Ah, the long awaited chapter fourteen! I think I will actually be taking a short hiatus from writing fic for awhile now that this chapter is done- in part because I have a short vacation coming up with limited internet access, but more because I strained my shoulder and I need time to recover. Alas, sometimes that's just how life works out. Hopefully I'll feel better soon and won't need to go to the doctor, since that's never fun.

Thanks for reading!

flicker

chapter fourteen

make a stand, humans

The sunrise that morning was beautiful.

He tried to think back to the day of the invasion, trying to recall if the sunrise had been just as stunning then, but drew a blank. So much had happened over these past few months, that it all started to blur together- both the mundane occurrences and the important events. It felt like so much longer than it actually had been- as if it had been years since the Galra had invaded, and not just a mere handful of months.

But today was different.

Today they would strike back against the Galra Empire- and with any luck, they might even win.

Unsheathing his knife, Keith stared down at it. He kept thinking that it should feel heavy and unfamiliar now that he knew what it was, but it didn't. There was something grounding about it, even though he now knew it was a Galra weapon.

But if what Sam said was true, then it was also the weapon of a rebel.

"You know we don't have to go through with this." Adam said, resting a light hand on his shoulder. "We can think of another plan."

Keith looked up at him. "I know. But I need to do this, Adam."

Someone had to take out the druid- and it might as well be him. Macidus said that the whole reason he was here was because Sendak thought there was a Blade on Earth, but there wasn't. There was just him. Which meant that he was the whole reason the druid had come here in the first place.

All the more reason why he had to be the one to take it out.

And frankly... he was probably their best bet. He might have done miserably against the druid the last time they had fought- he wouldn't have made it out of there if it weren't for Veronica's quick thinking- but he was still the best fighter the resistance had. Plus he was Galra, the alien blood that flowed through his veins the whole reason why he had always been so athletic and quick. If there was anyone that stood a chance against Macidus, it was him.

"I had a feeling that was what you would say." Adam said, heaving a slight sigh. "Just remember- you aren't doing this alone. We're all right here with you."

Keith felt himself smile, turning his head to look back behind him. Veronica caught his gaze, pausing from loading supplies into their transport to wave at him. He awkwardly lifted a hand, giving her a little wave back, before he turned back to Adam.

"I know." He said. "And I can't thank you enough for that."

Not just for having his back in this fight, but for so many other things as well. For sticking with him when they had learned he was Galra, and for just... for just being there. He still wasn't sure if he deserved all the fuss, but he was slowly starting to accept that maybe if there were this many people around him who cared about him, then maybe he actually was worth something after all.

"You don't need to thank me for anything." Adam told him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Now come on. Let's go teach that druid whose planet this is."

Keith just nodded, sheathing his knife. Maybe he was part Galra, but he was part human too. Earth was his planet, his home. He wasn't going to let it be overrun by invaders.

Today, he would protect it.

It, and the people he cared about.

"Sir, we're receiving reports of a disturbance in Sector Zeta."

Sendak frowned, turning towards the screen. There was smoke rising from one section of their encampment there. The damage did not look great, but fixing it would still set them slightly behind schedule. Sector Zeta was also the outpost closest to the Earthling base being protected by the particle barrier, as well as the sector that the Blade had once been active in. There had been no new reports of activity since Macidus had fought them, so he had been under the assumption that the Blade had perished, or was otherwise incapacitated. The druid had been tightlipped about the matter, but his lingering presence on the planet made him inclined to think it was the latter.

Still, this could simply be the work of those pitiful human rebels. They had been quiet since their raid on the nearby work camp, but he anticipated it wouldn't last. They were simply biding their time, waiting for their next chance to strike.

This time, he would show them no mercy.

"Lieutenant," Sendak began, turning to Hepta, "-send the closest cruiser to the area. Whatever this disturbance is, I want it wiped out."

"There is no need."

Narrowing his eyes, Sendak turned to face the druid. He hadn't even noticed it come aboard. It must have been attracted by the chaos.

