Chapter 2: Collide

The plan of attack had been fairly developed and logically sound. Under the cover of night, the paladins were to attack a prominent Galra base along the southern mountain range, the sole feature on the planet that the castle's sensors had been able to pick up from their angle. If the Voltron team were able to take command of the base, then it was likely that they would then be able to get in contact with the Fleogans.

That is, if the Fleogans even wanted to make contact, or if they were alive.

It had been a bizarre and unsettling discovery on their part to find that the native peoples were nowhere to be seen, giving the uneasy sense that there was a chance that they no longer existed. But the group remained hopeful, particularly Allura, that the natives were simply hiding, or covered somehow by the Galra from the surface. If the Balmerans had been able to adapt to living completely underground, then perhaps the situation was similar for the Fleogans; perhaps they were merely tucked away, hiding out of sight.

It then fell to logic that, if they were unable to find and communicate with the native peoples right off the bat, as in their situation, that they would need to resort to attacking the Galra. Not only would it provoke a fight, but there was also potential that the action could either lure the Fleogans out to reveal themselves, or that they could uncover some clues through Galra intelligence to the fate of the Fleogans. Shiro had to admit that he didn't like leaving their mission to chance, but because of the insistence of the princess, they were all in for the search to establish communication.

Which brought them to their current situation.

The Voltron team grunted as a new wave of Galra fighter pilots began an onslaught, pushing them away from the base toward the south side of the planet. The base they had chosen to attack was better armed than expected, filled with hundreds of Galra fighters than now circled around the air, and additional cannons on the ground that made the building shockingly well defended. Their move had been well planned, but not to the degree that guaranteed their success, and they were now paying for it.

"There's too many!"

"Lance is right, we can't take all of them on. We need a new plan of attack."

Shiro grasped his controls, grimacing as Voltron lifted their shield and braced itself on the ground from the onslaught from the sky. "Allura, can you hear us?"

"We hear you, but it's dangerous to bring ourselves in. If we get caught, we're all going down." Coran's voice was distantly heard in the background, shouting things at different control panels as the home team desperately tried to analyze the situation from afar, gauging how difficult it would be to drop into the planet's atmosphere. Surely if Team Voltron had been this overwhelmed so quickly, the planet held deeper, darker, surprises in its crags and craters.

Pidge's voice brought the team back to their current situation, quickly turning dire. "We need a plan! They're reforming!" Sure enough, the fighter pilots completed a circle around Voltron to regroup, a mass of them coming from the Galra station. Approaching on land, pods with multiple Galra droids and fighters raced toward the grounded Voltron in coordination with air support. They had at least taken out the ion cannon on the ground, but there was no end to the manpower behind the station, encroaching on their position and overwhelming their senses.

It started as a breeze that blew through the battlefield, neither side paying any attention until pieces of rocks began to lift off the ground. Then the pods and even the fighter pilots began to experience difficulties, tossing around in the steadily increasing wind that seemed to pick them up like children's toys. Suddenly a whirlwind of debris lifted from the ground, transforming into an unearthly tornado that stood between the mechanical being and the Galra fighters that stormed across the earth. The ominous rumble of thunder resonated through the air that vibrated with supernatural energy.

Shiro sat in awe, momentarily stunned. "What is that?"

"Uh, that can't be natural." The team shared a sense of amazement and slight fear, not knowing the intentions of the tornado but watching its approach in helplessness. It wavered briefly for a moment in front of them before racing toward the Galra forces in the opposite direction, snatching vehicles into a whirlwind of destruction and evoking a panic among their forces as they attempted to evade the unpredictable, snake-like patterns of the unearthly phenomenon. It plucked vehicles from land and air, like overripe grapes that were easily crushed by dexterous fingertips.

