Heavens Flare

Base

"We've learned so much from Sendak's memories, we discovered his methods for taking over planets like earth," Pidge explained at the next meeting with Allura next to her after they finished their research. The room was dark to keep the screen behind the girls open of the world and the galra that stayed on earths grounds.

"Sendak constructs armament at key strategic points around planets, this gives him the ability to control enormous swaths of territory, he uses the armaments as deterrents to prevent any uprisings and to control the conquered population," Allura took over as everyone listened intrigued.

"Based on data from commander holts micro satellites, cross referenced with resistance intel," Veronica brought up a map of the areas Sendak has based on.

"We've ascertained that Sendak built six massive structures on earth, we never knew what they were being used for until now," she pulled up pictures of what the structures looked like.

"They're the weapons?" Hunk asked. "So what's stopping us from blowing them up?"

"We don't have enough fire power," sanda cut in from the head of the table.

"Even if we did, there's a chance those facilities contain civilians, we cannot just go in blind," she told them with sharp eyes.

"Admiral sanda is right, that's why we should infiltrate a base and father intelligence first," Shiro agreed from the side.

"The nearest base is 52 klicks south of our position," Veronica looked over at him and went back to her computer.

"What's the terrain like?" He asked calmly.

"The region around what we call base one is a complex urban environment," she told him. "Our route will take us through highly patrolled areas and it'll be hard to keep proper surveillance of our surroundings due to all the structural damage,"

"Then I suggest we form two teams, a ground unit that will attempt to infiltrate base one and get eyes on whatever is inside and a sniper team that observes from a higher position," Shiro pulled up his own map of the base.

"Covering the ground unit and providing visibility," he showed which buildings he wanted each group at for the positions.

"Use communications sparingly,"

"Lotor how have you been healing?" Sam asked  looking across the table.

"The burns have been healing and the prosthetics cause no pain on my amputations," Lotor told him and touched the scar on the side of his face, it cut across the edge of his brow and curved down past his lips around.

"Can you fight?" He asked. Lotor looked at his robotic hand and moved the metal fingers that connected to him.

"I can," Lotor nodded looking back up at the humans seriously.

"Your jointing the groups, with your knowledge of the galra You can pick the timing patterns of the patrol drones and know the usuals lay outs of galra units," Veronica told him and Allura looked surprised knowing she'd be part of that group. Her and lance made eye contact.

-

Pidge, Keith, allura, Lotor and Griffin were on the ground unit as Griffin drove them in the garrisons vehicle, Lotor was given a uniform similar to the MFE pilots. Hunk, Kinkade, lance and Veronica took the sniper support due to weapons better for distance.

"So like how old are you for aliens?" Griffin asked as Lotor sat passenger since he was the largest of the others and wouldn't crush pidge.

"Lotor and I are ten thousand deca pheobs," Allura sat in the middle of Keith and Pidge.

"Wait really?" Griffin asked wide eyes.

"Alteans aging is different than humans, my aging is more specific from my altean and galras genetics," Lotor rolled his eyes.

"Wait so how old would that make you then in earth years?" Pidge sat up curiously now.

"How old are you Paladins?" Lotor raised a brow looking back at them.

"I'm 15 earth years now, lance and hunk would be like 19, I'm not sure with Keith and that gap or whatever," Pidge shrugged and Lotor thought about it.

"I'm.. well ten thousand and take away a few deca phoebs and add a couple phoebs... I believe that would be translated to 20 or 21 earth years?" Lotor pursed his lips looking down.

"Your 20?" Keiths eyes widen.

"Or so? I'm still learning the translation between our times," Lotor nodded slowly.

"But the thousands?" Griffin asked surprised.

"I uh.. was being carried in my mother in the quintessents field so I've had a difference in my aging," Lotor gulped a little awkwardly.

"I was only 21 deca phoebs old before I was frozen for the ten thousands years," Allura nodded.

"And I was born after altea's destruction so your older," Lotor looked back at Allura with a little judgement in his eyes and Pidge covered her mouth hiding a small smile.

"Are you two exes or something holy shit," Griffin could sense the tension and regret being the only garrison member on this ride.

"Let's just focus on the mission," Lotor waved them off annoyed.

"Let's keep it professional," Keith leaned his head back with a long sigh. Everyone agreed in a small mumble and nods.

—

"You know you didn't have to come, a map would've been just fine," lance sat in front with Veronica driving.

"You didn't need to come along on the mission," he bounced his leg not touching anything but the ground and the seat he sat on, keeping his hands in his lap.

"What are you talking about? I've been going on these missions for months now, no one knows the terrain better than me," Veronica raised a brow glancing over at her little brother. It's weird how he's barely aged after four or five years.

"Yea I just don't like to see you put yourself in danger," lance kept his eyes ahead. God he forgot how much he hated cars, how bumpy they felt.

"First of all that's very sweet but knock it off," Veronica smiled at him sarcastically.

"Your an idiot if you think I'm not going to defend our home," she scoffed shaking her head.

Hunk and kinkade sat in the back awkwardly of the siblings bickering.

"You excited about this mission?" Hunk asked the other pilot. Kinkade grunted back.

"Yea totally.. I feel the same," he sighed looking out the window.