The Altean freighter was cramped and filthy. It wasn't exactly the best accommodations for the Princess but Nayni had felt it was the best way to smuggle her off-world clandestinely. It had been a few weeks since Alfor had sent the two of them away. Nayni had been so focused on Allura that she'd had little time to feel much remorse or anything else for that matter. Their quarters on the freighter were barely the size of a closet. Their bunks were stacked on top of each other and Nayni found her wide frame was constantly hanging over the edge of her bunk. Life in the Palace had been rather cushy so there had been a minor adjustment to be made but she'd been prepared for it.

She'd slept in many places during her military days so she knew just how rough things could get. Allura didn't complain, at least not about their accommodations. She was quite furious with her father's decision. She felt her place was back on Altea, helping protect her people and the peace of the universe. The Princess had a hard time accepting that part of her role was to keep on surviving. She'd changed her hair to a dark, rich shade of brown. Her sparkling silver mane was a bit too much of a give away to the girl's identity. Her beauty still caught the eye of a rough and tumble freight worker. Allura had nearly snapped his arm in twain for his unwanted advances. Nayni was quite proud of her for that.

They'd help load and unload goods at the various stops that the freighter made across the star systems. At some point, Nayni wanted them to depart. She wanted to find the next ruse for them to take up. It still felt strange to be out of her uniform. It had become a part of Nayni's very anatomy after all those years. The simple grey clothes the two of them were clad in weren't exactly comfortable. They were baggy jumpsuits that every freight worked was forced to wear. The fabric was coarse and covered in grease stains.

Allura was snoozing on the top bunk. She hadn't even peeled off her sweaty jumpsuit before she collapsed on the thin, hard mattress. The girl didn't seem to mind the hard work. Neither did Nayni. It was a distraction that they both desperately needed. Every report about the war effort that came over the telefeeds just brought more bad news. As exhausted as Nayni was from the day's labors, she couldn't find the will to sleep. She'd barely been able to rest since they'd left Altea.

It wasn't the sickness she'd get from the Teludav jumps or the aches in her joints from sleeping in the tiny mattress that kept her up. She was constantly worried for Allura. The girl could take care of herself now, but Nayni loved her so fiercely she didn't care. Every single alien they encountered posed a threat. Nayni trusted no one and would continue not to. She worried about their home too. She thought of her Guardsmen, they were basically all the family she had. They were all like children to her. But it was Coran that she thought about the most.

Nayni reached under her mattress and retrieved the datapad she'd smuggled aboard the vessel. She checked it twice a day. Most of the time it was tucked into some hidden crevice of her body. Every day, during the darkest hours of the night, is usually when he'd write to her. Sometimes there would be gaps where Nayni didn't hear from him. It drove her mad with worry. These interruptions were mostly due to the encryption channels being changed or some other issue with securing their correspondence. Nayni still assumed the worst every ruggling time.

It had been a few days since she'd heard from him. She'd tried to hide her concern from Allura but she knew the Princess had picked up on it. Allura had been gentler with her. Nayni listened to the soft sound of her breathing. She took some comfort in knowing that at least her Princess was safe. Nayni powered up the datapad and dimmed the light of the display. Her heart was racing. She wanted so desperately to hear from Coran.

The nature of their correspondence had not been necessarily strictly professional. Sometimes he'd give her updates on the war or what sectors they might want to avoid. A good chunk of his messages were very personal in nature. It had been rather shocking to Nayni at first. He wrote about his fears and hopes. He expressed such deep concerns for the Princess and for Nayni. She had admittedly done the same with her responses. It was incredibly dangerous. Even though their communications were heavily encrypted and only sent through the most secret of channels, there was still always a risk. But she couldn't resist the urge to read his messages and respond to him. It was the only way she could be close to Coran anymore.

Nayni typed in the multiple different passwords. There were several layers of security that she had to bypass to even activate the datapad. It was obnoxious but necessary. If the wrong person got their hands on this, it could be a disaster. Once she unlocked the datapad, Nayni rolled on her side. She clutched the device in her hands. The soft glow of the screen illuminated the rusty wall that she was facing. Her heart sank when she saw she'd received nothing since her last check in. She just stared at the screen. She just wanted to hear from him so desperately tonight.

