x
As Color Fades Away
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Haggar was in no hurry as she strolled down the hall.
She wanted to savor the moment after all.
The sound of her Lance's ragged, beautiful screams in front of her and the despairing shouts of her Shiro behind were a symphony that should be played out in full. She was unconcerned of her Champion coming upon her either; his combat skills were formidable, yes, but against her he was severely outmatched.
However...
He would be such a delight to put back into the ring.
She could not believe how well this entire plan was going. Despite the setbacks of the Paladins becoming wise to her decoy and the now subsequent battle raging outside in space, things were going in their favor.
Well.
Her favor. She was uncertain at this point if her emperor would indeed manage to claim his Black Lion, but if he did not she was certain there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. After all, she was about to bring five Paladins of Voltron down to a remaining measly two. She already had her Shiro trapped and he would be easy enough to subdue and of course her Lance was waiting for her just up ahead with no doubt the secondary Paladin the Galra forces had reported seeing.
She would eliminate that one very shortly. She had no need for any others, not even to try and harness their powerful quintessences.
Nothing was as powerful and sweet as her Lance's and she desired none other.
A frown did pull up her lips though as she continued her stroll.
How had the Paladins managed to free her Lance from his cell? She swiped a hand through the air, idly summoning her tablet and pulling up the replay footage. There was no camera on the outside of the cell — that had been a mistake on her part, she realized now — but from the feed inside her Lance's cell there was no sign of an entry. He was lying there, gasping for air with those quiet little breaths, in one frame and then spirited away the next.
That she could explain. The Green Paladin had hacked her camera system. He seemed to do that often, gaining easy access to their cameras, their floor plans, their data... it was infuriating. For every patch the Galra engineers came up with he bypassed it the next time.
Haggar would put a stop to him, this danger to the Empire. He surely had to be the other Paladin that her Shiro had brought with, although she had not yet figured out how the Green Lion was flying also without its Paladin. It seemed to be a common theme though as the Black Lion was acting on its own too. The Paladins were foolish if they thought their creatures had even a chance that way. Without a pilot they were mindless beasts.
But, she smiled, she would not kill the Green Paladin. Not quite yet. She would torture the insolent human first, discover how he had gotten through her magic. No one should have been able to get into that cell, not even another Druid. She would wring the answer from him and she would make her Lance watch, listen to his cries as his friend was flayed open and no that he could do nothing to protect him.
It would be beautiful.
Haggar rounded the bend—
And was brought up short as the Red Paladin materialized in front of her.
Red?
A dark smile grew on her face as she traced the Paladin's face under his visor. He was familiar to her.
She had seen him in glimpses of her Shiro's memories when he no longer had the strength to push her out. She had not cared then, not delved deeper than the surface as her Champion was a no one before she had discovered him and his memories were worthless to her.
But this boy...
He had been in a number of them. And now here he was, serving as the Red Paladin, the right hand to the Black.
He was precious to her Shiro.
She would very much enjoy killing him. Or, her eyes lit up, she could keep him too, pit him against her Shiro in the arena. With a little influence on her Champion, bending his will to her own... Oh, it would be a bloody, desperate and devastating battle. And once her Shiro realized he'd killed the boy, bathed himself in his blood...
Yes.
She would keep this one too, for a little while. Just long enough to use him and drink in the despair.
She laughed. Yes.
It would be perfect.
Keith was equally surprised at the sudden meeting and had leapt backwards, sword and shield raised.
But whereas Haggar seemed amused, Keith felt ice dread coiling in his stomach at the sight of her.
Shiro was supposed to be fighting sentries, he was supposed to be rushing to his aid to take out the rest of the robots so they could all escape, so they could go home.
This...
Haggar...
Something had happened.
"What the fuck did you do to Shiro?" he demanded, relieved when his voice came out a growl and not the nerves he was feeling.
How the fuck did he fight Haggar if not even Shiro could?
"Do to him?" Haggar repeated. "Nothing much, not yet." Her grin widened. "Not like what I wish to do with my Lance."
"He's not yours," Keith snarled.
And to his surprise Haggar laughed, the sound sending his hair rising. "Oh, you are his protegee, aren't you? You certainly are something special, Red Paladin."
Keith stiffened. What did she mean?
"Next to the two of you it is no wonder my Lance feels like such a failure."
"You don't know anything," Keith retorted even as his stomach clenched at the way she spoke about Lance, about his worth.
It struck too close to home, to his own previous words.
He'd been wrong. And she was too.
"I know enough," Haggar said.
And she disappeared in a whirl of crackling air, hiding somewhere beyond his sight.
Keith didn't like people like that. He didn't like their lies and deceptions and the broken promises and false hopes and how they wouldn't face a problem head on, wouldn't be honest. He'd dealt with those people all his life since he entered the foster system. It's why as much as he hated the pain, hated the fighting, he'd take the bullies, take the violent foster parents and their clear anger, their hate and their fists. He could see them coming. He could fight back.
Those that hid in the shadows with their lies and words were harder to pin down, harder to defend against. But he'd had practice. He knew how they worked. They were all cowards.
And cowards always went for the most vulnerable spot.
Keith whirled around and brought his sword up, intercepting Haggar's black wreathed hand that had been aimed for his back. He snarled back at her over the clash of their weapons, black sparks dancing along his blade.
She vanished again.
