"What in the names of the first Hunters is going on in here?"

Shiro looked up at the startled voice and immediately tried and failed to not burst out laughing. Shiiar'keh, who had obviously just come in, was peering this way and that over their shoulders at two small Altean children who were now scrabbling for purchase on their smooth fur. As soon as one of them had stabilized himself, he used the H'ress's back as a springboard to leap to a couch with a wild yell, the other child following a moment later. The pack leader seemed highly confused by this unexpected use of their person as a jungle gym, and Malrento, standing beside them, was clearly amused by his leader's discomfiture.

"It's a, ah, game." He said once he got himself under control, sitting up properly on the couch. "From Earth. It's called The Floor Is Lava. We, uh, thought it would be fun to teach the little ones while we were looking after them." A young Ch'mek scrambled along the back of the couch behind his head with a loud shriek and he winced.

With the team still recovering emotionally and mentally from the Trepan Kev debacle, and nothing to do but wait for news about the Weblum's Breath, Alejandro had suggested spending another day looking after the youngsters on the Long Wind, this time as a group, as a way of relaxing and taking their minds off things. This was met with varying degrees of enthusiasm by most of the team, and so they'd all made the short hop over to the other ship with the Lions for the first time in five days. Once they'd arrived at the nursery, however, they discovered that the addition of ten adults made the room a bit cramped, so they'd rounded up their charges and gone in search of somewhere with more space to play around in.

It hadn't been long before they found the large lounge with its wide variety of furniture, probably intended for calmer social events than the party they'd experienced after Hunk's unlocking of the combative characteristic. Shiro had been of the opinion that it would be good for storytelling and naps. Hunk had started to say something about hide-and-seek.

Lance had taken one look around the room, screeched "The floor is lava!" before throwing himself headfirst at one of the couches, and within three seconds, a very confused Allura, Coran, and Keith were the only ones still in the doorway with the kids, while the others were all perched on various pieces of furniture with huge grins on their faces, aside from Shiro who couldn't help but redden in embarrassment at his own reflexive reaction. He blamed Matt for training it into him.

"And the objective of this game is…?" Malrento asked, raising an eyebrow at a H'ress cub leaping from one end of a couch to a wide, flat bench and nearly skidding off the smooth surface.

"Um, there isn't one, really." Shiro admitted, blushing. "The only rule is that you can't touch the floor, hence the name. You have to get around the room by moving across the furniture." With a slight smirk he added. "Anyone standing on the floor can be considered to be part of the furniture."

The H'ress laughed, darting forward to catch a tiny Galra that had misjudged her leap. They patted her head in response to a chirrup of gratitude before setting her on the couch next to the black paladin. "I see. A cub's game?" They surveyed the room.

Shiro followed their gaze. Lance, Coran, and Matt seemed to be involved in whatever tag-esque game many of the children were playing, the ginger Human's bad leg only slowing him down a little as he dove across the gap between two chairs in pursuit of two youngsters. Alejandro and Keith seemed to be involved in some sort of wrestling match on one of the flat seats they'd seen H'ress use before, with Kurogane laughing and egging them both on by turns. Hunk was encouraging Allura-something about agility training?-and the normally overly self-controlled Princess was laughing loudly, her hair a wild mess as she vaulted off the back of a couch and landed perfectly on a small table. As he watched, Pidge used her bayard-what had she even attached the thing to?-to swing across the scene with a wild tarzan yell, three children of various species clinging to her and screaming in delight. "...technically…" He admitted, flushing. Most of their team weren't adults, either, if he wanted to be technical.

Shiiar'keh simply rumbled a laugh and shook their head. "Don't worry. I wish some of my Hunters would take the opportunity to enjoy life like this. You paladins bear a heavy enough burden without letting it consume every waking moment."

Relaxing, Shiro nodded in agreement as he looked around at his team. It was a relief to see that they were still able to loosen up and enjoy themselves with childish games, that this war they'd stumbled into hadn't completely taken their ability to still be children. He focused on Alejandro and Kurogane as the former managed to knock Keith onto the floor with a triumphant shout. Those two had endured more pain and loss than he could truly comprehend. But since being welcomed fully into the team of this time, they seemed to be slowly healing, at least a little.

