Chapter 32: Telling Tales (Allura's POV)
Allura sits down in the interrogation room, Cimiru across from her. She sighs and hopes this works to get some information out of the prisoner. If it doesn't, then they'll have to try their luck with another pilot instead. Here's hoping.
"Cimiru I know I came off as a bit strong earlier so instead of me trying to get you to talk and me to listen. I thought we could do the other way around, where I talk and you listen."
Cimiru's arms still folded and raised her eyebrow in puzzlement. Breathing deeply she begins, "Being a part of Voltron I got to see many wondrous places, travel to distinct planets and meet various people."
"One planet we visited was full of dragon-like people who can live for ages. Their society is a pacifist one, choosing to object to combat. Their planet was very serene and the culture nice. The trees have red leaves that are similar to the red leaves that the tress on Earth take on during something they call Autumn. We also visited a planet where the species are very high tech and also intune with their planet's nature. The people are also very wise and harbor great advice. We even went to an alternate reality…."
Keith's POV
Ketih plays the piano in the instrument room Commander Holt built for the Atlas to keep the musically inclined members of the crew entertained during the slow hours where nothing exciting happens.
His hands glide amongst the keys of the piano, knowing each key by memory. Keeping his eyes closed the music guides him along a mystical journey conveyed by each note, minor and major, low and high, tempo. And for a moment his worries melt away and he's able to relax and forget about the pressing matters at hand and the memories that haunt him.
Suddenly he hears a noise and he jumps up, making the music grind to a halt, and moving the piano bench a smidge.
Looking away from the piano he notices Krolia, who looks a little embarrassed.
"Oh please don't stop on my account." Krolia says.
"I, uh, you just startled me."
Krolia chuckles softly, "I see that. And I didn't mean to. It's just whatever made the music sounded so lovely."
"The Blades didn't have any instruments?"
"Yes we have flight instruments that help us pilot in space….."
"I meant instruments like the piano."
Krolia blinks in confusion.
"The piano is a musical instrument, used for generating sound….."
"Oh. No the Blades did not have these 'musical' instruments. Most of our time was spent on combat training, spy training and flight training."
Keith rubs his neck, "Wow, Galran's sure do like combat a whole lot."
Krolia proudly states, "It's in our blood. Our ancestors were great warriors, experts in combat strategies and techniques."
"Right."
"Why are you sorrowful at the thought? Is combat not an integral part of your society?"
"It's nothing,"
"It's not nothing. You are clearly being bothered by something. Come to think of it, why aren't you and the rest of the Paladins interrogating the prisoner with the Princess."
"Allura wanted to deal with her people on her own. They are her subjects after all. I just came here to pass the time."
"And not with your comrades?"
"I love my friends, but sometimes I need to be alone once and a while."
"To play on this piano?"
He brushes his finger on the top of the piano, "Yeah," He used to play the one at the Garrison all the time when he was missing his friends' company. The Garrison only allowed for brief contact with the outside world since along with being a space academy it was also a research facility. And any transmission could lead hackers into getting into classified files.
"Why is this 'musical' instrument so important to you?"
"Because it reminds me of Adrien, the good times we've spent together amidst the dark times. And because playing soothes my soul."
"So it has sentimental value and it soothes your soul?" "Correct."
"Interesting, in the Blades we were not allowed to have such things that carried sentimental value."
"What about your Blades?"
"They are the expectation."
"Come to think of it, I've never seen you with your blade. Ulaz had on his back, and the others seemed to have knife holders for theirs. But you don't…"
He notices Krolia tense as he points out his observation, but it's so quick he probably imagined it.
"I lost my Blade years ago."
Sensing it's a lie he wants to ask her how she lost it, but decides against it. She is a Galran and if he pushes her, things might turn ugly.
Instead he switches the subject, "So I've seen you hanging around me and the other Paladins. Are you close to them?"
"I am close to Marinette but the others are merely acquaintances. I stick around them because they are people I know and have more of a bond with than my coworkers."
"So even though you're a united group, you don't have a bond with one another?"
"We are taught to have no emotional attachment whatsoever as having any could lead to jeopardizing the mission."
Keith's eyes widened in shock. Even though when he was younger he was closed from others he had at least his dad, and later on Shiro.
"I know, our society is very different from yours. It was a shock to learn that people have incredible bonds with one another."
"Surely you must have visited other planets besides Earth where people have personal bonds with each other." "Most of the planets I've been to have been Galra occupied planets on missions to stop the spread of it. I didn't see much human-bonding."
He nods, that does make sense. A bit. Walking over to the bench he fixes its position and then sits down on the hard seat.
Awkward silence fills the room as they don't know what else to talk about. Though for a seasoned Blade of Marmora member, Krolia is acting a bit nervous around him. Which is odd. They hardly know each other, their only connection being the other Paladins and this current mission of stopping Honvera, he shudders a bit at her name, and their connection to the Blades of Marmora. Though he doesn't know how he connects to their group other than the Blade left by his mother, and that he somehow has Galran blood in him. Which was confirmed by that monster on that, he shudders again, ship.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"But you shivered…"
"I'm fine, just felt a little chill is all."
"Twice?"
"The Altas can be surprisingly cold in some rooms."
"I suppose."
Then Krolia sighs, "I should probably leave you to your 'piano'."
She then leaves without another word leaving him alone in the instrument room. He turns to the piano and starts to play Mozart's Symphony No. 4. Music once again fills the room.
Allura's POV
"So now that I've told you about some of my adventures, I'd like to hear more about your adventure with Honerva…."
Cimiru laughs, "So all that was to get me to talk to you about Honvera's master plan. Nice try, Princess. I won't be bothered by some silly tales about you and Voltron."
"But Honvera could destroy this reality….."
"And she deserves too. After all, Lotor turned his back on his mother, not even giving her a chance at redemption and you all sided with him. He's even convinced Luca and Romelle to join his side."
Anger flares within her but she quickly dies it down. It's pointless to get angry. You knew it wasn't going to be easy to get to her talk.
"Besides as if I would talk to the person who abandoned her people," she sneers.
She breathes deeply, calming herself down. Don't get angry. With great self control she calmly tells Cimiru, " I did not abandon you. My father sent me away so I could guide the next Paladins to come after him." She then stands up, "Now if you excuse me, I believe we are done for the day."
Walking out of the room she grits her teeth in frustration. Why won't Cimiru talk to me? Does she really think I'm that horrible of a person to have willingly abandoned my people?
She sighs, she won't get any answers today.