Weeks of training revealed that Rae was quite skilled with weapons. Hand her just about anything and she'd figure out a way to use it against the sparring drone.
She showed the Paladins how her signature wristband worked, sheathing at least ten throwing knives. Pidge found it especially intriguing, asking if she could try and throw one. Rae found it absolutely adorable the way the young girl's eyes sparkled over the device and the knives. She went through the instructions, and even gave a demonstration before letting her try. Pidge aimed at the makeshift target, but with the awkward angle of her wrist, she missed and it clattered a foot away.
Lance opted to try next, his knife missing by a long shot and nearly breaking the window of the control room. The room erupted with laughter.
Hunk, who was encouraged to try as well, shyly threw the knife. His blade skittered across the floor, stopping a few inches in front of the target. Rae patted him on the back, informing him that a little more flick of the wrist would've earned him a hit.
"You're turn, Shiro."
Shiro eyed the girl smirking at him as she twisted the knife in her hands. "How hard can it be, right?"
She just shrugged, then gently placed the blade in his hand. "It's all in the wrist."
Turning the blade over a few times, he locked onto the target. Trying to replicate her example, he chucked the knife forward, carefully watching it as it left his hand, spun toward the target, and grazed the side.
"Well done, Shiro," she stated sarcastically. "If that was a living body, you would've just barely nicked the arm." She laughed at her own response. The laughter became contagious and even Shiro couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Just so you know, throwing knives are expert level weapons. It takes a certain skill and hours upon hours of training to perfect the motion of the wrist and hand."
"Wow!" Pidge gawked over this information. "And what about with all the other weapons you've used?"
Rae sighed. "I kind of had to learn along the way how to use anything in sight as a weapon. Throwing knives and bows are my specialty, but I learned very quickly that anything can become dangerous. I once used a bobby pin and a rubber band to penetrate a pressure point so hard the guy passed out after two seconds. It was one of my guards. Galra skin is a lot thicker than human skin, so thats a record."
"Wait," Lance piped up, picking up the knives and handing them back to her. "So how thick is Keith's skin?"
Keith shot him a glare, but it wasn't as intense as usual. "Well," Rae pondered over the question, then answered with a question of her own. "Has he shifted?"
Keith's full attention was on her. "Shifted?" If she was going to be here, he could at least get some information off of her.
"Yes. Since you're only half alien you should be able to alter your appearance. Obviously, this-" she gestured to him. "is your true form, but Galra form will be different. For starters, since most Galra are known for anger and hatred, that will most likely be the key to your first shift. Unfortunately, that can cause you to lose control of yourself and your humanity, so you'd have to be careful.
"However, once you're in Galra form, you'll be twenty times stronger, faster, have keen reflexes. It's crazy, but helpful in certain cases."
"Wow," said Hunk. "You sure know a lot about the Galra."
Rae's color suddenly became ghost white. "Uh...right, yes! I...learned it from one of my cellmates. He was a half-breed experiencing his first shift. It, uh, didn't go well at first." She raised her arm, pulling back the sleeve to expose claw marks stretching across her forearm. "His strength was incredible, though, and he led me to my first escape."
They all took turns examining the scar, being careful to keep their distance, for she still looked mortified. Keith, however, took a closer look.
In the past few weeks, he kept his promise to Shiro. He made an effort to be nicer to the new arrival, and found they had a few things in common, like being good with weapons and fighting. This still did not mean he trusted her. He tolerated her. And now, looking at the scar gave him chills. Could he really shift into something that could do that to a person? If so, he didn't want to. Ever.
The silence around him brought his attention back, and he noticed everyone's wide eyes on him. Glancing down, he saw why.
His fingers were aligned with the marks, and with the glint in his eye, they worried he might shift right then and there. "Sorry," he murmured, taking his hand away from her shivering skin.
She was going to assure him that he did nothing wrong, but her words were cut off by flashing red lights. "Paladins, come quick," Allura shouted from the main deck. Rae followed the others, stopping just a few feet from the doors.