"Something I can help you two with?" He asked, turning his attention back to the Altean and H'ress.

"I'm told you had some questions about one of the aspects." Malrento explained. "And I have some time free at the moment. But if this isn't a good time…"

"No, no, now is fine." Shiro straightened quickly. Despite endless speculation, none of them had managed to put forward a really solid theory to explain why a terrified, injured Pidge had unlocked an aspect that was supposed to be born from courage and curiosity. Especially since her old-timeline counterpart, Holt, had unlocked it while trying to revive a fatally-wounded teammate rather than herself. Although she was hiding it well, he and Matt both knew that the mystery bothered her and kept the whole frightening incident fresh in her mind, and he hoped that an explanation would help her put the memory behind her.

Putting his fingers to his lips, he let out a piercing whistle that instantly attracted all eyes and ears and brought the roughhousing to an abrupt halt. "Sorry to break up your fun, guys, but Malrento is here to talk to us. Everyone come settle down."

There were a few small grumbles as the paladins climbed down from the furniture and came to join him in the seating cluster where he'd been relaxing. Coran started rounding up the reluctant youngsters. "I think it would be best if I escorted these little ones back to the nursery. After all that exercise they need a snack, a drink, and a rest." He shot Shiro a meaningful look, both of them all too aware that some of the details of what they'd be discussing were not at all suitable for children, no matter how used to the dangers of war they were.

"Thank you, Coran." He shot the Altean a grateful smile and put an arm around Matt as his boyfriend joined him. To his surprise, Pidge dropped into her brother's lap a moment later, leaning against his chest and letting him drape his arms on either side of her neck. Keith joined them on Matt's other side a moment later, shooting the green paladin a fiercely protective look that made her smile.

Malrento settled into a chair and waited until everyone else was comfortable and the children were out of the room before speaking. "Let me begin by expressing how glad I am to see you all safe. I understand the green paladin was among the injured?"

Several of the group winced, Shiro among them. "Yes. We're lucky Matt recommended keeping the Castle of Lions back from the fight to protect the healing pods, and that the other strategists agreed with it." He shot his boyfriend an intensely grateful look and got a shaky smile in return as the ginger's arms tightened around his sister.

Inclining his head respectfully to the two siblings, Malrento continued. "I also understand two of your team unlocked aspects during the mission. Am I right in assuming it to be one of those that you have questions about?"

It was Hunk who spoke up this time, his expression serious. "Yeah. Pidge and I both got the personality traits for our colours. We've got mine pretty well figured out, and it gave me the ability to sense life forces around me. It's just Pidge's that we're not sure about." He gave the youngest member of their team a concerned glance. Apparently Shiro wasn't the only one who'd noticed how much it was bothering her. "Given the situation she was in, we can't figure out why she got it when she did."

"I see. Healing touch, correct? Alejandro, you and your partner mentioned that in your original timeline, that was one of the ones your teammate had managed to access as well. Would it be possible for you to describe to me, in as much detail as you are comfortable sharing, what happened in each situation? While the traits manifest differently from person to person, it should, in theory, be a similar trigger in both versions of the same person."

Alejandro nodded, swallowing hard and glancing sideways at his partner, who laced their fingers together in silent reassurance. "Kurogane'd been badly hurt in a fight. Some monster of Haggar's. Broken bones, and he was bleeding out from a bunch of gashes." He indicated the ones on the side of the former red paladin's head with a jerk of his own. "He'd actually stopped breathing before Holt could get to him to try to get him out. I kept them covered while she did CPR. I couldn't really watch, obviously, but I could hear her yelling at him. How he wasn't allowed to die before she'd gotten to see us married in a big goopy ceremony and adopt a dozen alien children and watch Kurogane have no idea how to parent." He took a deep breath, a pained smile on his face at the memory he was reliving. "I remember it taking way too long to revive him, her saying something about kicking his ass if she didn't get to see us grow up to be sappy old geezers, then there was this bright green flash and I heard Kurogane gasping. Then Holt ordered me to grab him and go, and we went. I didn't realize until we got back to the Lions that the injuries were partly healed."