The air was cut by a sharp crackle on the radio, followed by a projection onto the screens of each paladin. A dark-skinned man with gold eyes appeared, his carriage magnanimous and serious as his visage evoked awe and hope into the pilots. "Voltron pilots, we are the native forces of Fleogas. We can briefly cover a retreat for you, but you need to act now. Due southeast of your location about twenty kilometers is a crater. If you can split into your lions and head for it now, we can cover you." His face remained neutral, although piercing eyes mixed with a humored tone as the corner of his lips quirked up, a challenging nature rising out of him. "We await your decision." The image cut to the raging tornado outside, still raging and gaining more traction as the moments wore on. For a brief moment, the paladins contemplated what had happened.

"The Fleogans are alive!"

"Ohhhh thank god!"

"Shiro, do we trust them?"

"Paladins, what's going on?"

Shiro grimaced. The man that had spoken to them hadn't seemed like the most inviting and happy person, but there was little choice. If they didn't move, they risked being tossed into the storm in front of them, the sucking gusts beginning to bore into Voltron's hefty frame. "Allura," he addressed the princess first, "we've made contact. We'll keep you updated, but we need to get out of here first." He omitted the unsettling communication with the apparent leader of the newly declared Fleogan forces, already knowing what Allura's decision would be. "Let's move out."

Taking one last glance at the tornado and the Galra forces speeding toward their location, the Voltron unit divided back into their lions and raced in the direction indicated by the mysterious man. It was risky, not knowing exactly into whose arms they were racing. Were the Fleogans really as friendly as Allura remembered? For all that was known, the invitation could be an ambush, but what other choice was available, save for being pummeled and overwhelmed by the obvious enemy forces that they had provoked and falteringly engaged with?

As the pilots dashed away in their respective lions, no one had time to see the tornado explode into a full-blown desert storm, flaring dust and debris into an explosion that cut all visuals of the vicious army and prevented their pursuit. Desperate to escape with their lives, no Galra forces had time to consider pursuing the Voltron lions, which were now far from anyone's mind.

.

Almira had been so focused on the tornado and dirt storm that she barely registered the mechanical lions breaking from the massive form of Voltron into their individual entities. It had been such a long time since she was able to fully utilize her powers to this large a scale of destruction, and she relished in the way that the blood in her veins pumped a little faster as the swirling wind-tower engulfed enemy fighters in its wake; the slithering, unpredictable patterns lapping up pods and debris like a dehydrated succulent waiting for spring showers. The rumbling of thunder made her hair stand on end, even kilometers away from the destruction.

This was the power of her ancestors, the birthright of her people, and pride mixed with her focus as she did what she knew best. Wind Bending had been her calling since she was a child after she had accidentally wiped the breakfast table clean in a fit of anger, much to the amusement of her brother and sister and the halfhearted disapproval of her mother. The disapproval mostly came from the berry jam that stained her favorite shawl, but it was a source of pride that a young child had such potential in the mystic arts of wielding the wind. Her fingertips curled slightly as she called the winds to fold in upon each other, catching the Galra fighters in a mill of destruction and chaos. From toast to enemy pilots, she would be lying if it was easy, but it was what she did best. It was one of the few things that separated her from the pack.

From her peripherals, a gloved hand moved closer into her line of sight. A baritone voice grunted next to her. "Fan it out to a wall at the front."

The explosion of the tornado made the cadet on the other side of her startle slightly at the noise in the distance, the reverberations numbing their bones even from the massive distance, a testament to the sheer force and power. The youth's eyes shifted briefly to the captain and general beside him. Dust and broken fighters flew in every direction as the storm consumed all Galra hostiles, effectively severing all visuals as the lions sped toward the designated crater. Ranks effectively broken, Almira continued to fan the disaster around the area, corralling the enemies into an enclosed area and effectively concealing all movement both inside and out. It would take days for the enemy forces to salvage what had been rendered useless in a matter of minutes, not including the damages sustained from the alien allies that soared through the air.

"General, the lions are secured inside." She gazed into the distance as the storm began to settle, heavier objects careening into the ground without the wind to support them while the dirt and finer particles lazily began to settle. The hands next to her dropped from their position, Almira duly noting her responsibility to pick up the stray ends. A shiver of satisfaction raced down her spine as Almira took one final glance before turning away, an audible sigh accompanying the shaking of hands as they dropped from their outstretched position. Wringing her hands together, she relished in the release of the exertion, turning to face the cadet that stood behind both her and Garen.

