Chapter Ten- Pack Reunited

Kolivan wasn't sure what to expect from Allura after Shiro radioed her to tell her that they had some people she needed to meet. He knew his race was responsible for destroying her planet and people and she probably had a good deal of anger in her heart. There was also the chance that having Shiro around had made her see that not all Galra were evil or bad, never mind the fact that Shiro had originally been human.

The latter turned out to be the scenario that played out. He had knelt before her as did Antok and expressed his happiness that she had survived the attack. His also gave her his word that the Blade Marmora would ally itself with Voltron.

Allura smiled down at him. "Your pledge to help us will be of great help. Am I correct in assuming you have operatives within Zarkon's army?"

"You are correct and all are ready to act in an instant and are willing to die for the cause."

"They don't have to die."

"Knowledge or death, princess. That is our motto. Shiro knows that all too well. I suspect she would have laid down her life to prevent the Galra from getting their hands on Blue Lion."

Everyone looked at Shiro who nodded. "He's right. I would have done that."

"There is much to share with you, princess," Kolivan said as he stood. "Might we retire to somewhere more comfortable?"

"Of course. The lounge. Follow me." Allura led the group to the lounge where all nine of them settled on the couches: Five paladins, two Alteans, and two Blades. "Now then," Allura said. "What do you want to say?"

"First, you should know that Shiro is one of our operatives and I am allowing her to serve us as the black paladin. Before she left to retrieve Blue Lion, she became my mate and, for the Galra, mates cannot be separate for too long, otherwise it causes awful pain, emotionally and mentally.

Allura was stunned to hear such things and she recognized his words as a subtle request to remain onboard. She did not wish for Shiro to be in a pain that would prevent her from flying her lion. She finally nodded. "I hear what you are hinting at and I give you permission to remain here."

"Thank you, princess. I am grateful. Now, this may come as a surprise but your red paladin had one of our blades in his possession and he claimed to have had it his whole life. He was willing to take the Trials of Marmora to awaken it and prove himself worthy of it."

"Though I had protests of letting a kit take the Trials," Shiro growled as she fired a stern gaze at Kolivan.

"It was his choice and it confirmed a theory you had," Antok pointed out.

"What theory?" Allura asked, curious.

"That Keith is half-Galra," Shiro answered. "Another female Blade discovered Blue nineteen Earth years ago. I had theorized that she fell in love with a human, had a son, and left her blade for him when she had to leave."

"It fits everything about my past," Keith finally said. "I never knew my mother and lived with my father until he died. I'm currently eighteen."

"Your father never told you that your mother was Galra?" Allura asked.

Keith shook his head. "Humans don't possess the technology to travel through space the way the Alteans and Galra do. We haven't even left our solar system, much less encounter other races. I wouldn't have believed Dad if he told me."

Allura nodded. "Understood." Keith noted that she didn't sound suspicious or cold of this revelation of his heritage and he suspected it was because Shiro was Galra and Black had accepted her as her paladin. So, my being half-Galra isn't a big deal to her.

"Uh, what's a kit?" Hunk asked. "I mean…I think of a baby fox or a food kit or…" He trailed off.

Keith and Shiro blushed, the latter more than the former and Antok said, "It is a term we use for a Galra child. Eighteen is indeed young to us. Shiro's age is not much better. I speak for myself when I say both have a warrior's spirit that we need in our organization."

"I share that opinion myself and both are to fly their lions as their duty to the Blades," Kolivan said.

All nine then gathered on the bridge and around a round table with holographic images. They were trying to come up with a collaborative plan to take down Zarkon. It was not an easy thing to contemplate for Zarkon had Hagger and the Druids protecting him and then there were the soldiers and security bots. Pidge said that she could hack into the security bots' systems and control them.

"That's one less obstacle to contend with," Antok said.

"It turns out that we have one of our own on Zarkon's ship," Kolivan said. "Thace. He holds a commander's rank in the empire's army."

"Is that good?" Allura asked.

"It is. He has access to some important information and is in charge of system maintenance. If he can sabotage the ship without tipping his hand, it would be advantageous to us."

"Sabotage, like maybe a virus?" Coran asked.

Kolivan looked at Coran with a nod. "Just so. Thace has been working on developing one on Zarkon's orders. If he can introduce a destructive one into the ship after departing, it could then destroy the ship and Zarkon with it."

"Do you think the virus will work?" Shiro asked as she followed Kolivan with Antok behind her and he was steering Keith ahead of him.

"If he can pull it off, it would be a big blow to the empire. However, Zarkon has a son who could take over."

"A son?" she repeated.

"Yes, but no one knows much about him." He stopped at a room. "But, let us put the plan and Zarkon's son aside for now. We have another matter to attend to."

All four entered the room and Shiro's eyes widened at seeing a nest in the room. She climbed in after Kolivan and was pulled into an embrace. He began to lick and nuzzle her and she purred in response. Antok pulled Keith into the nest. "Come on, kit. Let us show you how a pack loves one another." He pulled Keith toward him and began to groom him.

Keith found the feel of Antok's tongue moving over his hair odd and he looked at Shiro who was licking the fur on Kolivan's head and her claws working his braid loose. A happy purr from her was heard and it drove home to him how much she had changed in a year, but it also told him how much she hadn't changed. She's still the Shiro I've known, just female and Galra now. He felt Antok carding his claws through his hair that he found soothing. His eyes closed and he was asleep, a purr coming from him that surprised all three Galra.

"I didn't think he could purr," Shiro murmured.

"Obviously he can," Antok noted. He pulled Keith closer. "He is really precious. Krolia would be proud of him."

"Hopefully our pack will be whole soon," Kolivan said. "I would like them to meet our kit and my mate."

Kolivan's hope came to pass. Thace was able to introduce a destructive virus into the ship with a time delay so he could leave on a mission for the empire without arousing suspicion. Zarkon, Hagger, and everyone on board were killed as the ship blew up. Thace, Regris, and Krolia gathered at headquarters and were joined by the rest of their pack a quintant or two later. They spent the brief time of peace to get to know each other and enjoy one another's company. Shiro savored these moments as she knew that all too soon she and Keith would return to their Blade mission as paladins of Voltron.

The End

Sorry for the rushed end to this story, but I tend to run out of steam after writing a story this long. My intention was to write to the end of the episode Blade of Marmora and I suceeded.