Determination of the Few

Voltron AU

Summary: a dark-ish AU where Voltron was formed under far more... unusual circumstances. Galra!Keith, Altean!Lance, Balmeran!Hunk, and Olkari!Pidge&Family

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Chapter 6: Battle Plans

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Word Count: ~4000

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Deep within the bowels of Balmera, far below the crystal mines, a pulse of energy ripped through the stonework of the planet and the essence of Balmera screamed.

All throughout the Galra infested tunnels, the Balmerans paused in their work to stand in solemn silence as they felt their planet writhe in agony and withdraw further into itself. A vibration of pain and sadness echoed through their beings, leaving behind a solemn trail behind it.

One adolescent Balmeran grunted in rage and smashed his fist into one of the crystal-bare walls, his usually friendly face twisted into a scowl as his heart ached in response to Balmera's pain. Once he pummeled the wall for all he was worth, he turned and began growling, his shoulders tense as he stared at the apathetic sentries. How dare they feel nothing as they tore a planet, a living being, apart?!

"Hunx, please," his friend begged, laying a rough hand on his shoulder. "I know you are hurting, and, like all of us, you are angry, but you must not cause trouble."

Hunx forced his face to relax somewhat and turned to face his friend. "I know, Shay," he rumbled. "I just… I feel like I need to do something, you know?"

The female Balmeran smiled sadly and returned to her work. "There's not much we can do," she sighed, her face turned away from Hunx. "Only wait and endure, like we always have."

"Yeah? Well, I'm tired of waiting."

"... I know."

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Shiro was the first to wake up the next morning, blearily stumbling into the control room and settling down on a seat. Only Coran accompanied his lonesome self, the middle-aged Altean bumbling around, making adjustments as he saw fit. According to him, Allura and Lance had left sometime in the night to seek out their own beds, leaving the hyper man to himself.

And boy did Coran chatter when Shiro had settled down. The questions popped out of his mouth like firecrackers.

"Your terminology yesterday had me wondering. What is a month? What is a year? What other measurements of time do you use? Do you go by ticks or something completely different? What physical measurement system do you use?" were just some of the questions Shiro was assaulted with so early in the morning.

"A month is comprised of four weeks, which are made seven days," he groaned with forced patience, "and days are measured by hours. Each day has twenty-four hours. Each hour holds sixty minutes which hold sixty seconds. Seconds are like 1... 2... 3..." Shiro patiently explained, rubbing the bridge of his nose and staring at the ceiling. His head felt muzzy with much-needed sleep, but he sorely wished for a cup of coffee, his mind latching on to the thought of caffeine after so long without it.

"Ah…" Coran hummed from his place inside one of the motherboards. "So your smallest unit of time is a second, which is approximately equal to one of our ticks. But I cannot say that I understand your time groupings. You go from two groupings of sixty to a grouping of twenty-four, which is then grouped into sevens, and after that fours. After that… uh. How many months are in a year?"

"Twelve," he grunted, knocking his head back. Remind him to never introduce Coran to caffeine. The man was too energetic as is.

The man hummed as if that only confirmed a theory of his. "You earthlings are weird. What about your measurements?"

Shiro held back yet another groan. "How about we leave that conversation for later, when I'm awake," he almost pleaded, tossing an arm over his eyes.

"But you are awake?" Coran pulled out from the wiring he was inspecting to look at Shiro oddly. "Do you earthlings have another state of wakefulness between sleep and consciousness, one where you are still able to function if at a lower level than if you were fully awake?"

"Coran, please shut up."

"Oh, okay." The Altean went back to his work, humming an oddly jaunty tune as he did so. Shiro let out a relieved sigh and slumped against his seat.

The sliding of a metal door interrupted their relative silence about ten minutes later, and Keittek plodded into the room. His fur was mussed up like a cat who had been rubbed the wrong way, and his eyes glared murder at everything in his path. Shiro silently laughed at the Galra's plight.