She had never seen someone so terribly hide their exhilaration and exuberance at standing in front of her and Garen; although much of the affect was lost beneath his helmet, the energy in his voice was palpable. "I've never seen a Wind Bender in their fullest capacity."

The last lion had disappeared beneath the canopy while Garen pulled up a thermal location on Arden on the panel on his forearm. Peering over at his data, she marked the approximate location for their destination for the next leg of their journey in the back of her mind. Lin's positive energy was infectious, and Almira even felt herself giving a little smile back, allowing amusement to seep into her response. "Let's hope you never anger one in earnest."

A shudder racked through his spine as he briefly imagined the sort of havoc that would be thrown upon him, as he raised his hands in defense. "I wouldn't! Warper's promise."

"With a statement like that, it depends on which Warper you're staking your claim." Garen's wittiness betrayed his own exhilaration at their situation; Almira had to admit that the use of their powers in the capacity they had just demonstrated was far and few between. But her mind immediately flew to her elder brother and his carefree attitude at her superior's words. The only things Arden took as seriously as his job was his jokes. With one final glance toward the scene of catastrophe, Almira breathed a steady sigh to calm her excited and trembling senses. "How does it look?"

Another armed warrior on her other side continued looking through a set of binoculars, helmet removed in order to look through the superior set of ocular materials. "No signs of any movement." He glanced briefly at the captain, winking. "You've outdone yourself again sir, ma'am."

"With my old age, I wouldn't be surprised if the captain here was carrying my weight." Garen rolled his arm, an act that played up the stiff joints he often complained about, and Almira couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully at his antics. It would seem that theatrics was a requirement for all position holders in their ranks. She nudged him in the side with her elbow, earning an uncharacteristic and sudden "oof" from her elder.

"The world may never know, sir, but let's keep that between you and me." Joking aside, she pulled out the communications link on her forearm. "Let's see about those pilots." Tapping into the system, she dialed Arden, who answered nearly instantaneously. Golden eyes and a smirk filled her vision once more, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at his lazy façade that failed to mask his intrigue at the unfolding of events.

"Already done?"

Her own yellow eyes couldn't resist rolling in their sockets this time, a mocking gesture to his rhetorical question. "We only generated one of the largest tornadoes and sandstorms on record. But it was a success." She briefly snuck another glance to the distance, then looking to the cadet who continued to scan through the binoculars for any signs of movement. Without looking away, he gave a thumbs-up to the woman, satisfaction running down her spine. "No visuals, and no Galra retaliations as of yet."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Good. You've outdone yourself as always, Almira." Eyes shifted and narrowed at something beyond the screen. "The lions are landing. We're at the northwestern edge of the lake. Get here as soon as you can."

"Consider it done." Communications cut with a small blip, and Almira sighed through her nose, brows furrowing slightly. It had actually taken a considerable deal of energy out of her to conjure the windstorm, even though the gales had already been fairly strong in the area. Considering the fact that she had also conjured a storm of the size and strength that it was while also miles away was no small feat either. A cup of chrysanthemum tea to soothe and reenergize her mind and soul could not come fast enough, but there was work to be done. She patted the binocular user on the shoulder before turning back to Lin. "Ready your grappling hook. No wings until we know what those lions want." Serious faces came over everyone, and Almira nodded at the General to take the lead. "Whenever you're ready, sir."

Hooks at the ready, the cadet and captain followed the general's leap over the edge of the crater, plummeting into the foliage below and flying through the trees to reach the lake's edge a kilometer away. With a flick of the wrist, the duo sailed through the dense jungle of the crater, swinging and sailing through the air while navigating around the various sized tree trunks and vegetation. Almira thanked the goddess that the crater was small; with the widest portion barely measuring a couple kilometers, it was easy to maneuver through the jungle to their destination.

The communicator opened up again, this time Lin's tanned face appearing. "So on a scale of one to ten, how normal is this?"

