(warning for AN includes season 5 ranting but nothing in the chapter)
Wow just wow so Kuron is definitely a thing for sure now, lance is still getting sidelined I almost thought he wasn't in the mission at the start of the first episode he was being so quiet.. and Lotor is developing for sure. BUT HOLY CRAP WE GET TO MEET PURPLE MOM OMG SHE'S SO PRETTY AAAAAAAHHH! My first thought when they showed her was "Lance was right, I really can recognize that mullet anywhere." I have been working on a drawing of Galra Keith with red tuffed tail, and after this episode I decided to go back and put some of his moms looks into it as well, the red stripes might take more time to finish, not happy with them yet, but I think ill post the non red stripe look soon hopefully~
Three days passed. The talks were long and tedious, even more so with Shiro constantly worrying about Keith. After the first night he never seemed to settle. The nightmares kept coming back, and more often than not, Keith woke up in fur with near vivid images floating through his head still. He never told the others what they were about but it was clear they were getting worse. It didn't help that he sometimes reduced back into that dazed state.
There were times when Keith was perfectly fine, if a little extra snappish due to lack of sleep. Then out of nowhere he'd start acting hazy again. It was near impossible to get out of the talks himself. The elders that made up half the counsel were the old stubborn kind who had lived off years of tradition and respect in Alfa positions, the other half were mostly younger but also gave him vibes of cocky CEO types. Well what could he expect from a marketing based planet.. At least they weren't as shady as that Unulu guy.
The only reason Keith was let go from the table were because those hazy moments made him look so tired and sick, and since him and Lance couldn't really contribute any ideas to this board they were usually let back to their room before he had the chance for his form to slip.
On top of that when he was lucid his temper got the better of him, the hovering and nightmares kept suffocating him and would kick Lance out at some point only to be shaken up again hours later after he had another fit. Keith was also withdrawing from touch near constantly now.
Shiro was jolted out of his thoughts as Allura calls his name. "Y-yes princess?"
"Coran just called me. He wants to talk to you in private."
Glancing around the table he saw everyone watching him, Pidge eyeing him in both concern and curiosity.
"Uh right, I guess I'll just step outside then.. if you'll excuse me." The Black Paladin nods and uses all of his will to not flat out run from the room.
Once the doors are closed behind him Shiro huffs out a relived sigh, searching out an empty room and activating the little com pad.
However instead of vibrant orange hair and a peppy accent Shiro was greeted by a violet and stern face.
"Kolivan? Is something wrong?"
"I've gotten some information that the Red Paladin will want to be informed of."
"Keith? What about him?"
"Has he not had time to speak to you yet?"
"He's been acting off since we got here.. Keith keeps losing his control and gets stuck in some half completed shift, never seems completely alert, nightmares.. I'm starting to think there's something here he's allergic to.. What did he want to talk about?"
Kolivan looked worried for a fraction of a second, then quickly summarized the conversation he and Keith had shared before they had left the castle. Shiro had to fight the urge to facepalm.
"Why didn't he say something sooner..?"
"In part the cub didn't want to add to your stress if it turned out to be nothing." Shiro opened his mouth to object but the Blade kept going. "But he also expressed concerns of being overheard by less understanding ears."
That.. made a lot of sense actually. Keith knew Shiro wouldn't pass off any of the teams worries about something so little. Especially after the Nyma incident. Keith more so since Shiro could pretty much read his emotions better than most of the others could. And 80% of the time the paranoia the Red pilot had was justified in the end. Shiro first met him when Keith was only seven, but the guardedness was already there. It had taken a lot to crack through that shell..
Added to the fact that they were on a planet recently freed from an attack, showing concern for one of them, could cause trouble. The Blade were hardly tolerized as it was.
Shiro gives himself a second to take a breath and stow that topic for later. "I take it you found something then?"
The prisoner, Kriven, wasn't a soldier. At least not anymore. The whole troop were actually defectors. After Kriven's small scout ship had been damaged in an asteroid shower, they got left behind by the battle cruiser they were assigned to. The commander left them for dead saying that, "If you're stupid enough to not see giant flying rocks hurtling towards you, how do you expect me to trust you to do the job right?" Kriven had ended up calling his daughter Rayla for a tow. She was actually quite a gifted engineer but never given any proper education for it for it. The ship has been vagrant ever since to avoid being captured under treason.
They only kept up the appearance if still being enlisted because honestly who would think there would be AWOL Galra? If another squad visited a public station after them they wouldn't think anything if other ships had been there.