Keith disappeared too.
He leapt high into the air, jets propelling him even higher, eyes scanning down below for when Haggar showed herself. Height always had the advantage in a fight and even though he didn't have a long range weapon this way he could see her when—
"Behind you," came a whisper.
And then Keith was falling, his entire back alight with black flames.
A scream was torn from his throat as he felt his jetpack explode under the attack and the burst propelled him down the hall, slamming face first into a wall, suspended there for a moment as the thrusters ran their course.
He could hear Haggar coming up, feet pattering on the floor, and he barely managed to duck down beneath her hand going for his head, back still on fire, and her nails gouged scratches into the wall with a shriek.
Keith hit the floor, rolling, trying to soothe the flames even as the impact had him letting out another raw shout and he could feel his flesh burning both on his lower back and beneath the armor plating where the metal was searing against his undersuit.
Haggar gave him no time to even try and regain his feet, coming at him again with a black-wreathed hand and Keith struggled to right himself, digging his shield into the ground to drag him to his knees and even that had him gasping out as his back flared and only the shield kept him upright.
Keith tried to block the the direct attack, thrusting the shield up with all he had.
Haggar's attack sent him smashing again on the wall and a wordless scream was pulled as his back took the brunt of the hit.
Keith's vision went white.
When it cleared Haggar was standing above him where he lay crumpled against the wall.
Keith went to move, to fight, and...
And he couldn't move.
"I was expecting better," Haggar sighed, sounding almost put out.
"What did you do to me?" Keith growled, fighting against both the pain and the frozen state his body was in.
He hadn't broken his spine, had he? Was he paralyzed?
Keith gritted his teeth. No. That wasn't it. The witch had done something to him. And yet despite having him immobilized and at her mercy, she was not following through with a final blow.
What was she up to?
Haggar did not answer him, instead retrieving a small silver disc from inside her robe.
"Your screams are delightful though," she continued. "Come, let me hear them alongside my Lance's."
Keith knew in that instant exactly what that silver disc was.
The fucking remote for the shock collar.
"You—" he growled out, fingers twitching at his sides.
Haggar pressed the button.
Nothing happened.
Haggar blinked, clearly surprised, and turned her attention to the disc. She pressed it again, heard it click, but there was no delightful resulting scream from down the hall, which should be even louder now given her new proximity.
Either her Lance had died (impossible) or someone had disabled the collar.
Her eyes narrowed.
The Green Paladin.
That boy was becoming more than a thorn in her side. She could not wait to get her hands on him. He would beg for death and she would refuse, wringing every last scream from him that he had thought to rob her of. She would—
Haggar jumped back as a sword struck where her head had just been.
The Red Paladin was on his feet.
Barely.
Haggar gave him an appreciative look as he stood there, hunched over and chest heaving, and sword clutched tightly in both of his hands. Somehow this injured boy had fought off her magic while she had been somewhat distracted and had managed to propel himself to attacking despite the clear pain he was in.
He was strong. Very strong.
But not strong enough.
"What do you think you are accomplishing?" Haggar asked, cocking her head. "You cannot fight any longer."
"Watch me," he growled.
Haggar sent a burst of fire shooting from her fingertips with a sigh.
The Red Paladin valiantly tried to dodge, to Haggar's surprise doing so successfully, but the movement was too much and he crashed back down to his knees.
Keith's vision whited out again as the impact shot up his back and he found himself pitched forward on his hands a moment later, bayard returned to his holster.
No.
He had to get up, he had to fight, he had to—
Haggar's foot slammed down on his back.
Keith wailed, crashing down to the floor.
Haggar ground his foot into his back, pressing charred armor and melted undersuit further into his flesh.
"You have lost, Paladin," she sneered.
Keith choked on his next breath, lungs seizing as she pressed down harder.
"Take comfort," she said. "You are not to die yet."
What?
She was sparing his life?
Why?
"But soon enough..." Her hands crackled with black lightning and Keith found himself frozen again, helpless as she lifted the glowing orb above him. "You will be but a memory."
Keith held her gaze, refusing to look away at her incoming attack.
He would not be scared.
Even if he had never been more terrified in his life.
"Keith!"
The scream had Haggar looking away from the collapsed figure, this time making sure her hold was strong to keep him down, taking in the form of the charging Green Paladin.
Oh.
How very interesting.
The Green Paladin was a little girl.
"Keith!" the girl shouted, so young, so scared, and Haggar found herself smiling as a shiver of excitement ran down her spine.
She was going to have so much fun listening to those tortured screams.
She may as well start now.
Haggar re-directed her attack towards the charging Paladin and grinned as eyes widened behind her visor.
It was too late to draw a shield and her weapon, a strange handled typed object, would be useless in repelling the attack.
Haggar waited for the scream of pain as it connected with the small body.
Her spell passed harmlessly through the girl.
Yellow eyes widened. What...?
There was no more time for anything else as the spell smashed into the curve of the hallway and exploded.
Debris rained down as the hall shook and Haggar found herself staggering back from the force, eyes stinging in the sudden smoke.
That had been... surprising.
Haggar was not hurt though and she turned her attention back towards the Red Paladin, still frozen under her spell.
The Green one was kneeling right next to him.
How...?
When had the girl gotten past her?
It was of no consequence.
