kyix," Kolivan began, "-I hear you have a blade to present."

Bowing his head, Keith closed his eyes. He could feel the paladins' eyes on him now, more than ever- he wondered if it had ever dawned on them that he had known Ulaz. Maybe. His state following his death hadn't exactly been the best.

They all had the sense not to interrupt- even Allura.

"Before his death, Ulaz entrusted me with his blade." Keith told him. "I have come to return it."

"Bring it forward." Kolivan instructed.

Wordlessly stepping forward, he mounted the steps. Drawing Ulaz's blade, he rested it in both hands, the once glowing blade having gone dark. Presenting it to Kolivan, he kept himself steady, even though he couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion, one that threatened to knock him off his feet.

It was not the first blade he had passed on. It probably wouldn't even be the last.

It just never got easier.

Wordlessly accepting the blade, he watched as Kolivan traced where it would have once glowed with a clawed finger. Looking up at his leader, he didn't miss the set of his shoulders, that subtle hint that he was mourning. As if having Ulaz's blade in his hands had turned his death into a reality.

Knowledge or death.

"The blade is accepted." Kolivan's tone was stoic.

But he knew.

Ulaz had been a Blade for a long time. His loss was monumental.

Wordlessly, another Blade came forward to accept Ulaz's blade. Ilun, he realized, catching her eye. It made sense. Ulaz had been the one to instruct her, just as he had him. They had been close.

He wondered if he'd gotten the chance to see her child.

Without another word, Ilun carried the blade out of sight. With the ceremony done with, Keith stepped back, though he didn't quite rejoin the paladins. It didn't seem right. Right now, he wasn't of their number.

He joined the Blades instead.

Only now did Kolivan turn his attention towards the paladins. Clasping his arms behind his back, he stood to his full height. "I am Kolivan, leader of the Blade of Marmora."

This time, it wasn't Shiro who stepped forward. Striding forward with confident steps, Princess Allura presented herself to Kolivan, her back just as straight as that of his own. "I am Princess Allura, of planet Altea. I come with the paladins of Voltron."

He sensed there were several biting comments that the princess wished to make, but her diplomatic nature won out. He didn't miss the way her gaze briefly flickered towards him, before she fixed it back on Kolivan, unwilling to let it leave him after that.

"We have come here, hoping to forge an alliance." Allura stated. "Are we welcome?"

Kolivan considered the Altean princess for a long moment. "We can make arrangements for you here on the base."

"Wait, on the base?" Lance piped up.

He could almost see Kolivan's frown at the interruption. "Yes. Due to the sun, a ship as large as yours will not be able to depart for another two quintants. It is more practical if you are to remain here."

No one could argue with that, although it looked like Allura wanted to. Instead, she gave Kolivan a curt nod of her head. "Very well then. We shall accept your offer of hospitality."

"Antok can show you to where you will reside." Kolivan told her. "We can reconvene in one varga to discuss the terms of our alliance."

Jerking his head up, Keith stared at Kolivan. From the sound of it, he'd already made up his mind. For a second, he had to wonder if this was really Kolivan, or if someone had planted a brain worm underneath his pillow when he wasn't looking.

Kolivan caught his eye, and he quickly looked away.

He felt, rather than saw, Allura's eyes on him. It lingered for a moment longer, before she turned away, presumably looking back towards Kolivan. "I am to assume we are to move around the base with a provided escort."

Kolivan didn't even flinch. "Yes."

Narrowing her eyes, Allura looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Very well. In that case, if you would kindly direct us to our accommodations."

Kolivan nodded, lifting a hand. "Antok. Their quarters."

Stepping forward, Antok bowed his head. The princess probably didn't understand what an honor it was to have Antok chosen to show them around base- he wasn't just any Blade, it was Kolivan's second in command. "Understood."

Likely in an effort to appease the paladins, Antok's mask flickered, before fading away entirely. Since they had their backs turned, he was unable to make out their faces, but he did see the way their shoulders flinched, a clear sign of surprise.

Probably didn't expect a one-eyed Galra.

"Whoa," he caught Lance mutter, "-he's like a centaur or something."

"I think you mean a cyclops." Pidge dryly corrected.

"Yeah, that."

It was true- Antok only had the one eye, directly in the center of his face. A mutation, as his twin had been born with both. His skin was more gray than purple, scaled. Among the Blade of Marmora, he was legendary for escaping from the druids with his life- even if his battle with them had left him disfigured, scarred. His mouth was split by them, though the rest were concealed underneath his armor.