"Flying robot lions?" Almira cracked a smile. "Definitely not normal."

"Okay, that's good. I mean, not that it's good, I guess, because it's not normal. But, you know."

"Nervous?"

The boy chuckled lightly, and Almira was reminded of exactly how young the new recruit was.

Go easy on him. He's only joined this year.

Oh please, like I'm much older.

You're practically a legend, Almira. Not everyone can claim a captaincy at your age.

I'm surprised you're not bragging about yourself.

Well you know I-

That wasn't an invitation.

I'm serious though. Take it easy. The kid won't shut up about us.

While known for his laid-back attitude and occasionally cockiness, Arden was fairly serious when it came to his job. Now that the General of the Warpers was missing in action and he had faced a sudden and unexpected promotion, he was even more dedicated, if such a term was even possible. Arden had been serious when he mentioned that Lin was as fresh as they came; the boy practically idolized the royal captain and general, but it was obvious that he was hard working and good at what he practiced. It made sense why Arden was favoring this young recruit. Both brother and sister could see the potential that was bred in his bones. "You're doing great Lin. It might not be everyday that this happens, but things can unnerve even the best of us."

"Well that's good to hear, I think –"

"Tree."

A grunt was heard through the communication link as the new recruit collided with a particularly large tree, quickly regaining balance and navigating around the obstruction. She could have sworn that she heard a chuckle come from Garen as he continued to sail through the forest, and she shook her head. Almira slowed her pace ever so slightly to allow time for the younger recruit to catch up, forcing down a snicker of her own at the lack of coordination down her throat. It was a rookie mistake, and everyone had been there at some point. While Almira was all for flattening egos into their rightful place, Lin had a good heart, and she wasn't about to crush his starry eyed dreams.

"The visual displays in the comms system can be pretty distracting, but you'll get used to it." Memories of her childhood surfaced briefly, as she recalled a particularly favorite moment with a reminiscent smile. "Arden crashed fantastically the first time."

"You saw the General crash?"

Almira smiled. "Right into the willow tree behind the throne room. He was picking leaves from his feathers for a week."

A bigger laugh came from the cadet this time, slightly more unreserved than before. "I'll try to focus then."

"Like I said, you're doing fine." The lake was approaching quickly, and Almira began scanning for thermal activity in her helmet. So far, the identifications were still all Fleogan; apparently the pilots hadn't emerged quite yet. "We're pulling up on the lake pretty quickly. Find your squad. This is where we part."

"Thank you, Captain." The youth gave one final smile before ending the connection. Almira could visualize him pulling up the thermal identification system as slowed to a walk on the forest floor before he pulled off to the left, where his squad leader was most likely waiting. Helmet pulling up an identification on her own brother, the captain veered slightly to the right, making a beeline towards the familiar figure.

Garen had already appeared on site, his momentum carrying him through the forest faster given Lin's crash and slow down, and was apparently discussing something with Arden. It was only moments before the dirt floor turned into soft sand that blended the shoreline into the foliage. The two Generals had the visors of their helmets drawn up and Almira took it as a sign to released hers, cheeks gleaming pink from the exertion of swinging through the jungle. Her appearance drew their attention, turning their bodies to face her approach head on.

Arden grinned and embraced her with one arm. "You're right on time."

"And not a moment too soon." Garen nodded towards the gigantic metal lions that were parked on the sandy beach, a couple slightly submerged in the cerulean waters. A loud hissing accompanied the unhinging of the jaws, as small humanoid figures appeared in their shadows. The mechanism took its time as Almira turned to the two men.

"So what's the plan?"

"The three of us will approach them. Backup is in the tree line. We'll determine their intent and make a decision. The code word for trouble is 'hindsight.'"

"However, we still have one point of contention." Garen's face was deceptively neutral, and for a moment Almira was jealous of his ability to effectively disguise his emotions. It was only this blank slate that alerted her to a problem, and she crossed her arms, looking to Arden's figure who also remained at ease. Perhaps it was a requirement that all Generals have perfected their poker face, but she pushed the amusing thought aside, crossing her arms and sculpted eyebrow beckoning her commander to continue. "Arden wants to approach without helmets, but I fear that it may not be wise to do so."

