The Execution
"Get to the Black Lion!"
Keith was not going to leave Allura exposed, so even if she couldn't pilot it she'd be safer inside.
"No, you may need me to fly Red," Allura countered, standing firm in her resolve.
"I may need you to fly Black as well. Just go!"
This time he didn't bother waiting for a rebuttal. He needed to get to his mother quickly and didn't have the luxury of discussing the matter further.
His concern was somewhat allayed when he saw that Lance and Pidge had put up a wall of ice covered vines around Lotor's ship, denying easy access to the downed lion.
As he got closer he could see Nanny emerging from the hatch, looking slightly dazed but able to move on her own accord.
She's okay, thank the stars.
Once the other paladins had cleared out the remaining Galra ships they began to concentrate their fire on the cruiser in the square. Keith had no doubt that it had a reinforced shield so it would unlikely take much damage, but the distraction would at least allow him time to get his mother to safety.
He found Nanny leaning heavily against Red's hull, seemingly drained of energy. That was a feeling he never enjoyed, having been the target of Haggar's strikes multiple times himself.
Quintessence was something he didn't even know he had until the first time it was stripped from him. He imagined that's how dying felt. His hope now was that since the strike was aimed directly for his child it wouldn't have been strong enough to seriously harm his mother or Red.
His child. She'd tried to hurt his child.
Never in his life had Keith wanted to kill someone. Sure, he'd fought in battles but everything there happens quickly; if he'd killed someone he wasn't aware and it rarely crossed his mind.
Now? Now he wanted blood.
"Mom, are you alright," he asked, pulling her into a hug.
Nanny gently pushed him back, then absently rubbed her shoulder before nodding her head. "I'm fine, just a bit shaken."
"Let's get Red going and get you out of here."
She turned to look in to the cockpit, a curious expression on her face. Like she expected to see something that wasn't there. Her face was still turned away from him when she responded.
"No, we have to end this here."
"Then you take Red, I'll face Lotor and Haggar."
"Keith, I need to do this. This is a fight I should have ended long ago."
Before he could respond she had activated her bayard and was running towards the ice wall. She turned back briefly to wave, a silver gleam in her hand.
She'd swiped his Marmora blade.
At that moment Keith heard a rumbling coming from the Red Lion. Her power had finally returned. It seemed she knew she was going to be part of this fight- with or without him- but she was inviting him back into the pilot's seat.
He followed his mother's movements with his eyes before jumping through the hatch. She was going to need an opening, after all. Keith quickly righted the lion and aimed for the ice wall.
As soon as she reached the barrier she stopped and raised her right hand. A few short ticks later and the signal was given.
Red's fire gave her an opening.
Keith watched in awe as she swiftly cut through the sentries that were left standing after the blast. Behind them stood Haggar, looking weary from using her magic to try to hit the other lions, and Lotor, who had his hand on the hilt of his sword.
He was a fool for not having already drawn it. Nanny ran full force towards him and ran her sword diagonally across his chest, leaving a gaping wound that bled profusely.
As he dropped to the ground she swung around to strike Haggar with the Blade. Even though the sword pierced the witch she was able to stumble to Lotor, effectively shielding him from further blows.
Nanny moved to stand over the two, the tip of her Blade resting near the other woman's neck.
"I didn't want it to come to this." Nanny's voice trembled as she spoke.
"You'd kill your own mother? Your own brother? Just to protect them?"
Keith's mind blanked. Those words were the only thing standing between him and his resolve to crush them underfoot.
"You're my mother by blood only. You've tried to steal my Princess, kill my son Keith, and now deny me my grandchild. I have no love left for either of you."
"I should have known one of those lowly paladins would take what is rightfully mine," Lotor spat.
Nanny responded by driving her bayard into his side.
"That's payback for my son."
Haggar appeared somewhat more thoughtful, possibly realizing that the baby she tried to take from them was her own flesh and blood.
She didn't even notice the blade down on her until it had struck. The witch's right arm was cut off completely.
"And that's for Shiro."
After a tense moment, the bayard was deactivated and the Blade sheathed.
Keith was stunned at the carnage left on the ground in front of him. At that moment, however, he understood the extent of his mother's love.