They still caused him great pain, to this day. He never showed it.

Antok merely brushed aside their comments. "Follow me."

Though Allura, with her head held high, moved to follow behind him quickly, the rest of the paladins hesitated for a second.

Turning back to look at him, Hunk frowned. "Wait, what about Keith?"

"Kyix has quarters of his own." Antok stated simply.

Hunk's mouth made an O shape, clearly processing that piece of information. It probably hadn't dawned on them yet that this was his home.

He imagined his quarters were just as he had left him- unless they'd managed to get his possessed scribbling off the wall while he was gone. He doubted his mother had been back in the two years he had been absent, not if she was undercover in Ranveig's territory. It wasn't a position he envied.

He'd be worried, but he knew his mother could handle it.

"Kyix," Kolivan's voice caught his attention, the Blade leader's mask flickering away once the paladins were gone, "-I have yet to welcome you home."

Home. It sunk into him then that he really was home. "It's good to be home."

"Come," Kolivan said, "-we have much to discuss."

Taking that as his cue, he fell into step behind the Blade leader. His skin itched, reminding him keenly that he had returned home in a form that was not his own. He wanted to dissolve his mask, but he knew that he shouldn't.

He wondered if Kolivan would let him change back.

"You wish to ask about the device."

Looking up, Keith frowned. "Everyone knows I'm Galra now. There's not much point to pretending to be human any longer."

Except there was, and they both knew it. The universe would be far more trusting of a human paladin than it ever would be of one who was Galra. And for good reason- the last time a Galra had been a paladin, they had sparked a ten thousand year war. Suffice to say, they didn't exactly have the best track record.

"We can discuss the matter with the princess." Kolivan told him. "The decision will rest with her."

Feeling his shoulders sink at that, Keith stared down at the floor. Right. Guess he was stuck like this, then. Unless Allura decided to remove him from the team entirely, he couldn't see any way in which this ended with him resuming his natural form.

"I would like to have your hand examined, though." Kolivan noted. "Has it been bothering you?"

Forcing himself to look up, Keith shook his head. "No, it's been fine. The color hasn't spread any. Probably just a malfunction."

Letting out a low hum, Kolivan looked ahead. "There is much we still do not understand about Svatavi's work."

"It's not like she's here to tell us about it." Keith observed, knowing he sounded a bit bitter. His grandmother would have been the only one who could have taught him about his gift, but he'd never even met her.

"She would be proud, you know." Kolivan told him. "Of what you've accomplished."

Arching a brow, Keith frowned. "All I've done is consistently blow my cover."

"I meant becoming a paladin." Kolivan told him.

"Oh," Keith blinked, "-right."

Coming to a halt, Kolivan looked down at him. "You've done well, Kyix."

He wasn't used to getting such earnest praise, and from Kolivan, of all people. Usually this sort of thing came from his mother- or more recently, Shiro. Maybe someone really had stuck a brain worm under his pillow.

(It was probably Regris.)

It didn't stop him from glowing with the praise. Hey, if Kolivan was going to give it, he might as well take it, right?

"Thanks," he said, "-but I didn't do it alone."

"The paladins." Kolivan mused. "What is your opinion of them?"

Blinking, Keith tilted his head. It wasn't like he hadn't expected the question, but that didn't make it any easier to answer. "I think- I think they have a lot of potential."

"Tell me about them."

Considering his words, Keith's brows knit together. "Well, there's Shiro. He's the only actual adult out of the group, in human terms, and it... kind of shows, sometimes."

That didn't exactly paint the most flattering picture of his fellow paladins, but hey, he had to call it like he saw it. Besides, he was pretty sure that was supposed to be normal- they hadn't grown up like he had, embroiled in a centuries long war with little hope to be won. Not being a part of it just wasn't an option.

"You've spoken of him highly in the past." Kolivan observed.

"He's talented." Keith said. "I'm pretty sure if he'd been given access to the same kind of tech I had while learning to fly, he'd be even better than I am."

"High praise, coming from you." Kolivan noted.

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith folded his arms in front of him. "It's true. He keeps the team together, no matter what. I honestly can't think of anyone better suited to being the black paladin."

"And the others?"

