"You're looking much better than before" said Hunk happily, smiling at the end of Shiro's healing pod. "Yeah, it looks like your subconscious is getting use to that clone body. Hope it's a good fit," laughed Pidge.
"Let's head out so you can get some fresh air," suggested Allura as she started to lead the large party out of the Black Lion. "Great, we can start charging up the Lions, poor things must be hungry for some decided energy," said Coran as he followed his princess out to the planet they had landed on.
"Hey, what about us? I haven't eaten anything in quintants" Lance complained following Coran with the others following. "Well, maybe we can find something in that forest we visited," "we have to go back there… oh man…"
"Do you need any help," asked Krolia quietly in Keith's ear. He shook his head no "we'll catch up in a second," Krolia smiled a subtle smile and left the two paladins alone, knowing they needed a moment alone.
As everyone left the room Keith was ready to help Shiro rebalance himself as he hopped of the healing pod bed and stumbled.
"You ok?" asked Keith, troubled by Shiro imbalance. "Yeah..." he replied with a little hesitation in his voice. "Guess I'm not as balanced as I was with an arm" giggled Shiro as he tried to lighten the silent atmosphere.
Keith guiltily sighed and tilted his head away from Shiro, "I'm sorry…" Shiro looked at him, "I... I didn't have a choice… if I didn't do something to stop you…" Keith quickly stopped his words and quickly turned to look at Shiro with shocked wide eyes, "I mean… not you, the other guy... well I mean..." Keith was getting confused. The other Shiro was Shiro … wasn't he?
Shiro smiled softly, with his usual crocked grin, and put his only hand onto Keith's shoulder "it's ok… I know you fought hard." Keith remained looking confused. "I… seem to have my other self's memories," Keith nodded his head at Shiro's explanation. "So, I know what you guys were doing and… most of the conversations we all had together." Shiro tightened the old he had on Keith shoulder, reassuringly, "I only lost an arm… we didn't lose our lives, thanks to you."
'You're my brother… I love you.' That one sentence kept going around in Shiro's head.
Keith blushed. Embarrassed his lowered his eye vison from Shiro's eyes to his armoured chest and hoped his growing smile wasn't seen by him. After a few seconds he reached his hand up and placed it on top of Shiro's and tubbed his thumb against his knuckles. "Thanks," Keith simply said, looking back up a Shiro's eyes. They detached from each other and walked out of the Black Lions bay.
...
With the team now outside, the discussion began; it kept shifting from 'how to charge the Lions' to 'what's our next move.'
Keith was standing next to an armless Shiro, thinking his own thoughts regarding the team's next step. 'We'll need to sort that arm before anything. Shiro will be defenceless if anyone attacks us directly; he can't fight properly with just the one... and then there's piloting the Black Lion. I know I'm its true pilot but… what if I become incapacitated, will the Black Lion let Shiro pilot him?' Keith titled his head up and gazed at sky. 'I wonder if it knew that other Shiro wasn't the real one. Was that why it didn't fight to its up-most capacity?' Keith lowered his head and looked at Shiro from the corner of his eye but quickly turned away when Shiro turned to look at him. Keith could feel that red blush come back on his face. 'What's wrong with me? I've never acted like this before? Anyway, the previous Shiro… What am I thinking? It's like that guy didn't matter… did he? Urgh,' Keith shook his head violently trying to go back to what he was previously thinking 'questions like those can be put aside. Focus Keith, focus on the problems in front of us now.' Keith turned to look at Shiro again 'at his current state Shiro can't even balance let along pilot any of the Lions. There has to be a solution,' Keith sighed heavily, and it didn't go unnoticed.
"-ith?... Keith?" "Mmm, what?" Keith quickly came out of his thoughts when Lance called his name again. "What do you think?" Lance asked again.
Keith looked at Lance, and blinked a few times, clearly showing he wasn't listening to the others. "The threat of Earth?" said Lance, helping his leader get back on subject. Keith shook his head and refocused "I don't think… right now we have the power to stand against the galra fleet. So there has to be way to stall them... maybe?"
