CHAPTER ONE: Avira and Adrik

Over the course of his time as a paladin of Voltron, Keith has overheard many a Weird™ conversation occur between the other members of his team. So, you would think that at this point, he'd stop being surprised by it. It seems this is not true.

"I swear to God Pidge, if you don't give me that back I will sacrifice you to the space gods!", Lance says heatedly, almost missing the jump over the coffee table he has to do to maintain his pursuit of Pidge.

"Pretty sure that's not a thing!" Pidge yells over her shoulder, sprinting for the exit Keith is currently occupying, trying to understand what the hell is happening.

Before he can move, Pidge sprints around him, standing behind him as if Keith is going to be willing to act as a human shield against Lance. Lance comes to a stop in front of Keith, trying to peer over his shoulder at Pidge with an angry face and failing. Keith does his best to ignore their proximity.

"Pidge, come on man, that's the only one left! It's my turn to have the last one!" Lance wines, making grabby hands at the object Pidge is currently crushing by gluing herself to Keith's back.

Keith turns around to see what Pidge has in her hand and heaves a sigh. And to think, he thought he stumbled onto something serious.

Can't we just have one normal day? Well, I guess this is normal, for them at least.

In her hand, Pidge has what is left of a very sad, very crushed cookie left over from a batch Hunk made the day before. Typical.

Keith gives himself a moment to feel not even a little bit bad for what he's about to do, and then snatches the cookie out of Pidge's hand, and runs at a dead sprint down the hallway.

"Hey!" He hears Lance and Pidge yell in surprise as they try not to trip over each other in their haste to catch up with Keith.

Keith has time to think that the two are gaining on him as he makes a sharp turn toward the main control room when the intercom system beeps on and Shiro's voice starts talking.

"Paladins, we need you in the control room." The intercom static cuts out.

Keith stops in the hall, breathing hard as the other two catch up to him, stumbling to a stop. The paladins share a look and Pidge sighs as all three of them rush the remaining distance to the control room.

The paladins enter the room and Lance gives a little wave to Hunk who seems to have also just walked in. Shiro looks up from where he's standing next to Coran and Allura. Nothing seems to be out of order, there's no ships to be seen out of the main glass window and it's eerily calm. The only thing that gives away the tension in the room is the way that Coran and Allura are whispering to each other and the tense set of Shiro's mouth. It's strangely silent. Keith's stomach drops.

Allura looks up from her discussion with Coran, as if just now noticing the newcomers in the room. Shiro looks down at his feet.

"Paladins", Allura begins somberly, "Thank you for your haste. I suppose that the best course of action would be to just come right out and say it."

Allura looks from Coran to Shiro before heaving a sigh.

"We need to temporarily split the team up."

Instantly, there are opinions about that.

"What?! That's a terrible idea! How are we supposed to form Voltron like that?" Pidge gets in before anyone else.

"Yeah, and, I don't know about you guys but I definitely feel better when we can form a giant robot." Hunk says in agreement.

"Now hold on a minute", Shiro cuts in calmly in his no nonsense Dad™ voice, "you haven't heard us out yet. We know it's not the ideal situation but we think it's necessary."

Shiro starts again when no one looks like they're going to interrupt. "We just got word that the Galra are planning on attacking these two planets." Coran pulls up a holographic map with two small spinning planets on it and Shiro directs their focus to it.

"These are the planets of Avira and Adrik. As you can see, they're pretty close in size and shape but also in distance. We've detected a distress call coming from Avira that warns of the Galra's plans to attack both planets. Now normally this wouldn't be an issue, but while close together in terms of space, they're still too far apart for us to form Voltron."

Shiro pauses, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"We have to split the team up and allocate lions to each planet to defend against the Galra. If we stay together to form Voltron then that means that one planet is left defenseless and vulnerable to the Galra. Sorry guys, there's no other way around it."

There's a moment of quiet while everyone thinks it over. They know Shiro's right but it still sucks.

"Well how are we going to split up?", Lance pipes up, breaking his uncharacteristic silence on the matter, "I'm not going with Keith."

Keith rolls his eyes, trying to ignore how much that actually stung.

What the hell is up with me lately? Since when do I care whether Lance wants to be on the same team? It's not like I want to be on his team either…right?

He ignores the look Shiro gives him.

"You are actually", Allura replies, ready to argue it, "You and Keith are going to Avira while Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro are going to Adrik. We leave first thing in the morning, so I recommend getting some sleep."

For once in his life, Lance just doesn't say anything.

Probably because he doesn't want to make Allura angry.

After that, everyone slowly trickles out of the control room to go their own separate ways.

"Keith, hold on a minute." Shiro calls. Keith walks over to where Shiro is leaning on the main control board. Lance gives him a look as he walks out of the room. Everyone has gone but them and Keith tries not to be intimidated by it.

"Yeah?" Keith starts, unsure of what Shiro wants. If Shiro has something to say, he usually just says it. It's unlike him to be this private with Keith.

Shiro gets right to it.

"How are you and Lance? You guys don't fight as much as you used to."

Keith starts at the unexpected question. Him and Lance? He's got a weird feeling about where this conversation is going.

"Uh, we're fine, I guess. Why?"

Shiro gives him a look like he knows something he doesn't. Keith pretends like he doesn't notice.

"Nothing. I just think that this mission will be good for you guys." Shiro says diplomatically, "just try to make the most of it."

Shiro stands up and stretches. "Well I'm going to make sure Pidge actually goes to bed this time and doesn't stay up all night trying to decode alien languages. Good night."

And with that, it's just Keith left in the room with too much quiet.

I just think that this mission will be good for you guys.

That night, when he's in bed, Keith tries not to think about how he's going to be alone with Lance for who knows how long on an alien planet.

Author's note:

So, this is my first Voltron fanfiction. Yay me, I guess. This is going to be a slow burn over several chapters. Also, this is completely unedited so I apologize for any mistakes.