Allura and Nayni were supposed to be moving to one of the Altean colonies but their plans had changed. They'd barely departed from Puig and things had already fallen to pieces. Nayni had hoped a brief stay with her people would help lift Allura's spirits but that wasn't going to happen. Nayni had already informed the ship's pilots that they needed to change their course. The young Alteans had obeyed her without question. Nayni had just picked the next safest system at random for their final destination. If Coran had contacted them a moment later they might've flown right into the Galra fleet.

Zarkon had just started to pick off the Altean colonies. Nayni had hoped this one would be safe since it was located in a rather distant system but she'd been mistaken. She'd consulted with Coran and explained her intentions. He'd been on board with the plan but neither of them had expected this to happen. This colony had a small population of Alteans and most of the planet's resources were common and found throughout the universe. It held little strategic value to anyone. The only reason for the Galra to attack it was out of pure bloodlust.

Nayni was marching down the hallway to Allura's tiny quarters. She knew the Princess was going to be devastated for multiple reasons. Her people were being slaughtered and they were running away again. This had happened over and over but Nayni didn't know how much longer she could placate the girl. Allura was growing more and more determined to do something. She was desperate to take any kind of action to fight back. Nayni had started to reach a breaking point too, the only thing that kept her going was the fact that she knew this was what Alfor had decided was the best way she could serve her people.

With every grim turn this war took, the more Nayni had to wrestle with her own desires. Zarkon was slowly stripping away the Altean empire. It was as if he was taking some twisted delight in slowly ripping off the limbs of an injured creature. Nayni didn't think he was ever going to stop until his heart quit beating and permanently this time. She wanted to be the one to do it. Nayni imagined that's how a lot of Alteans felt now. Even the most peaceful of races could turn vengeful if pushed hard enough.

Nayni hovered in front of the door to Allura's quarters. This conversation was not going to be pretty. There was probably going to be a great deal of shouting and crying involved. Nayni typed her clearance code into the console on the wall and took a deep breath. She was already struggling to keep her cool. It was going to be an endeavor for both of them. The door to Allura's quarters slid open. The Princess was just sitting on her cot, with her head hung low. She'd changed her hair color back to its natural silver hue. It had been so long since Nayni had seen her like this that it felt like she'd traveled back in time.

Allura looked at Nayni. She already seemed to know that things had taken a turn. Nayni's expression had probably given everything away. Nayni stepped into the chamber and the door slid closed behind her. She didn't want anyone walking in on this conversation. If the Princess was going to pop off she didn't want the other Alteans on this vessel to see it. They needed to believe that their future leader was levelheaded and collected no matter what was thrown at her. It would give them the strength they needed during these dire times.

Allura was already shaking her head. Her eyes narrowed in anger. Nayni could already see that fire in her sparking.

"So what are we running from this time?" Allura pressed.

The Princess was clenching her jaw. She was already struggling to hold back. Nayni didn't even know if she could muster up the will to try and keep calm either.

"There's a Galra fleet currently taking over the Ioto colony," Nayni said.

She just put it out there so bluntly. There was no avoiding the truth. She didn't know how to present things in a gentler way. She didn't know how to make bad news easier to swallow. That was Coran's forte. Allura gritted her teeth.

"We could help them," Allura said. "This ship has weapons, it has room to take on refugees. Yet we're running away."

The look that Allura was giving her made Nayni feel as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. She knew the Princess didn't hate her but there was such bitterness in her gaze. There was such resentment stirring within her. Nayni couldn't really blame her for it. It was always the Guard Captain that was telling Allura that they couldn't help. It was always up to Nayni to hold her back and smuggle her away to some secret place. The Princess hadn't spoken to her father in Groggery knows how long and all she was allowed to do was sit back and watch the universe burn.

"This one ship alone won't do much, Lurie," Nayni said. "I'm sorry but I can't put you in danger like that."

Allura's indigo eyes were tearing up. She bit down on her bottom lip.