Pidge hummed to herself and thought for a second, "I think the best way to... to at least delay the galra is to destroy the Earth's location..."
"ARE YOU SAYING WE NEED TO BLOW UP EARTH FIRST?" screamed Lance.
"I don't think she did," replied Hunk contemplating Lance brain on how it worked in his big head.
"What do you mean Pidge? Shiro asked.
"She probably meant a direct attack so the galra don't have a chance of getting to Earth…" Hunk blinked once, twice... "Wait…" and blinked once, twice again "ARE YOU CRAZY?" Hunk screamed just like Lance had done seconds ago. "We don't have the power to attack the galra fleet directly."
Pidges left eyebrow shot up, 'how are these dunces pilots' she though as she shook her head and answered "not directly... just quietly." Pidge did a demo of her idea through her hand gestures "All we have to do is sneak up on them… infiltrate a galra ship that has Earth coordinates… destroy it… snn-eeeak back out and then get to Earth before they do." She smiled with a big grin and stuck the thumbs up at her brilliant idea. "It'll be simple"
The others were doubtful, especially Lance. "Doesn't sound simple to me…" said Lance snarly.
"How do you suggest we proceed?" asked Shiro, giving Pidge the room to continue explaining.
"I think we should revisit our first mission." "The transport hub?" answered Hunk. "Very good Hunk. As I was saying, the Green Lion still has the cloaking system I step up. A small team of us can sneak up behind the galra ship, get in, blow up some stuff and get out without anyone seeing us."
Lanced raised his hand "err, sorry but err… I'd just like to point out, again if I may, I don't think it's that simple of a plan."
"What other choice do we have?" snapped Allura "with our lions at minimum power, even if we get to your Earth home, before the galra, we still can't put up a fight."
"Pidge and Allura are right" said Keith sternly and took a step forward. "This plan should delay at least some of the galra fleet." Everyone nodded at Keith words "but before we do anything else we need to sort out Shiro's arm. Coran, is there any where around this sector that could help us getting one?"
Coran hummed and crossed his arms, "arms don't grow on trees you know" Coran replied with a twirl of his moustache "but I think there's a market we could go to." "A market? Seems kinds fishy to me" question Lance, titling his head at Coran suggestion. "Well they do sell fish..."
"We don't have a choice," snapped Keith as he turned to Coran. "Coran, I'll leave you to find any alternative. We need to give Shiro the tools he needs to defend himself." The team nodded and Coran gave Keith a salute. "Ok everyone, get everything together we'll be leaving as soon as the Lions start showing signs life."
Shiro looked on as he watched Keith take control of his team, 'he's learnt well.'
As everyone started to disburse Lance raised his arm up and swirled it around, gaining everyone's attention. "Errr, sorry, just one more thing... Who's riding with whom?"
Keith looked at Lance confused when it suddenly dawned that they had extra passengers, he sighed. Keith didn't need this extra bit of responsibility.
"I can take the mice…" said Allura sticking her hand up.
"Why do you get the small parcels? You should take Coran... you two get along the best," said Hunk sulkily crossing his arms. He wanted first dibbs.
"Are you saying I don't get along with anyone else besides Allura? How dare you Hunk, I thought we were friends" said Coran sulking and turning his back on Hunk, wiping away the newly formed tears in his eyes… that weren't really there. "Urgh fine, fine. I'll take Coran. Pidge you take the wolf."
"I'm not taking the wolf, I'm allergic" said Pidge looking to the wolf and giving it a look. The wolf looked back at her and titled his head.
"The wolf comes with me," said Keith wanting his pet near him.
"Now, now, no need to play favourites. I know, how abut we draw straws?" said Lance, bring his hands up to stop the upcoming fight. He brought his right hand behind his back and somehow producing some straws. Did he always have them back there?
