The atmosphere on the bridge was tense. Pidge's fingers flicked over her green computer interface as she finished setting up her software. It hadn't taken Hunk and her long to make the adjustments to the communications modules. Pidge had gone to the extra lengths to attempt and monitor the transmission in order to ensure that no tampering or hacking attempts took place. Nayni was fascinated watching the Green Paladin engage in her work. It was pure artistry. Coran, Allura, and the other Paladins were gathered around the main console. Nayni was about to see the negotiating skills of the Princess for the very first time. There was always a chance that things wouldn't turn out in their favor but Nayni had a hard time believing her Princess would fail them.

"The video feed's been cut so you can make the call whenever you're ready," Pidge said.

The girl didn't take her eyes off of the interface as she spoke. Nayni was fine with sitting back and staying silent. It was what she was best at. Unless Lotor managed to teleport into the Castle, Nayni keeping watch wasn't going to actually contribute much to the mission. These sort of things had always been more Coran's forte. Coran leaned over the main console and Nayni tried not to focus on how nice his rear end looked. A large blue window appeared on the main display as Coran worked the controls. The only sound that could be heard on the bridge was the rhythmic robotic tone of the haling frequency going out into the cosmos.

The wait was agonizing. Nayni felt like her throat was closing in on itself. She gripped onto the back of Pidge's seat so tightly that her knuckles were starting to hurt. The haling frequency stopped. The blue screen remained static. All of the Castle's crew was holding their breath in that tortuous moment of silence.

"I take it you received my gift, Paladins."

The voice coming over the interface made Nayni's blood turn to ice. A soft continuous static ran in the background and it did little to make the disembodied voice sound less intimidating.

"We did," Shiro said.

Pidge's eyes were darting all over her interface. She wasn't nervous though. Nayni took note of that. She was concentrating so intently on catching any abnormality that there was no time to feel any fear.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic," Lotor mused. "Did you not find what I promised for you?"

Coran glanced over his shoulder to Nayni. Their eyes were locked on one another.

"The Ark was at the coordinates you provided to us," Shiro said.

The Black Paladin was playing it cool. He spoke with little emotion. It was smart. It would make him harder to read.

"Well then, now you must be certain that you can have faith in me," Lotor said.

The way he sounded didn't put Nayni to ease. His voice made her skin crawl. This was her first interaction with the Galra Prince and she already didn't trust him.

"The gesture was appreciated," Allura said coldly. "But I'm afraid our trust isn't earned so easily. You'll have to bring more to the table to solidify this alliance."

It was as if Nayni were watching the King. If Allura harbored any fear she hid it well. Lotor laughed softly and was met with nothing but silence in response.

"If you'd like another taste of what I have to offer, Princess, you'll have to ask more nicely," Lotor hissed.

It was very difficult for Nayni to hold back after hearing that. She clenched her teeth and her nostrils flared. Lance let out a muffled growl. Hunk pressed a massive arm against the Blue Paladin's chest and shook his head. So, Lance had some bite to him after all.

"There's a system that may be of some interest to you. I'm sure your Royal Advisor has plenty to say about it," Lotor went on. "My father has kept them under his thumb for quite some time. They produce quite brilliant weaponry you see and he didn't want that falling into the wrong hands. The residents of their homeworld are quite fond of me. I treated the Terrapins well enough so I can imagine they aren't exactly pleased with the recent turn of events."

Coran was already pulling up all the available data that the Castle had on the civilization. Images and charts spilled across the massive screen as he typed furiously into the interface.

"I'll let them know you might be of some help during their bid for independence," Lotor said. "Now it'd be pretty hard to say no to that sort of alliance wouldn't it?"

Allura went rigid. She looked to the other Paladins for some kind of support but she was only met with grim expressions. Allura nodded to Shiro and the Paladin stepped closer to the console.

"We'll have to think this over," Shiro said. "And try to keep in mind how hard it would be to be an enemy of Voltron again."

It was a bit overdramatic but it certainly sent home the point. Coran cut the feed for added effect. Pidge laid back in her seat and let out a sigh of relief. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. None of it sat right with Nayni. Her solutions had always been so direct. You should just punch the bad guy in the face and lock him up so he never hurts anyone again. The universe wasn't that simple anymore. Things were more delicate and nuanced.