"So my one life is worth more than an entire colony?" Allura said bitterly.

Allura got to her feet. The slender girl seemed to tower over Nayni.

"I get to just sit safely on this quiznacking ship while thousands of people die?" Allura pressed. "That's our people, Nanny."

Allura started for her. Her ears were red with anger. Her indigo eyes seemed to be aflame. Nayni just stood there, trying to remain as calm as possible. The Guard Captain clenched her fist behind her back.

"How can you not care?" Allura seethed. "How can you keep letting this go on? We could go right now! We could go back there and help them!"

Allura was shaking she was so enraged.

"How can you be so cold while our people spill their blood for my father and their world burns?" Allura shouted. "You can't be content to keep running like this! My life is not worth more than anyone else's! What if it was Coran down there?"

Nayni bit down on her tongue to stop herself from striking Allura. The pain was sharp and the metallic taste of her own blood flooded her mouth. The Princess had fought with her quite a bit since they'd been on the run but she'd never made such a low blow.

"Enough!" Nayni snapped.

She took a deep breath to try and smother her rising temper.

"You will not bring Mister Smythe into this," Nayni said.

Allura wasn't having it. The Princess just held her head high and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm going to bring up anything I want," Allura said. "Especially if it's the truth. You wouldn't hesitate to go against Father's orders if Coran was in danger. Why should any other Altean be treated differently?"

She hated how Allura could see through her. It was true. Nayni hated to admit it. Her hands were trembling. It would be easy for Nayni to betray everything she believed in for that man. It made her feel sick with guilt but even an entire planet of Altean colonists dying didn't have the same effect on her that Coran did.

"I don't want this anymore either, Lurie," Nayni said.

Her voice was cracking.

"This is driving me mad," Nayni went on. "The running. Being away from everyone we know while Zarkon tears the universe apart. I hate this. I hate seeing you this way. I hate watching our world slowly crumble to ashes."

She shouldn't let her emotions run wild like this. It was terribly inappropriate. Her honesty was breaking through to Allura though. Allura rested her hand over her heart, her eyes fell to the dusty floor of her cabin. The look of disdain on the Princess's face had transformed into an expression of sadness. Nayni couldn't hold it back anymore. The nostrils of her button nose were flared. Her brow was furrowed and the worry lines on her forehead spread out like a web.

"The selfish thoughts eat away at me like a parasite," Nayni said. "I have thought about taking us back to the Castle every single day since we left Altea."

Nayni had crossed a boundary with Allura but she couldn't go back now.

"And yes, I miss him," Nayni confessed. "That is what hurts the most."

The Guard Captain was choking on her own words. She knew she didn't have to say Coran's name for Allura to know who she was speaking of. She missed her friend desperately. She mourned the opportunities that she'd thrown away with him. It wasn't a full confession but she could never tell Allura the entirety of it. But putting that little piece of herself out in the universe made if feel as if she'd just given up an immense burden.

"But I believe in Alfor," Nayni said. "I believe he knows what is the right thing to do and I will follow him even if it takes me to my grave."

Allura wrapped her long slender arms around Nayni and pulled her closer. Allura's body was wracked with sobs. Nayni gently patted her on the back. The Princess needed to let it all out. She needed to get it out so she could keep going on. Allura was a good head taller than Nayni but she still felt like a child in her arms.

"It's just so hard, Nanny," Allura choked. "I don't know how much longer I can bear this."

Nayni had felt like she'd reached the breaking point a dozen times by now but she'd kept holding on. Doing her duty faithfully was the only thing she felt she had any more. All of her hopes were wrapped up in this young woman. All the dreams she had about the red-haired Royal Advisor were just fleeting fantasies. It was this crying girl in her arms that was the most real part of her life. She was the most tangible piece of hope that Nayni and all of Altea had.