"Why would be draw straws?" asked Allura questioning his idea. "Seems like a waste of time. We don't have any pens or paper. How about we choice from sticks and whoever gets the longest gets Kaltenecker." "That's basically what I said," replied Lance looking confused at Allura.
Eventually, after some backwards and forwards the seats were assigned.
As the Lions started charging up and come back to life the team gathered essentials and packed them into their Lions. They were finally returning Earth.
….
The trip back to Earth was going well… for about 10 minutes. Soon each member of the Voltron team started to wish they had a spare cargo ship as their extra travel companions started to make their presents know.
'This is why we don't carry passengers in the lions' thought Keith as he endured the altean alphabet from Coran. The guy was singing, quite badly, and it was getting on Keith, Shiro and Krolia's nerves.
Poor Lance wasn't doing much better. He thought he struck it rich when had got Romelle as his travel companion but she wasn't used to seeing all the new technology in front of her. She was brought up with simple home living and suddenly seeing the size of space, along with 5 large coloured Lions and fighting evil enemies she was looking forward for whatever was coming next. She felt like she needed to help her new friends and the first thing she wanted to learn… was what that switch next to that other big button does in this Red Lion she was currently traveling in. "Ohhh, what do these buttons do… What does this do... can I touch this… how about this..." "Romelle stop!" yelled Lance as he tried to follow Romelle's quick moments around the lion, "you shouldn't be pressing buttons that you're not allowed to touch." "Why not?" "BECAUSE YOU COULD BLOW SOMETHING UP! This is a war machine not a microwave."
Hunk on the other hand was quite happy with his passengers; he had the 4 mice and they were just so cute that he started taking selfies or as he now called them miceies. "Look Lance, look," cheered Hunk over the lion's communication network, "the mice are on top of each other, sleeping. Isn't this cute... I have to share this with Allura."
Allura was jealous and she didn't hide it well as Hunk shared his newly taken pictures of him and the mice. She had the wolf and unlike the mice the wolf wasn't cute... At least in her eyes.
"Bad wolf. Stop that. Don't chew on that energy cord... Urgh, Keith" Allura opened a communication window to the Black Lion, "your WOLF is chewing on important wires." "Because he's lonely," said Keith sympathetically, he was missing his buddy; wishing he was with him rather than Coran. "Just let him in the cock-pit." "I will not let that filthy beast in here... and why is he drooling everywhere?" "He's not fifthly and he's still a pup. He's just teething." "Teething? How long will that last?" "I don't know... Just let him in the cock-pit so he can see where we're going. It'll take his mind of chewing things." "And what, may I ask, will take my mind of him?"
As everyone began to argue and Coran still singing that blasted alphabet Keith had had enough. Pounding his fists on the Lion's driving handles Keith yelled "THAT'S IT… WE'RE SWITCHING PASSENGERS RIGHT NOW."
However with Pidge somehow ending up by herself and playing her retro video game she didn't notice the signal of some galra pilots heading their way.
….
As the team entered the battle they quickly found themselves outnumbered and out powered. With the Lions still struggling to reach full power the team soon found themselves captured by Ezor and Zethrid, who seemed to have gotten older since they last say them? The duo told them that the Voltron team had been AWOL. No one had seen them since their fight with Lotor. The team couldn't believe what they were hearing. Luckily for them Acxa, another one of Lotor's ex-generals, helped them escape. Keith and the rest of the paladins knew it was now vital to get back to Earth.
Keith began to wonder if Pidge's plan to delay the galra fleet was even worth doing. According to Acxa it had been 2 years since their supposed deaths. 'Maybe the galra were already on Earth? Maybe they had already conquered it? Are we too late?'
….
As the team stopped by a nearby moon they gathered around to investigating Pidge's findings.
"As you're all aware I've been trying to contact my dad... but I haven't had any luck" explained Pidge. As soon as she said these words nearly everyone went into a silent panic. "I don't know if its signal jams or were just too far away from Earth to contact anyone." Pidge continued almost mumbling at the disappointing lack of knowledge she currently had.