Both Paladins were stationary now, the girl yelling for the Paladin dear to her Shiro to move, get up, and her shakes to him were doing nothing. His eyes were wide open, the earlier defiance from before gone and replaced with a panic and despair that warmed Haggar's soul as she approached.
Much better.
Haggar summoned another glowing orb, this one larger than her previous attack that spanned nearly the width of the entire hall.
She'd like to see the them evade this.
But before she could cast it sharp, stabbing pain filled her and a shriek bubbled forth between her own lips.
And with a thud Haggar crumpled to the floor.
Behind her the real Pidge stood, limbs shaking and chest heaving as she lowered her bayard that had delivered the most powerful shock she could conjure. "Take that, you bitch," Pidge muttered.
She resisted the urge to collapse herself.
Pidge had heard Shiro yelling faintly but had remained put. She knew their flank was well protected, the two Lions on the other side of the door in the hangar and with only one way in via the hall in front of her Lance was defended from the front by her. She just had to stand her ground and wait for Keith and Shiro to return.
But then she'd heard Keith's scream.
And if Keith were screaming then...
Then it was not just sentries up there. If it had been both Shiro and Keith would have returned already and they'd have escaped together, which meant something else, someone else, had entered the battle. Someone who had disabled both Shiro and Keith. Pidge had a sinking feeling she knew who it was.
And if she was right... then they needed help. She'd cast a look down at Lance, fully unconscious but still in so much pain, and had swallowed thickly.
What did she do?
She knew she could not lift Lance, but she could drag him, painfully, slowly, towards the Lions and have them stand guard, maybe even convince Green to take off on her own and make for the castle with Lance aboard. But that would take time, at least three minutes, likely longer.
Keith and Shiro might not have three minutes.
And she'd already promised herself, they either all went home together or they didn't go home at all.
She would not leave Keith and Shiro behind. Never.
It meant she had to leave Lance though. Just for a few minutes, she told herself. And she would still be the front guard, no one was going to reach him unless they got through her. And if that happened...
Well, then they were all fucked anyways.
Pidge was not as physically strong as any of her fellow Paladins and she knew her fighting strengths came in speed and cleverness. It would be suicide to rush out, thinking she could overpower someone like Haggar even with the element of surprise. So she needed more.
She'd created a hologram, sending it in ahead of her down the hall. It had definitely been the right decision as Haggar had attacked it, the hologram fizzling out in pixels. Pidge had used the cover provided by the smoke from the blast and sent another hologram out, gut clenching as she sent it to Keith's side where he was just lying there and please don't let him be dead oh God please don't let him be dead and Haggar had fallen for it, turning to eliminate what she thought was both of them.
Pidge had crept up behind her and shocked the witch with every ounce of power her bayard had.
And now...
Now she was defenseless, collapsed in front of her.
Pidge could end this.
She could kill Haggar.
A shiver went down her spine. It wouldn't be hard. She could convert her bayard into the long knife she had been practicing switching it to (as once she'd learned the bayards could have multiple forms she'd known she needed some type of closer combat weapon and apparently her bayard had decided that meant a thin, almost stiletto dagger just a little large) and stab it into the witch's head.
Even she couldn't survive that, right?
But...
Should she?
Haggar was defenseless. Unarmed.
Pidge would not be killing her like this.
She'd be murdering her.
Her hand wavered, gripping the dagger that had already formed.
Haggar deserved it. She did. She had hurt Lance, Shiro. Most definitely hurt thousands of others, killed them. She'd destroyed lives and homes and planets. She was dangerous. It was better for them all if she was dead.
But could she really play the role of executioner? Was would her father say? Shiro? Matt?
Her stomach clenched again and she felt acid tickle her throat. Was this the right choice? Could she live with herself if she did this? Look in the mirror again and see anyone but a murderer staring back?
Gunfire sounded from down the hall and Pidge jerked her head up.
That was close.
She looked at Haggar and then past her to Keith, who was twitching his outstretched right hand on the ground but clearly was not going to be back on his feet under his own power in the next few seconds.
Pidge looked once more at the witch, swallowed, and then changed her bayard back into the shock katar and stepped around her fallen form and headed for Keith.
Her stomach twisted.
She had a feeling she'd just made a huge mistake.
There was no time to second guess it though as Shiro was suddenly there, sprinting full out while the gunfire echoed from behind him. His eyes saw Pidge first, widening in surprise, and then traveled to Keith, who had manged to brace himself on his hands now but he was still on the ground.
Then he caught sight of Haggar, collapsed by Pidge.
What?
There was no time though to ask, to wonder, to do anything as there was another squadron of sentries behind him and Galran officers who had appeared as soon as Shiro had finished fighting off the clones and they did not have time to fight them all.
"Go!" Shiro yelled in Pidge's direction while he bent down and hefted Keith to his feet, who nearly toppled over and a quiet but clear moan groan of pain sounded even above the firefight. But Keith was on his feet and that's all Shiro had time to note for now, slinging one of Keith's arms over his neck and using his prosthetic to clamp about Keith's side and hold him steady as he forced him into a run.
Keith didn't complain, but Shiro could hear his hitched breaths and the way he leaned heavier and heavier on Shiro with each step. By the time they were approaching the hangar doors Shiro was almost entirely supporting Keith's weight.
Shiro realized the problem as soon as Lance's curled up form came into view.