The true reason for their 'invasion' was that they had stopped here to resupply, during which Kriven's daughter had vanished. The troop had been trying to force out intel, all had become fond of the perky girl that saved their hides, but the commoners had pretty much unknowingly cried wolf seeing the higher ups being harassed.
"Shiro… I highly believe you should look further into Keith's illness, possibly send him back here if all else fails.."
And the warning bells were back again. Ringing so loud they could have given Spiderman's sense a run for its money. "Tell me."
"She's a halfling. The mother was lost from illness when she was small. And judging by the pictures he showed us, the influence of her species gives Rayla a rather-*ahem* 'abandoned kitten look' is the term I think Lance would use." And he has. On Keith. When Keith first brought up the doubt that being born as a mix was what had made him unwanted by both sides of his family. Apparently, half-bloods were often seen as a weakness by the higher Galra, and an easy target from anyone else.
"Kriven also said that she exhibited some of the same symptoms you described of Keith."
Ice suddenly fills Shiro's stomach. He hasn't been able to check on Keith since dinner the night before. the damn Elders hadn't left him a minute to himself to try. He had barely set one foot out of his room this morning before an attendant had whisked him back to a fancy breakfast with the council. Shiro assumed that since he hadn't seen Lance today the Blue Paladin was still with him while the rest of them were still caught in talks.
Shiro fumbled with the pad, hanging up on Kolavan and dialing in Lance's frequency. No one picked up, but when trying Keith's it answered immediately. Keith must have set it up somewhere hidden deliberately. Shiro could see the room, see the two jackets hanging of a chair that used to be upright but the room was empty, things were dragged around like a struggle had taken place. The discarded knife was all he needed though.
Time seemed to stop, Shiro could vaguely see himself running back to the Counsel room, he could hear himself calling to the others in panic, he saw their faces twist and heard one of the Alfas call for the guards but it wasn't until Pidge was in his face screaming that he snapped out of the shock.
They ran as a group through the halls, it would have been better to split up, logical even. But with two Paladins already missing, no armor, and no coms Shiro insisted they stick together.
Lance was panicking. He didn't recognize where he was. There were voices around him. His head felt fuzzy, a dull throb making itself very known. The only thing he was sure of is he was lying next to Keith and they weren't in the bedroom anymore.
Even that assurance didn't last long as he felt something close around his neck with a 'click' the sudden weight getting him to jerk back. Lance didn't get very far though as hands grabbed hold forcing him still. Still the Water guardian thrashed with all his might. Swinging his limbs and clawing all in range until pain surged through his neck, instantly causing him to freeze. A hand covered his face, holding a cloth that smelled so sickly sweet it made his head fog.
Vaguely he wondered if this was that smell that Keith had been complaining about, his eyes sliding over to the other lazily. He could see another person hovering over Keith, giving him the same treatment. The only difference was that Keith was trembling, like he already knew what was going to happen next. Those violet eyes glazed and grew wet. Something deep inside Lance snapped.
Shiro staggered as something roared. It wasn't Black. It wasn't Red on one of her rescue attempts either otherwise the whole building would have heard it. No, it was inside his head, a slew of emotions washing over him from something foreign yet familiar.
Pidge and Hunk must have felt it too all three of them tensing in sync, Allura looked at her paladins worriedly. "What is it?"
"You guys felt that right?" Shiro asked.
"Was that.."
"Yes yes it was." Hunk interrupted Pidge "I mean I know at least between me and him its been easier to do this outside of Voltron, but that was a very strong and not happy thought! We gotta hurry!"
Hunk took off in a sprint, Shiro only a second after. Pidge ended up having to be plucked up by Allura in order for the other two to catch up, the smaller settling to ride on her shoulders.
"Someone explain to me what just happened!" the Princess demanded after getting close enough to the boys. Hunk was too busy following some invisible sense in his head so Pidge filled in instead.
"We felt Lance. It wasn't as strong as when we form Voltron or use the meditation helmets but it was him!"
"The psychic bond? And you can use it to find him?"
"I-I don't know, it's already fading for me. Hunk and Lance have been friends for ages, they're the first ones who could really use it at all without enhancements. It's just.."
"Just what?" Allura glanced over her shoulder to look at the green pilot, their face was full of worry.
"Lance usually feels cool and bubbly, maybe like a fast-moving stream when he's excited or panicked. But that.. That was cold. Harsh, bitter cold.. it- it felt like…"
Shiro picked up where Pidge couldn't, "He's angry. And he's hurt.."