"Well... Pidge is the green lion. Voltron's left arm." Keith told him. He'd told him all about the paladins before, of course, but this was the first time he'd really spoken to him about them in length. Usually it had been in brief snippets, status reports on their progress. Nothing really personal.

"Her father and brother were on the same mission Shiro was." Keith told him. "She nearly left Voltron over it. But she's... smart. Determined. Very small. It's worrying."

The corner of Kolivan's mouth twitched in amusement. "Yes. It is worrying."

Okay, fine. He'd walked into that one, he'd admit it. But he'd stand by it.

"I don't think we would have been able to free Olkarion without her." Keith said frankly. "She's adapted to working with Altean tech faster than I would have thought possible. I mean, she made modifications to the green lion."

He didn't even think Pidge knew how amazing that was. Like she'd never even stopped to think about it.

"And Lance... Lance is the blue lion. Voltron's right leg." Keith frowned a little, wondering what exactly he could say about Lance. Out of the paladins, he'd probably matured the least- at least, in so far as he'd noticed.

But he was also the only one outside of Shiro who actually put effort into training. Hunk and Pidge might show up for group exercises, but otherwise, they both avoided the training deck like the plague. He should probably do something about that.

Chewing on his lip, Keith shifted on his feet. "He's... got good aim? He's good with people too, I guess. And he's... he can be pretty immature, but he comes through when it counts. I think he's learning that being a paladin is about more than just looking good."

"He keeps picking fights with me, though." Keith added. "Not sure why."

Something about them being rivals, or something. He wasn't sure where Lance had gotten that idea, but for the most part, he tried to ignore it.

Emphasis on try. Maybe he could get carried away sometimes. He'd admit it. Privately. To himself.

Kolivan just looked amused.

Pressing on, Keith furrowed his brow. "Which leaves Hunk. He's the yellow lion, Voltron's left leg. He's the only one who didn't have any experience as a pilot before Voltron."

He didn't actually know if Pidge reading flight manuals counted as experience, but it at least put her on better footing than Hunk.

"But he's been learning." Keith quickly added. He hadn't asked him for lessons again, but that was probably more his own fault than Hunk's. He'd found a much better teacher in Shiro. "I think... he's scared a lot of the time, but he never runs away. That takes courage. Out of all the paladins, I think he has the most potential for growth."

Kolivan merely let out a low, assessing hum. "Do you believe they stand a chance of defeating Zarkon?"

In comparison, that was an easy question.

"Yes."

Pacing was not becoming for a princess, yet she could not fight the urge to do so.

After leaving them with the promise that someone would come to escort them in precisely one varga, the Galra known as Antok had left them. The door had been locked behind him, making it clear that they were not welcome to wander the base as they chose.

It just sufficed to make her feel like she was some kind of prisoner.

To a degree, she could understand. The Blade of Marmora had likely thrived off secrecy, existing for as long as they had solely because of it. To let outsiders, even ones they planned to forge an alliance with, simply wander around their base would be a fool's move. But even though she could understand it, it did not mean she had to like it- and she very much did not like it.

The quarters themselves were not objectionable. A bit small, with what best could be described as individual sleeping holes set off from a central gathering point- a bit like a lounge, she thought. There was a single bathroom set back to the room- thankfully, it, unlike the sleeping quarters, had a door. It was a far cry from her room on the Castle of Lions, but it would suffice for two quintants, she supposed.

She didn't have to ask to guess that they did not exactly have very many guests.

"Maybe you should sit down."

Turning towards Shiro, she leveled a sharp gaze on him. "Maybe you should have told us the truth."

He didn't flinch, instead remaining firm. "I broke your trust. I'm sorry about that. But I couldn't tell you the truth without breaking Keith's."

Narrowing her eyes, she finally came to halt. "And I suppose he matters more to you than the rest of us."

This time Shiro did flinch. "That's not what I meant."

"How long?" Allura asked. "How long did you know?"

Before he had even left Earth? After? Since they had arrived on the Castle of Lions? He'd not specified. For all she knew, he could have known that Keith was Galra the entire time, and had chosen to hide it from them, from the very beginning.

"Since Ulaz."

At the mention of the Blade, she tensed. Even she could recognize that an apology was owed in that matter. She had said some rather cruel things about him, when he had likely been Keith's comrade in arms.

Or Kyix, she supposed. Pride, she thought.

How could a spy have any pride?