"'m fine," Keith managed, moving to disentangle himself from Shiro's hold.
"Pidge," Shiro barked as she was opening the hangar door. "Help Keith."
Pidge gave a quick nod and was at Keith's side within the moment, slinging his arm more akwardly than Shiro had thanks to her height but she pulled him forward with almost as much strength and Keith tried his best to keep his feet beneath him.
He couldn't afford to fall now because he didn't think he'd be getting back up, his vision already speckled with black spots.
Shiro turned his attention to Lance, scooping him up none too gently with a silent apology. He was through the hangar doors, hissing shut behind him, when he realized the collar was still secured around Lance's neck.
He froze.
They couldn't leave with it still on, Haggar could track them and then—
"Move it, Shiro!" Pidge yelled over her shoulder as she hit the base of the Red Lion's ramp, lowered already and particle shield dissolved. "It's disabled!"
She didn't wait for a response, already hauling Keith up the ramp and practically dumped him into the pilot's chair. He reached trembling hands out to the controls, nearly slumping over them.
His back was a mess of charred armor and his undersuit seemed melted. Pidge's stomach twisted. That... that did not look good.
"Can you fly?" she asked bluntly, trying to hide her worry beneath the brusque tone.
He gave a tight nod. "Y-yeah."
And that was good enough for Pidge. If Keith said he could do it, he could do it.
She hurried back down the ramp just as Shiro was reaching it, having taken a moment to smash out the keypad on their side to stall the Galrans for at least an extra minute.
Lance was still cradled in Shiro's arms but it was now that Pidge noticed something else about their leader.
He was coated in blood.
Lance's blood, she knew, as it was smeared in streaks all about Shiro's chestplate and knees, but even knowing that Shiro still looked pale, his own breaths too shallow and his eyes a little too wide.
He had encountered Haggar after all.
"Shiro," she whispered.
He gave her a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You okay?"
She nodded around the sudden lump in her throat.
"Good. I need—" the door behind them gave an ominous rattle. "I need you to cover us," Shiro continued. "Can you do that?"
So he was aware of Keith's less than ideal state. Pidge had no doubt her most stubborn teammate would do all he could to pilot the temperamental Red Lion and he would do it, but she also had no doubt it would not be quite the usual grace and speed to which Keith flew.
And they were about to enter a large scale aerial firefight.
Assuming, that is, that Hunk and Allura were still fighting.
Pidge felt her stomach give a heave. She had left them. They were out there all by themselves against Zarkon and she had—
"Katie," Shiro cut into her thoughts and her actual name, which Shiro only rarely pulled out, startled her out of her spiral. "Katie, I need you to focus, okay?"
"'kay," she managed. "Shiro, I... It's... It's bad out there. Hunk and Allura..."
"We'll get through it," he said and despite the fact she knew he was just as worried as she his calm and confidence reassured the worst of the roiling in her. "I'm counting on you."
"I won't let you down," she promised.
Her gaze drifted to Lance then, so still, so small, in Shiro's arms.
She wouldn't let him down either.
They were all going to make it out of here. She would make sure of it.
She boarded Green and flipped the controls to bring the Lion back online, thrusters engaging with a a comforting rumble. Next to her the Red Lion was doing the same, already wheeling around for the hangar door that Pidge remotely opened for the last time.
And within the minute both Lions were roaring into space.
xxx
"Does anyone copy?" Allura pleaded, tapping on her communications. "Keith? Pidge?"
No one responded.
Allura grit her teeth and rolled Blue out of the way of Zarkon's canon blast.
She could not take much more.
They needed to retreat while the Lions were still mobile. The Blue Lion was already down to near critically low power levels as much of it had gone to shielding against Zarkon's over-powered attacks and the fire from the battleships that had not fallen back even as she had engaged with their leader. The Galra had no honor, she'd snarled to herself, as they had taken her open flank to try and barrage the Blue Lion while she was under attack from Zarkon.
Cowards.
The Yellow Lion's defensive capablities had been invaluable in keeping them afloat, but Hunk had relayed just a couple dobashes ago that even his shiels were compromised and growing steadily worse as the Lion was also diverting all offensive power to the shields, which Hunk was then using to physically ram himself into Galra ships.
He had depleted a large part of the fleet with such a method but the damage was starting to reflect back on him and they still had nearly ten enemy ships plus Zarkon.
Zarkon, who was pressing his advantage and had twice now managed to ensnare the exhausted and pilotless Black Lion, forced to battle on pure instinct without a guiding hand and it was showing. Blue and Allura had managed to unleash their own attack on Zarkon, freeing the Black Lion both times, but she knew such luck would not last.
They were out of time and out of ideas. They needed to retreat but they could not do so as they were; Zarkon would follow and they had not the strength to repel him.
They needed help.
"Allura," Hunk panted over his headset, sounding just as desperate as she felt. "Yellow can't take—"
He was cut off as coordinated blast engulfed his Lion, lighting up the yellow paneling a violent purple.
"Hunk!" Allura screamed as the Lion's eyes went dark and with it her shields.
She was completely at the fleet's mercy.
"Blue!" she cried and the Lion responded to Allura's controls, wheeling about to rush to the Yellow Lion's side.
Zarkon intercepted them.
He sliced out with the black bayard, a large broadsword now, and the attack clipped against Blue's outstretched front paw.