Almira balked at the risky move, but quietly processed the idea before realizing Arden's intent. "We would make them feel comfortable if they can see our faces."

"But we would be at a disadvantage because our communication would be interrupted from our backup."

Arden cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Didn't you say it yourself? This is Voltron."

"It has the potential-"

"The defenders of the universe. They're the good guys."

"That was ten thousand years ago-"

"We don't have time to argue." Almira's gentle voice was strong enough to silence even her superior ranking officers. "I agree with Arden. It would be a diplomatic move to demonstrate trust, but Garen should keep his helmet on to issue orders."

The Wind Bender general grumbled, but Almira could hear the fondness behind the sharp words. "Already looking to take my position with your orders, are you?"

"I can agree to disagree, can't I?"

Arden motioned with his head in the direction of the lions. "Let's suit up. They're coming out."

Five figures emerged from the jaws of the lions and stepped into the moonlight, moving to form a "v" formation. They moved with a purpose through the shallow waters where their lions had been parked, coming to the shoreline to meet the trio who stood near the tree line. Moonlight reflected off of their white armor, their figures radiant in the dark compared to the black, streamlined uniforms that the Fleogan warriors donned. They paused a little ways out of the water's edge, waiting for a movement from the opposing party, and Almira noted that their figures seemed just as wary and skeptical as Garen.

Arden removed his helmet completely, the mechanisms hissing as his head was ejected with care from its grips. Tucking the black helm under his left arm, his right hand moved to smooth out the brown ponytail that coiled on the back of his head, damp with sweat from being locked inside for so long. He began walking toward the party of five, while Garen locked his helmet back up, hiding gray eyes that shone with suspicion and wariness. "Let's hope this goes well."

"Will all respect, sir, I think it'll be just fine."

"Mouth closed. Eyes open."

Almira chuckled, popping her own helmet open and tucking it under her arm similar to Arden. Moonlit lock tumbled out, and she copied Arden's move to organize the tangled hairs as much as possible to make some semblance of a presentable host. Her golden eyes locked onto Garen's helmet one more time, giving a look of encouragement before turning to bore her gaze into the pilots before her. They had moved forward to meet Arden halfway on the beach, and she followed suit to stand on his right hand side.

The paladins had removed their helmets, and she was surprised to see the humanoid faces that stared back at her. She had not been expecting similar features to her own, what with the legacy of the Voltron paladins being a diverse team of differing races that had bonded together for the common goal of peace and prosperity, but surely she should have realized that times had changed. For whatever reason that they were ten thousand years late to the party, it would be impossible that the paladins would be alive after all these years. She noted a particularly star struck paladin, dressed in a blue uniform, and she held his gaze with vague interest and confusion at his appearance before turning to her brother and the apparent leader.

"What business do you have with the Galra?" She close her eyes briefly to resist an eye roll at Arden's tactless question, the subtle nuances of politics and greetings rarely his style, and she briefly berated herself for not thinking forward and demanding that greetings be left to her. Thankfully, the opposing party didn't seem particularly offended at the question, but neither did he seem pleased with the association of an apparent enemy.

"None, except hostility. We fight in the name of freedom." The black paladin seemed to speak for everyone, a couple nods from the yellow and blue paladins at his response. His answer visually pleased Arden, who gave a confident smile.

"Then you are welcome guests here in Fleogas." He moved to shake the hand of the black paladin, extending his right hand. "I am Arden Naois, second prince of the Fleogan Empire and General of my division. Forgive me for being forward," he paused as though contemplating how forward he could be without punishment by the woman on his right before continuing, "but you seem to have taken your time."

This time, Almira was unable to resist her eye roll, which garnered a raised eyebrow from the red paladin and a snort from the green, who raised a hand to her mouth. The snowy haired woman gave a small smirk to the two before focusing back on their leader, who also had a lip quirked at her reaction.

"Well, it's been a few thousand years, give or take."

"Ten thousand years is better than eleven or eternity."