Shiro's leader mode kicked in as he questioned her urgency. "Were not under attack," Allura replied, a slight hitch in her voice. "But I fear the Galra are trying to harvest new crystals for weapons."
"Crystals?" Rae didn't hesitate to look at the main station's coordinates, recognizing the planet easily. "No.." she whispered, earning a few curious glances in her direction.
Hunk felt almost light-headed. "They're back on the Balmera?"
"No," said Rae as she hit a few buttons to enlarge the planet. "They're on Cryskos. Many thought the planet died after an explosion wiped away the population. That was a lie. The Galra found that only a layer of it was destroyed, so they sent ships filled with slaves to dig up the jewels." She gripped her crystal tightly. "That's how I got this. I've been on Cryskos before; I know the planet like the back of my hand. If they get enough of the right crystals, they'll have a weapon greater than any ion cannon."
"Then let's stop them before they do." Shiro examined the planet before making his call. "We'll enter over in the east, that has the least amount of activity. Rae, you know most about the planet, so you're gonna need a suit."
Rae's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Wait, seriously? I get to do a mission with you guys?" A huge grin sprouted. "Oh my gosh, yes!...I-I mean, thank you." She tried to tone down her excitement as Allura gently handed her the suit and helmet. Stepping out of the main deck, and waiting for the doors to close, she sprinted to her room to change. The suit matched Allura's, but instead of pink, her color was purple. Slipping her hair back into a ponytail, she put on the helmet and headed back, catching the others as they walked out.
"Okay, Rae, you're riding with Keith. His lion is the fastest so you'll get there first, make sure it's safe for the rest of us to land."
"Yes, sir." She almost planted her feet and saluted, but seeing as the others didn't, she followed their lead to not embarrass herself. They got to the lions and she couldn't help but gasp at their beauty. So ginormous and well-crafted that she wanted to give her compliments to the creator, even though he's been dead for over ten-thousand years.
Keith shouted for her to hurry up, and she rushed to follow. The Red Lion was intimidating. From the second she saw it, she felt smaller, like an ant. She pushed the thought aside and focused on the interior once she was in.
Red's monitors lit up as Keith took his seat, showing the exit out of the castle. Allura's face popped up on the right side. "I'm opening a portal to get you there faster, but be alert."
Shiro's voice came through the coms. "Got it. Now remember, that gives us two hours to stop the Galra from getting that weapon."
Keith nodded, gripping the handles and flew the lion out of the castle. Rae let out a yelp and latched onto the back of his seat for support.
The portal was up ahead. Rae dug her nails into the seat out of fear of the speed they were about to hit. She envied Keith for being safely planted into the seat while she would be left holding on for dear life.
It took five seconds for them to go from the castle to Cryskos. Rae was panting, her heart racing from the speed. "Woah," said Keith, which brought her focus into the planet.
Cryskos resembled a lump of coal, its black soil making it look eerie and dark, even with its sun shining. Specks of crystal could be seen, meaning the Galra completely broke off its top layer. "It's kind of...pretty," Pidge admitted, but that only made Rae's heart lurch more.
"This is nothing compared to its original state. The grass was mint colored and the trees were white with a rainbow of leaves. Plants were all vibrant colors, and the black soil was barely visible." Her voice started to break. "Why do the Galra have to destroy everything that was once beautiful?"
Silence filled the air until the touched down. "Can you still guide us," Shiro asked, placing a gentle hand on her back.
There was a long pause before Rae answered. "Of course. There are tunnels that lead to each layer. We only searched through the first three, and one is gone, but I still know my way." She trudged forward, with the others close behind.
Lance saw a crystal and immediately went to pick it up. "Don't touch that," Rae shouted, making him freeze.
"That's a yellow crystal. Yellows are explosives, they react on contact."
"Oh..." Lance quickly backed away, not wanting to get blown up.
"Do you know what they all do?" Pidge's curiosity grew with each crystal she saw.