"God, what a dick," Lance sneered.

Nayni actually let out a chuckle. She didn't know what a 'dick' was supposed to mean but Lance said it with quite a bit of contempt in his voice so she imagined it wasn't that polite of a phrase.

"Well he didn't try to hack us," Pidge said as she scrolled through the logs of the transmission. "And if he did he was just so good at it that we didn't catch him."

"Pidge, please, for my sanity don't tell us about these things," Hunk pleaded.

Nayni followed the Green Paladin over to the main console. Coran wasn't even paying attention to the background chatter. She recognized that look in his eye. He toyed with the edge of his mustache as he looked over the data he'd pulled up on the interface. He was sorting through every cache of information that his memory held on these people and piecing together the infinite ways this negotiation could play out. The Altean had a library's worth of knowledge archived in that mind.

"From my understanding of Terrapin society they are particularly gifted at producing heavily armored dreadnoughts and larger combat vessels," Coran explained. "Liberating their system would definitely be a blow to the Galra."

He didn't seem as if he was totally confident with the information he was providing. Nayni knew there was no reason for anyone to doubt him though. He was the most intelligent man she'd ever met.

"They're actually quite peaceful despite the fact that they invest so much in their defenses," Coran went on. "They were all about having the biggest guns to try and scare off any potential invaders. That worked out for them fairly well- until the Galra showed up."

Nayni had met a Terrapin when she was just a cadet in the Army. They were a huge reptilian race that was covered with thick armor-like scales. Their necks were oddly long and their faces seemed far too tiny for their massive bodies. Her one encounter wasn't diplomatic. She'd gotten rather intoxicated with her squadmates and a Terrapin at the tavern bet her that she'd break her hand if she punched his shell. Nayni lost that bet. The bones of her right hand still ached when she thought about it.

"So—doesn't sound like they'd be willing to actively fight against the Galra," Shiro sighed.

Coran just shrugged. A shrug? Really? This was not like him at all.

"It still would be a good idea to reach out to them," Coran said. "Ten thousand years of slavery can do a lot to a planetary civilization."

Allura looked over the images and charts that Coran had pulled up on the interface. She placed her hands on her hips and furrowed her brow.

"The only way to find out for sure is to meet with them," Allura said.

Shiro shook his head.

"Let's not just fly into this blindly," Shiro said. "We need to have some kind of idea about whats going on in that star system before we get there. As you said before Coran, a lot can change in ten thousand years."

Nayni was a fan of this plan. Being cautious was never a bad idea. Though she'd had a habit of being overly so and this had forced her to miss out on some opportunities in life.

"Then let's set a course for the nearest allied system," Allura ordered. "And contact the Blade of Marmora."

The sun was setting on the Altean Royal Palace. The sky had taken on pink and orange hues with a few stars twinkling along the horizon. King Alfor and Princess Allura were finishing up their evening walk through the Royal Garden. Nayni found it was a rather pleasant way to end her daily rounds. During this time of year, the gardens were filled with blossoms of every conceivable shape and color. Altean glow flies would buzz about the foliage as the sun was swallowed up by the jagged mountaintops and the warm air began to chill with the coming of night. The Princess would usually reach out and point to her favorite plants and Alfor would listen to her speak of its properties in great detail. The King was a gifted Alchemist, he probably learned nothing new from his daughter but he would still ask her questions as if he was looking upon the plant for the very first time.

Nayni escorted them back to their living quarters. She did not want this moment to end. It was her official one year anniversary as the Captain of the Royal Guard. The Princess had presented her with an intricately detailed drawing first thing in the morning. It depicted the two of them fighting off the deadliest predators that the galaxy had to offer. Nayni couldn't recognize half of them and wasn't sure if they were all real but Allura had quite a bit to say on the matter. The Princess still firmly believed that when she was older she would be allowed to take Nayni on a grand adventure to explore the various wonders throughout the star systems. Nayni may or may not have had to hold back some tears when the Princess presented it to her. The drawing was safely tucked away in Nayni's right coat pocket now.