She remembered little of the battle at Terrapin. When Nayni emerged from the healing pod she found Coran was already waiting for her. The side of her head and her right arm felt a little tender but that was the only remnants of the shuttle crash. Nayni winced. The bright lights of the Castle were blinding. Nayni stumbled out of the pod and Coran caught her in his sturdy arms. Her mind was quickly flooded with a thousand questions. They were reunited but she had no idea under what circumstances. This deck of the Castle had no windows to view the outside. She didn't know if they were floating around in space or on the surface of Terrapin.

Coran helped Nayni maintain her balance as her knees trembled a bit. She looked down at her uniform. The whole right side was coated with a deep purple stain. She'd lost a lot more blood than she'd remembered. Coran's grip on her arm was so reassuring. His gaze kept flickering to the blood stains on her uniform. There was something else lingering in his eyes. She could sense it. Instinct drove her to wrap her arms around him.

She savored the feeling of his warm, hard body against her. She took in that familiar scent of spiced tea that lingered on his flesh. She relished the feeling of his silky red hair beneath her fingertips. He'd come back to her, just as he'd promised. Everything else still remained a mystery to her. The way he was clinging to Nayni told her so much. Something terrible had transpired. Coran had the same look in his eye that he'd had when Zarkon had supposedly died thousands of years ago.

"Coran-" Nayni said.

She found it a tad difficult to talk. The effects of the healing pod still hadn't worn off yet. He led her to the center of the room. He handled her like she was some delicate, injured winged creature. Coran helped Nayni take a seat in one of the sleek black chairs. Her head still felt a tad heavy and her limbs felt as if they were made out of food goo. Coran took his place next to her. He wrapped an arm around her. Nayni knew there was bad news but in the comfort of his arms it would be easier to receive it.

It had to be drastic. He would've been scolding her for getting injured if everything was fine. There wasn't an ounce of humor in him. If he couldn't even find a way to make the situation lighter than things had truly taken a grim turn. She didn't want to wait around to hear it. Nayni sighed and reached for his hand.

"I know that look," Nayni said. "Just spit it out, Coran. You don't have to coat it with flowers and sweets either."

He held her hand. He ran his long thumb along the lines of her palm. She normally found his touch so soothing but the way he brushed against the surface of her skin didn't feel comforting. Coran was touching her as if he'd never had contact with another living being before. He seemed to be savoring it. Coran licked his lips and let out a long sigh.

"Where shall I start?" Coran asked.

He spoke with such gentleness but his voice was full of despair. Nayni shifted and the material of her seat squeaked. She gripped onto his hand tightly.

"Is there any good news at all?" Nayni pressed.

She smiled weakly.

"Aside from the fact that you're still here," Nayni added.

Coran pulled her closer. She nestled her head under his chin. His chest rose and fell as he took in a deep breath.

"Terrapin has been secured yet again," Coran said. "We're all taking a few quintents to regroup."

Nayni hadn't expected the war effort to completely fall apart because she'd gotten injured but what had happened after Tomyko had dragged her onto that rebel ship was a mystery to her.

"What happened?" Nayni asked.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. She knew he was safe. That fear was gone but she still felt this deep need to never let go of him again.

"When we returned, we helped Lotor and the rebels finish off the Galra fleet," Coran explained. "After that, I waited rather impatiently by this healing pod for you."

That little jab possessed barely a flicker of the sass that he normally had. The look on his face was still very troubling. He looked fearful and overcome with guilt. Nayni patted his knee and forced a smile.

"Well, time for the bad news then," Nayni said.

She squeezed his hand tightly. It was her little way of telling him that she was there for him. Coran's gaze fell to the polished black tile of the floor. His lips were parted ever so slightly and the edges of his mouth were downturned in a frown. His brow was furrowed. Coran seemed to be struggling to find the right words. This was probably the most alarming thing about this situation. Coran always knew what to say. He always knew just how to spin every piece of news there was to share.

"We lost the system," Coran said.

Nayni stiffened. It wasn't possible. That wasn't possible with Voltron. She tried not to display the panic that she was feeling. She sat up. She clutched his hand more tightly. His eyes flickered over to meet hers. It was very clear that Coran was still shaken.