Malrento hummed softly, his expression thoughtful. "Thank you, Alejandro. And my sorrows to you for the loss of your teammate." Alejandro nodded stiffly, and the Altean turned his attention to the group on the other couch. "Pidge? You do not have to tell me if you don't want to, but it would help me in trying to give you the answers you seek."

The green paladin was silent for a moment, clinging to her brother's hands, before breathing deeply. "There's not a lot to tell. I was hurt really bad, and Keith and I were trapped in a closet because I was too hurt to run and he couldn't carry me and still fight. I...I thought I was going to die." Her voice was soft, but it still carried in the heavy silence of the room. "I was scared, and I wanted to go home, and I didn't think I was going to make it out. Keith told me I activated it just as I passed out, and that's it."

"She was talking about the things she wanted to do with her life." All eyes turned to Keith in surprise. The red paladin's voice was strained, and Lance, perched beside him on the arm of the couch, put a hand on his shoulder in silent support. "Before she passed out. How she wanted to visit planets and learn about different alien tech and see what it was like to go to college or be in a relationship." Shiro's arm tightened around Matt, who had curled around Pidge protectively. He could feel them both trembling as they tried to control their emotions.

"I see…" Malrento folded his hands in front of his mouth and frowned consideringly. His gaze was fixed on the middle distance as he mumbled to himself thoughtfully, too low for them to hear more than a word or two.

While they waited, Shiro shifted to wrap both arms around all three of those beside him. It was an awkward position, and his arms didn't quite reach, but none of them seemed to mind as they leaned against him. He felt Keith's hand grab his, and Pidge's small hand grab his sleeve.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Malrento abruptly straightened. "Of course. I should have realized." Looking around, he smiled. "I believe I have the answer to your question, Pidge."

Shiro released his embrace and saw Pidge straighten as well, pushing her glasses up as she regarded the Altean seriously. "So? What is it?"

He returned her gaze steadily, seemingly searching for the right words. "My own mentor, a woman named Cofira, told me once that of all the aspects, it is curiosity's name that is the most misleading, an attempt to summarize in a single word something very subtle and complex. A more accurate, but even more misleading name to the uneducated, she said, would be desire."

"The aspects, as I was taught, are very subtle things. Remember, they are parts of how a person thinks or feels or interacts with the world around them. And they are derived from the influence of their quintessence, which is elemental in nature. Those elements influence all the other associated aspects of their colour. Red is fire, and the aspects associated with it are quick and powerful, full of energy. Instinct, blood, passion, respect. Blue is water, flexible but also predictable and reliable. Adapting, heart, loyalty, trust. Yellow is earth, strong, steady, and supporting. Planning, bone, patience, understanding. Black is sky and void, intangible but all-encompassing. Leading, mind, love, will. And green...green is forest. Life and all that comes with it. Learning, nerve, courage, curiosity."

"I believe you unlocked your aspect, in both timelines, in response to the desire for the future. To continue on. To see what the new day would bring, either for yourself or for your family." The Altean gave a respectful nod to a wide-eyed Kurogane and Alejandro. "Holt wanted to see what the future held for her last two companions, her family. You wanted to see what the future held for yourself."

Malrento gave the wide-eyed green paladin a gentle smile. "I think before this you had forgotten there was a life to be lived after the battle. Courage in battle will only get you killed if you do not remember to want to come home when it is over. It seems fitting to me that together they unlock a second chance at survival."

000000000

The door to the computer lab swung open just as Shiiar'keh reached it, and only the H'ress's quick reflexes kept the Taujeerian tech that emerged from hitting the floor as they bounced off their chest. "Careful! Are you alright?"

Tolna-Tchet looked up, relief evident in their posture as they straightened. "Pack leader! I was just coming to get you! We need to organize another scout ship immediately!"

