Chapter 49: The Colony(Lance's POV)
"Alright Allura, Lotor. You're all set to enter the Quintessence Field." Coran says.
Finally, after all Lotor's hard work, they're finally going to have peace, if this test run works. Lance smiles. It took a little longer than expected, thanks to them having to end some disputes, but it's happening.
He only wishes Marinette were with them. It feels incomplete without her to witness this life-changing moment. Both Lotor and Allura nod and descend into the Trans-Reality Gate.
"I hope it goes smoothly." Shiro comments.
"We made sure of it. Me and Hunk made sure of it. All the equipment is in tip-top shape." Pidge states, pushing her classes up.
"How long do you think it'll take them to collect a sample? We don't really know what's in a Quintessence field except those rift creatures that the old paladins defeated. I hope they don't run into any." Hunk frets in fear.
"Lotor and Allura can handle whatever they come across, I'm sure of it," Shiro says confidently.
"Hold on a tick. I'm getting a hailing beacon from… No, it can't be…."
"What is it, Coran? An enemy ship?"
"No Lance, it's an Altean Ship. But that's impossible, Altea was destroyed…" Coran shakes his head. "I'm going to receive their signal and see what they want."
An image appears on the screen and Lance stares in shock. It's Marinette. But her hair is down no longer in ponytails. Her black paladin armour looks faded, especially the black parts, like it's been worn a lot.
"Hello everyone. Is Lotor there?"
Lance's heart sinks that her first thought is to ask where Lotor is. Coran replies, "No, he and Allura have entered the Quintessence field."
Marinette curses, "I was hoping he'd be here. Whatever I can get the truth from him when they're done with their little trip. Open the Hangar, I'll meet you all there." The transmission ends and Lance asks, "Doesn't she seem different? Like she's older…."
"Lance. Hangar…" Shiro commands.
"Right, sorry, it's just that Marinette looks so different. I didn't think a week-long trip would change her so much."
"Yeah I noticed it too. She sounds older, more mature. But I wouldn't worry about it."
"Easy for you to say," Lance mutters.
"What?"
"It's easy for you to say that. The girl you like has been by your side this entire time…."
Shiro's eyebrows go up in surprise, "The girl you like is Marinette?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Nothing. It's just shocking, considering you were into Allura,"
"Like I told you, she was just another pretty face to flirt with. Marinette however…. It's different somehow. I can't explain it…."
"It's like my feelings for Allura. I know why I love her, what's amazing about her. But I feel so conflicted because she hasn't said anything about liking me back yet. And not to mention…" He trails off. Shaking his head, Shiro continues, "Anyway, let's hear what Marinette has to say."
"Okay, and thanks."
Shiro smiles, "No problem."
They catch up with the rest of the group in the Hangar. The Altean pod's hood retracts revealing Marinette, a Galran woman and…an Altean!?
Marinette notices him and immediately runs into him, hugging him tightly. "Lance, I've missed you so much…."
"I've missed you too. But you were only gone for a week…"
Marinette releases him from the hug and sighs, "It was longer than that, for me and Krolia at least."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain everything once we get to the Bridge."
At the Bridge: Marinette's POV
Marinette takes a deep breath, and looks at her teammates. It seems so surreal that two years haven't passed for them, only a week. She exhales.
"As you know I went to Ranveig's base to aid Krolia with stopping them from obtaining the superweapon the base contained. Unfortunately we let them have it, but according to Krolia the superweapon is a dangerous beast, unable to be tamed and only wanting destruction. We assumed they all died at its hands. After escaping we headed to the Quantum Abyss where the Quintessence used to make the superweapon was made ..." She told them of how time works differently there, and how she and Krolia had to spend two years on a space whale before making it to an abandoned base where they met Romelle after the scenery had shifted to woods inside the base. She then turned to Romelle and let the Altean tell her story.
