Gemini, Touch the Sky (Voltron: Legendary Defender Fanfic/ONC Entry)

Leaked Names

"Are we really supposed to put our faith in Voltron?" A woman Lance would go nuts for flashed her white teeth at viewers, but in some ways, the woman reminded Rachel of Gilderoy Lockhart and Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter series she enjoyed reading as a child. Finding out Hogwarts was real suddenly felt far more enjoyable than finding out aliens were real.

"Isn't the more important question whether these aliens are real or not? I mean, we've yet to see a real-life alien," said the woman's co-host.

"Ah, but what about those cadets who went missing? What kind of cadets are we putting the faith in regarding the survival of the human race? There's a reason why they don't let cadets pilot the actual spacecraft. They're children, but we should have questioned the upsurge in military schools as an alternative education system for our children."

"Says a woman who has no children of her own," Rachel's mother muttered under her breath. Rachel felt her mouth twist in amusement and yet in the back of her mind she still found herself bothered by the news her family received a week or so ago, but she also found herself bothered by her interaction with Ryo and how James interrupted her attempt at confronting Ryo. She'd not had the chance since.

"More importantly," the woman continued. "Why not make the tech available to all schools rather than an elite group of students?"

"She wants the space program privatized." Rachel's mother handed her some vegetables to chip.

"What do you mean by that?" Rachel asked.

"It would still be a system for the elite, but instead of the government controlling which schools would get the technology, a private company would. The poorer schools would miss out. At least the garrison looks at kids from underprivileged backgrounds." The woman's co-host brought up exactly what Rachel's mother said."

"Are we sure their education system is working? They quickly blamed their best student to supposedly ever graduate for the Kerberos mission failing, but we don't know if this whole thing is just more coverup for the act the program has failed. What better way to get funds and keep the program going."

"Takashi Shirogane..." their mother looked at the screen frowning. "That's the man Lance idolized?"

"So we do come back to aliens?"

"Yeah. That's the guy he always talked about. That, and Keith..."

"Oh. Keith. He's the kid Lance said was bullying him."

Rachel felt her mouth twist into a frown remembering what James said. "The person who bullied Keith the worst while he was at the garrison was your brother Lance."

"I'm not sure..."

"Well..." The woman was on a definite train of thought. "It is hard to not talk about aliens, isn't it. Nobody is talking about those missing cadets."

"Nobody knows who they are. The garrison has kept that under wraps," said the woman's co-host.

"Not as well as they would like."

"What..." Rachel's eyes blinked.

"I know. Someone leaked the names of the cadets."

"It's really disturbing finding out the histories of these cadets. This Keith Kagone is apparently a garrison washout because of behavior issues." Rachel reached for the television controller so she might turn off the television while her mother let out a sound indicating she agreed. "Then there is Lance..."

Rachel pushed the power button and the screen flickered off. Rachel saw a frown spread across her mother's face. "What is she..."

"It doesn't matter momma. They'll say anything. Let me help you finish making dinner."

Her mother glanced at her in amusement. "Did something happen?" A slight laugh escaped the woman's lips before she tilted her head at the television. "Other than that of course?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about how you never offer to help me cook unless something is bothering you. I always have to pester you to help instead, so is something bothering you?"

"I guess you could say that." Rachel chopped down with her knife down and listened to the sound which resounding through the kitchen and pushed her lips together in frustration. "What I don't like is how everyone is trying to take advantage of our pain for their own personal gain."

"Oh..." Her mother let out a sigh. "Her I was hoping it was a guy problem. I mean, what with..."

"He certainly is a pain in my ass." Rachel caught a glint in her mother's eye and shook her head slightly. "No. Not what you are thinking at all. It's that Japanese pop star."

"I saw him, didn't I? When they debriefed us? He's rather handsome, isn't he?"

"Momma! He's a prick but doesn't understand what we're going through!"

"Alright," Rachel's mother let out a sigh. "I'm excited about this alien princess Lance has mentioned."

"Mom, don't get your hopes up there either."

"Why not? He says he's going to marry the girl"

"Because..." Rachel knew her younger brother all too well. Lance liked to exaggerate and tell little white lies to make himself look good, but also make others sympathize with him. One of the things Lance bragged about was his ability to make any girl fall for him, and yet her brother had yet to get himself a girlfriend despite the fact he would flirt with any beautiful female he met. Lance also convinced himself of things which weren't true but told people these things as if they were true.

In fact, one of Lance's lies involved being the best in his class even before Keith dropped out, but she remembered how gleeful he was at the other kid's plight when Keith was kicked out. The woman on the television reporting the news said something about Keith having dropped out, but also having behavioral issues, yet in the back of her mind she wondered how much of that stemmed from the way the other cadets treated him. More surprising was the fact James was upfront about being a bully towards Keith. "Rachel?"

"Never mind." Rachel took a deep breath. "Don't worry about what I said, momma, as it's really nothing."

"I'm worried about them leaking the names of the cadets." The sound of a carpooling up made Rachel glance out of the kitchen window. Her mother also glanced up an smiled. "Ah. We have guests. I should..."

"Stay here momma." Rachel set the knife she was using down and headed out the nearby door. She found herself glaring at the men who got out of the car with their cameras.

"Hi. Are you a family member?"

Rachel didn't feel like answering the question, but the other reporter asked," What do you have to say about the claim regarding your family member barely making to the cut at the garrison, but the rumor he should have been kicked for sexual harassment."

"Leave."

"Yes, but..."

"This is private property." Rachel swallowed as her eyes caught sight of the school bus her nephew and niece road pulling up to the entrance of their small farm. The two children got off the bus and came hurtling down the path unaware of the most recent news.

Nadia's eyes widened in excitement at seeing her aunt. "Aunt Rae-Rae!"

One of the men turned towards the children. "Ah. Lance must be your uncle."

"Stop." Rachel didn't like how the men ignored her.

"Yeah. My uncle is amazing. He's training to be a pilot but is number one in his class. At least he was until he joined Voltron."

"Oh..."

"I sai leave. You don't have their parents' permission to interview them. Rachel started pushing Sylvio and Nadia towards the farmhouse.

Sylvio glanced back at the men in confusion. "But..."

Rachel glared at the two men over her shoulder. "Leave, before we call the police."