In the Stars.

Chapter 17: The Heat

[WARNING: Sexually explicit content.]

"I don't care if you're prince or even Zarkon himself!" Keith yelled back "We are the Paladin's of Voltron, and we are not going to back down simply because you pull the 'Prince' card bull shit!"

"Keith, back off." Shiro countered Keith, thinking that it would be the best for them to just retreat and deal with this later.

It was clearly visible that the Balmera was dead. The poor creature had all it's live mined out of it, all that was left was the inhabitants and the eroding shell.

"Back off?!" Keith looked to Shiro, who just told him to back off from a tyrant Prince who threatened their lives, "Shiro, are you serious right now?"

"You're being more protective because (Y/n) is in heat--"

"HE'S GOING TO KILL US, SHIRO!" Keith yelled in desperation, "Yes, I want to protect my mate, but this team comes first! Without one of us, Voltron can not be formed." Keith snarled towards Shiro. "Whatever, I'm ending this." Keith stood and activated his bayard. His sword long and glistening. Keith took a breath and ignored Shiro's protests to go against Lotor. Keith stared down Lotor, the helmet a deep purple with the normal Galra accents. Lotor released a fancy air, he held himself with such prowess anyway, let alone when he too unsheathed his sword.

"Old fashioned fighting? I like the way you think, Red." Lotor snickered

"Just you and me," Keith lunged forward, his feet denting into the surface of the quickly eroding Balmera. The groans of the damned seeped through, the Balmaerans were being crushed in the caves and all five Paladins were out of their lions foolishly fighting a Prince who only one needed to entertain. Thousands of lives were going to perish simply because Keith wanted to keep his team whole.... Whole? No... he wanted to be the hero. He wanted to fight Lotor and win. He wanted his teammates to smile and be proud of him, but all he earned when he looked back was despair and hopeless, tear-ridden, eyes and mouths agape with gasps for him to return to them.

All Keith saw in Pidge's sobbing for him to come back, all he could hear in Shiro's screaming, all he could witness in Hunk's deforming and falling to his knees, was (Y/n). He saw his mate being left alone again. He saw a stupid decision forcing him to de-mate his dear (Y/n). He saw his teammates crying over him, his stupid choices leaving them all.

"RED!" Keith called.

In an instant the Red lion landed in between him and Prince Lotor, Red knowing that Keith was in distress and wanting to protect him with themselves. Him and Red were a lot alike in that type of scenario. They both were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the team, even though without one of them Voltron was not possible.

Keith slightly ran himself into Red, her being a little closer than he had assumed. "Thanks, Red," Keith laughed hearing a lecturing rumble in the back of his head. Keith looked back to his team... his family, "Allura, we're coming back, the Balmera is compromised. We're going to try to get some of the locals out, but we're going to need some light covering fire," As Keith explained to Allura (and by default everyone else) the plan the other four Lions listened to their Paladin's calls, except Blue.

Shiro was in charge of taking Blue back to the castle, Pidge was in charge of taking Lance back, while Hunk and Keith were on collection duty as Allura shot towards the Prince and his men. It wasn't the best idea, but it was the only one they had right now.

"Ready, Hunk?" Keith asked as he moved Red from the firing range that the Balmera had turned into

"Yeah, I'm not as fast as you, but I'll get as many as I can."