The Lion screamed out her pain and recoiled from the blow.
"Now now," Zarkon swished the blade to the side with practice ease. "Not so fast, Princess."
Allura's breath caught.
He knew she was in the Blue Lion, somehow.
"Zarkon," she snarled, activating Blue's outside communications. There was no reason to hide who was Blue's pilot now. "Get out of my way."
He chuckled. "As though your threats scare me. Tell me, Princess, how does it feel to finally be the Blue Lion's pilot? Is it all you dreamed of?"
Allura grit her teeth. How dare he. How dare he even think back to those quiet conversations of eons ago, of Allura listening as he regaled her with tales of he and the Paladins' missions, of her expressing her hope of one day being a Paladin too just like her father. He'd chuckled, asking her if she really wished to fly such a "temperamental beast," and she had retorted of course not, she would be the Blue Lion's Paladin as blue was her favorite color.
This was not how she had ever wanted to pilot the Blue Lion.
This was the furthest thing from a dream.
This was a nightmare.
She responded with a sharp tail blast from Blue's cannon.
Zarkon deflected it with a sigh.
Blue's console flashed with a final warning of eight percent power. Enough for one more strike if she gave it everything. Allura swallowed. It would not be enough.
"I admire your efforts," Zarkon said. "Truly. But you were foolish, Princess, thinking you could go up against my empire. You have failed, completely and utterly. Look about you and see the destruction you have allowed."
"Blue," Allura whispered instead, trying not to listen to his words. Perhaps her decisions had not been the wisest but they were not foolish. It was never foolish to wish to save a friend. It was never foolish to hope. She could not let go of that sentiment, no matter the odds.
They only had eight percent, one chance, but... but they had to try.
She felt the Lion agree.
As one they feinted right, drawing Zarkon in that direction as he reached out with is sword to once more block them from going around to where the Yellow Lion was surrounded now and being fired upon by the remainder of the fleet.
Blue spun though in the turn, a full somersault that flipped Allura's stomach, and let out a roar and a burst of light from her mouth, angled directly at Zarkon's unprotected back.
It collided.
Allura held her breath as all around her the Blue Lion's systems began to go dark, a one percent warning showing that was hovering before it too went to zero.
Had it been enough?
"Fortunately for you," Zarkon's voice echoed through the smoke, speaking as though there had been no pause in their conversation.
No...
Yellow eyes glowed through the gloom. "You will not have to live to see it."
Zarkon's sword had been replaced with a cannon, so large it dwarfed even him.
A strike from that on the defenseless Blue Lion...
Allura knew her fate.
Lion sorry Blue rumbled, despair overwhelming down their link. Lion failed.
"Oh, Blue," Allura whispered, placing a hand on the darkening console. "No. Please do not..."
Lion failed my Paladin came Blue's final whisper, her cry.
Her presence faded.
Allura spread both hands against the console, trying desperately to channel some of her own power, her own quintessence, into the ancient Lion.
Nothing.
There was the barest hint of power now and Allura turned her attention to the recording software, throat thick, as Zarkon's cannon charged outside, brighter and brighter with every tick.
She had no idea if it would survive such a blast but...
But she had someone she must say good bye to.
He deserved at least that much.
Shaking fingers turned the record button on.
"C-Coran," she whispered, tears threatening to spill over. "Coran, if you hear this—"
The light on the console went fully dark.
Allura let out a low sob.
This was her end.
She had failed.
She had failed Lance. Coran. The other Paladins. The universe.
And now she would pay for these failures with her life.
She looked up, gazing out Blue's darkened window at Zarkon hovering just beyond with his fully charged cannon.
As if knowing he had her attention Zarkon chuckled.
"Farewell, Princess."
Allura braced her hands on the console, waiting for the attack.
It did not come.
Instead there was a pulse around her, the systems flaring to life beneath her hands, and the sudden feeling of such sheer joy and love that Allura's breath caught.
It couldn't be...
The Blue Lion had come back online, restored with full power.
My Paladin! the shout from the Blue Lion was overwhelming that Allura was physically bowled backwards in the seat. My Paladin is here!
Allura's lip trembled. "Lance," she breathed.
Zarkon's attack collided with the Blue Lion but her shields were up, fully active, and dispersed it.
Power remained at one hundred percent.
Blue fired back with her own attack, a blast so large, so strong, so quick, that Zarkon did not even have a chance to shield against it.
He was sent flying backwards with a shout, crashing into and through one of the many darkened ships lying about, an explosion rocketing the area.
Blue was already moving, flying so fast Allura was plastered back in the seat, and angling towards what appeared to be a section of empty space.
"Allura!" Pidge's voice crackled in her ear. Allura felt her breath catch again. Pidge. She was okay. She was—
"Allura, slow down," Pidge's voice rose in pitch, "you're—"
Blue and Allura crashed into something and Allura, as her head rattled about in her helmet, realized they had just encountered the cloaked Green and Red Lions.
Of which Lance must be aboard.
My Paladin My Paladin My Paladin Blue echoed, paws scrabbling against the air.
One of the cloaked Lions let out a roar of her own, not of joy but of fear, and Blue backed off immediately. Allura could feel the sudden wash of guilt but Blue offered no explanation and she did not have time to press, merely pressing what she hoped was a comforting hand on the dashboard.
"Where's Hunk?" Keith's voice crackled over the comms, faint for him.
