Firefly

Chapter 6

A group of four bountyhunters walked out of a nearby town. "Well that was a waste." One hissed. "Alvia, send a message to Lark. Informing him that Corona is clear." The largest of the group ordered. "Yes, Azar." the first female answered. "Azar, are you sure we're going to find them? They could be anywhere." the second female asked. "Right, you're new, Artemis." another male said mockingly. "I didn't ask you Atlas!" Artemis snapped. "Calm down, the both of you!" Azar ordered as they quit arguing. "Azar, Lark knows where the paladins are." Alvia said getting everyones attention. "Where are they?" Azar asked. "On a planet named Cassius, in a small town called Cirrus a few galaxies from our current position." Alvia answered. "Did Lark plant trackers on the lions we didn't know about?" Atlas asked. "No, he found out from a random alien." Alvia answered looking at their leader. "What's the contacts name? So we can thank them for the tip." Azar asked with a sinister grin. "Vespar." Alvia answered. "Lark wants to be sure that we know to bring the paladins back to Enoria unharmed." "We are aware." Azar answered as Alvia relayed the message as they headed for their ship.

After the paladins ate, they walked outside to explore the town. "So what did Vespar tell you?" Keith asked as Pidge picked up some werid contraption. "Nothing useful actually. He was competely useless." Pidge answered. "He kept telling me what I already knew. He didn't know where the Empire was keeping them or anything else." "Of course he didn't." Keith muttered. "And for some reason I don't remember anything after talking to Vesar." Pidge said. "Did you come down and get me?" "What do you remember?" Keith asked. "Well, I remember Vespar leaving with some lady I guess. The next thing I know, I woke up shivering and my wrists and ankles tied together with your jacket." Pidge answered shooting the red paladin a glare. "I had my reasons." Keith said as if it answered everything. "Really? What did I do?" Pidge demanded. "Tell me everything." "Okay, I found out Vespar left you down there. So I yelled at him, found you and brought you back to the room and fell asleep for an hour at most." Keith explained. "What else happened?" Pidge asked. "Its just easier to show you." Keith said telepathically as someone walked by.

"I did that?" Pidge asked after Keith had showed her the memory as Keith scoffed. "Sorry." Pidge said leaning on him breifly before finding something that caught her attention and rushing off. Girls. Keith thought rolling his eyes. I heard that!" Pidge called from inside the stall/ shop. "Look at this." she said reappearing a few ticks later holding some kind of animal. "It's cute I guess." Keith said since it looked like a rabbit that had two cat-like tails, and was practically hairless as if all it's hair had been burnt off. The moment the animal saw him it started hissing and thrashing around wildly. "I don't think it likes me." Keith said taking a step back from it's flailing sharp claws. "Don't worry I'm not keeping it." Pidge assured him setting the animal down. It scurried off to the steps, hissing at them before disappearing back inside the shop as Keith saw movement out of the corner of his eye. "What?" The green paladin asked as he snapped his head to the right. "I thought I saw something." Keith answered as Pidge looked in the same direction but saw no one suspicious. "Let's move on to a different shop." Keith suggested as they started walking down the narrow streets. "Do you think someone is stalking us?" Pidge whispered. "Glance back, ever so slightly." Keith answered. She glanced back briefly to see a hooded figure push their way through the crowd toward them. "I see them. What now?" She asked in a whisper. "We lose them." Keith whispered back with a slight growl, before taking off with Pidge right beside him. The paladins didn't need to look back to see if they were being followed now, since they could heard the shouts of protests as aliens were shoved out of the way. "This way!" Pidge said suddenly ducking into an alley with Keith diving in behind her hoping to lose the figure but to no avail. The two paladins stopped toward the back of the alley, with their backs toward the hooded figure who continued to get closer. Duck! Keith told Pidge telepathically once the figure was close enough. Pidge dropped while Keith roundhouse kicked the figure, who stumbled backward ultimately falling on their ass. "Damn Keith. You could've just said hello!" The figure said rubbing his cheek where the red paladin had kicked him while Pidge popped back up with a puzzled expression. "Nox?" Keith said sounding surprised as he helped the figure up while he took off his hood revealing a galran, still rubbing his cheek. "Yeah, it's me." Nox answered. "What are you doing here?" Keith asked as Pidge looked at the galran in confusion. "The real question is why you two aren't at Warfang like you should be?" Nox said in a stern tone. "But we have a mission here." "We?" Pidge echoed as two more hooded figures landed beside them, causing the green paladin to jump. "How's your shoulder?" Nox asked gesturing to the red paladins right shoulder while the other two took off their hoods. "Scarred." Keith answered flatly as Pidge pulled on his jacket to get his attention. "Keith, who are these guys?" She asked. "Pidge this is , Regis, Nox, and Ilan." Keith answered. "They're with the Blade Of Marmora." "Oh." Pidge said. "Wait, why aren't you wearing Marmora armor than!" "Because it's dangerous here." Ilan said. "Even for us." Regis added. "That's why you two shouldn't be here." Nox interjected. "Cirrus is full of assassins, thugs, and low life's. They would do anything to catch you and hand you over to Zarkon." "We know thats why we ditched our armor." Keith said as Pidge nodded. "Anyway." Ilan said shoving the two boys out her way. "I hear you're looking for your family." Pidge looked at Keith a little uncertain, but the red paladin nodded slightly letting her know that it was safe. "That's right." Pidge answered looking her in the eyes, where she found no malice just a kind gaze. "I was on the cruiser that captured them and Shiro. Unfortunately I got transferred to another cruiser as soon as we secured them." Ilan said as Pidge suddenly looked interested. "You should seek out Commander Arctic." "Arctic?" Pidge echoed. "That's an unusual name for a galran." She said glancing up at Keith who looked bored, as if he heard about werid names a thousand times before. "His name is weird." Regis said pointing to the red paladin who shot him a death glare. "Arctic isn't the Commander's real name. It was a nickname he earned for being so cold when conquering planets." Nox explained. "But fortunately Arctic retired early due to failing eye sight." Ilan added. "Do you know where he is now?" Pidge asked. "Yep, that's our specialty." Regis said. "He's on a deserted planet called Dejeeria." Ilan answered. "But be weary of him." Nox warned. "Even without his eye sight he is still a formidable foe." "Thank you so much for the information." Pidge said excitedly. "C'mon!" She said grabbing Keith's jacket and attempting to pull him but the red paladin didn't budge. "Whoa, whoa, Whoa. Slow down, where do you think you're going?" Keith asked. "To talk to Arctic." Pidge answered matter of factly as she started walking off. "Alright well hold on for a tick." Keith answered. "See you all later." He said to the agents as he started to follow. "Be careful, we can't afford to lose you." Regis said. "The universe needs Voltron." "Don't be idiots!" Ilan called. "And for Marmora' s sake get to Warfang, Pyrrhos!" Nox yelled as Keith flipped them off. The agents watched them go before pulling their hoods back up and continuing with their mission.