"I'm Shiro, paladin of the black lion. This is Pidge, Keith, Lance, and Hunk." Pidge and Hunk gave small waves, Keith settling for a head nod at the acknowledgement. Almira's gaze once again rested on the blue paladin, who had a strange look on his face. She raised an eyebrow in his direction, which he took upon himself to step between the two leaders and grab her hand.

"I'm Lance, at your service, mi'lady." He raised her hand to his lips, and Almira flushed, yanking it back and avoiding everyone's gaze while Shiro yanked the younger paladin back by the neck of his uniform into line. He leveled Lance with a stern glare, the boy in question barely looking apologetic, before turning back to address the offended lady in question.

"Sorry."

"It's, not a problem." Damn it, she was a renowned captain and a tenacious warrior, but a flirtatious newcomer somehow had her flustered. In her defense, men never flirted with her, usually wary of the fact that she could manhandle them and chuck them across the room, but the blue paladin had caught her off guard. But somehow, she couldn't find herself angry at her embarrassment; deep down it was certainly flattering, and if she had been a normal, courtly, woman, she certainly would have responded worse. She was a trained warrior, the definition of collected and focused, damn it! Pulling her thoughts together, she cleared her throat and looked to Arden. His golden eyes were trained on her with amusement, and she vowed to rip him a new one later for making her deal with the frankly embarrassing situation on her own. "I am Almira, second princess of the Fleogan Empire and second in command of my division." She made sure to emphasize her military rank in a vaguely threatening manner as she stared the blue paladin in the eyes, his realization at her power making him gulp slightly and shrivel behind Shiro's figure.

Arden took the lead again, channeling their conversation in a new direction while still finding humor in Almira's situation and keeping the mood light. "May we ask what brings you here to Fleogas?"

"We came to see if you were still alive. Our friends back in our support ship remembered who you were, and how you supported the Alteans before the Galra took over." Shiro's answer caught Almira off guard, frowning slightly in confusion as she pieced her history lessons together quicker than Arden.

"I'm sorry, but I thought the Alteans were all dead?"

Shiro seemed slightly sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head, an apologetic smile. "It's kind of a long story. Princess Allura and her advisor Coran survived in cryo in their castle."

Arden had turned back to glance at Garen's figure, who still waited closer to the tree line. The Wind Bender General pointed his index and middle finger into the sky, the prince immediately interpreting the signal with a wave of anxiety that was immediately suppressed. Hiding his emotions and swiftly coming back to their conversation, he put an end to the tale. "I'm sure it's something we can talk about later, but Galra patrols are on their way. We need to escape quick."

White hair shimmered as the young woman turned to her brother's face, the two making eye contact. She had thought that her storm would provide them with more time, the destruction she had wrecked on the scene impossible to recover from, unless-

Ah, the other bases had not been depleted. They would be sending scouts to find the lions, and after then, who knew what would happen? Additional sites would be called upon to take the craters out, and more lives would be at risk. They would have to move fast to avoid being spotted, but how to move the gigantic figures of not just one, but five lions? The two silently communicated between one another, but it was obvious that at least one of the paladins was on a similar train of thought.

"Okay, okay, so not to intrude," Hunk placed his hand on Lance's shoulder, looking at Arden with wariness and fear, "but we're in a crater. How are we gonna hide from the Galra when we're trapped in this itty bitty hole?"

The siblings refused to break eye contact, eyes locking for a few moments more before Almira tilted her head, an idea formulating. "The waterways." The two smiled in satisfaction, the snowy haired captain coiling her tresses to fit underneath her helmet once more. "Your orders?"

"Tell Garen to station a watch to see what the Galra look for, and determine if they will strike. Notify the capitol that we're on our way." Arden turned to Shiro and the paladins, the spark in his eyes radiating danger and excitement. "How do your lions fare under water?"