Exhaustion was evident in the Taujeerian's face, from six rotations of working long hours as part of the team decrypting the files from Trepan Kev, but right now they were practically jittering on the spot with anxious energy. "You found it?" Shiiar'keh asked, quickly following them into the room to see the data on the console. As the wait had stretched on, with scouts returning back with reports of battleships and dreadnoughts being built and repaired consuming each almathium shipment they traced from the files, the H'ress had become increasingly afraid that their gamble at Trepan Kev had not paid off. That the world-breaker would be deployed and they would find it only by the reports of its use blowing across the universe.

"We believe so. It was on the tablet from the Green Paladin's team, naturally." The disgust in the smaller alien's tone was entirely for the fact that it was the last tablet to be processed that held the crucial information and not for the delay in that tablet reaching them. Matthew was well-liked throughout the pack, and everyone had been worried for the younger sister he loved so much. "Many shipments, large ones, all going to the same place. Not a known shipyard, either."

Two of the techs clustered around the console moved aside to make room for Shiiar'keh, who quickly scanned over the data and agreed with their conclusions. This could very well be what they were looking for. They desperately hoped that was the case.

Stepping back, they moved over to the communications panel and called up the main deck, startling the on-duty specialist. "Lacai, contact Hae and have her ready her scout ship for immediate departure. Then prepare a single-ship wormhole to these coordinates for her." They rattled off the numbers from the files and saw the young Altean nod in agreement before signing off and glancing around at the exhausted but hopeful technicians. "I must return to the main deck. Good work, all of you."

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As she groomed her fur, Kovirak's claws lingered as they always did over the discoloured patches on her right thigh and ribs, pale scar-fur standing out sharply against the darker violet of her body-fur. They were a constant remind her of what she had left behind, what she would sacrifice anything to protect.

She had known from the beginning that she could not stay on that world forever. She could not blend in amongst its people, and she could only be hidden for so long no matter how isolated her mate's home. When her cub was born she had looked at his features, so much like his father's, with relief and sadness for the normal life it would grant him there. And when their time together ran out, she did the only thing she could do to keep them both safe and fled, drawing their attackers far from the little home before escaping to her small ship and leaving that world behind forever. She left knowing that while she would never see her son again, he would at least grow up safe and happy on a world that as yet was beyond the edges of Zarkon's empire.

And then Haggar discovered her spying for the Blades and it all fell to pieces.

Thankfully the witch had been busy of late, too busy to taunt her by demanding the names of more of her fellows in exchange for her cub's continued safety. Kovirak knew she was still being watched, but it at least gave her a few rotation's respite to think and try, once again, to find a way out for all those she cared about.

A knock at the door of her quarters startled her from her thoughts. Perhaps her brief peace was over already. Slipping on the tunic she wore during her off-duty hours, she paced to the door and opened it. Not Haggar, thank Marmora, but a low-ranking soldier who saluted her respectfully. "Apologies for disturbing you during your sleep-shift, Lieutenant, but I was ordered to bring you these immediately." Holding out his hand, she saw a small data chip in his palm, the purple-and-red markings indicating official orders.

Taking the chip warily, Kovirak slipped it into her personal computer. The file opened automatically and she scanned it. Then again, confusion flaring through her. "Transfer orders?"

The soldier shrugged. "I was told to wait while you gather your possessions, then escort you to the shuttle that's waiting." He saluted again.

Kovirak was only half-listening, reading the orders over a third time. Immediate transfer via shuttle to an unnamed ship in an undisclosed location. This didn't make any sense. Surely Haggar wished to keep her here under her thumb, where she could be more easily watched. And the location of her transfer being kept secret? The fur on the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably. Something smelled wrong here, but she was at a loss as to what it might be, or what she could do about it. "Wait here." She said finally. "Give me twenty dobashes."

Shutting the door in the young man's face, the older Galra set to work packing her things. She didn't own much, and packing it wasn't going to take her the full twenty, not even close, but it gave her a little time to think, to figure out what was going on. Changing into her armor consumed a few dobashes as well, and it hit her as she was fastening her vambrace.

Project Scaultrite.