"Hard to fall asleep in a new place, huh?" Shiro smiled sympathetically, gesturing to a seat next to him. "Let yourself wake up for a bit. Allura and Lance are still in bed, but Coran has apparently stayed up all night working on the castle."

"I've had ten thousand years to sleep! I can afford to put off a nap for another couple hours if it means getting the castle into tip-top shape!" Coran called out, his voice muffled under all the machinery and wires he had buried himself into.

Keittek and Shiro shared a chuckle at the odd Altean before they settled in for a while of peaceful chatter and morning drowsiness.

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"What is the status of the castle, Coran?" Allura slid into the room, the perfect picture of a princess. Lance trailed behind her a few minutes later, the complete opposite of his cousin.

"Everything seems to be working fine," Coran answered, replacing a panel in the circuitry. "Your little friends were a big help, I must say. Without them I doubt I would have been able to accomplish half of what I did!." A group of four mice gathered on his shoulder as the Altean twirled his mustache proudly.

Allura nodded jerkily before facing Shiro and Keittek.

"As Keittek was able to pilot the red lion and get you here safely, he will be its paladin. Unfortunately, we still need to locate three of the lions, and we seem to be one man short. Unless we can find people better suited, we will have to work with what we have to retrieve the rest of Voltron as quickly as possible. Yes, Shiro?"

Shiro lowered his hand. "What, exactly, is Voltron? I was only informed of a little by Ulas, and I'm a bit in the dark."

"Ah, yes," Allura said, squaring her shoulders. "Voltron holds the title of 'Defender of the Universe', and ten thousand years ago, it kept peace between the galaxies. Long before that, it was created by the Alteans as a measure against evil. Voltron is made up of five lions, which are piloted by five paladins: red, blue, green, yellow, and black. The five lions have the ability to combine and form the robot known as Voltron. Considering that Zarkon has taken over much of the universe and Voltron stands as his only opposition, it is up to us and the paladins of Voltron to once again bring peace across all the galaxies and bring down Zarkon... Is that explanation satisfactory, Shiro?"

At Shiro's nod, she continued, "Currently we have the red and black lions in our possession, and the rest are secured on different planets across the galaxy, much like the red lion was held at Earth. In order to access the lions, a paladin that the lion accepts - or I, as the last Altean heir - must be present, but we are in desperate times. Therefore, this mission may take longer than expected, but it can be done."

Allura then gestured them towards the hallways, and in a few moments the group was situated in a large, vacant room. With a few precise taps on a center console, the room lit up in a miniature replica of the universe. A few more taps had three particular planets in separate galaxies lighting up. A swipe across the panel brought up one of the planets, a line connecting it to a large, yellow lion. The planet was almost crystal-like in shape, a bulging rock formation encircling a large portion of its right hemisphere.

"This planet is Balmera, and its residents are very peaceful," Allura fondly said. "Ten thousand years ago we had a very strong relationship with the planet and its people, the Balmerans, one that thrived on mutual benefit. To protect the yellow lion, we buried it deep in Balmera's tunnels, where even its people had not fully explored. As we do not have a paladin for the yellow lion, I will have to accompany Shiro and go after this lion myself."

Another flick and an icy blue planet floated into view, the lion associated with it similar in color, if of a much darker, aquamarine hue.

"When we sent the blue lion to this planet, it was near uninhabitable; its temperature was consistently freezing and it was completely unfavorable to life. As the little information we have is from so long ago, I cannot guarantee that it is still barren. It may have developed some sort of higher marine intelligence while we were out of commission, so I will be sending Keittek and Lance to retrieve the blue lion in the case of resistance." Allura's face scrunched in displeasure for a moment before it was schooled back into a mask of professionalism.

Another flick, and then a thriving planet filled with equal parts vegetation and organic machinery slid into view. "This is Olkarion, the home of the Olkari. We will leave this planet alone for now until Mattikeer wakes up, which should be today, according to Coran. When he wakes up, he will be brought up to speed and Coran will accompany him to retrieve the green lion."