"Please, by all means tell me why you think I shouldn't squash this pitiful rebellion once and for all." Sendak said, looming over the druid. It would seem that Macidus needed to be reminded which of them was in charge here.

It did nothing to intimidate the foul creature, but he did not expect it to.

"Your stray Blade is there." Macidus said. "I can sense it."

"That is all the more reason why I should crush them, here and now." Sendak said. "Since it would seem that you have failed in your one assigned task after all."

"Not failed." Macidus said, unruffled by his accusation. "Merely delayed. By the end of this quintant, you shall have your Blade, and I shall be well on my way to deal with the rest of their mutinous lot."

Sendak frowned. If what the druid said was true, then he could finally be free of its presence. But by his own words, he'd already failed his assigned task once- who was to say that the same failure wouldn't occur this time? He never should have failed in the first place- were he under his direct command, he would have had him put to the death for suffering such a shameful defeat. Though Macidus had been just as tightlipped in regards to the details of their battle, he knew that much must have been true.

How difficult could it possibly be for a druid to slay a single Blade? The only Blade he knew of that could possibly give him that much trouble was Kolivan himself, and Sendak doubted that the Blade leader would be rotting away on such a remote planet when his ilk were being hunted down and slaughtered by druids as they spoke.

Perhaps if they fought again, it would be Macidus who would be slaughtered instead. Then, at the very least, he would be out of sight. The druid had long since overstayed his welcome, and he was confident he was more than capable of handling a single Blade himself. It had been a mistake to call the High Priestess for assistance in the first place.

"Sir?" Hepta called. "Should I tell the cruiser to intercept?"

"No." Sendak said. "We will let Macidus deal with them."

He couldn't tell with the mask on, but Sendak was almost positive the druid was smiling. "Excellent. You will not be disappointed, Commander."

"See to it that I am not." Sendak said firmly.

"Vrepit sa." In one fluid motion, Macidus bowed, before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Sendak scowled at where he'd been standing, almost positive that Macidus had been mocking him.

He had great respect for the High Priestess, but he did not understand why she surrounded herself with the druids. Perhaps it was simply a weakness inherent in her Altean blood. At least unlike her son, she remained unfailingly loyal to the Galra Empire, and to Emperor Zarkon, even well after his death. And it was they, who had remained steadfastly loyal to the memory of their greatest emperor, that would triumph in the end. Nothing would stand in their way- not the Blade of Marmora, the rebels, or Voltron.

He would see to it personally.

Victory or death.

"Think they took the bait?"

"Guess we're about to find out." Keith said, staring off into the distance. Even from here he could see the smoke rising from the Galra encampment. They had used explosives to blast a hole in the side of it, making sure to avoid any sections where there might be human workers. They'd also used up their entire supply of explosives to do it, but if things worked out as planned, they would get the chance to resupply very soon.

And if they didn't... well, a few explosives would be the least of their problems.

"Are you sure this will be enough to draw their attention?" Adam asked.

"We blew a huge hole in their wall." Veronica said flatly. "Someone's bound to have noticed that."

Keith snorted, then wondered if anyone could hear that over the coms. Sam had rigged together some earpieces for them to use for communication, capable of working at a fairly long range. Adam and Veronica were both already stationed at the substation with the Holts- he was the only one who was standing out in the open, waiting.

At this rate, the tension might just kill him before the druid could.

"Alright, fair enough." Adam said. "And I heard that, Keith."

In spite of himself, Keith felt the edge of his lips twitch upwards. "Hear what? I didn't say anything."

He could almost picture Adam squinting on the other end of the line, something that did actually manage to bring a smile to his face. Being able to hear the others reminded him that he wasn't alone in this fight- there were other people, all of whom had his back. Suddenly, the tension didn't feel quite so bad.

"When we get back, we're going to have to have a serious talk about respecting your elders." Adam joked, and then, in a much more serious tone, added, "-just remember to be careful."

