"Are we- are we really ready for this?" Pidge asked meekly as soon as Allura and Coran were out of the room. "I mean, aside from Shiro- we're just kids. Can we really have the fate of the universe on our heads?"
"If we don't, who will?" asked Keith almost bitterly. "This is our responsibility now."
"There are worse people it could fall to," said Lance. "Well, I mean, we can't get much worse than Keith-"
"Hey!" Keith protested.
"I won't sugar-coat it," said Shiro gravely. "The Galra are ruthless, merciless monsters. I don't remember much- but I do remember their cruelty. If we can truly stop them- I think we have to before another genocide happens like it sounds like it did on Altea."
"I'm with Shiro," said Lance. "Allura and Coran lost all of their family and friends. Allura's dad- who knows what family Coran had- I don't want that to happen to anyone else or, even worse, to us. Earth could be next, guys. It's on their radar now."
"Um, but, if we, the Paladins, are from Earth, who' to say they won't target it just because of that?" said Hunk. "We'd put our families in less danger just- just going home."
Lance winced. Hunk had a point. Mama and Papa and all his siblings and nieces and nephews may not be his blood family, but they are his family and he didn't want to lose them. The Galra could easily use their families, their planet against them.
"Allura and Coran don't have a home," he finally said quietly. "It would be wrong of us to abandon them."
Shiro gave him an appraising, proud look. "I agree, Lance. Pidge, Keith?"
"Lance is right," said Keith, and Lance internally celebrated.
Pidge nodded as well. "I do feel like there are others more qualified than us. I mean, only two of us can actually pilot a ship."
Lance stared at her and scowled. "Excuse you, Blue and I work very well together."
"Besides," said Pidge, "I have some things I need to find out."
The small boy looked scary-determined. Lance had to hand it to him- he could be threatening if he wanted to.
Hunk sighed. "Yeah, okay. But I'm still hungry. Coran promised food and he' yet to deliver food."
Lance patted him on the shoulder. "Less stuff to puke up during the fight to come, bud."
Hunk groaned.
Allura and Coran chose that moment to join them again. Allura looked more determined than ever, though her eyes were distinctly bright and Lance had a feeling she'd been crying or near-tears very recently.
"Paladins," she addressed them, "you were brought here for a reason. Only you can pilot Voltron. We must fight- and keep fighting- until we bring the end of Zarkon's reign of terror. Voltron is the universe's only hope- we are the universe's only hope."
Shiro nodded and gave her a grim smile. "We're with you, Princess."
"Then follow me," she said.
The princess had led them to a room full of armour. Lance found himself drawn to the blue set, resting a hand on the glass protecting it. The sight of it brought a warm familiarity to his heart, the same familiarity that came when he hugged his mother back home.
Coran stood beside him, observing the armour sadly.
"It will suit your nicely, my boy," he said softly.
Lance glanced at him in surprise. Coran wasn't looking at him. He was still staring at the armour with the expression of someone looking at the last remnants of something very precious.
"These are your suits of armour," declared Allura.
"Impressive," said Shiro.
"Aahh," said Hunk awkwardly.
Lance watched Coran a moment before removing his armour from its casing. The man looked sad, but he plastered on an encouraging smile for Lance.
"It's your armour now," he said.
"Coran, did you-" Lance started to ask.
"Suit up!" ordered Allura before he could finish. Coran nodded to Lance and left his side to go speak to Allura. Lance sighed and followed the other paladins out of the room to change.
The armour did fit him nicely. It seemed to resize itself to be perfect, and Lance felt right at home in the armour. He wondered if he was actually just the exact same size as the old paladin or if it actually had resized himself. It didn't matter. This armour carried and legacy and a weight that now rested on Lance's shoulders. A swell of determination rushed over him and he forced himself to stand taller. He would do the former blue paladin proud.
He was one of the last to return to the control room, followed by Hunk. Shiro nodded as they walked in.
Allura handed him a strange looking device that might have been a game controller but not really. Hunk was given one as well.
"The bayard is the traditional weapon of the paladins," said Allura, lips twitching into what might have been a smile. "Each of you will have a distinct form."
Lance willed his bayard to turn into something, even if he didn't know what to do. To his shock, it morphed into a beautiful blue gun- perfect for sniping and long-range sharpshooting. He let out a laugh and started testing his aim. The gun felt natural in his hands, as if it was made for him.
He wondered if his predecessor had had a gun too, or if this form was unique to him and him alone. He was a pretty good sharpshooter, if he did say so himself.
"Woah!" Hunk exclaimed, and Lance glanced over to see him briefly stumble under the weight of his new blaster. He hadn't been sure what Hunk would have, but the blaster wasn't too shocking. Pidge's weapon, as he looked, didn't seem very special. It seemed at first to be a tiny blade of sorts
"It's a cut little weapon!" Lance cooed, intentionally irritating the smaller boy.
Pidge shoved it into Lance's side and he yelped as the equivalent of a taser shocked him.
"Yeah," Pidge said. "It is kinda cute."
Keith had a sword- somehow that didn't shock Lance. He totally seemed like the kind that would use a sword. Shiro had-
Nothing.
Shiro had nothing.
Why did Shiro have nothing? The guy had to be good with some kind of weapon.
"I am afraid the black bayard was lost- with its paladin," said Allura awkwardly and apologetically.
Shiro smiled, masking his kind of obvious disappointment. "I can make do."