"Is there anything we can do to increase the boost?" asked Hunk, raising his eyebrows hoping Pidge will have a positive answer. "I feel that if I try to increase the power it would either be infiltrated by an enemy, who could pin point our location, or blow up the Greens Lions already struggle power system," "Ohhhh…"sighed Hunk sinking his shoulders in disappointment.
"I guess all we can do is keep heading for Earth, right? As fast as our lions can take us" questioned Lance looking to Keith, hoping he would agree with his suggestion. "Which at the moment isn't that fast," Hunk pointed out.
"Pidge, do you think it's still worth the idea of infiltrating a galra ship?" asked Keith stepping into the middle of the created circle where everyone was gathered around Pidge's computer, "and disabling the coordinates to Earth?"
"But it's been, what 2 years? The galra already have a head start," said Hunk, pointing out the obvious again.
"I know… but I have a hunch that not every galra has the coordinates," Pidge explained, with her hand held up and her finger pointed, looking like she had an idea. "Ezor and Zethrid are still in this sector, so why didn't they head for Earth knowing it wouldn't be protected with Voltron gone?"
"Because they don't know we came from Earth… and even if they did they wouldn't probably need a bigger ship and a bigger crew then what they have right now," pointed Lance.
"Exactly. They assumed that we were dead so they had their own agenda. But if they knew that we had survived they would have probably gathered their sources and make Earth their next planet to concur." The team looked at Pidge confused,
"oo-kay..." "That's a scary thought…" "That's kind of a stretch but stranger things have happened..."
"What's your point Pidge?" asked Shiro. "What I'm saying… is…" Pidge squinted her mouth "I believe that... not everyone knows about us surviving or what the Earth means to all of us" she said un-squinting her face into a soft smile. "I think if I can infect just one of the galra navigations systems that should disable all of the galra navigations and erase Earth's location."
The team didn't look convinced, "it sounds dangerous, especially with our limited power," grumbled Shiro in a low tone. "What choice do we have?" shrugged Pidge.
"Coran, can you work out how long it will take us to get back to Earth with the speed we're currently proceeding at?" ask Keith turning to Coran for an answer.
"Mmmm. I was just trying to work that out" replied Coran hunched over and counting his fingers. "Without the luxury of a worm hole and our diminished power, mmmm, let's see; add the 3 carry the 5… deduct lunch breaks… I predict it should take 1,500 Earth years."
Silence… then…
"WHAT?" "ARE YOUR SERIOUS?" "YOU'VE GOT TO ME KIDDING ME?"
"Coran, I think I need to get you a calculator cause your fingers aren't adding up correctly," said Pidge "it's only going to take 1.5 years."
"Oh thank Voltron," Lance happy cheered.
"Oh right, I didn't carry that extra 4" Coran apologised for his blunder. "It's going to be a long journey," said Allura speaking up, "why don't we precede Pidge's idea. We don't know what we'll be facing once we reach Earth… we don't even know if the galra have even go there." She looked over to Keith, like Lance she wanted to get her leaders approval.
Keith sighed and lowered his head, thinking of all the possibilities that could happen… Thinking of all the possible outcomes that they could use to escape if something goes wrong. 'Ugh, I'm getting a headache' though Keith with his eyes closed and his eyebrows twitching in frustration he finally opened his eyes and stared at Pidge. "Will the galra notice what we've done, if we erase Earth location from their database?"
"The only ones that will notices are the ones that are already there…" said Pidge confidant that her plan will work.
Keith hummed loudly in agreement, realising the held breath his was holing. "It's a difficult choice…"
Shiro watched in anticipation, he couldn't read Keith mind but he could read his body language. Keith was struggling to find the best path for his team to take; to carry on as they were and race to Earth or to take a detour to possibly stop the remaining galra fleet from locating Earth and destroying it.