Green - Voltron Fanfiction - 1215

11

The next two weeks were spent building the wormhole device with the Olkari people. I stayed pretty far away from them, worried the same one who saw me would be there. I also worried that he told everyone, and they would be on the lookout for me. But after the third day of avoiding them, Kolivan ordered me to come out and help, knowing exactly what I was doing. I did as told, and he stood beside Antok with the new leader of the Olkari, Ryner, who didn't seem to care at all.
Keith also seemed hesitant, of course he'd be, though. Allura turned fast on him and he was still coming to terms with his identity. Now when I thought back to when that happened to me, it seemed like such a distant, quick memory. A little confusion, a little sadness. Mostly curiosity. Mostly wishing I belonged.
I felt for him. He was a brother, now, too.
After fifteen days of dealing with Slav and speaking minimally to Pidge, Antok braided my hair and the device was ready. All that was left was to draw Zarkon in and then get confirmation from Thace that the mission was a go.

"Zarkon took the bait! He's got my location." Shiro called through, and our shoulders straightened out.
"Is everybody in position?" Shiro asked.
"We've not yet heard from Thace." Kolivan replied, "He was supposed to contact us two vaga's ago."
"He could have been captured." Antok suggested.
"Or killed." I added.
"We need to abort the mission immediately."
"Abort?!" Allura gasped, "No. We cannot back away now."
"The Blade of Marmora does not take chances!" I snapped back, used to arguing with her.
Antok placed a hand on my shoulder, "It's how we've survived for so long."
"It's held you back. Your caution is the reason Zarkon is still in power." She insisted.
My brows furrowed and this time, I really couldn't believe it. She was going to drive her people to death, because she honestly thinks that thinking before one acts is holding back?
"We would rather wait than jeopardize everything." Kolivan insisted, "Besides, it's too late to get someone else inside."
"I'll do it." Keith and I said together.
I shot him a glare, but he ignored it, "I'll sneak onto Zarkon's ship." He continued, "I'm Galra so I'll be able to interact with their technology. Pidge, you can rig one of those pods with a cloaking device, right?"
"Don't be ridiculous." I began, "I've trained with the blade for over a year now and you've only been a paladin for a few months. You're not the only Galra around." I turned back to Kolivan, "I can do this."
"Going onto Zarkon's ship is a suicide mission." Kolivan replied to us both.
"Not if Thace is still there." I retorted.
He narrowed his eyes, "I would never command people so inexperienced to go on a mission so dangerous."
My shoulders slumped.
"No one's commanding me." Keith replied, shocking me, "I'm doing it."
No. No! Let me go! I turned back to Kolivan, asking him silently why he wasn't doing anything. Why he couldn't just insist I go instead. He just frowned and watched Keith go, though, and told him he'd guide him through it.
I was enraged. First Ulaz tells me to run and hide in this ship so I'm safe from the fight, and now Kolivan can't even trust me to do something I've already been trained to do? To fight? He just met Keith, but for some reason he can't insist against this because he's not officially under Kolivan's command? The moment you have a Blade, you're part of the family!
How long is it going to take before someone finally thinks I'm strong enough? Smart enough?
"Pidge, get that pod ready." Shiro ordered, and she got to work as I seethed silently.
Will someone please explain to me why I'm always pushed to the back?!
Keith left with Pidge to the pod hangar and Allura followed shortly after. It was just Hunk and Lance, who were going over the battle plan again to make sure they didn't miss anything or forget important tips.
Kolivan glanced down at me, and I refused to meet his eyes.
"Vrokta-"
"Don't." I growled, "I get it. I'm too inexperienced. All I'm good at is following orders."
He sighed, "One day, you'll understand."
"One day isn't soon enough."

Keith got into Zarkon's ship with little to no issues, Shiro clearing him a path. As Kolivan led him through, Allura and Lance prepared the ship and Slav reported in, starting the gravity generator. I watched carefully, quietly, with Antok beside me. He apparently didn't have any special therapist wisdom to pass down after Kolivan refused to let me take charge and help Thace with the virus. As Shiro became overrun by the fighters, the rest of the paladin's deployed their lions and came to join the outside fight, holding off the forces until Keith managed to complete his mission and the teludav was ready.
"I'm in!" Keith called.
"Good." Kolivan replied, instructing him to add the data Thace collected into the system, shutting it down so he could apply the virus.
"It doesn't seem to be working."
"Try it again." Kolivan replied, eyes narrowed, listening carefully. There wasn't a fast enough reply, "Keith? Are you there?"
"Zarkon's ship is leaving the teludav's area of effect!" Allura called, "You must guide it back in!"
"This is getting hairy!" Lance huffed, "Keith, how you doing?!"
"The Galra switched the codes." Keith replied, "We're tryna work around."
"We? Who's we?"
I blinked, looking up. Thace! He's alive! Kolivan's facial expression didn't change. Usually, that wouldn't be a surprise, or cause for relief, but there was something different about it this time. Something that told me whatever he was hearing specifically from Keith that I wasn't, that no one else could, wasn't good.
"Uh, everyone!" Slav screeched, "The gravity generator won't hold power for much longer! If it goes down, we'll be uncloaked in open space!"
"Do all you can! We just need to hold out a little longer!" Shiro answered.
I can't imagine how annoyed that just made him. I've met Slav before, and he wasn't one to appreciate being told to do improbable things, like 'hold out a little longer'. Science doesn't care if you're ready or not.
"The gravity generator just lost power!"
We're running out of time. I crossed my arms, holding tight. The suspense was painful, but I had nothing else but this.
"Now there's no reality where we all get out alive!" Slave continued to whine, and I rolled my eyes.
But... Slav was always right. And if one of us really isn't going to make it back... who is it going to be?
"Princess, the Teludav is completely exposed." Coran warned.
"What do we do?!" Pidge cried.
"We can't do anything. If Keith doesn't get Zarkon's ship shut down we're done for."
Allura pursed her lips and held her head high, "We cannot wait any longer! I'm powering the Teludav now!"
Kolivan kept eyeing the monitors we had on Zarkon's ship, waiting every second for a sign. Then, it flickered.
"The system is down. Uploading the virus."
The Teludav lined itself up above the ship as the virus took full effect, shutting down the weapons system, every automated fighter jet and leaving Zarkon absolutely powerless. Now, Allura could work without interference.
It took three minutes total, rounding up, to get the entire ship through the wormhole. Allura fainted when it was done, leaving us seconds to follow the ship through. Coran helped guide the ship through, calling on the paladin's to group up close, and then quickly ran to check on Allura once we were inside.
"How's Allura?" Shiro asked.
I glanced back at Coran, holding Allura up, "She's weak, but okay."
"Take care of her. We've got it from here."
This was only the first half of the mission's battle plan. Now that the real fighting begins, would we really be able to take on Zarkon and his remaining live army without issues? Would this group of sentimental humans be able to take his head if they were given the chance, in cold blood, and not get scared?
"We did it!" Pidge cheered when the wormhole closed behind us, "I can't believe we did it!"
"See!" Slav chimed in, "I told you we could do it!"
"Everyone! Form Voltron!"