Lance cursed whatever unholy god had made this particular planet have not one, but two stars give off heat. It was winter, and yet he was baking from the UV rays. Altean seasons were fairly mild, and though their skin was flexible and moldable, it was not made to withstand temperature. Lance used to care about his complexion, far too much to the members of the Altean court, as his skin routines were often boisterous and fairly expensive. Now, he would be in pure ectasy by just being lightly sprinkled with some cold water. He skin was caked with dried blood and sweat.
The only saving grace was that his markings seemed unfazed, something Lance prided himself in. While most others' markings faded or blended in after a certain period of time, Lance's was still a brilliant blue.
The agent's skin was pale, lighter than his. The hood had come off, and so had the overcoat. He supposed the heat had gotten to them as well. He found out they was actually a she, or at least assumed that. Her chest was a bit more defined than a normal Altean's would be, and the feminine face shape gave off the vibes of being a female, but he didn't dare make rash assumptions. Unless they explicitly said it, he resolved to keep quiet about the ordeal and continue being ambigious.
Their ears were flat, and, in his opnion, hideous. He could hear his sister Allura distastfully damning the dreaded things, as she was so always critical of how other species looked. Lance felt a shockwave of pain and guilt run through him. Where had her cryopod taken off to, he did not know. He was off on a tutoring lesson on a nearby planet, and was placed in an emergency sleeping pod. He assumed in the Castle of Lions, with his mother and father, but where it could have gone; that was another matter.
At some point in his contemplation, Lance stopped moving. Pidge snapped their fingers loudly and looked heatedly at the Altean. "We don't have all day, we have to make it before sundown. Pijanios wake from hibernation then, and then we'll be sitting ducks."
The word ducks was in a different language, as ducks were not an Altean animal. Lance looked at Pidge confusedly and tried to pronounce the word. "D-oo-ks? What are those?"
Pidge stiffened up and turned back around, their back to Lance. "Nothing, let's go."
Lance relented, knowing that whatever these mythical ducks were, Pidge didn't want to bring them up in conversation. He was still puzzled about why they'd turn into the creatures, and why the fact that they'd be sitting would matter, but he figured he'd find out soon enough. Perhaps it was intel agent lingo, and that's why Pidge was hesitant. But what could it mean...?
Pidge pulled out a black remote of sorts and pushed the middle button on the top. Suddenly a transporter ship appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Lance was startled, and jumped back, nearly slipping on the sandy surface beneath him. Pidge had a ghost of a smile on their face, for just a moment. They apparently caught their expression, and forced it back to stoicness. "This is the transporter that will take you to the outpost. It was cloaked, so no one would find suspicion in a random transporter on the middle of the Jaharkalan Desert. Come on." Pidge waved their hand and opened a side door, revealing the compartment in the inside. Lance stepped into the room gingerly, and took in the sorroundings.
The actual ship was made of metal, and while it looked structually sound outside, wires and various pipes were exposed. Lance felt an inkling of unsafety, but considering the way Pidge nonchalantly flopped down in the pilot seat, he figured it must at least be functional.
He was about to sit down on a crate when Pidge yelled at Lance in an unfamiliar language. Lance stopped and stood up in confusion. Pidge sighed, and translated calmly. "That crate has radioactive material in it. Don't sit there." They motioned to another crate next to the pilot's seat. "Sit here." Lance looked scaredly at the crate, in awe that he almost made such a fatal mistake. He then walked over to the crate they motioned to, and carefully sat down. He looked around, noticing the sheer amount of clutter this ship seemed to hold. Most of it was pieces of metal and wiring, though there was also bags of snacks and... Was that a binder?
Lance looked at Pidge again, noticing the feminine qualities of not only their features, but their tone. Even the way they sat clued into that they once wore dresses. Lance couldn't not ask anymore. "Are you a girl?" He asked bluntly.
The ship was silent, save for the rumble of the engine that Pidge was trying to revive. Pidge looked at Lance sharply and hissed. "No. And don't ask again, especially once we reach the outpost." Pidge looked around the dash, frantically, perhaps for a microphone bug.
"Sorry, sorry. I just noticed your, binder... Wait, so you're trans?" Pidge put her head up against the dash, her hands clenched.
"Prince Lance, I told yo-"
"Call me Lance." Lance interrupted them. "I don't like all that mushy royal name stuff." Pidge rolled their eyes.
"Fine, Lance. I don't particularly trust you enough, at this point, to disclose the meaning of that garment, and I will kick you out of the cockpit if you don't stop asking me about it." Pidge bluntly stated, the rumble of the newly fired up engine roaring behind them.
Lance was about to say more when Pidge shushed him. "This whole cockpit could be bugged for routine tests by my agency. So please be less inclined to get me in trouble."
Pidge pushed the pedals and the ship rose, giving a wheeze as it did, to which Pidge grimaced. They mumbled something under her breath in the same language as they had previously, and Lance was struck by curiousity, once again.
"What's that language you're speaking?" He asked, arms on his knees, his body hunched over. Pidge, eyes still on the road, replied, "English. It's my native language."
Lance humphed, trying to run through his brain any potential lessons on the language. His father had taught him many langauges for diplomacy reasons. He was in the beginning of learning Galran when they attacked all of a sudden.
"You wouldn't know it. It originates from Earth. My home planet." They seemed to be more comfortable, and their guard was let down. "It's on the other edge of the known universe." They sombered, lost within some sort of distant memory. Lance asked gingerly, "What species are you?"
"Human." They replied. Lance ran the new foreign word through his head. "Hoo-man." He said aloud, testing the word. "Odd. So you aren't Earthian?" He asked.
Pidge shook their head. "Earth is fairly primitive. We thought that there was no other sentient life out here, save for us. My bro-" They paused, their stoic demeanor seeming to take control. "Nevermind. We're twenty doboshes away, soon you'll be transferred to an interrogation team for questioning."
"Interrogation? I didn't do anything wrong!" Lance cried, incredulous. He thought Pidge was his rescuer, his savior? Why was he being interrogated?
"You are the last living Altean. The Galra destroyed the whole planet decaphoebs ago. You are the last link to Altea culture. We need to make sure we can perserve it." They said, facial expression cold, yet still soft. "We aren't the bad guys here."
Lance grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Sounds like you're taking me in to be a mueseum exhibit." He said grumpily.
Pidge groaned, rubbing their temple. "You will be let go after questioning and relocated to a safe home in an agency sponsored colony, so you cannot be enslaved again. No more questions." They said. "It'll be explained to you once we make it to the outpost."
"And how long will that take me?"
"Now." Pidge replied, gesturing to a floating ship. "That is the Kivillan outpost. The nebula is over there." They said, pointing to a colorful mass of stars and other small celestial bodies. "Radiation is high, so don't try to leave here with just a space suit, unless you want stage five cancer immediately."
They docked in an open space near the side of the ship, and Pidge opened the door. "Luckily, the outpost has radiation blockers, so parking here will prevent illness." Lance stood up shakily, his legs asleep. He didn't know what was coming, or how they'd treat him.
He'd find out soon enough.