shining like the stars

39

Allura stood at the command console on the bridge, her arms folded and a frown on her face. Outside the forward viewscreen, still far enough out that the entire planet could be seen at once was the gas giant of Eaphus. It was a maelstrom of slowly changing oranges and golds. Allura wasn't looking out the forward viewscreen, however, instead down at the holographic display that hovered above the command console.

"That's odd," Coran said from his own console. "But not unexpected, given the length of time since we last visited the moon of Eaphus." He gestured and looked back at Allura, who hadn't taken her eyes off the display. "We could try hailing again, or even use the universal open communications system."

"Can't the Galra patch in on the UOCS?" Pidge asked, watching the foreign languages scroll across the navigator's console. "I mean, it is unencrypted."

"There aren't any Galra on the moon of Eaphus," Allura said.

"How can you be so sure, Princess?" Keith stood next to Shiro, his eyes not on the planet outside but on Shiro, who wore an unfamiliar expression. "Seems to me that they're pretty much everywhere."

"No, she's right," Shiro said suddenly. "There wouldn't be any, at least not on the ground. But they're at the way-point station in orbit above the moon. It's not safe to use any open communications here."

Allura glanced back at Shiro, who was very careful not to make eye contact with anyone. "There's something in the chemical composition of the air that is irritating to the Galra," Coran explained cheerfully. "It's not toxic nor even obvious to most oxygen-breathing species, but the interaction is noticeable enough that Galra tend to give the planet a wide berth."

"You've been here before," Allura said to Shiro, who continued to stare out the forward viewscreen.

"Not to the moon," Shiro said softly. He started gently when Keith laid his hand on Shiro's arm, then looked over to him and forced a smile to the surface. "Only to the waystation." He didn't elaborate further, and Allura nodded her head.

"So, what are we doing here?" Pidge said finally. "I mean, we can infiltrate the waystation and grab onto lines of communication, snoop around a bit..."

"We aren't actually here to snoop around," Allura said. "I didn't think that the Galra would establish a base here, given they avoid the moon if at all possible." She let out a breath and looked back to her console.

"Well, it does make sense," Coran said. "It's a major thoroughfare, with the sheer amount of traffic from all the species who make the journey to the temples."

Allura nodded. "The temples are actually our intended destination as well. We'll just have to be careful. The lions will stay on the ship, we'll take one of the smaller pods to the surface of the moon." She gestured with one hand at the console. "Coran, we'll land the ship on one of the smaller moons without an atmosphere. That should keep us off the radar for a while."

"I don't like the idea of everyone leaving the ship," Shiro said. "Especially with all the lions here."

"Yeah," Keith said. "All it takes is one overly-adventurous drone scout and Voltron is in Zarkon's hands."

Allura nodded her head. "That's why Coran will stay with the ship. The first sign of trouble he'll let us know, and we'll return right away."

Coran sighed. "And I was so looking forward to a nice rejuvenating stay at the Balneum."

#

"So we're not wearing our paladin armor to the surface?" Lance was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the long couch in the common room. Hunk was seated across from him, frowning at the cards in his hand, which flickered a little.