That thought was too sour, even for her. Shutting her eyes, she turned on her heel, drawing in a long breath. The other paladins had retreated to one of the sleeping holes, apparently choosing to stay well out of her way. She could not blame them. She knew that she did not exactly make for good company at the moment.

They were all probably trying to figure out how to deal with Kyix on their own. Though she was loathe to admit it, there would be no replacing him- and the last thing she wanted was to shatter the bonds that they had built as paladins herself. If it could survive this, perhaps they would even come out stronger.

But it still meant there would be a Galra in her father's lion.

And that thought, more than any, ate away at her.

She had been the one who had chosen Kyix to fly it, recognizing the spark of quintessence in him. How could she not have seen it? Whatever had been done to him to mask his true appearance, she should have been able to sense on some level that he was Galra. But she hadn't so much as even noticed.

Perhaps that was why he had been so loathe to allow her to recheck his quintessence after the corrupted wormhole. Thinking about that merely caused her to think about the guilt which Kyix had felt upon learning they were being tracked, how he believed that it was being done through him.

How he had been alone in a pod with her for hours, and had done nothing to her.

She tried not to dwell on that.

"I do not understand." Allura finally said, her voice quiet. "The Galra took much from you. How is that you can still trust him?"

To his credit, Shiro actually seemed to consider the question. "He's still Keith. That hasn't changed."

She wished she could simply accept that, but she couldn't. To her, it felt as if everything she knew about the red paladin had been a lie- and to begin with, she had known very little about him.

But she thought about his somber expression in the cockpit of their shared pod, the way he had admitted that he'd lost people. How he had expressed sympathy for her own losses.

How he had apologized for them.

At the same time, she could not help but wonder where his allegiances had lain. Had he ever been loyal to the paladin cause, or was he merely working with them because their goals aligned with the Blade of Marmora? He had been the only one to speak out against rescuing her from Zarkon, and while that had been what she had wanted, this new information cast his refusal in a new light.

In which case, if they ever failed to align, would he betray them?

She couldn't answer that. And her inability to do so left her feeling uneasy. To allow such a question mark to return to the Castle of Lions, to resume his duties as a paladin as if nothing had ever happened... she did not know if she could do it.

But he had been on the Castle of Lions this entire time, and had done nothing but earn her trust. Even when he had refused to have his quintessence checked, her first instinct was not mistrust, but rather wondering if she had overstepped his boundaries somehow.

She did not think the Keith that had thrown himself in harm's way was a lie.

And then there was the matter of the alliance with the Blade of Marmora. That was its own issue, however tied to Kyix it was. While Shiro was correct- they did need allies, she still felt uncertain about this whole venture.

"Princess," Shiro began, "-you know we need Keith."

Heaving a long sigh, her shoulders slumped. She was very aware.

"Yes, I know." She said simply, not quite looking at him. "But I cannot forgive the fact that he lied to us so easily."

"...and the fact that he's Galra?" Shiro ventured.

"I will admit, it is a factor." Allura stated. "You must understand, Shiro. When Zarkon declared war on Altea, countless Galra that we considered our allies betrayed us. It was not only Zarkon."

"I won't claim to understand what you went through," Shiro began, "-and I won't say your feelings aren't justified, because they are. But I think you should give the Blade of Marmora a chance."

It went without saying that he also meant Kyix.

Brows knitting together, Allura turned on her heel, studying his face. He was so different, she thought, from Zarkon. Not the monster they now faced, but the Zarkon who had once been- and yet, in some ways, they were not that dissimilar.

In the end, it had been Zarkon's devotion to those he cared about that had been his own undoing. That had become the universe's undoing. She did not doubt that Shiro had that same depth of devotion- she had seen it in the way he had refused to abandon her.

The Zarkon of old had cared, deeply- there had been greed, to be sure, but it was that caring, that devotion, that eventually consumed him, becoming something twisted. Unrecognizable.

(Come to think of it, whatever had happened to Honerva?)

"I will try."

That was all she could promise.

"So how much longer do you think they'll make us wait?"

"They said one varga, so," Pidge responded, checking her gauntlet computer, "-probably another few minutes or so."

Frowning, Lance's brows knit together. "Can't believe we're all stuck here for like, two days."

Glancing between the two of them, Hunk opened his mouth to say something, before thinking better of it. Everyone's nerves were high at the moment, except for maybe Shiro's- he didn't know how he did it, frankly. Or maybe he was nervous and just didn't show it. Could be that.