Meanwhile, Almira slipped on her helmet, booting the systems to life and pulling a line to Garen. She remained by Arden's side, but allowed his conversation to melt away as she turned her body in her commander's direction, physically signaling a communication. He quickly answered her call, gray eyes grave. Almira immediately spoke, not wasting time. "Arden wants to you collect a guard to monitor what the Galra see and try to figure out if they will strike. The rest of our men can work on preparations for evacuation if necessary. We'll be heading to the capitol through the water systems."

He nodded gravely. "Take care of yourself. Use your head."

"When it comes to Arden, I sometimes think I'm the only one using my head." With a snort and a smile at the familiar wit that laced his subordinate's sentences, he closed the line and retreated into the forest, his figure moving faster than one would assume for someone his ancient age. No doubt he was in his element, moving everyone around and preparing for a strike, and Almira was thankful for his presence. Even if he was older and high in command, Almira had come to learn that Garen tended to take matters into his own hands whenever he could instead of doling out orders to lesser ranking members. He had a heavy influence on Almira, who often followed in his footsteps, although she had yet to learn the balance when it came to sharing weight with others.

Her attention moved back to Arden and the paladins, who seemed to have worked out the details of their route and order. She kept her helmet on, wary of the potential call that may come in and not wanted to leave both Arden and her stranded from further updates.

"Shiro and I will be taking the lead through the systems." Almira nodded at the logic, but her body tensed when she saw Lance looking at her with a suggestive look spread across his face.

"And the lady can ride with me. I'll keep you safe in the dark tunnels."

"Full offense, but I can take care of my own." He immediately sagged at being shot down. She had been ready this time, and she was certain that she would not be caught off guard in the future. Looking at Arden, she addressed him again. "Who's last?"

Shiro was the one who answered instead. "I think Keith should be." The red paladin perked up at the mentioning of his name, his face guarded as he waited for an explanation. Arden coolly took in the boy's figure, who immediately tensed at the feeling of being scrutinized. It was almost adorable, considering the experience that Arden had under his belt, this young paladin surely a fledgling compared to Almira or even a new cadet like Lin. But Almira understood the agitation; how many times had she suffered similar looks, even though she had proven herself time and time again?

Raising an eyebrow but remaining calm, Arden hummed in consideration. "If any Galra ships come down behind us, we'll need someone who can fend them off." When eyes turned to Hunk, the yellow paladin gulped and shook his hands, attempting to deflect the attention.

"Nuh uh, I'm scared enough that we have to go down into a dark ancient water system. If something jumps out at me, I might, I dunno, crash into someone."

"Keith?" It was obvious that Shiro had decided who would best suit the situation after Hunk, but he continued to wait for affirmation from his selected candidate. Keith shrugged apathetically in response.

"Sure. I can handle it."

"It's unlikely that anyone will follow us," Arden added on to assuage any doubts, "but it's just a precaution."

"Then I'll go with Keith." Almira's word was final, and she moved toward the red paladin. Lance's jaw hung open in shock, partially at being shrugged off, the majority by her willingness to go with the moodiest, most rude, cocky, paladin of the entire group. At least, that was in his opinion. Keith nodded in acknowledgement, leading the way over to his lion as the paladins began to break off, preparing to leave. Pidge snickered at Lance.

"Better close your mouth before you catch a fly."

"No offense dude, but she's way out of your league."

Hunk's comment was enough to set his friend off, finally blowing his lid. "But why does she want to be with Keith then?! He's so broody?"

Lance's words carried over to Keith, who flinched slightly at the accusation. It was true enough, but it only served to remind him of how closed off he was with his teammates. It was hard to open up around people, and his friend's words cut. He snuck a look at Almira, face still obscured by the black helmet over hear head. She seemed distant, removed from the entire situation, but he noticed the slight tilt of her head before her voice came out muffled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Full offense, but I'd rather be brooding than running a mouth that doesn't think."

He snorted. Maybe the ride wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it would.

.

AN: Just to clarify, I know I listed Keith in the tags, but I don't really have any pairings other than friendship in this fic. It's my solid belief that there's not enough time, and it would be forced. In future fics, however... We'll see what happens.

Shoutout to TECHNICALpanda and thephanartist for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me. Please review, even if it's something small! I really appreciate it.