9. Legendary Defenders
The wolves launched as soon as the Castle emerged from the wormhole. Hira's lions were swarming the Guns' asteroid base, easily outclassing its defenses.
"Anyone else annoyed by how quickly they figured out the lions?" said Lance. "It took us days!"
"Guess they're worthy," said Keith.
"Keith and Acxa, sitting on a juniberry tree," sang Hunk. "K, I, S, S…"
"Shut up," laughed Keith. "We still have much more experience flying mystical giant mechs. We got this."
The lions stopped the attack, flew at them in formation. Black started folding into itself.
"Are they… doing what I think they're doing?" said Pidge.
"No way," said Lance.
Red and Green connected at the shoulders, Blue and Yellow at the hips. Black's jaws opened into Voltron's face, eyes shining gold.
"Okay," said Hunk, "that transformation looks very badass and a lot scarier from the outside."
"Well," said Allura, "at least they don't know how to…"
Voltron formed sword.
"For the love of the ancients," cried Hunk, "no more guessing what they can't do, we're jinxing it!"
"We need to form alternate Voltron!" cried Keith.
"Don't you mean Wolftron?" said Lance.
Everyone groaned.
Voltron charged, but was pushed back by a blue beam.
"I'll draw its fire with the Castle," cried Lotor. "You need to figure yourselves out!"
"We can do this," said Keith. "We have two realities counting on us. Dig deep. Form Voltron!"
#
Hira whaled at the Castle's flickering particle barrier.
"Barrier at 20% and dropping," said Aldran, checking his console. "We won't last much longer."
"Not enough power for another shot," said Moxy.
"We need to buy them more time," said Lotor. "Get ready to divert power from shields to weapon systems. We're going out with a bang."
"Ready on your mark," said Aldran.
A colorful blur collided with Voltron, sending it spinning.
"Thanks for the assist," said Keith, "we'll take it from here."
"I'm a leg again!" cried Hunk.
"Actually, I'm a leg," said Pidge.
"Were the instructions upside down?" said Lance. "I wanna be an arm too!"
A blue beam impacted the Castle, the barrier collapsed.
"Okay, so alternate Voltron's a little different," said Keith. "We'll figure it out as we go. Form shield!"
#
Voltron hurled Wolftron at the Gamaran sun.
"You are weak," snarled Hira.
"She's got a point," said Hunk, fighting increasingly hot controls. "We're getting our butts handed to us."
"C'mon guys," said Keith, "we can do this!"
"Does the pep talk come with a strategy?" asked Lance.
"Brace for impact!" Allura cried as Voltron closed for another kick.
"Not like this!" cried Hunk.
Voltron's leg awkwardly froze mid-swing.
"That's it!" cried Keith. "Just like Zarkon!"
"You mean oppress a whole universe?" asked Hunk.
"I think he means wresting control from the new pilots," said Pidge.
"Oh, okay," said Hunk. "Wait, have you guys seen Zethrid? She's like my weight, but all muscle. Her bones might be muscle too."
"Unlikely," said Pidge.
"You've got twice her heart, big man," said Lance.
"We know these lions," said Keith. "Reach out to them!"
#
Keith was alone, the purple starry night reflected in the dark mirror that stretched to the horizon. Well, not entirely alone.
"You are a fool to face me here," said Hira, manifesting her sword. "I've defeated you in the physical realm, and will gladly do so again."
"You will try," said Keith, manifesting his own.
They clashed across the double sky.
Keith barely held her blade from his throat.
"You are unfit to lead," said Hira. "Your weakness cost the life of your commander, and now that of your subordinates. You have no idea of the things I've done to keep the Empire safe, so sheep like you can sleep in warm beds at night."
"I'm sorry you felt you had to lose yourself," said Keith.
"I will not accept false pity from the likes of you," said Hira. "The lion is mine!"
"The lion is no one's," said Keith.
Black roared.
#
Keith was back in the wolf. Everything was spinning.
"What's going on?"
"Welcome back, Team Leader!" cried Lance. "Your strat worked! Voltron split apart and the lions are currently… plummeting to their fiery doom?"
"Something's wrong," said Allura, "the lions seem unresponsive."
"They can probably handle plunging into a few solar masses of fusing hydrogen, right?" said Hunk.
"I wouldn't put it past them," said Pidge. "But I don't think the pilots would survive."
"We need to get them," said Keith.
"Do we have to?" whined Lance. "Remember that time they kicked our butts? Like, just now?"
"We won't reach all of them in time," said Pidge.
"Split up!" cried Keith.
The wolves broke apart and dived at the sun after the lions.
Keith was almost reaching Black when its eyes flashed and it powered ahead.
"What are you doing?" cried Keith. "You'll get yourself killed!"
"No pity, no surrender," said Hira, ending transmission.
"Keith, you're nearing the point of no return," said Pidge, towing the Green Lion. "You won't make it out of the gravity well."
"I almost have her," said Keith, powering after her. The gap closed very slowly.
A red blur barrelled into the Black Lion, braking it.
"What're you doing?" cried Keith.
"You know Red's faster than Black," said Acxa. "You gonna stand there or help?"
Keith latched onto the Black Lion and fired his rockets. The three kept falling.
"You're past the point," said Pidge. "You'll need to go through the star."
"Could you repeat that last part?" said Keith.
"If you reach hyperspeed in time you should be okay," said Pidge. "That or turn into hot plasma, it's a fifty-fifty. At this point those are good odds."
"Lovely," said Keith. "Acxa, get ready to give it all on your boosters."
"Ready," she said.
Screaming in white-background slow motion, Keith plunged his bayard into the dock and manifested Black's booster wings.
#
Wolves and lions scoured the space around the star.
"I'm not picking up anything," said Pidge. "Maybe they…"
"Don't you dare say it," said Lance.