She couldn't make this evening last forever though. It brought her a twinge of sadness to think that this was the highlight of her days now. Her whole existence now revolved around keeping a smile on that cute, round, little face. Allura was chattering on to Alfor about the adventures she'd had that day. He always wanted every single detail she could offer up. He wanted to know what she'd learned from her lessons that day, what games she'd played with Nayni and whether or not the cooks had forced her to eat those dreadful purple leafy vegetables again. Alfor had offered the day to Nayni so she could do as she pleased but she informed him that taking care of the Princess was fine enough for her. The truth was that she spent most of her leisure days lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling. She kept that sad business to herself.

The guards were starting to change out. It was time for Nayni to take her leave. Alfor extended an arm and drew Nayni into a hug. He was a warm and affectionate man, he was this way with everyone. It still caught her off guard whenever he displayed this warmth to her. She felt Allura clamp down on her leg and she couldn't help but smile.

"I hope your day was a good one," Alfor said. "You do realize you are part of the family now don't you?"

He slipped an envelope into her hand. Nayni ran her fingers over the golden royal seal and her eyes widened.

"Sir, this is not necessary," Nayni stammered.

Alfor shook his head.

"You're family," Alfor reminded.

Nayni nodded as she stared at the ornate envelope in her hands. Her eyes flickered over to Allura. It was time for their daily ritual. This time it was making Nayni a bit teary eyed. Allura stamped her foot and twirled her hand around to make an extra elaborate salute.

"You're dismissed, Cap'n Nanny!" Allura ordered.

Nayni saluted her with an extra layer of enthusiasm today.

"Until tomorrow, Princess," Nayni said.

She watched them disappear into the halls of the Palace before she opened the envelope King Alfor had given her. Nayni slipped her finger beneath the seal as she walked back to her quarters. She fumbled with the folds of the envelope as she pulled out the letter. Written neatly in black ink were the words: You are a gift to this family, anything you need just say the word and it's yours.

There was a large sum of Altean paper currency tucked within the letter. Nayni had never seen this much money in her life. It had been, as she predicted, far too much. She didn't even count the blue bills. The letter was more valuable to her than the monetary gift. The sky had already darkened into a deep shade of violet by the time she arrived at her private quarters. The chill of the night air was nipping at her ears and her cheeks were flushed. Maybe she would retire early tonight. The thought of curling up in bed and binge watching her favorite teledramas didn't exactly sound appealing. A crippling loneliness tended to haunt her at night and she felt like this evening was going to be especially hard.

These plans of wallowing in sorrow were scattered to the wind as soon as she saw Coran standing by the door to her quarters. He was leaning against the wall, an extravagant golden gift bag with every conceivable frill and ribbon imaginable was clutched in his hands. Even in the dark of night, she could see that sparkling, devilish grin. Nayni had actually started to grow fond of that grin. Only ever so slightly of course.

"You didn't think I'd actually forgotten did you, Madame Nordontu?" Coran said.

He held out his gift to her and seemed incredibly pleased with himself. She took the bag from him and felt a warm tingling sensation in her gut when their fingertips brushed against each other.

"Mister Smythe, you really didn't have to-"

"Oh shut up, I'll be having none of that," Coran teased.

Nayni sighed and dove her hand right into the bag. Some of the glittering ribbons fell to the ground as she dug around. Her fingers brushed across the surface of a glass bottle. She couldn't help but grin. Nayni yanked the bottle out. Her jaw dropped as she marveled at the neon yellow liquid that was swirling around inside.

"You didn't," Nayni said. "Is this really Space Pirate Gin?"

She hadn't had this in years. Not since she'd transferred out of the Army and into the Royal Guard. Nayni had told Coran about it in passing but she never expected him to actually remember her stupid musings.

"It is Space Pirate Gin," Coran confirmed with pride. "I had to go to the Unilu Black Market to get it but I was already in that sector so I figured why not pick some up?"

Nayni shook the bottle and the liquid sloshed around. She was giggling. She was actually giggling. She hadn't felt this excited in years.

"Have you ever had it?" Nayni asked.

"Oh no, you're the only person I know that doesn't have a horror story about that stuff," Coran admitted.

Now she was the one grinning devilishly.