Nanny wasn't protecting him from harm. She was protecting him from having to make a choice he may not have been prepared to make.
To kill or to show mercy.
Red lowered her head to allow Nanny to enter the ship before taking off in the direction of the Black Lion.
Black met them half way.
"Allura, are you okay?"
"Yes. Seems you were right, I just had to focus."
"So…how much of that did you hear," Keith asked quietly.
"All of it." Allura's reply was somewhat hesitant and his chest tightened with worry.
God, she probably hated him right now. It was enough to ask her to carry a child that was part Galra, but this? A child that was a direct descendant of the people who took away her father and her planet? Surely, she wouldn't want to go through with it. With him.
He looked at Nanny, who was now crumpled on the floor and crying. Part of him wanted to be angry at her for keeping this from him. The other part understood why she did it.
"Keith," Allura finally spoke again. "I'm not marrying Lotor or carrying his child. That has nothing to do with his family, it has to do with the kind of person he is. This is about bringing hope to the universe, and for that we need Voltron. You've proven your loyalty to the mission. You've proven your love for me. I need you with me. I love you, and I love this child."
Those words would have been a balm to Keith in the past; now they failed to steady his nerves.
"Zarkon is not my father."
Keith turned abruptly to face his mother.
"My father was a good man. He started the resistance that eventually became the Blade of Marmora. The knife you've carried all these years was his. I took his side but Haggar was obsessed with power, so she left us for him."
The two sat in silence, Nanny sobbing quietly while her son wondered if he should ask the question.
"What happened to your father?"
"Zarkon's forces captured him. He was executed as a traitor by- by her hand."
As soon as Keith landed Red in her hangar he left his seat and dropped to the floor beside his mother.
"I'm so sorry. I'll make the bastard pay I swear."
"Revenge isn't what I want for you. You can be the kind of man my father was if you don't let hate and fear control you. Live for your future, not for my past."
A future. My future. With my family.
"Hey Captain, we just got word from Prince Bandor. They've taken Lotor and Haggar into custody and will deliver them to the Alliance prison base."
They weren't dead. That meant Zarkon would come after them eventually. But still it would buy the team some time to help the Alteans rebuild and then return to Earth.
He'd almost forgotten about the information Matt had given him.
"Keith, go find Allura. I'll be okay, if you need me I'll be in my quarters."
"Mom, no, it's…"
"Go. That's your future, remember," she quickly cut into his thought.
He hugged her tightly, his way of thanking her for taking on his burden.
Nanny pulled away with a warm smile, nodding the direction of the door. The irony was not lost on him. During his Blade of Marmora trials, he was trying to go through the door to determine who he was. Now he was going through the door to determine who he would become.
A husband and a father. And a good man, like his grandfather.
Keith ran down the corridors until he could sense the Princess nearby. He found Allura in the cryopod chamber; Coran had likely insisted she be checked immediately for any injuries to herself or the baby.
She was already connected to many different machines, several screens displaying numbers and symbols, none of which made any sense to him.
He quickly moved to her side. He could see the concern in her eyes and imagined they were likely a mirror image of his.
Coran was busy checking all the stats while the two of them waited in heavy silence. They both jumped when he finally spoke.
"Well everything looks normal! One healthy mom and one healthy child!"
Keith's knees finally gave out and he sank to the floor with relief. Allura fell over into his arms, nearly taking the medical equipment with her.
"So, we have less than nine months to defeat Zarkon now," Keith muttered, half-jokingly.
Allura and Coran exchanged confused glances before the advisor replied.
"Actually, Altean pregnancies last about four to five months. So, we're on a bit tighter of a timeline if you hope to accomplish that.
One thing Keith never wanted to do was to bring a child into the middle of a war. Now, faced with this reality, he wondered if he really could be the man his grandfather was. Now even his mother may not be able to keep the blood from his hands.
Allura looked at him with worry. She was good at reading his moods; most likely she could tell his thoughts had turned dark.
"Coran, have Romelle return to the castle then set a course for Earth. There's something we need to pick up."
Keith gaped at her. He'd expected to stay a while to help the Alteans.
"What are we picking up?"
"Shiro. He's your best man, right? Now, where do you want to get married?"