"You've only told me that a thousand times now." Keith said. "But thanks."

Closing his eyes, Keith drew in a deep breath. All he was doing was waiting for Macidus to find him. He wasn't sure why, but he was almost positive that he'd be able to. Then all he had to was survive until they reached the substation, where he could lure him into their trap. Hopefully it worked like Sam planned, because otherwise...

...well, he didn't know if he could defeat it on his own.

Opening his eyes, he frowned slightly at the hoverbike he was on. It was one of the few that the resistance owned, and wasn't in bad shape- but frankly, he'd be more comfortable on his own. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option- not after he'd blown it up trying to get rid of any pursuers the last time he'd been involved in a big operation. He'd been trying not to think about it, but now he couldn't help but feel a stab of regret.

It hadn't just been any hoverbike. It was his father's hoverbike.

And now it was gone.

Drawing in a deep breath, Keith steadied himself. If he didn't defeat Macidus, then it truly would have been in vain.

He didn't have to wait long before he heard the tell tale high pitched ring of his knife. Knowing what it was now, its reaction to Macidus' presence made a lot more sense. According to Sam, the material it was made out of was antithetical to the druids, though he wasn't sure why. Veronica had seen as much herself- when Macidus had moved to pick it up, it had burned him.

Had his mother known he'd need it like this one day? Was that why she had left it with his dad? Sam made it sound like these knives were pretty important to a Blade, so it was hard to imagine that she would just leave it behind on a whim.

But then, he didn't even know the first thing about her.

As soon as the knife started to ring, Keith turned his hoverbike around, blazing off in the other direction. He paused only once to glance behind him, just in time to see Macidus manifest, seemingly from thin air. Just like he thought, he had to have some kind of teleporting ability- which was going to make things difficult.

Speeding up, he could hear Macidus teleport almost directly behind him. He sounded like he was laughing, and Keith realized that he was probably toying with him. Normally that would have ticked him off, but in this case, it actually worked in his favor. If he wasn't taking him seriously, then it meant he'd have an easier time luring him right into their trap.

Of course, there was also the chance that the reason Macidus was toying with him was because he already knew about the trap, and knew it wouldn't work. The thought settled in his stomach like an uneasy stone, but he refused to let it become anything more than that. He couldn't start having doubts now.

Switching to flying in a zigzag pattern to make his movements harder to predict, he blitzed across the desert landscape, towards the substation. It wasn't a long journey- less than a mile, but it felt like it was taking forever. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror, checking on Macidus movements- sure enough, the druid was teleporting right after him. He'd seemed so wrong during their first encounter, in the ruins of the destroyed skyscraper with only a small amount of light filtering in. But here, in broad daylight?

Yeah, this was definitely worse.

He pushed the hoverbike as fast as it would go. He could hear the engine protest, but he ignored it. He only needed it to last for the length of a mile- anything after that didn't matter. He was just glad that he'd taken off the eyepatch beforehand, because as bright as the sun was to his right eye, it was still a lot easier to maneuver when he had actual peripheral vision. His goggles protected him from the worst of the bright sunlight, but he was starting to understand why the Galra encampment was so dark inside.

"There's nowhere to run, halfbreed."

Eyes going wide, Keith jerked the hoverbike hard to the right. Macidus had appeared almost right in front of him, barely giving him enough time to avoid a head-on collision with the druid. Swearing underneath his breath, he barely managed to keep control over the hoverbike, only to be forced to quickly shift directions again, Macidus' taunting form appearing far too close for comfort. This time he did lose control, just barely managing to ditch the hoverbike before he was the one crashing, not it.

Almost instantly, he was on his feet, his knife in his hands. He couldn't see Macidus, but he swore he could feel him- like a cold presence at the back of his neck.

The druid flashed into existence a few feet away from him, and even though he couldn't see his face, his mockery came through clearly in his voice. "I see you've changed somewhat since we last met."

Keith grit his teeth, trying not to bristle at the druid's taunt. It was his fault he looked like this now. His fault that he'd been forced to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't- and had never been- fully human. All of this was because of him.