She knew the world-breaker was nearing completion, being given top priority for personnel and equipment and materiel. Once it was finished, it made sense for Lotor, Haggar, or both to go along to oversee initial testing. That was why she was being transferred, to keep her close after all. And without a name or location, even if she could break free enough to send a message to Kolivan, there was nothing useful she could say. Kovirak pounded a fist against her thigh, helpless and frustrated. At best she might be able to alert him to the location it was being tested in, if she recognized it, but in doing so she would give Haggar ample reason to go after her cub and Kovirak would be helpless to stop her.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. Panic and anger would do her no good. All she could do for now was follow orders, gather information, and watch for opportunities, just as she'd been trained all those cycles ago. She may not carry her knife any more, but she was still a Blade of Marmora, and knowledge was her way of life.

Stuffing the tunic into her personal bag, she stood, surveyed the room once more to ensure she had collected everything, then headed for the door. "Lead the way." She ordered, receiving a stiff nod and another salute in reply. The walk down to the hangar where the shuttle waited was long and silent, and Kovirak occupied herself with the question of where the weapon was likely to be put to use.

To her surprise, she was the only passenger aboard the crew shuttle, and her apprehension grew. Haggar was definitely keeping her on a short leash. Most likely this meant she was the last of the crew being transferred to Project Scaultrite, in order to keep her in the dark, and if that was the case, then the vrekking thing must be nearly ready. She dug her claws into the fabric of the flight harness as she felt the engines powering up beneath her.

Through the cabin viewscreens she could see the massive bulk of Command Central receding behind them, stars and other ships forming a dizzying pattern around it. Then a wormhole flared directly ahead of them, and the stars were replaced by swirling purple energies. The wormhole portion of the journey seemed to take forever, anxiety clawing at her throat, and then they were through and she forgot for a moment how to breath.

The thing was massive, almost as large as the inner portion of Command Central, but far different in shape. It had a dreadnought's bulk, intended to counter the powerful recoil of its own weapons, but instead of a dread's heavy front-mounted ion cannon, this monstrosity seemed to have a giant version running directly through its core. There were no other visible weapons along the smooth hull. This was a ship that had one purpose and one purpose only, and somehow that made it all the more terrifying.

As they sped towards the gigantic weapon-ship, Kovirak was distantly aware of activity around it. Construction gantries being pulled away to leave the ship hanging freely in space. A fleet of cruisers and regular dreadnoughts and assault ships, dwarfed by the size of the other vessel, forming up into combat lines in preparation for departure. And one last construction ship putting the finishing touches on the insignia of the Galra Empire, splashed large across the world-breaker's side.

A hangar yawned ahead of them and the shuttle moved into it, cutting off her line of sight of everything but the stars, which vanished as well as the doors slid shut behind them. When the small craft settle to its berth and Kovirak stepped out, she found a single soldier waiting who gestured wordlessly for her to follow then turned and strode off. Obediently she fell into step behind him, trying to ignore the racing of her heart deep inside her chest.

The silent soldier led her as far as the doors of the bridge, and then she was on her own.

As soon as she stepped through onto the bridge, a familiar mocking voice made her bristle instinctively, fur standing on end. "Ah, Lieutenant Kovirak. How nice of you to finally join us." Haggar smirked at her from between the control columns of a teleduv, flanked by a pair of muscular soldiers who stood guard over her as though the Druid weren't perfectly capable of tearing all three of the Galra apart in ticks without breaking a sweat. "Welcome aboard the Weblum's Breath. You're just in time for her maiden voyage."

"It's an honour to be here, Lady Haggar." Koivrak lied through her teeth, ducking her head and saluting as was expected of her no matter how much it galled her to do so. "I look forward to seeing what this masterpiece of engineering is capable of."

If anything, Haggar's smile seemed to widen, reminding her of a carnivorous deep-sea fish with too many teeth and making her shudder with dread. "Oh, don't worry. That's exactly what you'll be seeing today, my dear. Prepare for departure." This last comment seemed to be directed at one of the technicians operating the ship from a bank of consoles below the enormous main viewscreen. Obedient hands flew across control panels, and Kovirak could feel distant engines rumbling to life as the siren for imminent wormhole travel blared overhead.