She curled up under the thin blanket of her bunk. Allura shifted on the bed above her and the metal supports creaked. Nayni waited for a few more dobashes before she reached for the button to power down the datapad. Just before her fingers run across the surface of the button, a message appeared. Nayni held her breath. She wanted this to be so much more than just a cold update. She wanted it to be one of his lengthy correspondences.

It filled her with elation already and she hadn't even opened it. He had sent this just now. Coran was out there, awake and safe, and in all of this chaos, he had taken the time to think of her. It filled her with such a deep sadness and longing. Nayni gingerly ran her finger over the message icon and opened Coran's letter. The rows and rows of orange text filled up the screen of her device. She tried to scoot herself closer to the wall and drew the datapad near to her face.

She ran her fingers along the smooth edges of the datapad as she read.

"My Dearest Friend,

I apologize for the delay in my response, but I assure you that Alfor and I are fine. Physically fine, at least. With every system that Zarkon takes, I lose a little bit of hope. The Lions are a formidable fighting force but the Black Lion remains without a pilot. With no Black Lion, there is no Voltron. I don't need to tell you what this could possibly mean for the universe as a whole.

I take such comfort knowing that you and the Princess are safe. As long as Allura and Alfor live there is still hope for the universe. As grim as things look, I believe with every fiber of my being that the King will find a way to restore peace. Then we can finally return home. I have such plans for after this horrible war. When we return home, we'll have to have a grand celebration. I know you hate such affairs but we'll have earned it.

The thought of seeing you in that glittering regalia again with a scowl on your face brings me a great deal of joy. I find it rather amusing how much you despised those formal gatherings and now you have found yourself missing them. I miss the normalcy of them too. But I miss the simple routine of the old days. I miss hearing you call me an idiot. I knew you never meant it. Well, I believe you may have meant it at one point but I doubt that has been the case for quite some time.

The last time you wrote to me you spoke about how much you missed your childhood home. I never imagined that you'd grown up on a farm surrounded by all that wildlife. I'll have to go see that when this is all over. Though, I'm not a fan of dung so I might avoid the bovidae pens. But I'd love to see where you came from.

The Royal Palace was all I really knew as a child. My family has served the crown for generations. I grew up surrounded by the vibrant lights of the capital and the lavish lifestyle of diplomacy. In truth, I always was drawn to engineering. I would've been perfectly content to design ships and work on them for the rest of my life. It was up to me to carry on the family legacy though. That didn't leave much time for my personal interests. I know you of all people understand that. I've found that matters of diplomacy are very similar to an engineering conundrum. You must find a solution to a problem and are always restricted by a set of unchanging rules. Instead of physics, it's cultural traditions that dictate the rules.

I've been thinking a great deal about the past since all of this started. It's nice to reminisce about the times when things were peaceful and normal. I appreciate them so much more now. I always valued our talks and I miss them a great deal now. You've always had a talent for keeping people grounded. I admit that writing to you helps alleviate a great deal of my troubles.

I'm in desperate need of some rest. I know you'd be very cross if I stayed up through the night writing to you. I hope you and Allura are comfortable and at peace tonight.

Your favorite foppish idiot,

Coran Hieronymous Wimbleton Smythe"

Nayni's bottom lip trembled as she read his message over and over again. She wanted to cry so badly but she dared not wake the Princess of their nearby bunkmates. If she had the choice, Nayni would save every message he sent her. She didn't have that luxury. She'd just read them again and again and try to tuck away his words into some hidden nook of her mind.

Nayni finally closed the message screen. Her heart broke a little when she saw the correspondence automatically delete itself. She could barely concentrate as she feverishly typed up her response. She'd never really been gifted at this sort of thing. Nayni knew she was making quite a few grammatical errors but he never seemed to point them out.

Coran's words always filled her head with pretty images that would never actually come to be. She knew he'd never actually come back to the family homestead. She wouldn't be introducing him to her parents. They'd been dead for a while now. It was so lovely to dream about it though. She'd only ever met his mother, the previous Royal Advisor, in passing. It had been a tad bit of a surreal experience and terribly awkward. Coran looked just like her. Though that woman was far more stuffy and reserved than Coran was. She could easily see their genetic connection but she had no idea where Coran's flamboyant personality came from because it certainly was nothing like that woman's.