Pained, Allura placed. He was hurt.
How badly?
Before she could answer though there was another patch of static.
"—help Yellow is—" a burst of feedback "—'t online does anyone co—"
Hunk.
He was okay.
For now.
"I will assist Hunk," Allura said, the Blue Lion fully charged once more and more than enough to take out the few ships blasting away at the floating Yellow Lion. "Pidge, Keith, how much cloaking do you have left?"
"Twenty dobashes," Pidge chimed in while Keith muttered out a smaller, "four."
"Pidge, with me," Allura ordered. "Keith, can you assist the Black Lion?"
Meaning could he take on Zarkon? He had gone one on one with the emperor before in the Red Lion and was their best chance at successfully drawing fire away from the Black Lion so she could make her own escape, but if he was injured—
"On it," came the short reply.
"Good. Once clear retreat for the castle. Everyone copy?"
Pidge and Keith both gave the affirmative. Hunk remained silent.
The cloaked Green and visible Blue Lions whirled away, Blue letting out a mournful sound as she was separated from her Paladin, and Lance twitched in Shiro's arms as though he'd heard it, although he remained fortunately unconscious.
Shiro looked up from Lance to where he could make out just a glimpse of Keith's arm from where he had wedged himself into the corner of the cockpit, legs braced as best he could since the seat was out of the question with Lance in his lap, the dark head pillowed against his chest and shallow breaths hot against Shiro's neck.
He couldn't really see Keith but he'd heard the pain, the exhaustion in his voice when he answered Allura.
"Keith, are you okay to—"
"I'm fine, Shiro," Keith interrupted. "I can do this."
Shiro gave a slow nod. Keith didn't need any backseat driving right now or a concern he could not give into. "Okay," Shiro said quietly. "You've got this, buddy."
Keith didn't answer but Shiro felt Red's engines thrum beneath him and they were off.
Keith didn't allow himself to falter, even as his head pounded and spots continued to dance in his eyes. Red helped him, her natural grace and speed lending him the strength he needed to pilot her, angling her through the debris field and towards Zarkon and the trapped Black Lion.
Keith's eyes narrowed.
Not on his watch.
It was not honorable what he was about to do, attacking an enemy unseen.
Keith could not afford to care about honor right now. Not when he could feel himself fading, knew he had only a couple minutes left before he gave into the blackness trying to fill his vision.
"Red," he whispered and his Lion spewed out a burst of flames.
They caught Zarkon completely unaware.
The Galran let out a shout, more likely surprised than hurt as his armor had shown to be more than what it appeared, and was blasted across the sky.
Red let out a roar and the Black Lion pulled herself away free from where she had been crunched into part of the base, echoing a weaker version of it.
Her thrusters fired up behind her, moving to join the Red Lion, to retreat—
And a beam of light intercepted her.
Shiro felt a sudden rush of despair, of anger, and it took all he had not to yell out as Black's roar shook the very space around them.
"What happened?" he demanded, unable to see.
Black let out another roar.
"Keith!"
"A... a tractor beam," came Keith's quiet, horrified reply. "Shiro, I..."
The Red Lion wasn't strong enough to push Black out without getting caught herself and it would take several passes and hits on the origin of the beam to halt it.
Time they did not have as Zarkon was coming back to the fight.
Keith whirled Red around, one minute left of cloaking, and fired, taking the Galran by surprise yet again and Zarkon went spiraling through the air. If they weren't in such trouble Keith might have allowed himself a smirk at the pinwheel Zarkon made.
"Get out of the way!" Hunk screamed over the comms and Keith barely had time to fly Red higher before the Yellow Lion was there and crashing into Black like a freight train.
Hunk had thought he and Yellow were goners.
Her power had been on very base, just enough to keep her oxygen systems online, and the Galra had been open firing, blasts smashing into her sides and Hunk kept praying that they would somehow hold, that he wouldn't be blasted, sucked out into space, where he'd die and—
It had taken several heavy breaths and the barest murmur of presence Yellow had left to pull Hunk back from that edge.
That hadn't happened yet. He had to make sure it didn't.
Communications had shorted out from the low power but Hunk didn't let that stop him, plugging the system into his suit and allowing Yellow to draw power from it. He'd managed to send out a line requesting assistance and it must have been heard as a minute later the Blue Lion was flying down, incasing the ships about him in ice and... and vines?
Hunk had realized then that Pidge must be there, still cloaked in Green. And if Pidge had returned to the battle then...
Then Lance was with her.
They'd done it.
There was no time for celebration though as a roar echoed through all of space and Hunk had turned to see the Black Lion caught up in a tractor beam and being reeled in. The Red Lion flickered into view then, her cloaking gone, and floating just outside the beam but helpless to intervene.
The mission had been to rescue Lance and that had been accomplished. But losing the Black Lion was an unacceptable loss, especially when he could prevent it. If it had been between Lance or Black Hunk knew who he would pick in a heartbeat. But Lance was safe now. And now it was Black's turn to be saved.
"Hey girl," he'd whispered to Yellow, pushing all he had left from his suit into her systems, feeling the power and compression about him lessen as he drained the crystal. "Think you're up for one more hit?" In answer she had converted all of her remaining power to her frontal shields.
And here they were. Thanks to Yellow's bulk and momentum when they slammed into Black both Lions were pushed clean out of the beam.