But it was also because of him that he understood now just how much Adam and Veronica cared about him. He could taunt him all he wanted, but he wasn't alone now. Using that thought to ground him, Keith let out a breath- and then hastily sheathed his knife, turning on his heel to run. The substation was in sight, now- he could make it on foot. He didn't care if it made it painfully obvious that he was trying to lead him somewhere- he had a feeling that Macidus would follow regardless. He'd been toying with him, after all.

Well, he was going to make damn sure that he lived just long enough to regret it.

Macidus watched the boy flee with the faintest of chuckles.

It was all too obvious that the halfbreed had some kind of plan. That much had been made clear when he'd found him waiting for him, completely out in the open. After how their last encounter had ended, a wise man would have tried to remain in hiding- so either the whelp was just as foolish as his human cohorts, or he had some kind of plan.

So be it. He would look forward to crushing whatever pitiful plan he'd concocted- and his hopes with it.

He would then fulfill his original goal of bringing him to Sendak- but not before he wiped out whatever human companions he had brought with him, and forced him to watch. It had been pure luck that they had managed to stop him the first time- it wasn't going to happen again.

Provided he still even had allies, of course, after his Galra lineage had been made so plain to see. It wasn't a result that he had been expecting- he'd merely electrocuted him in order to force him to lose consciousness. But clearly, the mixture of human and Galra blood resulted in some interesting- and unexpected- effects.

How curious. It was a shame that Sendak would surely kill the boy, because otherwise he would be quite interested in cracking him open himself, in order to find out just what it was that made it so. Perhaps he could make an arrangement with the Commander...

...or perhaps not.

Either way, he was going to enjoy this.

"Keith's on his way!"

Adam looked up, hurriedly joining Veronica at the window. From there, they had a good view of the desert that stretched beyond them. Even without the binoculars, he could see that she was right- there was a streak of dust off into the distance that could only be from a hoverbike.

"Is the-?"

He got his answer a few seconds later, and for the first time, he saw the druid for himself. Even from this distance, it sent a chill down his spine, the way the dark figure just seemed to manifest from out of nowhere. Veronica had mentioned that it had vanished after she'd used the flash bomb, and Keith had said it seemed to be able to teleport, but actually seeing that for himself... part of him had to wonder if they weren't in over their heads.

But they couldn't back out now.

"Keep watch." Adam said. "I'll alert Sam."

Veronica nodded, but didn't so much as turn to look his way, her gaze fixed on the streak of dust. He couldn't blame her. He didn't want to tear his eyes away either, but he knew he had to. There was a lot riding on the success of this plan, not the least of which was Keith's life- and the faster Sam got ready, the more likely it was that Keith would survive this.

He wanted to be sure his odds were as even as they could possibly get.

He hurriedly made his way through the substation, careful not to trip over anything. He'd never been more grateful that his leg had healed properly than he was now- the only thing worse than sending Keith into danger, was sending him into danger while he just sat back and did nothing. Waiting for both him and Veronica to come back after the raid on the Galra work camp had been maddening, each second that ticked by after the rest of the raid party returned eating away at him.

In the end, his worst fears had been proven very, very real.

He wasn't going to let that happen again. They were going to get through this- all of them.

Macidus was definitely toying with him.

Skidding to a halt inside the substation, Keith paused for a second to catch his breath. It might be the Galra blood that gave him his endurance and stamina, but right now, he couldn't help but be thankful for it. Yanking off his goggles, he tossed them aside, searching the darkened facility for where he was supposed to go. Sam had gone over everything with him the previous day, but now that the plan was actually in action, he found himself drawing a blank.

He couldn't hear anyone speaking over the coms, either- a quick check of his ear revealed that his earpiece had fallen out. It must have happened when he crashed the hoverbike.

"Done running so soon?"

Pivoting on his heel, Keith drew his knife again, glaring at Macidus. The druid was floating some feet away from him, electricity crackling menacingly in his hands.