Heck, even he was kind of nervous. Which, granted, wasn't that strange, but it wasn't like they were with enemies here. Sure, they looked like the enemy, but that didn't mean they were the enemy.

His thoughts flickered to Keith again. Or Kyix? He really should start calling him Kyix. Sure, he hadn't exactly said that he didn't like being called Keith, and it wasn't like they had all started calling Pidge Katie after she had revealed she was a girl, but- look, he was just trying to be considerate.

This situation was enough of a mess as it is.

At least Keith- Kyix- being an alien explained his eating habits. Probably. At least, he hoped. He knew no human being could willingly enjoy a meat shake.

In hindsight, it explained like, a ton about Keith. Like that weird noise he'd made back on the Balmera, or the way he slept with a knife under his pillow.

Actually that one just might be the war.

Huh. Guess his initial theory actually hadn't been that far off.

"So who do you think's gonna come collect us?" Lance asked. "Tall, dark, and one-eyed?"

"My money's on Keith." Pidge said. "I mean, he is technically a Blade."

"More than just technically." Lance snorted. "I mean, did you see how he was cozying up to those Galra that came to greet us? You'd think they were like, friends."

"Maybe they are?" Hunk ventured. "I mean... it sounds like this is kind of his home."

Lance just frowned, leaning back. "Yeah, I guess. Bet he gets nicer quarters than this. You'd think that after ten thousand years, the Galra would have heard of privacy."

"Maybe Galra are pack oriented?" Pidge ventured.

Letting out another snort, Lance just rolled his eyes. "What, with mullet's lone wolf act? Doubt it."

"To be fair, he has been like... the only Galra around." Hunk pointed out.

Which, by the way, was still super weird. Sure, okay, he could accept Keith being a part of the Blade of Marmora, but a Galra? Not that he had anything against him being a Galra, it was just... well, he definitely didn't look the part.

"I'll admit, it's not a very strong theory." Pidge said, adjusting her glasses. "But it's not like we know a whole lot about the Galra."

"They're big, hairy, and mean." Lance recited. "Not to mention purple."

"Well yeah," Pidge frowned, "-but there's got to be more to them as a society than just that. Even within Zarkon's ranks, they have to have something that resembles culture."

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but didn't get the chance, a knock on the door cutting him off. Shutting his mouth, he just frowned, seeming to glower towards the door, Shiro getting up to see who it was.

"Oh look," Pidge piped up, "-it's Keith. Pay up, Lance."

Sputtering, Lance turned to look down at her, eyes wide. "Wha- I never agreed to any bet!"

Clicking her tongue, Pidge just frowned. Normally Hunk would point out here that none of them had any money, but maybe now wasn't the best time.

It was obvious that the Blade sent to escort them was Keith. Mostly because he wasn't wearing that weird mask. Which, by the way, he was dying to figure out how they worked. They obviously provided them with protection from the vacuum of space, so they had to be real, but he just couldn't figure out how they did the thing.

He wondered if Keith would let him take a look if he asked.

Maybe exchange it for some more pancakes. Turns out he actually really liked the pancakes. And he'd found some berries on Olkarion that made a great substitute for blueberries...

Except now wasn't the time to be thinking about that either.

"Keith." Shiro smiled at the small Blade. "I guess it's time for the meeting?"

Nodding his head, Keith peered into the room behind Shiro. He watched his face fall as it landed on Allura, and he could only guess what sort of face she was making, given her back was turned.

Looking back up at Shiro, Keith merely gave him a curt nod of his head. "Yeah."

"Good," Allura said, rising to her feet, "-then let us see about forming this alliance."

Oof, yeah. She still wasn't happy. Not that he could blame her- Keith had basically lied to them all, that wasn't something they could just get around. And sure, from the sound of it, that hadn't been his plan- except, it kind of was, in a sense. At least, it had been back at the Garrison, when he'd been pretending to be a human.

...huh. Guess all this time, there's been an alien in the space program.

That was actually pretty funny.

"Well, guess we better just get this over with." Lance said, getting to his feet, Pidge following suit. He took a little longer to get up, briefly catching Keith's eye as he did. The Blade quickly averted his gaze when he noticed him looking, his mask flickering back into place.

Turning on his heel, Keith straightened his back. "Follow me."

Taking up the rear, Hunk did just that.