"Go!" roared Allura in his ear and Hunk did not need any second urging, wheeling Yellow around and taking off after the visible Blue Lion with Black and Red hot on his heels.
Keith glanced in the rearview as they fled from the carnage they'd left behind.
Not a single Galran cruiser remained, all blackened husks and floating aimlessly through the air. He faintly heard Zarkon's shout of rage and it brought the smallest smirk to his face.
"We did it," Keith murmured, needing to say it out loud to make it real. He slumped then in the seat and gave Red the mental command to take over. Her concern, hot and sharp, pressed against his mind and he lifted a leaden limb and let it fall against the armrest in as much of an answer as he could give, his head feeling fuzzy and everything being overtaken by the darkness now while his back throbbed with a fire that burned only hotter when Red gave him a mental nudge and he tried to contain his groan.
He just...
Just needed to close his eyes for a moment.
He'd be fine when the world stopped spinning.
Just a moment.
His head tilted back against the seat...
And Keith passed out cold.
"We did," Shiro said allowing himself a small, relieved smile. His expression turned grim though as Lance shuddered in his grasp, an indistinguishable word passing between bloodied lips. "It's not over yet though."
Silence echoed in the cockpit.
"Keith?" Shiro inquired, hating the familiar feeling of his stomach clenching at the quiet. "Keith?"
Still no answer.
"Keith? Buddy, answer me," Shiro called, unable to move so as not to jostle Lance. Still no answer.
Cursing under his breath, Shiro inched his way out of the corner so he could crane his neck around the pilot's chair. His stomach officially dropped at the sight of Keith lying motionless, only the armrest keeping him up right.
"Keith," Shiro called out again, pitch rising. "Keith, answer me."
He tried to recall what he'd seen in that brief, panicked moment when he encountered Pidge and Keith that would indicate a fatal type of injury but all he could remember was urgency and blasts and Keith's pained breaths as he hobbled along with Shiro's help. Keith had been talking though? And walking, sort of. And he'd have said something if he'd been hit, right?
But what if he didn't realize it had been that bad? What if—
Shiro took a deep breath. Panicking was not going to help and there was nothing he could do for the moment. Besides, he calmed himself, Pidge had been there. Pidge would have seen if Keith had been wounded that badly and she definitely would have said something.
It was as close to reassured as he could get at the moment.
Shiro let out a deep sigh, willing his heart to stop its timpani.
Roused by the movement, Lance stirred in Shiro's arms.
"It's just me, buddy," Shiro soothed, being careful not to touch Lance any more than he already was and keep his voice level to calm Lance as much as to calm himself. "You're safe now. It's all right."
It was all going to be all right.
Whether Lance actually understood him or not, he drifted back into the clutches of unconsciousness within the moment, although the little whimpers he'd been making that Shiro had almost gotten used to were definitely more pronounced. Damn it.
He needed to contact the team. His hands were a little bit full though and given how even heavy breathing was enough to disturb Lance he didn't dare try and retrieve his arms and risk actually waking Lance fully up.
He somehow managed to activate his headset comm by clunking his head against the wall.
"Paladins, do you all copy?" Shiro asked quietly. The question was simple but something must have shown in his tone because as everyone keyed in with an affirmative Allura's responding "What is it?" was sharp with worry.
"We're going to need two cryo-pods," Shiro said, keeping his gaze locked on Keith and visually confirming that the boy's chest was indeed rising and falling. "Keith's hurt pretty bad too, I think."
"I knew it," Pidge muttered, but she sounded more concerned than anything.
"We may have a slight problem," Allura said after a pause. "The truth is… we will not have any cyro-pods available to us for at least a few varga."
"What?" Shiro asked shortly, not even caring that it was incredibly rude. Static crackled behind him as though to back up his ire.
"The half-jump used up most of our crystal power," Allura hurried, "and we must use the remaining to enact the wormholes."
"What?" Shiro repeated, voice flat.
"How long have you know about this?" Hunk sounded angry and Allura winced.
"Just before we began the half-jump," she admitted. "There was no sense in worrying you all though with something we cannot control."
"Allura, Lance doesn't need one cryo-pod, he needs like ten," Pidge snapped.
"I know!" the princess cried. "I know! But—"
"You made the best choice you could," Shiro cut in, closing his eyes in resignation and resisting the urge to tighten his arms around Lance. "You're right. We need to find a safe location where Zarkon cannot follow. We can take care of Lance and Keith in the meantime."
There was silence then.
"For what it is worth, I am sorry it had to be this way," Allura said quietly. "I would never wish for Lance or Keith to suffer more than they have already endured."
"No need to apologize," Pidge sighed. "I'm sorry too. I know it's not your fault."
"Me too," came Hunk's guilty tone.
"We should be within the castle's communication space in the next dobash," Pidge said a moment later. Before they left they had made it so the castle could not receive or send out transmissions unless the signal came from within a certain distance. It helped to cloak the castle from any Galran probes. "And… we're in limit."
Shiro went to activate his headset first, but Coran beat them all to it. "Paladins? Princess? Please tell me everyone is all right. Is Lance with you?"
"We are all here, Coran," Shiro said.
"Oh thank Alaaran," Coran breathed. "And Lance—?"
"It's not good," Shiro said. "He really needs a cryo-pod, but Allura told us they're out of commission."