Allura pivoted on her heel and faced the group, her gown fluttering as it tried to catch up with her body. "By the end of the day we should have all three lions accounted for, barring any complications."

She scanned their eyes for any hint of approval at her plan, an almost vulnerable look on her face. Only a slight nod from Coran and a smile from Lance allowed the young woman's features to soften, and she passed them to gesture down another hallway.

"Now that we have that out of the way, we need to gear you up," she said as she led them through the halls, ony stopping when she reached a locked door. Beside the barred metal entryway, a futuristic, technological pad stood on a pedestal, likely requiring a handprint to activate the mechanism that would unlock the door. "Right now, we only have four paladin candidates, and after assessing your personalities for the brief amount of time we have been in contact, I have grouped you to a close match—except Keittek, of course.

"As Mattikeer is asleep, I cannot gain his approval on the pairing I have chosen for him, and as he has been asleep I have not been able to assess him, but based on the intelligence of his race, I believe he would be an exceptional match for the Green Lion. The Green Lion is the very peaceful and extremely intelligent strategizer of the group, and I can only hope that Mattikeer is the same, but I have very little doubt in the matter. " Allura's expression stretched amiably as she delivered this news, her shoulders pulled back in a seemingly forced pose of leadership. "But when the Green Lion is in our grasp, he may refuse the position if he would rather prefer to help us in other ways."

She bit her lip before continuing. "Lance will be the paladin of the Blue Lion, and Shiro, you will be the Black Lion's paladin. Ten thousand years ago, Lance was third in line for the position of blue paladin should our former paladin unexpectedly die, so I will have confidence that he can take the position and fulfill it. Shiro, from what I can gather, you are a usually calm person, a trait in high demand when it comes to a position of leadership. You possess a mind which will be able to determine the best outcome for the paladins as a whole, and by placing you in the position of the black paladin, I am putting a large amount of faith in your abilities, but I believe that they are not in vain."

The Altean princess swiftly swiped her palm against the sensor and slipped into the room once the mechanisms had unlocked. Her silver hair floated as she glided over to a pedestal standing center, which after a bit of fiddling, lowered slightly into the floor after flashing a bright Sunday blue. A group of pods began to climb out of the metal ground only a moment later, their clear faces revealing the treasures inside.

"Please pick out the suit the lion you have been assigned to."

Once the three were suited up in their respective outfits, she carried on, handing Keittek and Lance two oddly shaped objects. "These are Bayards," she explained at Keittek and Shiro's befuddled expressions. "Each one can be used as a weapon, with the weapon varying depending on the person's personality and preferred form of attack. As you may find out, many of your weapons will likely be ranged or have a ranged option. This is to aid you in case you are separated from your lion for an extended period of time. However, by using the Bayard when controlling your lion, you will be able to unlock hidden potentials each lion posesses, but they also require a strong bond to activate. So, please, treat your lions with care, less we will not be able to do the same for the universe."

Allura then turned her gaze to the only Earthling present in the room, her eyes growing sad and dark. "Unfortunately, Shiro, the blackBayard was lost to us alongside with its paladin." Her expression tried to convey her sorrow on the subject, but they also revealed a deep anger that confused her audience.

With a few swings of their Bayards, Keittek cradled the handle of a red sword while Lance hefted a white and blue rifle-like space gun. The two inspected their new weapons with barely restrained glee, shooting an appreciative glance at the other's weapon when the other wasn't looking in the meanwhile.

"Now that we have suitably prepared you for the mission ahead, it is time to retrieve the lions."

With that said, they exited the room and split off into their groups with a few, quiet "Good luck"s.

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Keittek and Lance left the group first, the Altean and half-Galra made their way to the Red Lion posthaste. Nary a word was spoken between the two, and Red easily bent down and accepted them into her maw before any were exchanged. The silence irritated Keittek, but he restrained himself until they had seated themselves comfortably in the cockpit, which by that time his fur had already begun to prickle with suppressed anger.