Lance winced in sympathy. Maybe the Alteans had some spare weapons lying around somewhere for Shiro to use.
"Keith, you will need to retrieve the Red Lion from the Galra ship," said Allura.
Keith made a face. "That's a pretty big search radius if you ask me. The ship is huge."
"No, no, you can find its energy!" said Hunk.
"Yeah, like you did with Blue," said Lance, "in the desert."
"You made fun of me for that," said Keith dubiously.
"Yes, I did, and I don't regret or take it back," said Lance. "But now it turns out that it's useful."
"Don't forget, Keith, that the Red Lion I extremely temperamental," said Allura, wincing as if remembering the lion rejecting former paladins or something. He wondered if there was a funny story behind that and resolved to ask later. "You'll need to earn its respect."
Keith nodded determinedly.
"Alright, here's the plan," said Shiro. "The Galra Empire knows we have the Blue and Yellow Lions, but not that we have the Green Lion. Lance, Hunk, you'll draw their attention by pretending to give yourselves up. Meanwhile, Pidge will use the Green Lion to sneak us on board. We'll go find the Red Lion. Hunk, Lance, you'll need to take out that ion cannon."
"Sir, yes, sir," said Lance, half joking and half completely serious.
"Quickly now," said Coran. "Get to your lions! We have no time to waste!"
They'd left the lions parked outside the castle, so the group ran together to their lions. Shiro and Keith followed Pidge into Green, and Lance and Hunk entered their respective lion. Blue purred as Lance sat down, and he chuckled.
"Alright, Blue, babe, let's hope this plan works," he said
She, in return, sent him feelings of confidence.
They took to the sky, and Lance and Hunk headed straight towards the Galra battleship.
"Ready, bud?" Lance asked Hunk over the comms.
"No," he moaned back.
Lance laughed and turned on a link to the Galra ship.
"Attention Galra Commander Sendak, do not fire," Lance said as professionally as he could manage. "We are surrendering our lions."
Then he turned off the link and grimaced. "I hope this works."
Then, louder, "Pidge! What's your ETA?"
"We're in," the younger boy said smugly.
Lance nodded in relief, then suddenly a beam of light shone down upon he and Hunk. Blue screeched in alarm in his mind, and Lance tried to mentally calm her down.
"What is this thing?" Hunk exclaimed.
"Our signal to get out of here!" Lance exclaimed. "Go, go, go!"
They darted out of the beams reach before it could completely focus on them. Blue was furious, which could be a good and a bad thing.
"Hunk, take out that ion cannon!" Lance yelled.
"Ten-four!" Hunk exclaimed.
Lance watched as the Yellow Lion attacked the cannon, and he and Blue started shooting at the ship themselves. He glanced back towards the castle. There was no particle barrier anywhere in sight, and his worry spiked.
"We gotta cover them," Lance said, and Blue seemed to agree. He had no idea how long it was going to take Keith to work with the Red Lion- by Blue's mental scoff, he assumed that the other lion was particularly finicky and it was going to take some time.
"I think I got the cannon!" said Hunk.
"Alright!" Lance celebrated. "Alright, Blue, let's work on taking these guys out- woo-hoo! YEAH! This is so much better without Hunk vomiting!"
"Hey!" Hunk complained.
Blue did a flip in mid-air, likely just to show off, but it was exhilarating and Lance certainly couldn't argue with her. He and Hunk both fired on the ship again, and Lance saw a force-field flicker into existence around the castle. Letting out a breath of relief, he returned his attention fully to the ship, watching worriedly for any sign of the Red of Green Lions.
Heh. Red and Green Lions. The Christmas Lions.
Okay, yeah, Lance totally deserved the mental scolding he just got from Blue.
"Pi-idge, how are you guys doing in there?" Lance called over the comms worriedly.
Aaand he didn't listen.
Shocker.
"Ah- ah, Lance, they're firing on us!" Hunk exclaimed.
Blue dove out of the way and fired another shot at the ship, this time without Lance's permission.
"Hunk, I thought you got it!" Lance exclaimed.
"Alright, alright, I'll go again," Hunk griped. The Yellow Lion tackled the ion cannon again, and Lance dodged more shots aimed at him. "Come on, you stupid thing- just- break- AHA! Hunk, one, scary purple aliens, zero! Ah- Pidge! You made it!"
"Suppose you could say the red cat is out of the bag," said Pidge mischievously.
"Haha! Alright!" exclaimed Lance.
"Red wasn't in a bag!" Keith protested.
"Let's get the Black Lion," said Shiro determinedly.
"Aye-aye, Captain Shiro!" Lance chirped. "Me and Hunk and Keith can cover you."
"Not for long, like, don't take too long," said Hunk.
"We got this, Shiro," said Keith.
"Heh, you got the Red Lion to trust you after all!" Lance said.
"So I did," said Keith fondly. "And she's amazing."
"Hate to break it to you, but Blue is the best lion of the lot," said Lance proudly. Blue's purr strengthened in his mind, and she sent him back something that seemed to roughly translate to best paladin of the lot.
"Princess, we're coming in," Shiro said over the comms. A portion of the particle barrier banished, and Green slipped through.
"Alright," said Keith. "Let's keep these guys busy until they come back."
Lance grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice!"
A/N: Hey guys! Surprise! It's another update! Coran feels and lion bonding- yay! I had fun writing this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Love you guys! 3