"It seemed like everything was going fine," Coran explained. "We were pushing them back. Voltron was about to take down their Castle when-"

Coran just shook his head. He still seemed to be grappling with what had occurred. Nayni didn't press him on it. She just waited until he'd sorted through his thoughts and feelings.

"They literally ripped that world in half, Nayni," Coran said. "It was like they did it out of spite just because we were winning the fight."

His hand was trembling. He'd watched another world blink out of existence just as their home had. He'd had to relive all that pain while she'd lain unconscious bleeding out on a rebel ship.

"The few ships that came with us is all that remains of the Apocritians," Coran said.

Another civilization was homeless. It had been swift and cruel. Coran had witnessed all of it. The Paladins had witnessed all of it. When they'd encountered the Queen and her Advisor before they'd just bickered like an annoyed teenager and her father. They were so much more than that. They were monsters. She knew Allura must be a mess. The Princess had a massive heart. She was probably determined to do everything she could to make this right.

Maybe Lance had been right. Maybe they should've poured all of their efforts into fending off the Queen. It'd been so easy to take Terrapin the first time. Maybe they could've come back here and liberated them again. There was no going back and changing the plan now. Coran was hunched over and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked so haggard and drained.

"We should touch base with the Princess and the others," Coran said. "They need us."

That may be true but they all needed a moment to recover from this. He needed it. Coran always put others ahead of himself. She wasn't going to have that. Not right now. Not after everything he'd just been through. Nayni ran her hand along the side of his face. She wanted to see this man smile even if it was just for a tik. She wanted to bring him some kind of relief because she needed it so desperately too.

"Let's go for a walk," Nayni said. "We both could use some fresh air."

She expected Coran to protest but he didn't. He was either too dejected to fight her on this or he was just as desperate for a distraction. He was probably tearing himself apart. Allura was too. Nayni would be surprised if the Paladins weren't stuck in the same loop. The battle they'd just fought wasn't a trivial one. It was as if they'd dove in to fight Zarkon's capital ship. It was no small task. The fleet that Lotor and the rebels had faced was nothing compared to that.

Nayni led Coran by the hand to the elevator. She wasn't exactly concerned with the state of her clothes. Her blood stained uniform didn't seem to be affecting his mood. She was fine and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. There was already so much weighing on him. It was weighing on her now too. Allura's worst fears had come to be. The Princess would be hating herself even more though if they hadn't even attempted to stop it. It was the sum of all of their fears. But in the wake of such devastation, it was hard to push past all those emotions and decide what course of action to take next.

They emerged from the Castle and onto Terrapin's surface. Twilight had fallen. The desert landscape had been swallowed by the violet hues of night. The lights of the distant village were twinkling on the horizon. The familiar pink and white cliffs crept up towards the dark sky. They'd landed rather close to the coastline this time. It had been so long since they'd had solid ground beneath their feet. It was a simple comfort that Nayni could take away from all of this.

A gentle breeze rustled through Coran's orange hair. He was looking towards the village where their comrades were probably trying to drown their feelings in merriment. She doubted they were having much success with that. Nayni tugged on his arm. Coran followed her towards the white sands of the beach. Their fingers interlocked as they held each other's hand. The milky, pink waters of the ocean looked dark and glassy in the moonlight.

They just listened to the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shoreline and the gentle crunch of the sand beneath their boots. There wasn't a need to talk. Coran needed the silence. He needed to find some brief moment of peace beneath the canopy of twinkling stars. They walked until the Castle was just a dim silhouette against the inky sky behind them. Night had fully fallen over this hemisphere of Terrapin now. Coran seemed to have relaxed by the slightest of degrees.

His shoulders weren't as tense. Coran had tilted his head back to take in the scent of the ocean breeze. It wasn't a massive improvement but it was enough to make Nayni smile a bit.