"If you don't trust me, just say it!" he finally snapped, expression twisted into a snarl.

Lance looked startled for a moment and almost seemed to hold back a squeak before he eventually sighed and relaxed his tense muscles. "It's not that I don't trust you," he confessed. And wasn't that a pleasant way to start a heart-to-heart? "I guess I'm still shocked—it feels like just yesterday when Zarkon betrayed us, but now, ten thousand years later... he's still alive."

Keittek stared at the Altean as he absentmindedly activated Red with his Bayard. "That's not all," he grumbled stubbornly, grabbing the controls with scarcely concealed anger. He wasn't sure if it was anger at himself or the rather tentative Lance.

"No, it's not," Lance finally conceded, but he didn't elaborate further.

Heaving a sigh, Keittek pushed the control handles forward. Red leapt into the air with a powerful kick of her hind legs and a blast of her engines, and the two were exiting Arus' habitable atmosphere only seconds later. The half-Galra still contained some awe at the indescribable power the lions held, and he was honsetly elated to be back behind Red's controls once again. It had only been half of a day, but even that had seemed too long in his mind. Alura's hesitance around him was stifling, but Red had yet to make him uncomfortable; instead, behind her wheel, he felt freer and less restricted than he had in his entire life. He could get addicted to this feeling, but he didn't find it within himself to care.

Once outside of the atmosphere of the Altean's improvised home, Red curled her tail and shot a white-blue beam from the tip. After a moment of disorientation caused by the transportation of the portal, the two paladins and one lion were inhabiting a space completely different. Several hundred miles below them swirled the curling, frozen mist of the unnamed planet that housed the blue lion.

Keittek barely restrained a frightened jump from his seat as Lance gripped the cushioned surface with the strength of a dying man, leaning forward to stare in awe at the sphere of ice and water. Although he was miffed at Lance's actions, he could completely understand the wonder emanating off the Altean; the planet was, to simply put it, stunning.

The sight before them was so unlike the hologram that it almost seemed like another planet altogether. Much of the ice that had previously covered the surface had melted, leaving only a thin, gleaming layer that did nothing to hide the beautiful deep azure that lay beneath. Most of the water planet consisted of... well, water, with only a sparse spattering of crystalized islands. Beneath the ice, the water writhed with life, even if the source of movement couldn't be identified, and sparkles of red, green, and yellow flittered around beneath the waves, creating a shimmering, rainbow-esque glitter that covered the icy, reflective planet.

"I... I guess it's no longer uninhabited," Lance nervously whispered as he shifted around to give Keittek more breathing room, which he greatly appreciated. The half-Galra nodded in response, steering Red closer to the planet until the icy layer laid before them. Even at about a hundred meters away from the surface, the chill of the ice squirmed into their cockpit to crawl across their skin. Unlike most planets inhabiting life, there didn't seem to be any sort of atmosphere to be found. Instead, the ice looked to be replacing the atmosphere as an extra buffer between the waves and the unforgiving space.

Either way, it was cold and Keittek was already ready to get this over with. "What now?" he asked, glancing back at his Altean co-pilot.

Lance donned a teasing grin. "Not afraid to get wet, are you?"

Keittek scoffed. "Are you?"

"Nope."

"Good."

With a resounding roar of agreement, Red blasted forward and broke through the ice in a solid punch, plunging it and its passengers into the icy depths.

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Coran waved a cheery "good luck" as he departed from the group, a bounce in his step as he traveled down the halls to the medical bay. Right where he left him, inside of a healing pod, of course, was Mattikeer. In the course of half a day, the Olkari had regained most of his former skin tone, and the twin leaves on his head had ceased their shriveling and had once again regained their former health and posture. Bags were still present under Mattikeer's large eyes, but that would disappear with rest. Otherwise, the Olkari should be up within a varga. After that, get some food in the poor boy and they could be off to retrieve the Green Lion.