"I'm sorry, lad," Coran apologized. "We'll do the best we can in the meantime. Can you give me a quick run-down of Lance's most severe injuries so I can begin preparing treatment options?"
"Uh…" Shiro wasn't really sure where to begin. He only had basic medical training and describing Lance as one human-sized lump of pain wasn't very descriptive. Pain. Right. "They injected something into him. Sah-lee-dah," he sounded said, recalling the strange word.
Coran's intake of breath was hard to miss. "Did you say saliidda? They injected it?"
"Yes," Shiro confirmed, recalling the syringe that had been used to garner entry into Lance's cell that he'd had the foresight to pocket. Leaving it behind would have been a clue as to how they had gotten in and Shiro would not return the Galran lieutenant's kindness by leaving evidence that would implicate him in the rescue. Shiro had seen enough Galran justice to know how that would go and despite choosing to continue to fight with the Empire, Shiro had seen enough of Yanden's character to know that should — when — the war cease someone of his ideals would make a valuable ally and be instrumental in returning the Galra to a code of true honor and morals.
He hoped they one day did meet again, but across from one another at a diplomatic table rather than in the crosshairs of the Galran's rifle. Shiro did not like to think how that would end.
"Saliidda is not meant to be used like that," Coran growled, cutting into Shiro's distracted musings. "It is for topical use only! For medical purposes! They… they…" he trailed off into a stream of Altean curses that had all of the Paladins wincing. "How much is in him?" he asked.
"I think about a syringe worth, maybe four ounces," Shiro estimated from his recollection of the attached vial, looking down at Lance with even more worry. His breathing was becoming more labored and Shiro was afraid that at any second it would stop altogether.
"When you land bring him straight to the Princess' chambers," Coran ordered. "I'll start the tap on her bath. Hydration is the only way to remove saliidda from the body and the buoyancy of water should eliminate much of the immediate pain. Are there any other major injuries you can identify, Number One?"
"I'm not sure," Shiro admitted, voice catching. "There's... there's a lot of blood."
There was so much blood. The only comfort Shiro had was most of it seemed to be smeared rather than gushing from any particular wound. There was a slash on Lance's stomach that was still sluggishly leaking but that did seem to be the worst one for the moment. He didn't think it was fatal.
"We're less than five dobashes out," Pidge updated them, clutching Green's controls as if that could make them go faster. "What... What are our plans when we land?"
"Direct all of the Lions to the main hall for landing," Allura commanded, voice steady despite the circumstances and Shiro felt reassured in the face of her confidence. "I shall go to the bridge to activate the wormhole jump. Pidge, you are with me for now to provide support. Hunk, you shall assist Coran with Lance. Shiro, you are responsible for Keith. Understood?"
Nods and affirmations sounded over the comms.
Shiro disconnected his with another head thunk.
Lance shuddered again.
"We're almost there, buddy," Shiro murmured looking to Lance and then to Keith. "Don't give up on us now, okay?"
A soft moan and gasp was his answer from Lance. Keith remained silent.
"Almost there," Shiro repeated, trying to find comfort in the words. He turned his gaze to Red's front window, the castle a speck on the horizon. "Almost there…"
Almost was still so, so far away.
Author's Notes:
The end! Thank you all so much for your support and… oh, it's not the end yet? I promised hurt and comfort and bonding and cuddles? Hmm, that does ring a bell. Yes. Okay, this is the end of part one then. Onwards to round two!
The rescue has officially come to a close. Pidge got to be a BAMF like we all know she is, although she's morally hung up right now. Can you blame her? Keith was pretty bad ass too. Really, everyone is amazing. Hunk saved Black, Allura and Blue faced down Zarkon and death (doesn't get more real than a giant cannon preparing to blast you into pieces) and Shiro is getting them all to safety. Although I have been enjoying writing this entire rescue, a lot of the "scenes" in this chapter have been my favorite. I hope you all enjoyed them too!
Huge thanks as always to the reviewers who keep me going (especially writing this while sick still. Uggggghhhhh. I super appreciate all the well wishes too! :*) Major hugs (from a safe, no-germ distance) go to: vickydd, Neko Noire, Wolf of the Demise, BlueCottonCat, Stargirl720, KarleighH, Guest, Jennyfish26, wingedflower, Arrowshaft, dragoscilvio, Sirrius The Moonblade, BatmanReborn, sally3015, Merlin's Knight, imagine forevermore, stealingthestars, Spacenerd7, Alexa, Guest, The Flightless Girl, LishaChan, JustADamFrenchFry, Rookblonkorules, DoctorMerlinReid, MonMinou, Pheonixwarrior123, Eeveecat1248, Jadegem02, StrawberryFever3, Guest, luminoslight1313, 0WolfFaerie0, Shadow Gray, Violinworld, Death Jump, PaintedWings45, Finnesotan, llamamoose23 and Lasagna!
I also wanted to announce that Over the Edge placed first in Geek Kon's fanfiction writing contest! I'm over the moon! If you're a fan of platonic Pidge and Lance with some whump and action, feel free to take a look!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter/rescue. Favorite section? Line? (I seriously love hearing your guys's favorite quotes, I'm not joking). Thoughts for the next chapter? Anyone see the potential problem brewing? Mwahaha.
Thanks again everyone! Look forward to hearing from you and see you next chapter!