Nayni heard Allura stirring on the bunk above her again. The Princess mumbled something in her sleep. Her arm dangled over the edge of the bunk. She hastily finished up her response to Coran. It wasn't at all eloquent and it was probably the coldest and clunkiest message she'd ever put together. She felt that way about every response she sent to him though. She sent off her letter and tucked the datapad back under her mattress.

Nayni listened to the sound of Allura breathing as she slept. She curled up with that scratchy blanket and tried to feel some semblance of warmth in the cold, stale air of the freighter. She let the memories of his words slip into her mind and take her to places far away. She dreamt of their reunion. It was a completely ridiculous fantasy, it was like a scene from one of her insipid teledramas. She imagined him standing in a field of fuschia flowers on Altea and feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin. His red hair would be glowing in the light of the sun and she'd wrap her arms around him with a tearful smile. They'd walk off into the sunset, hand in hand and nothing awful would ever happen again. It was a tortuous and beautiful lie that she spun for herself.

Coran had dimmed the lights of their quarters and put on some relaxing music. Nayni appreciated his efforts to try and provide a calming environment after everything that had happened. She was sitting in their bed, wearing a spare set of his silken blue pajamas. They were far too long for her. She felt like a child in them with the long sleeves dangling inches past her fingertips. The texture of the fabric was so deliciously soft and smooth though. Somehow everything he possessed smelled heavenly too. How he'd accomplished this feat while living on a spaceship with limited supplies was a mystery to her.

Her joints ached and she was so emotionally drained from the debriefing in the lounge. Coran had been keeping up with these youngsters for quite a bit of time before she showed up. He was still spritely and full of life while she seemed to be struggling a bit. He emerged from the sanitary shower, his sopping wet red hair was clinging to his face. Even being this exhausted, she quite enjoyed the sight of watching him towel himself dry. On some level, he was quite aware of how handsome he was because he seemed to always take a great deal of joy in teasing her this way.

His playful demeanor was a nice change. Things had been so solemn and serious as of late. She knew he was taking great effort to lighten the mood for her. She loved him so desperately for that selflessness. Nayni had turned the photo of her and Tomyko face down on his shelf. She found that image to just fill her with confusion now. There was another Tomyko running around on the Castle now. She looked just like the wife that Nayni had lost all those years ago but they were not the same person in the slightest.

Coran wriggled into his skivvies. Droplets of water were still clinging to the strands of his hair. She found herself feeling rather warm. Nayni wasn't sure if that was due to the sight of his half-naked body or the temperature of their room. Coran slid into another robe. He had five different outfits for every conceivable need and occasion. In the past, he'd had more. He sat on the bed next to her. His smile still lit up her heart like a star in the night sky.

"C'mon, lay down. You need it," Coran said patting the plush white pillow on their bed.

Feeling the soft embrace of his sumptuous bed was a welcoming sensation to Nayni. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his hard warm body. She could feel the heat of his breath on her ear and the damp hairs of his mustache tickling her olive skin. He'd wrapped them up in the thick covers of his bed. She was so warm and snug that she felt as if nothing could get to them.

She still felt a bit tense but she was desperate for rest. There were a million thoughts rushing through her head and she just couldn't shake the image of Tomyko from her mind. It was still hard to swallow that any version of Coran could be as evil as the Advisor was. The man she knew, the man she loved, could never act that way. He was so dedicated to doing what was right and true. He would never cause harm on such a massive scale. He was full of so much light and The Advisor had been consumed by darkness.

Coran stroked the curve of her jaw. He must've sensed the tension from her. She melted to his touch. It still felt so electric when their flesh made contact.

"Shall I share something with you that will make you smile, my darling?" Coran cooed.

He made her smile by simply existing. Nayni just nodded and he nuzzled closer to her. She could feel his nose and chin pressed against the twisted jungle of brown hair atop her head.

"My mothers would've been very happy if I'd finally brought you home," Coran said. "You impressed Ole Mammy Smythe quite a bit during the five dobashes you spoke to her."

He was simply saying this to make her feel better. That had been quite a few years ago and an incredibly awkward conversation. Nayni highly doubted she'd impressed anyone at all. Nayni just giggled softly and shook her head.

