Voltron: Legendary Defender // Keith Kogane

Chapter 041.

"Cira? Allura? Keith? Where are you?"

Coran's worried voice is barely heard through the radio. Cira leans forward and fiddles with the radio to try and get a better connection. Coran's voice is heard again, this time more clear. "Cira, Allura, Keith, come in."

"We're here, Coran." Cira takes a small glance at Keith next to her.

"Where are you?"

"Exactly where we should be," Allura answers from behind the two, "far away from the castle."

"What? W-Why?" Shiro questions.

"We must know if we are the ones Zarkon is tracking." Allura answers.

"They're isolating the variable. Well, isolating three variables." Pidge realizes.

"In English, please?" Lance pleads, his mind reeling.

"In order to test a hypothesis—"

"—I said English!"

Pidge groans, "Never mind!"

"Pidge is right." Allura continues, "If Zarkon finds you despite my absence, we will know with total certainty that we are not the ones he is tracking."

"Splitting up the group makes us far more vulnerable." Shiro disagrees, "Come back to the castle immediately."

From behind Cira and Keith, Allura's eyes sadden, "I'm sorry, Shiro, I cannot do that."

"If Zarkon does find us, I can pilot us to safety." Keith explains, "We're in wide-open space with plenty of room to maneuver. Plus, we'd be able to outrun him. Pidge added that booster rocket."

Coran pales, "That thing's still on there?"

"We need all three of you back here now!" Shiro repeats, his tone demanding.

"Shiro is right." Coran remarks, "This is not a debate. You need to return this instant."

"You're right." Cira narrows her eyes, "This isn't a debate. We need to be as far away from you as we can."

"I forgot what it was like to argue with you." Coran's grumble is heard through the radio. Cira rolls her eyes, but looks at the radio in alarm when screams erupt from the other end. The alarm is heard blaring, as well. A small sigh escapes from Cira's lips. What if it was Zarkon? That was good, right? At least, for her, anyway.

"What's—goin' on?" Shiro's voice is barely heard through the static that erupts through the radio occasionally.

Cira fiddles with the radio to try and fix the connection, but to no avail. She is barely able to make out Hunk's answer, "We're—sort of—debris field."

Cira groans, "Come on. Come on."

"I—coming—from Taujeer." Coran's words fizzle in and out, "Correction—it is Taujeer!"