"No pressure," said Hunk, "but wormholes are popping up all over the place."
"There," said Narti. "Sector mai-ox six."
"I see it too," said Zethrid.
Three clumped mechs were drifting away.
"What took you so long?" Acxa said weakly.
"You're not hot plasma!" cheered Ezor.
"Hunk, Zethrid," said Allura, "we'll provide cover while you tow them to the Castle. Lotor, get ready to wormhole."
#
Acxa exited the Red Lion and looked up at the Red Wolf crowding the bay.
"That was very brave," said Allura.
Acxa shrugged.
"Truce?" said Allura.
"Truce," nodded Acxa.
They ziplined to Black's bay, where the others were also arriving.
"...then you just crack some nuts and sprinkle them on top," Hunk was telling Zethrid.
"But the shells contain the highest nutritional value," said Zethrid. "Everyone knows children must chew them whole to grow strong teeth."
"I never had any pets growing up," Pidge told Narti. "Allergies."
"Kova is more of a partner," said Narti, stroking him in her arms.
"How did you know his name's Kova?" asked Pidge.
"He told me," said Narti.
"What?" said Pidge.
"I can see why you're crushing on the Blood Empress," Ezor told Lance.
"Who, me?" squeaked Lance. "Nah, I like to keep my options open."
"It's not something to be embarrassed about," said Ezor. "She's beautiful and strong."
"Yes she is," said Lance. "Do you think she's into me? She smiles when she says good morning. That's a sign, right?"
"I thought you didn't do hope," said Keith, walking up to Acxa.
"Let's not make it a habit."
"Was all that just to save Hira?" said Keith.
"Of course," said Acxa, smirking. "You know the imperial motto, all life is precious."
"Of course," said Keith, smiling.
"Thanks to your intervention, we were able to evacuate," Kolivan told Allura.
"I'm sorry it cost you your base."
"A small price for a great victory," said Kolivan.
"Shall we crack open the pinata?" said Lance.
Keith walked up to the Black Lion, who kneeled and opened its jaws. When no one came out shooting, he walked inside.
"Just a bayard!" he called out.
"Don't tell me Hira also goes invisible?" cried Lance.
Ezor laughed.
"Impossible," said Zethrid, "we would've seen an escape pod."
"Could she have ejected at hyperspeed?" asked Lance.
"Not to live and tell the tale," said Pidge.
"We've seen this happen before," Keith said grimly, walking back out.
"Keith's right," said Allura. "This mystery will remain with Black."
"Allura, Keith," said Lotor, "there's something you should see."
"Attention paladins from both realities," bellowed Hunk, using Keith's communicator to broadcast from Black. "Showers are down the hall to your left, towels and the latest Imperial Court apparel to your right. Dinner will be served in the mess hall in one varga. Thank you for choosing Castle of Wolves."
#
"We found a few surprises while we repaired the Castle," said Lotor, sliding open the cargo hold.
The dark rock shimmered with a light blue glow.
"The comet!" gasped Allura.
"I don't think she was expecting you to take the whole Castle," said Lotor.
"You mentioned surprises, plural?" said Keith.
"Lotor," Moxy said over the coms. "She's waking up."
"She?" said Allura.
#
Lotor led them to the medical bay.
"Her vitals are nominal," said Aldran, tapping his tablet. "We're ready to roll back the sedatives."
"Is that wise?" asked Keith. "We could try Pidge's procedure..."
"The hoktril was fried," said Lotor. "I need to know."
Allura looked at Lotor. She nodded.
The healing pod hissed open.
"Haggar's Altean?" said Keith. "She looks… less purple."
He jumped back as she opened her eyes, no longer glowing yellow.
"Haggar?" Lotor said softly. "It's me, Lotor."
"My name is Honerva," she said, feeling her belly. "What did you do to my son?"
"She must be confused from the hoktril," said Lotor. "Honerva died a long time ago, at the start of the war."
"She's not confused," Allura said gently. "I met her in my own reality. This is the Queen of the Galra. And your mother."
"Impossible," said Honerva.
"My father must have known," said Lotor, shaking with rage. "Why else would the entire War Council go along with his lie? He is even more of a monster than I thought."
"You two should talk," said Allura, squeezing his shoulder.
#
Everyone dug into Hunk's blue food goo.
"Can we go home now?" Lance asked with his mouth full. "I think I left the kettle on."
"This reality still needs our help," said Allura.
"It'll have its own defenders," said Acxa. "I talked it over with the girls."
Zethrid, Narti and Ezor nodded.
"Welcome to the resistance," said Kolivan.
"I understand the position of black paladin has recently become available," said Lotor, walking in with Honerva on his arm.
"Possibly red paladin," said Acxa, smiling. "It's up to the wolves."
"Is that Haggar?" whispered Lance. "She looks… different."
"It is true?" asked Honerva. "You come from another reality?"
"Yes," said Allura.
"Then there is a reality out there where Zarkon is still alive, and we could all be together?"
"Hypothetically," said Pidge. "But it probably wouldn't be worth it to tear through space-time to find it."
"No, I suppose not," Honerva said slowly.
"We'll need the comet to re-open the tear," said Allura. "Then what?"
"Please take it with you," said Lotor, "you are in a better position to keep it safe. Can you imagine if Alfor forged it into new mechs?"
#
The paladins boarded their lions. Lotor stopped Allura at Blue's jaws, kissed her lips. The others were suddenly very busy with something else.
"I wish we had more time," said Lotor. "When you're done saving your reality, come help us with ours."
"It's a date," said Allura.
Keith walked into Black's cockpit smiling to himself. Allura was always under so much pressure, she deserved something nice. That it happened to drive Lance nuts was just the icing on the cake.
"Hey there, paladin," said Acxa, swivelling around in his chair.