"Would that be primarily due to the fact that you'd remained a bachelor for so long?" Nayni teased. "Or because someone was finally willing to tolerate your idiocy for more than a few tiks?"

Coran rolled onto his back and feigned a gasp as if he were deeply offended by her jest. He even draped his arm across his face like some swooning maiden.

"Madame, you've wounded me," Coran said.

Nayni seized him by the arm and pulled him back around her. She wrapped his arm around her as if he were another blanket. Coran nibbled her neck playfully as he tickled her ferociously. Nayni giggled like a child and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. She wasn't exactly putting up the best fight. She let him tug her back again and again.

"If you don't stop, I will actually wound you," Nayni said.

She felt his lips brush against the skin of her neck and Nayni shuddered.

"I love when you threaten me," Coran purred. "Because I know you'd never actually hurt me."

Coran ran his hands across the curve of her tummy and between her thick thighs. Only Mister Smythe could go from talking about his family to trying to bed her. Nayni was perfectly fine with the distraction at the moment. She could barely speak when he touched her. Coran's hands had a magical quality to them that she couldn't resist. She felt his mustache scraping against her skin as he smiled devilishly.

"I also know that you'd be more than willing to torture me if I asked you nicely," Coran said.

Coran started to nibble on her earlobe but he froze. Why must he stop? Why did he always insist on inflicting this agony on her? His hand slipped out from between her thighs. He was patting her down rather unceremoniously. Nayni growled and rolled over. She was ready to scold him but she was rather surprised by what she saw. Coran held up his hand. A thick sweaty, gooey substance had coated his skin and was rolling down the curve of his wrist. Quite a bit of it had been smeared around his mouth and mustache. He smiled sheepishly.

"I thought I was talented but um-" Coran said. "I don't believe I'm that talented."

Nayni threw off the covers in horror. Her robe was completely soaked and the mattress beneath her was starting to get a bit damp. Of course, this was when she had to finally get the Slipperies. She knew this day would come but why did it have to happen while they were in the middle of a quiznacking inter-dimensional war?

"Oh ruggle," Nayni cursed. "The timing for this couldn't be more atrocious."

Coran crept out of bed. She could already feel the thick globs of mucus rolling down her face. Coran tried to provide Nayni with a comforting smile but she just scowled. He tried to cup her round face in his hands but the viscous fluid just continued to roll off of her flesh and onto his skin.

"It's probably all the stress you've been through that brought this on," Coran said. "My poor dear, I hate to see you this way."

Nayni was more frustrated than embarrassed by this. The Slippery virus was just going to provide another complication to their already rather precarious situation.

"Don't you worry," Coran assured. "I've been through this so I will be an excellent caretaker for you."

He was rather cautious as he walked across the room. Nayni was already leaving quite the puddle at her feet. She stared at the growing pool spreading out on the floor. It was a tad revolting.

"Coran, I'm going to ruin the mattress if I sleep here," Nayni sighed.

Coran shook his head vigorously. He was digging out a mountain of fluffy towels and blankets from his closet. He was tossing them onto the bed and the pile was slowly growing into a mountain. Coran wasn't as careful when he made his way back to the bed. He slipped in her mucus but managed to catch himself before he fell.

"I don't care about the mattress," Coran said. "I just want you to be comfortable."

He started to wrap her up in layers and layers of towels. She felt like a child that was being bundled up before they were allowed to go out and play in the ice fields of Nothern Altea. His efforts were rather fruitless. The first layer of towels he'd wrapped around her were already growing damp. Coran slipped his oversized fluffy slippers onto her stubby feet.

"There we are," Coran said. "If you need anything, just ask. I'll do whatever I can to make it so."

He wiped a thick glob of sweat away from the tip of her button nose. This was all rather pointless. She'd be ruining his mattress, blankets, towels, and slippers now. But Coran didn't seem to care at all. The look in his eyes made her so happy she thought she might cry. His gaze was filled with such love. Nayni might be able to get away with that considering the endless stream of liquid that was coursing out of her body.

"Well, I suppose this means we're both officially old farts now," Nayni sighed.

Coran laughed and his eyes sparkled like amethysts.

"I always wanted to grow old with you. We just skipped that whole bit in the middle and went straight for the rickety joints and embarrassing personal health problems," Coran said.