God, he hoped Sam was right.

"Who said anything about running?" Keith asked. "Maybe I'm right where I want to be."

"Oh, I'm sure you think you are." Macidus said, floating just a bit closer. "But whatever tricks you and your pitiful human friends have in store, I can assure you, it won't work."

"We'll just see about that." Keith said, before lunging at the druid.

Macidus easily evaded his blow, simply teleporting away. Instantly, Keith spun on his heel, his eyes scanning the facility for where he might have gone to. He was barely able to avoid the blast of electricity in time, rolling out of harm's way. Springing to his feet, he moved deeper into the facility, but didn't have time to get far when Macidus teleported directly into his path.

At least this time, his quick reflexes didn't fail him. He made a defensive slice with his knife, forcing the druid back. For a second, he thought he'd gotten him- before he realized it was just his mask he'd cut. It cracked in half, revealing eerie, glowing yellow eyes, combined with blue-gray skin that looked almost sickly and what had to be some sort of ritual scarring etched into his lipless face.

And just like he thought, the druid was smiling.

"So," Macidus voice could still be heard, even though he had vanished, "-you at least have the reflexes of a Galra."

Spinning around, Keith kept his guard up, searching for any sign of the druid. Fighting an opponent who could teleport wasn't easy- but at least he could see his mark from here. He just needed to somehow lure Macidus towards it, and then-

"But let's see if you have anything else."

The electric blast completely blindsided him, sending him hurtling several feet back. Groaning in pain, Keith nevertheless forced himself to stagger to his feet. Compared to the shock he'd taken before, this was nothing.

He could hear Macidus chuckling, even though he couldn't see him. "That's more like it!"

Gritting his teeth, Keith let out a low growl. How was he supposed to fight him if he couldn't even see him, much less tell where he'd end up? It was like fighting a ghost.

But at least he could hit this ghost. His lucky strike earlier had proved that- Macidus might be able to hide himself, but under that robe, he was still solid. He could do this. He just had to calm down and think of another way. Clearly, trying to watch for him wasn't working.

So what about listening for him?

Whenever he teleported, it came with a distinct sound. If he could just pinpoint that sound, then maybe he could figure out the druid's angle of attack fast enough to at least defend himself. His hearing had always been exceptional- maybe it was time to put it to good use.

Taking in a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. Drowning out the sounds of Macidus' laughter and that of his own heartbeat, he waited, hoping to hear that telltale sound. It came what felt like minutes later, but had actually probably been a matter of seconds. Pivoting on his right foot, he raised his knife just in time to use it to absorb another bolt of electricity, this one coming from a much closer range than the previous. If it had hit, it would have done a lot more damage than that first blast.

But he didn't stop there. As soon as Macidus stopped, he lunged at the druid, letting out a loud cry. Then just before he struck, he switched hands, the action momentarily distracting Macidus long enough for him to bring the knife down on him. Unfortunately, the druid recovered faster than he'd anticipated, and as a result, all he did was tear his robe. Not even a second later, he was gone, having vanished into thin air.

"So," he could hear Macidus say, "-you don't only look like a Galra now. You fight like one too."

Keith's breath hitched in his throat, Macidus' words stabbing at his weak point, even though he knew that was exactly what he wanted. The only reason he even stood a chance against the druid was because he was the same as him. They were both Galra- and they both, in a sense, had been wearing masks to hide it. But just like he'd stripped Macidus of his, the druid had taken his own away, marking his once invisible heritage plain as day on his face.

Someone had already tried to kill him for it.

Who was to say that wouldn't happen again? There was no way he'd be able to keep his Galra blood hidden at the Garrison. Would they trust him? Or would they-?

"Behind you!"

Snapping out of it, Keith turned just in time to see Macidus teleport right beside him, electricity crackling in his hand. He brought up his knife to defend himself, but it was too late, too slow- all he could do was brace himself for another point blank electrocution.

But it never came.