"Come on then," Nayni said. "Just a glass and then I'll be booting you out the door, Mister Smythe."

Of course, Nayni didn't really want to kick him out. The longer he could stave off the loneliness, the better. She typed into the console on the wall and the door slid open. The lights of her quarters flickered on. It was a sparsely decorated living space. All of her furniture was simple. She preferred to keep things around that served their purpose and not much more. Anything else seemed far too excessive. There weren't even any pictures on her wall. Coran looked over her quarters, as he did every time, like it was coated with a thin layer of filth. He'd offered to decorate it for her, maybe throw in some colors to brighten the mood but she had refused him. He still hadn't quite given up on it. He took a seat in her living room while she rummaged through her kitchen cupboard for two glasses.

"You really must do something about the state of this place it's absolutely dreadful," Coran pleaded.

The glasses clinked against the bottle as she made her way back to the couch.

"I believe what you meant to say, Mister Smythe, was that you'd like to do something about it," Nayni teased.

She set out the two glasses on her coffee table. She wrestled with the cork on the bottle for a bit before she managed to pop it out. The gin fizzed and sizzled when it was exposed to the air. It smelt of burning fungus and made her eyes water. It was marvelous. Nayni poured them each a glass. The liquid popped and fizzed even more dramatically now. Nayni drummed her fingers on the glass cup in anticipation. She brought the concoction to her lips and slurped it down. Her throat burned and her eyes watered but she savored the bitter, pungent flavor. Coran cautiously sniffed the liquid and wrinkled his nose.

"Just chug it down as quick as you can," Nayni suggested.

This didn't seem to encourage him to try it at all. He sighed and pinched his nostrils closed. Coran took a sip from the glass and gagged. He spat the gin across the room. A fit of coughing followed as he clutched at his throat.

"That is horrendous!" Coran gasped. "How can you possibly enjoy that?"

Nayni snickered as she poured them both another glass. She would get him to drink at least one full portion before he tried to escape from her. She was enjoying this torture session quite a bit and this was meant to be a celebratory day after all.

"The funny thing is, the more you consume the easier it is to drink down, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

This was true. The more intoxicated you got, the less you cared about the bubbling acid that you were pouring down your gullet. Nayni downed another glass and slammed it on the table. Coran took this as a challenge. He plugged his nose again and proceeded to gulp down the liquid. He only gagged twice this time though tears were streaming down his face. Coran slammed his glass down on the table after another fit of coughing. Nayni was already experiencing that familiar burning sensation throughout her extremities. She poured them each another glass.

She continued to pour them glasses even after it had become difficult for her to not spill the gin all over her living room carpet. Nayni couldn't remember just how many glasses she had expected Coran to partake in but it didn't really matter at this point. They were both red in the face and laughing far too loudly. His jokes were terrible. Absolutely dreadful. But tonight she found them hysterical. They both guzzled down another portion but failed to slam their glasses on the table at the same time. Nayni laughed so hard she fell over onto him. They were propping each other up on her couch, their breath reeking of that burnt fungus stench.

"You have the most revolting taste of anyone I've ever met, Madame Nordontu," Coran said.

His words were so blended together that she barely understood him. Coran was giving her little pats on the top her head as if she was a beloved pet.

"I have excellent taste!" Nayni countered. "Did you see any pictures of my wife!?"

She found this terribly amusing but it still made her a bit sad. The gin was good at numbing sadness so it was easy for her to brush it off. Nayni slowly wrapped her fingers around the neck of the bottle and took a swig. She held the bottle out to him and he did the same.

"And there was this handsome cadet during my boot camp days," Nayni went on. "He had muscles that were practically sculpted out of solid rock."

Coran tilted his head. He attempted to brush an orange curl away from his eye but it just flopped back into place.

"Madame, I was under the impression that you only enjoyed the company of women," Coran said.

Nayni snorted.

"I'm partial to both, not that it's any of your business, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.

The room had been spinning for quite some time now so she thought it was best not to move. Coran was also pleasantly warm and that made him an excellent cushion.

"Well, I'm partial to everyone! Not that it's any of your business!" Coran snapped back.

