Voltron: When Starlight Meets Fire

{Chapter 13- A New Ally}

Hello guys! This is Pulsar. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you have any comments or suggestions, let me know!
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[Cori's POV]

Something about this situation was oddly familiar. The hum of the pod's engines, the dim cyan glow of the control panel, and the vast emptiness of space beyond the viewport- it all felt like a scene she'd lived in before. Except this time, there were no creatures trying to chase after her, no whispers in her ears telling her she had left the only home she'd ever known behind, none of the comfort that came with the presence of planets or stars to pull her from the abyss she felt herself slipping into. Not even inconceivable strange scenery. All it was was silence, faint glowing points, and a map to the white lion projected out in front of her.

Cori adjusted the pod's trajectory, movements automatic as memories of the past played like shadows across her vision. From the dusty, abandoned pods she had once discovered, to the moments of panic and fear, the sense of déjà vu was overwhelming. Just like last time, turning back wasn't an option.

Nothing she'd seen in the quantum abyss EVER prepared her for this. She'd seen Earth and Altea fall. She'd seen Lance and Coran die, a vision of loss that drove her to save them. She'd seen Keith and Shiro fight. Both ripping each other to pieces in a desperate attempt to survive the other. But she'd never seen- the path to this. And the unknown was killing her.

Her stomach twisted and growled in Protest. Right– running away meant forgetting just a few vital things- like food. When was the last time she had a decent meal? She had already run dry of the ten-thousand-year-old protein bars that she had found in the pod's emergency med kit. She really should have provisioned those. It had only been a week. Well, to be fair, there was only a handful of them.

Her hands gripped the controls tighter. Was this a mistake?

No. Don't go questioning it now. You know it's better this way.

Oh, stop moping. We're hungry. How about we try out that planet down there?

The thought was half-hearted, but when she glanced at the corner of her screen, she actually did spot a planet. A thin layer of green spread across parts of its surface—not much, but more than she'd expected.

Well. Worth a shot.

Sulphur dioxide detected.

She exhaled through her nose, already reaching for her helmet. Figures.

The pod shook slightly as it cut through the planet's atmosphere, heat blooming at the outer hull before the descent stabilized. The closer she got, the clearer the surface became–rugged terrain with sparse patches of vegetation, clusters of dry, spindly shrubs clinging stubbornly to the landscape. It wasn't exactly promising, but it was something.

Cori guided the pod toward a relatively flat stretch of land, setting it down with a soft thud. The moment the engines powered down, silence pressed in. No hum of the controls, just the faint creak of cooling metal.

She didn't move right away.

Her fingers hovered over the release latch of her harness, but hesitation settled like a weight in her chest. What if she didn't find anything? What if this planet was as empty as it looked? She swallowed hard. Then you move on. Simple as that.

With a sharp exhale, she unbuckled and pulled on her helmet. The seal clicked into place, and the HUD flickered to life, scanning the environment as she stepped toward the exit hatch.

The airlock hissed open, and Cori climbed out, boots hitting dry, cracked ground. The sky above was a dull, hazy yellow, thick clouds shifting sluggishly overhead. She took a cautious step forward, scanning the landscape. There were no immediate signs of life—no movement, no sound beyond the wind skimming over the jagged rocks.