The quiznack was trying to make her cry. She wanted to hug him but it was rather impossible to move bundled up like this. Coran held onto the tips of her stubby fingers that were sticking out from the layers of towels. He didn't seem to care at all about getting her revolting fluids all over him.

"It didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned but I'm quite happy with our little family," Coran said.

Nayni wriggled one of her chubby fingers and he tightened his grasp. He hopped onto the damp mattress next to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"Family?" Nayni asked.

They were far past the time of their lives where they could have children. Allura was the closest thing they'd ever come to that.

"Oh, you think I hadn't noticed?" Coran said.

He leaned forward and tried to imitate her signature scowl.

"Things started off as 'Oh these quiznacking paladins' and turned into 'No one messes with my paladins!" Coran teased.

His impression of her was spot on. Nayni wiped some of the sweat away from her face though it did little to improve her situation. She had grown rather fond of them all. She'd do anything for any of them. Even that ruggle-head Lance. Coran rubbed his hand along her back, though she could barely feel it beneath all those layers.

"The little bunghoppers," Nayni said. "They have wormed their way into my heart like a bunch of parasites."

They'd all snuck up her, just like Coran had. They'd cracked her open and she hadn't even noticed. They weren't even the same species but they still felt like they were a crucial part of her life now. Coran tilted Nayni's head so it would come to rest on his shoulder. Nayni's mother and father would've been rather pleased to know they had accumulated half a dozen grandchildren even if they had been unofficially adopted.

"I worry about them every time they go out there," Nayni confessed. "Even though I know they're capable of anything. And with all this madness going on it's so much scarier."

It had come up again. She imagined it would keep coming up until the situation had been fully dealt with.

"Me too," Coran said.

He tried to brush some of the mucus away from her forehead so he could give her a gentle kiss but was failing miserably. The more he tried to wipe it away the more of the quiznacking stuff seemed to seep out. Coran gave up and just planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Nayni wrinkled her nose as he wiped her mucus away from his lips.

"I've known for years that I'd be willing to die for you or Allura," Nayni said. "But I'd die for all of them too. Every last one of them. They can be annoying to the point of madness but they're all so strong and smart. I really do love them."

They all were so special. They were living and breathing symbols of hope. It just surprised her how quickly they'd won her over. Coran patted her gingerly on the back.

"Now there will be no more fretting about Paladins or scary alternate realities or evil alien empires or-" Coran trailed off.

Nayni sighed. Well, now that was all she was going to think about while she was stewing in her own lukewarm fluids.

"Just relax," Coran cooed.

He helped her lay back down on the bed. The mattress already felt like an over-saturated sponge that was seeping out water on a countertop. He stroked the curve of her cheek but kept having to pause to fling off the excess sweat that would cling to his fingers. It was the weirdest combination of absolute disgust and bliss. He was being so caring and kind but this was one of the grossest things that Nayni had ever had to endure.

"Just clear your mind. Think about the things that make you happy," Coran said.

He spoke with such a gentle hushed tone. It was rather intoxicating.

"Dream about bovidae running in the fields of Altea and Space Pirate Gin and the smell of the ocean breeze-" Coran began.

He leaned forward and pulled back the layers of towels that had been covering her ear.

"-dream about sitting on my face," Coran teased.

He was very very pleased with himself. She wanted to be cross with him because that imagery was not relaxing in the slightest. It had quite the opposite effect on her. She wasn't exactly in the mood for that at the moment but he was giggling like a teenage boy who'd just got a glimpse of some bare skin from an unexpected place. Coran cleared his throat and tried to play innocent.

"I mean—dream about pink fluffy clouds at sunset and mountains of sweets," Coran cooed.

He gently rubbed her shoulders and she let herself melt to the sound of his soothing voice. It wasn't just the images that he was concocting that were dancing through her head. She thought of the Paladins safe and sound. She thought of them happy without a care. It was that thought that really brought her some peace. Nayni felt herself finally starting to slip into sleep when the Castle's alarm started blaring.

Coran and Nayni sat up. Thick globs of mucus were dripping from her fingertips and soaking into her layers of towels. Nayni let out a low guttural growl.

"Of course we have to be attacked while I've got the quiznacking Slipperies," Nayni sighed.