"May I confess something to you, Coran?" Nayni asked.

She thought maybe this insipid little story would do him some good. Coran looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She thought she might have seen him grin but she couldn't be sure in the darkness.

"What else could you possibly have to share with me, Nayni?" Coran said.

He sounded intrigued. She felt heat rush to her ears and cheeks. She was already a tad flustered and embarrassed. They'd talked so much about stupid little things like this. She should be used to it by now. Given the grim situation they found themselves in, she hoped it would give him a chuckle at least. Nayni paused and looked out at the ocean. All they could see was the reflection of the stars on the churning waters of the sea.

"One of my favorite teledramas of all time was the period piece; Barca Barquentine," Nayni began.

Coran was indeed smiling now. It was a rather embarrassing confession but it was the truth. She'd watched that series probably a thousand times. It had been loosely based on a classic series of Altean novels about a sea fairing man and his various adventures. Nayni had been particularly fond of the parts where he wooed a Southern Altean woman. She may have had a poster of the dashing swashbuckler on her wall as an adolescent. Coran draped a lanky arm around her shoulder.

"I must admit that is rather amusing," Coran teased.

The fact that it brought him even the faintest sense of happiness made the overwhelming embarrassment worth it to her. Nayni rested her hand on his chest and traced her fingers along the seams of his uniform. Coran looked down at her with a subtle smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Didn't that actor have a spectacular purple mustache and goatee?" Coran pressed.

He in fact did. He'd been a rather tall, tan and lean muscled man. Coran shared quite a few physical traits with the actor. Nayni's ears flushed.

"Yes," Nayni said sheepishly.

Coran just smiled and twirled the end of his mustache. He seemed to find this quite satisfying. The good feelings just didn't seem to be sticking for either of them though. The events of that battle had been awful. It was also a painful reminder of everything they'd lost to Zarkon's wrath. They were still alive. They still had each other. Another world was in ashes just like Altea had fallen. All of the actors from that teledrama had been dead for thousands of years and so were their families and everyone they had ever known. Nayni sighed. She tried to steer her thoughts away from that dark path as hard as it was.

"There was one scene that always stuck with me," Nayni went on.

Coran seemed to know where she was going before she'd even said the words. She wasn't surprised. It was a well-known series on Altea. The first novel in that series had been a required piece of reading for most Altean literature courses.

"Barca was walking along a beach with Lady Celenia," Nayni said. "And he finally told her how much he loved her."

Coran smirked.

"And then he ravished her by the sea," Coran said.

Yes, that had been precisely what had happened. It was such a terrible and overly dramatic scene but Nayni had lived for it. Every time she watched it, she bawled like a babe. She thought it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen. It had always stirred up so many different emotions for her. It'd made her heart swell with joy and filled her with such longing and sorrow at the same time. It had made her feel alive. It always did. Nayni chuckled to herself. It was half-hearted because it brought on another flood of memories.

"The grumpy, stiff Captain of the Guard loved that stupid romantic scene," Nayni said. "I would've soiled myself if any of my Guardsmen ever found that out. I didn't want anyone to know about that part of me."

But Coran had always known. He'd never really teased her about it. He'd just accepted it was a part of her without any judgment. He'd always seen the whole picture and had just been there for her. He'd been her best friend for years and the object of her affection forever. Coran had helped piece Nayni back together after her Tomyko had died. Allura had too. Neither of them had realized what they were doing at the time.

Now everything had fallen apart. Coran's spirits were broken and so were hers. Nayni found herself tearing up. She didn't even try to hide it. She found herself trembling. The weight of it all was just crushing her now.

"We're still here, Nayni," Coran said.

He always seemed to know what she was thinking. She looked up at him. Even in the darkness she could still see the tears welling up in his eyes. She nodded. Coran reached for her. He tilted her head back to face him again. He crouched down so he could look her in the eye.

"We'll get through it, Nayni, we'll make this right and we'll heal," Coran said.