Instead Macidus was knocked back, collapsing briefly in a tangle of robes. The druid hissed, lunging into a standing position, glaring fury up towards the substation's catwalks. Veronica was there, the muzzle of a purloined Galra pistol pointed directly at Macidus.

"You!" Macidus hissed. "You would stand in my way again!?"

The druid made a move to teleport again, likely this time towards the object of his anger. Fear seized in Keith's heart, even as he moved to intercept the druid- only for someone else to get there first.

The druid staggered back again, though he remained on his feet this time, glaring in the opposite direction. There was Adam, a stolen Galra rifle in his hands.

And Keith remembered the most important thing.

He wasn't alone.

With that newfound confidence, he charged Macidus, slamming into him with all the strength he could muster- which was more than enough to knock him right where he wanted. Before the druid could recover, he let out a sharp whistle- the signal for Sam to throw the switch. Electricity crackled, but this time, the target wasn't him- it was the druid.

He wasn't sure how many volts were flowing through Macidus, but however much, it was enough to cause him to scream in agony. By the time the voltage died down, Macidus was couldn't even stand, folding at the knees, and collapsing, most of his robe burned away. Even his body had been burned, scales stripped away, leaving flesh exposed.

Somehow, he didn't look all that scary anymore.

Keith exhaled, feeling his shoulders slump. Part of him couldn't believe their plan had actually worked. Staggering a few steps back, he fought the urge to let his own feet give out on him, forcing himself to stay standing.

They'd done it. They'd actually done it.

"Keith!"

Veronica threw her arms around him, a bubble of laughter escaping her throat. Seconds later, Adam joined them, grabbing the both of them in a powerful embrace that took the wind right out of him- but for once, he didn't really mind. Maybe it was just because he'd escaped death for like, the second time in a month, but right now he couldn't help but feel safe, knowing that those closest to him were right here with him.

Maybe everything would be al-

"You."

Keith froze, his blood turning cold. Macidus was staggering to his feet, shedding his tattered robe as she stood. There was fury in his eyes, worse still than when he had glared at Veronica, his face contorted in anger. Electricity crackled anew in his hands, and even though every step had to be pure agony, he didn't even bother to teleport this time, instead lurching forward with his hands raised.

"I'll make you pay for that!"

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he recognized that it wasn't him Macidus was aiming for- it was Adam and Veronica.

No. No, he couldn't let him hurt them.

Shoving the pair away, Keith let instinct take over. He lunged at he druid, knife at the ready. But Macidus grabbed the blade before he could sink it into his chest, a wide smirk spreading across his burned face even as the luxite knife burned the very hand he was holding it with, violet blood leaking from where it cut into his flesh. Maybe all that electricity had dulled his sense of pain- or maybe he just didn't care anymore.

Victory or death.

"This," Macidus hissed, his eyes gleaming almost feverishly, "-is the end."

He should have been terrified, but he wasn't. Instead he just felt... calm, almost.

"No," he said firmly, "-it's not."

As if his words were some kind of signal, light flared from his knife- so bright that he nearly looked away, but didn't. Macidus' eyes widened, the druid attempting to hastily let go of the knife and put some distance between himself and it- but not fast enough. The shape of the blade changed, transforming- and the very method Macidus had chosen to prevent his death became the source of it, as the newly created sword pierced right through his heart.

Then Macidus just... didn't exist.

He couldn't explain it. He'd simply burst into a bright light, forcing him to look away. By the time he looked back, the druid was gone.

This time for good.

"Is it," he heard Veronica half-whisper, "-is it over?"

"I think- I think so." Adam replied.

This time, Keith did let his feet give out. Relief crashed over him like a wave, even as he sunk to his knees, his knife- now a sword- slipping from his hands. He was only dimly aware of Adam and Veronica crowding him for another embrace, and of the noise that Sam and Colleen made as they came out of the substation's control room, the latter dragging the former into the pile.

It was hot. It was loud. There were too many people.

He loved every second of it.