Romelle told them how Lotor recused Altean who were stranded offworld when Zarkon attacked and how he made them an Altean like space in the Quantum Abyss, saving them all. Generations passed and eventually a hooded figure came to the New Altea, saying she was sent by Lotor to send those who had the necessary requirements to another colony to ensure their future. After decades of this tradition, her younger brother, Bandor, was chosen, her only remaining family left. He gave her a communicator for her and him to use secretly as communication between the two colonies was forbidden. The communicator never worked until one night. Bandor told her to go to the woods and what she found was a wrecked ship that had broken through the simulation and inside was Bandor. He looked old and weak, and he told her how the hooded figure lied to them and that second colony was a farce. He shortly died thereafter and Romelle had to flee as the hooded figure came to the wreckage. She watched as she told the sentries to cover the scene up. A few days after this she was washing clothes in a stream when she met Marinette and Krolia. They told her of their mission and Romelle told them her story. They stole an old Altean Pod and headed to the second colony. And what they found was Alteans in huge pods, being drained of their Quintessence. They all decided that Voltron should be made aware as well as Lotor of what was going on and made the journey to them.
"Wow, that's a lot to unpack." Lance breathes out.
"Now we understand why you wanted Lotor to hear this." states Shiro.
"So…all this time….Alteans have been living in the Quantum Abyss and you were exploited by some hooded figure." Coran says, in shock.
"Yes. I do not know if Lotor, our saviour, knew of this or not. Considering he left us well alone, expect sending a few supply ships here and there." Romelle answers.
"Well they should be back by now." Coran surmises.
One of the doors to the Bridge opens and it reveals Lotor and Allura. Lotor's eyes widened in surprise, "How did you escape the colony? Is everything okay? I made sure to send supplies every now and then to make sure you guys were okay. I unfortunately couldn't check up on you guys personally, otherwise father would get suspicious….."
"So you don't know," Romelle says.
"Know what?"
"A hooded figure, for decades now, has been harvesting their quintessence with the excuse of it being a second colony," Marinette answers.
She knows Lotor knows nothing about this, judging from the fact that he looks so shocked. His face looks pale.
"No. No… That can't be. I made sure no one could find you. There's no way that witch could have found you. There's no way… I made sure of it… It's not possible…. She can't…." His words are barely audible.
Allura isn't faring much better. Just staring at the ground in shock. Her eyes wide as saucers.
Suddenly Shiro bends down screaming. His hands on his head, like he's reliving an unpleasant memory.
His screams break Allura out of her trance, and she goes over to him, asking with worry, "Shiro are you okay? Can you hear me?"
His screams are all the response she gets.
Until he gets silent. He stands up straight, but there's something off with his eyes. Where white is supposed to be is yellow instead in his eyes and his irises are now purple. He walks over to a muttering Lotor and punches him in the gut, knocking Lotor unconscious. He slumps Lotor over his shoulders and walks towards the hangar.
"What the heck just happened?" Romelle asks, confused.
"Something's wrong with Shiro. We have to go after him." Allura says, panic and worry in her voice.
"And we will. Voltron suit up."
Author's Note: Because of how I've written Lotor I decided that instead of him being the one to harvest Quintessence, the witch, Haggar would be the one. After all I find it unlikely that Honvera, when she was Haggar wouldn't have found out about the colony at some point before Voltron showed up. And it would have made more sense in the narrative. Because from my perspective Lotor the narrative in the show was making it like Lotor had changed and that he really wanted peace, but no he's always been the bad guy and was just stringing us along. As a twist it was shocking, but we didn't get anything to make us be like yes that twist could have happened. Also it would make Honerva's attempt to be his mother be even more in vain because as Haggar she ruined another thing that he did(like the planet thing when he was younger) if she were the one to harvest the Alteans Quintessence. And it would make his grudge have more weight since we have another example as to why Lotor hates her instead of us telling us that yes Lotor hates her. I mean they did have him use witch a couple of times and have been get more aggressive when mentioning her, but I feel like another example would have helped sell it, you know. And it also shows how obsessive as Haggar she's become to studying and experimenting with Quintessence. Because she's hurting living things to have more Quintessence(granted with draining the life-force of planets she already was doing that, but these are her people she's hurting. It also gives Allura more a reason to really hate her in Season Eight, than just she's bad and she brainwashed Allura's people. Brainwashing, though hard work(I assume) can be undone, whereas bringing back the dead can't be done. And it isn't really in Allura's character to really mad at something and be so aggressive(like she was in Season Six finale, but I kind of forgive her character for that cause Lotor hurt her heart).