The elder Altean smiled and twirled a piece of his mustache, feeling very accomplished. Even without extensive repair, the pods were working beautifully! But maybe he should check on the rest anyway. In fact, was it possible to fix a pod if someone was inhabiting it? Hmm... interesting idea, but he didn't dare to try it out then. But maybe... eventually. All in the pursuit of science, of course!

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Once Keittek, Lance, and Coran had all splintered off to their duties, Allura visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief, clutching a hand to her breast.

Shiro glanced over to the young Altean. "Does Keittek bother you that much?" he asked, furrowing his brow. Allura's distrust of the half-Galra rubbed him wrong, but he had kept silent in consideration of Lance's explanation last night. However, he was now alone with the woman herself, so he had to find out her explanation.

Allura hunched her shoulders slightly and rubbed her hands together nervously as she faced him. "It's not just him," she said softly. "Right now, Lance and Coran are all I have left, and I'm worried about them. I don't want to disappoint them. As my father, King Alfor, is... dead, I have the responsibility to step up as princess. I guess that I am a little stressed right now."

"It's not just you," Shiro reminded her. "Yes, you may have a responsibility, but they also have a responsibility to help you, as your family. Allow them to help carry the burden. You also have us, even if you do not fully trust us, or Keittek, yet. We will be your paladins, and they are your family. You don't have to feel alone."

With his piece said, Shiro gave the princess a small smile. He could only hope he helped pacify some of her stress. He couldn't imagine being in her situation, but that didn't mean he would sit by and let all of it topple down on her and deal with repercussions. He was going to try and bite this in the bud before the situation between her and Keittek could get worse. "You said it wasn't just him. What's wrong with Keittek? Is it because he is half-Galra?"

Allura scrunched her face, but held back her words. Only with some prodding from Shiro did she reluctantly open up. "You... you are aware that the last black paladin is... was Zarkon, correct?"

He nodded.

"Well, at first, he seemed quite amicable, if a little bloodthirsty and prone to anger. We didn't even suspect that Zarkon had his own aspirations beyond the title of paladin. So we were caught horribly off guard when he betrayed us. He... his betrayal and attacks on us and our people were terrible. He killed my mother as a way to get back at my father. I was very young when he did that, and his abhorrent actions didn't cease there. He terrorized my people, Shiro. I'm afraid that what he and his brethren caused cannot be erased from my memory quite so easily."

Allura seemed to withdraw in on herself at the last statement, and she looked so weak in that moment that Shiro couldn't help a bit loss on how to assure her that everything would be alright because he didn't know. Instead, he did the next best thing he could think of.

"Well, let's get going." At her dumfounded expression—and wasn't that hard to look at because of the tears streaming down her face—he smiled. "Well, we have a lion to retrieve, don't we? Can't be wasting time on tears when we have a purple bat to defeat, can we? Oh, and I don't mean Keittek—I'm afraid he's more of a purple kitten than a purple bat."

Allura hesitantly returned the smile before leading Shiro to the docks.

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In the crystal caves of Balmera, another shudder shook the ground, far fiercer than any quake before, and this time Hunx couldn't be restrained by Shay's arms. Their planet was about to die, and he couldn't just stand back and let the Galra tip it over the edge just for their own selfish reasons! Even Rax, the usually depressed and hopeless brother of Shay was done moping around.

These Galra may believe they have the upper hand, but there was no one else on this planet that knew Balmera's cave system better than a Balmeran.

It was time for a revolution.

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A/N: Helllllo everybody! Sorry for the wait, but this one had some serious dialogue in it, and I have a very hard time with dialogue. Next chapter will be a doozy, with lots of action, so my goal for next chapter is 8,000 words. Wish me luck! :3

Next time on DotF: Blue and Yellow Combine to Form Green!

Happy Writing~!

_-*Doodling Shadows