Rae smiled. "Yes. One of my cellmates and I kept note of all the crystals we found, observing them and testing them to unlock their secrets. The Galra were only interested in the yellow, red, and purple ones. Red ones become a weapon, kind of like your bayards. But a big enough cluster of them can form a cannon blast that'll destroy entire planets in seconds." Picking up a red crystal by its center, it formed itself into a bow, with a laser-like string and arrows. "I'd suggest that you pick one up as well, Shiro, but you're already armed."
Lance, Pidge, and Hunk burst into laughter, while Keith looked annoyed. Shiro forced his laughter back, realizing she was trying to lighten the mood with the pun.
They followed Rae as she navigated the planet, pointing to certain places and gems, and muttering to herself. "If I'm correct," she stated. "The Galra will be in the center of the planet. There's a giant cluster of yellow crystals. My guess is that they will gather as many red crystals as they can, then blow up the planet completely so no one else can get the remaining crystals."
"That can't be entirely too bad, right?" Keith was staring at one of the trees. "I mean, the planets already dead."
"It's not the planet I'm worried about. Most think it's gone anyway." Rae turned to them with a dark look in her eyes. "It's the slaves. Once they get enough crystals, they won't need the slaves, and they'll leave them here to die."
Pidge looked horrified. "What if my brother's here? He was a prisoner along with Shiro."
"Don't worry," Shiro reassured her. "We'll find him." His eyes met Rae's, almost like he was pleading to her.
"Of course we will. Now, come on, we need to scope out the base, then find the prisoners, and get the crystals." Even she was having a hard time selling it like it was easy.
Shiro scanned the area, then his team. "Why don't we break off into groups? It'll help us cover more ground. Hunk and I will find the prisoners, Pidge and Lance will get the crystals, and Keith, you and Rae will get to the base. Find the weapon and destroy it."
Keith and Rae nodded, and after giving Pidge the list of the different colors and what they do, they ran off toward the center.
Half an hour passed before they paused to take a break, both gasping for air and holding their knees. "There should be a spring nearby. Just a mile west." Keith liked the idea of quenching his thirst, so he followed Rae.
Running the mile, Rae stopped so suddenly that Keith almost ran right into her. "What?" He snarled, still dying of thirst.
Her eyes were set on the black sludge that moved like honey down the path. "The spring...they poisoned it." She looked so devastated that it nearly broke Keith's heart. She talked about this place like it was beautiful, but now all that was left was an ugly, black mess.
"I'm sorry," was all he could say, as he awkwardly tried to comfort her the way Shiro did. He wanted to say more, but a speck of light whizzed in between them, causing both to turn their heads.
A group of Galra soldiers found them. Keith reached his bayard, letting it extend into a sword, and went to fight back. His intentions were put on hold as Rae grabbed his arm and slung him behind her as she took shelter behind a boulder. "What are you doing?" He shouted, but she just brushed it off.
"What's it look like?" She snapped back. "I'm saving your hide!" Peeking out from their shelter, she saw a small cluster of yellows crystals. A wide grin stretched from ear to ear. "I have an idea."
The look in her eye made him nervous, but she was already going through with her plan. Drawing back the bowstring, she took aim carefully, knowing the risk she was making if she missed. She let out a sigh and released the string, allowing the arrow to soar. Then, much to Keith's surprise, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, sheilding him from the impact. He thought of shoving her away, confident he could protect himself, but as the arrow touched the crystals, a bright light flashed before the loud bang froze his joints. He couldn't move even as the ground shook and cracked around him.
Rae's hold on him was strange, almost like a mother's to her child. Keith had no personal experience, but he observed others. She still didn't move after the explosion ended. Keith tried to wiggle out of her grasp, but she was stronger than him. "Rae, it's okay, I think it's-" A second explosion went off behind her, and as she had him in her steel grip, he could hear her stifle a scream.
"Rae?!" The second explosion stopped, and once he made sure another wouldn't be triggered, he brought his full attention to her.
Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears barely escaping from her lashes. She was in pain, he could tell. His hand went to her shoulder, only to get pricked by a shard of crystal. At seeing the yellow shard, he threw it aside, afraid it would detonate. Luckily, nothing happened.
Dozens of different colored crystal pieces penetrated the suit and skin on her back. Keith checked to make sure the soldiers were gone before turning back to the girl. Something about her was different. She seemed...bigger. Taller.