He was trying to one-up her but this wasn't exactly the proper situation where that could be done. The bottle was practically empty now. Only a few sips of the foul yellow liquid remained in the bottom. Coran started fiddling with her thick brown hair but she didn't mind. It actually felt quite nice. She rambled on about Tomyko while he clumsily tried to braid her hair. Nayni prattled on about the adventures they shared until she wasn't quite sure what she was going on about anymore. Coran did a fair bit of prattling too about the King and the places he'd traveled. He told her about the exotic jungles and glittering alien cities he'd been to.

These images danced through her head while she slept. Nayni dreamt of taking Allura to these foreign worlds and seeing the child's eyes grow wide with excitement. She dreamt of Coran too. She dreamt of his fiery hair flowing in the wind and the twinkle he got in his eye when he smiled. He would whisper things into her ear that she didn't quite understand but they made her giggle like a teenager. She could almost feel the hairs of his mustache tickling the delicate flesh of her earlobe. It felt like electricity was dancing down the curve of her neck when he was close.

There was a strange sound in the distance. A faint screeching noise that was slowly growing louder. Nayni's morning alarm finally managed to pull her out of the deep, gin induced slumber. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. She felt something tickling her ear and she tried to swat it away. When her hand met with Coran's face she was mortified. A thick glob of his drool was smeared on her cheek and she could feel it running down her neck. Nayni pushed him onto his side. Coran seemed to have no issue sleeping through all of this.

She scrambled away from her couch in horror. Nayni slammed her hand on the wall panel trying to get her alarm to stop blaring. Even all that ruckus did nothing to stir Coran from his slumber. She held her face in her hands. This was most unprofessional. The two of them had probably violated every fraternization protocol in the book. Well, not every one as far as she could remember. She did remember the personal things she'd shared with him. Nayni also remembered the very personal things Coran had shared with her. That was the beautiful and ugly power of Space Pirate Gin. It was like a truth serum. Her ears were burning with embarrassment and shame.

Nayni gingerly prodded Coran's shoulder. He muttered something under his breath and continued to snore. She only tried this a few more times before Nayni realized this would do nothing to remedy the situation.

"Mister Smythe!" Nayni shouted as she shook him like one of Allura's rag dolls.

Coran gasped and flopped onto the floor face first. He let out a slow agonizing moan as he got back on his feet. He looked so disheveled and it was so unlike him that it shook Nayni to the core. This man was always so well put together. Now he stood before her, his uniform in shambles and his normally silky smooth, red hair was a tangled mess. She could not imagine how much worse she looked at this very moment. Coran's eyes looked her up and down and he forced a very awkward smile.

"Your hair looks lovely, I did a nice job with that," Coran said.

She wanted to punch him in the face. She took a deep breath to collect herself.

"You need to leave," Nayni said calmly.

She could not believe what she had done. It couldn't be undone now but she would do her best to move past all of this. Coran stumbled towards her front door. She felt guilty for throwing him out. None of this was his fault. None of it all. She'd let her loneliness get the best of her. Nayni had broken a promise she'd made to herself long ago. Her fingers fumbled with the control panel but she did finally manage to get the door to open. The birds outside where chirping and the crisp morning air flooded into her quarters. He turned to bid her farewell. She felt as if something was choking her when she looked into his eyes.

"It was really a lovely night," Coran said. "It's always nice to find another ally in the world."

She knew what he was referring to and she appreciated the sentiment. She just couldn't bring herself to say it. Her hand hovered over the control panel.

"Let's just keep this to ourselves shall we, Mister Smythe?" Nayni pleaded.

"Of course," Coran assured.

She couldn't bear to look at him any longer. She was far too ashamed. He had been incredibly respectful and kind to her. She wanted to fully explain to him but this crippling fear within her kept her lips sealed. It was just all so confusing. She was just too scared. Losing Tomyko had been too hard and Nayni never wanted to put herself back into a position where she could possibly feel that pain again. Coran had no idea. He knew she'd lost her wife. He probably had the common sense to know that it was an awful feeling but he couldn't truly understand. He hadn't felt the devastating heartbreak that she had and still was feeling. Nayni's gaze fell to the ground and the door to her personal quarters slid closed.