The head Druid's hands tightened on the controls as the ship began to move forward, channelling her quintessence down into the scaultrite lens array of the teleduv. Moments later, a gigantic purple portal flared to life in front of them. Kovirak kept her eyes on the screen as the first clumps of warships preceded them into the portal. Where were they going? What planet had been so defiant that this monstrous weapon was being brought to bear to subdue them? The only planet that came to mind was Olkarion, liberated a few periods ago by Voltron and the ones who had constructed the giant teleduv used in the plan that had nearly killed Emperor Zarkon. But somehow that didn't feel quite right. Something deep in her gut told her it was not Olkarion she would see on the other side of the wormhole.

Purple swirled around them, the interior of the wormhole, then the massive ship was through and falling into orbit. A grey, pock-marked moon hung some distance away, partially lit by a single star at the center of the system. But it wasn't either of those things that attracted her attention. Instead, her gaze locked on the planet in front of her, a swirled marble of white clouds over blue seas and green-brown continents.

No. No no no. Please no. Not here. Anywhere but here. He was supposed to be safe here.

For a moment, everything else fell away as Lieutenant Kovirak stared at a world she had left sixteen cycles earlier and never expected to see again as long as she lived. And now here she was, on the bridge of a ship carrying a weapon designed to destroy that very world and everything on it.

Something inside her snapped.

Haggar had made a mistake, bringing her here to see this. The only power the witch held over her was that she could not act, because doing so would endanger her cub. But now, to protect him, acting was the only option left. The leash was gone.

Kovirak whirled and lunged. She had only seconds to move, while Haggar was busy maintaining the wormhole for the rest of the fleet as they passed through it. She slammed her fist with punishing force into one guard's gut, doubling him over with a gasp as the air was knocked from his lungs. She wrenched his gun from him and bludgeoned his partner across the head, toppling the second Galra to the floor with blood leaking from under his crumpled helmet. A moment later she was out the door, sprinting with all her considerable speed down the corridor in search of a communications terminal. She had to warn the Blade, and hope that they could summon Voltron to protect this world as she had failed to do. Once she'd done that, she would do whatever she could to sabotage the Weblum's Breath. If it took her life to do so, at least her son would be safe.

000000000000

A massive purple wormhole closed behind the last assault ship, energy dissipating into the void. Silence fell over the empty shipyard where the Weblum's Breath had been constructed.

A moment later, another portal opened some distance away, this one Altean blue. The ship that emerged was tiny, nearly invisible against the backdrop of open space with its dark colouring that was broken only by the patterns of stars that once hung in the sky over Balmera-183-Tel as it died, the last crystals pried from its body to power Empire ships.

The pilot, a Balmeran named Hae, cursed as she saw the idle construction gantries, the abandoned cargo ships. Whatever had been built here was far, far bigger than any normal Empire warship. And it was gone, leaving no trace of its destination behind.

Hitting a button on the console, Hae sent a signal back to the Long Wind to request a return wormhole. The portal opened nearby and she sent her little craft plunging into it, wondering how she was going to tell the pack leaders that they had found the location they sought-too late.

0000000000

Potravok snarled as he fought to regain his breath from the blow that traitorous Lieutenant had dealt him. Grabbing at the wall to pull himself upright, he staggered forward, stopping only to grab his dead partner's gun from the floor before heading toward the door in pursuit of Kovirak. He'd kill her for her treasonous-

"Let her go, Potravok."

He stopped short, glancing over his shoulder at the Lady Haggar. She had released the teleduv controls now, and stepped down from the platform. The Druid seemed oddly unconcerned by this turn of events as she stared at the image of the planet in front of them. "But my lady…" He stammered uncertainly, glancing between Haggar and the door. "She is clearly a traitor. If there are others, and she summons allies-"

Haggar's amused laugh cut him off. "Well of course she's going to contact her allies. Why do you think I brought her here? We don't want the Paladins of Voltron to miss a show in their honour, now do we?"