He removed her helmet and jumped back, staring down the creature with purple skin and hair.
The Galra.
His sword was pointed at her and her yellow eyes locked onto the tip. "I knew it," he screeched. "I knew you were hiding something! You had everyone else fooled, but not me. I'll put an end to you, monster."
Rearing back the sword, he noticed that she didn't attack. Instead, her hands moved to the back of her head, while she shifted until she was on her knees. Her head hung but her eyes were still on him, with tears streaming down her cheeks. He had never seen a Galra cry, surely she was just faking it to save her skin.
"I understand." Her voice shook with every word. "You must think I'm tricking you all. That I'm working for Zarkon. I don't blame you, I'd think the same thing...but what I'm telling you now is the truth. If you don't believe me, this will prove it." She pointed to a white crystal in the ground. Without dropping his weapon or his gaze, he grabbed the gem and stood once again. "If I lie, it'll glow."
Taking a good look at the crystal, he saw it's simplicity. It was cracked on one side, but still held its power as he told a basic lie to make sure it worked. Then, he nodded at her to start talking.
"I was born on Earth like you were. I went to school with humans, and learned as you did. I knew I was half Galra since I was little, but learned how to control the shift to preserve my life on Earth. Like I said before, I was twelve when the Galra came and kidnapped me."
The crystal remained dull.
"Zarkon wanted to make me a soldier, but soon realized my resilience. He then handed me over to the druids, and they tried to experiment on me. I don't remember what it is that I can do, all I remember is hearing the witch's voice, then I blacked out.
"All I want is to stop Zarkon like you guys, that's why I brought Shiro back to you. I couldn't let the Galra get their hands on Voltron."
Not once did the crystal glow, but Keith was still not convinced. He threw the gem down and refocused on his prior task. He couldn't let her live. She could easily hurt the others, or worse. He wasn't about to take that risk.
She seemed to read his thoughts because her eyes found interest in the ground. "I accept my fate."
Do it, his brain kept shouting. She's Galra! Her life means nothing! End her! His heart was saying something else, however. It was reminding him that he is like her. He was half Galra, too. Was he evil? No. Working for Zarkon? Definitely not. He was accusing her of something that, according to the crystal, wasn't true. She really was a slave. Beaten, and experimented on like Shiro. And right now she was trembling in fear in front of someone who was supposed to be a beacon of hope.
After a few minutes fighting with himself, he let out a frustrated scream and threw his bayard off to the side. He was weak; he couldn't kill her. She was not bad. In fact, she saved his life twice, saved Shiro, and even saved Lance from getting blown up. Her selflessness nearly got herself killed twice, yet she insisted that he do what he thought was right, while others would beg for mercy or fight back.
The purple hair darkened to black while her skin faded back to normal. Her grey eyes were staring into his, with so much gratitude that made his gut twist. She didn't want to die, but she was willing to if necessary. It was simply insane. "Come on. That explosion is going to bring a lot more soldiers here."
She forced herself to mask the shock. "That's going to be a little difficult." The pain was back on her face, and that's when he remembered the crystal shards embedded in her back, and with her back in human form, she lost the thick skin protecting her from bleeding out. She started to sink, but he caught her.
"I didn't spare your life only to let you die on your own!" He scooped her up and searched for any sort of shelter.
"Allura, we're not going to make it back in time. We haven't reached the weapon, and Rae and I ran into some trouble."
"No worries," Coran chimed. "We have your coordinates locked on, so we'll find you. Promise!"
"Great. Thanks Coran." He watched as the portal disappeared, leaving the Paladins stranded on a planet they still didn't quite understand. I just hope the others are alright.
A/N: Chapter five complete! First off, thanks to everyone who is following/favoriting! It means a lot to know people actually like my story so far. Now, a lot has happened so far. Rae is half Galra, Keith spared her life, and their stuck on Cryskos until the next portal appears. How will the others take the news about Rae? Will they complete the mission successfully? Or is Cryskos and everyone on it doomed? Find out next chapter!