She should be the one flooding him with these reassurances. He was the one who had witnessed all these horrors. Coran had seen the downfall of Altea. He'd watched the Apocritian homeworld be torn apart. She held his face in her hands. She traced her thumbs along the curve of his cheekbones. He brushed his lips against hers. His mustache tickled the tip of her button nose.

Nayni pulled his face back to hers. She wallowed in the elation of his kiss. The soft texture of his lips and the taste of his tongue reminded her what they were fighting for. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist was almost electric. His touch felt so warm and soothing she thought she was going to melt. The distinguished features of his face were illuminated by a soft blue glow. Nayni's breath caught in her throat.

His hands were pressed against the curve of her waist. His hands were emitting that familiar glow when an Altean was connecting with the energy of another being. It was an ability that served many purposes but when it was shared between lovers it meant something completely different. All of the practical applications assigned no emotional attachment to it. These circumstances didn't call for this. She wasn't feeling physically weak. They weren't trying to exchange energy with some alien species. This was one of the most intimate acts that Alteans could share with one another.

It'd been so long since Nayni had experienced this. It had been ages since she'd done this to someone else. His hands moved up her waist. Coran pulled her close for another kiss. She could feel his quintessence flowing through her. She felt the flood of his emotions as he kissed her tenderly. Nayni could feel all of his fear and sorrow. She felt all of his hope coursing through her.

Nayni rested her hands on the firm surface of his chest. Her hands were trembling. It took her a moment to fully let go. She spread out her fingers, she felt her palms tingle as she watched that same bright blue hue radiate from her hands. Hers was slightly different than his. There was a faint green tint to the color of the quintessence. The flood of their mingling emotions was so overwhelming that she let out a gasp.

Coran laid her down gently in the sand. They were going to pull the sorrow from one another tonight. They were going to extract each other's fears like venom from a wound. She moved her hands over his body slowly. He freed her mass of brown hair from her bun as he kissed along her neck. Nayni slid her hands beneath his shirt and slipped his clothes away from his flawless lean body. The curves of his muscles were illuminated by the glow from their quintessence. Her hands felt as if they were on fire but there was no pain.

Everywhere his hands roved tingled and grew warm. He combed his fingers through her hair. She could feel him drawing all of the pain and fear from her. She ran her hands down the length of his back. Coran's lean muscles relaxed beneath her touch. It felt like electricity was running up her fingers and through her arm as she pulled the sorrow from him.

Nayni hadn't experienced something this intense for so long. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like. She could feel every sensation he was experiencing. She felt that same fire he possessed in her core. She knew he was experiencing everything that she was too.

The cold ocean waves lapped at the tips of his toes. She wanted it to go on throughout the night. She didn't want it to stop. The experience was spiritual. She tasted him on her lips. She could feel the heat rushing to his face. As his pulse quickened so did hers. Sweat ran down the curve of his jaw. His red hair was damp from the humid ocean air.

She ran her fingers through his fiery hair and pulled his face to hers. She poured all of the warmth and reassurance she possessed into him. They held onto each other until the last pulse of pleasure had faded away. The glow radiating from their hands faded. She felt their emotional connection slowly fading but it would never completely vanish after this night. An act like this was too permanent to completely sever that connection.

This was something that only spouses did. This was not something that was shared between casual lovers. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. Coran's chest was pressed against hers and she could feel his heart pounding. She hadn't felt this alive in so long. It was almost painful. She hadn't felt this whole and complete since her marriage to Tomyko. Nayni and Coran had been ready for this for years. She had felt that immense passion when they'd exchanged energy.

She felt renewed. She felt invigorated by his healing touch. She listened to the sound of his breathing as it grew more slowed and even. She rested her head on his bare chest. She ran her fingers along the thin trail of red hair that descended from his belly button. Nayni had already known she was willing to die for him but after tonight she was willing to do more. She was willing to sacrifice everything in this life and the next. She would do whatever it took to protect him no matter the what the consequences were.