A Matter of Family

Chapter One: Critical Condition

*note to readers* Hello there! First things first, thank you very much for checking out this fanfic and seeing what it's about! I'm new to WattPad, and I just decided to post my very first Voltron fanfic up here to get started and see how everything works! This story was finished a while ago, but I went back and polished it up to repost as a kind of remake, the plot and storyline hasn't changed however. Anyhoo, don't want to bore ya, so let's get this thing rolling like a snowball down a hill, shall we?

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   Keith held on tight to the leather straps hanging from the ceiling. He, Kolivan, and one other Blade of Mamora warrior stood in the Black Lion's lower cargo bay. It hadn't been long since Keith had left team Voltron to join the Blade of Mamora. Although he missed everyone, he felt like his duty was to the Blades now after knowing of his Galra heritage. Besides, Shiro was bonded with the Black Lion once again now, and Keith believed he himself was just not meant to lead Voltron. So him leaving and Shiro becoming the leader again was better for everyone.

"How much longer until we reach the drop off point, Black Paladin?" Kolivan asked aloud, the com in his helmet carrying his voice to the paladin.

"A few more ticks." Shiro replied on the other side of the com.

They flew thirty feet or so above the ground, but with the cover of darkness and with no moon to illuminate, much of the surrounding land was a dark mass to which details were difficult to see if not completely invisible. There were a total of five Galra outposts located on the planet at different coordinates, and while the five lions splitting up wasn't the normal or safest route, they needed to be a unified assault so the outposts couldn't send warning or call for backup off planet upon seeing the others were under attack. With the limited amount of help Voltron even had, it was the best they could do. Shiro's voice soon came in on the com in everyone's helmet.

"Alright, remember the plan." He advised. "Each lion will drop off either Blade's or rebels near the entrance of each Galra outpost. Rebels and Blades, your job is to quickly and quietly infiltrate their defenses, get inside and download the information from the main computer. Once that's done, regroup with your ride and get out. Lions, your job is to keep the guns and fighters on you and distract the Galra long enough for the ground team to move in as undetected as possible. Keep the Galra's attention on you."

"Got it." Pidge announced for the rest of the team.

"Good luck, and make it quick." With that, Shiro brought his full attention to his own team, trusting the rest of the paladins to do the same.

They were nearing the dropoff point now, anticipation growing as they felt it coming closer. 'Patience, yields, focus'. Keith repeated what Shiro had told him seemingly so long ago in his mind. He was feeling slightly restless, and he found that repeating those three words in his mind calmed him, bringing him to focus.

The outpost they were headed towards sat beneath a large overhanging cliff, carved into the rockside. The main landing platform (where many larger ships came to land and take off from the main area of the base), but was firmly planted within the rock, thus it would not fall easily. The outpost had a series of caves near its main hangar. When navigated correctly, the caves could lead to certain doors which the enemy kept for escape routes.

The Black Lion soon reached the top edge of the cliff, the main base over to their right and down below, out of sight due to the overhang. The Lion came to hover above the ground, the air duct of the cargo bay opening with a swoosh: cool night air soon coming in to greet them. Without hesitation, Kolivan led the way, the other Blade following close behind, who was then followed by Keith. As his feet hit the ground, he rolled to break his fall and was soon beside Kolivan. The night vision mode in Keith's helmet detected the overwhelming darkness and in doing so switched on, allowing him to see more of the blank, rocky terrain in better vision. Keith looked to Kolivan's dark green form, and after he did a quick look to make sure Keith and the other Blade were with him, Kolivan checked in with Shiro.