Don't You Trust me?

Security Footage Reveal

Jarep greeted Lance with a uneasy smile as she approached. Settling into a chair, she returned the gesture.

"So Krolia has humbly suggested we promptly move in our forces, so we can destroy the devices," he stated a matter of factly. He leaned against the table his arms crossed, "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Lance pointed to herself.

Jarep nodded thoughtfully. "I'd genuinely like to gain some valuable insight from you before I make a final decision."

"I see," Lance replied nodding, "I think it would realistically be a good idea to close in, invade when they least expect it. That way we could have the upper hand," she fiddled with a few of the papers as she paused to gather her thoughts, "although you should probably see what the range is around it. If a fight breaks out we wouldn't want a neutral planet exploding from a misfire."

Jarep nodded thoughtfully, "I have always admired the way you could analyze a complex situation," he gave her an approving smile this time with a hint of warmth. He leaned a little closer noticeably and her face flooded with heat. What the hell is wrong with me?

Lance continued to fiddle with the papers, focused on how the sheets slid through her nimble fingers and fell gracefully to the table, only to be brought up once more. Jarep always seemed to make her extremely aware of what she said and did. For some weird reason, she didn't even want to make eye contact with him. She had thought that after all this time she would've been over him, but now she was starting to think Krolia was right.

She rose abruptly her hands clasped behind her back. "If we plan on infiltrating, we will need to make preparations."

Jarep straightened his posture crossing his arms, "I'll entrust you with the specific details. Let me know when we're ready to roll out." he stood, walking around to the other side of the table. Lance taking that as her cue to leave turned to go.

"Not so fast, McClain."

She instantly froze her heart racing and eyes darting back and forth. Taking a deep breath she turned to face him, "Yes?"

"I've decided that we can't keep Keith locked up forever, and we're not going to fight his battle by ourselves-"

"But it's not just his battle! There are most likely hundreds of half-breeds spread throughout the universe that the Galra are hunting!"

Lance clamped her hand over her mouth her lovely eyes wide with profound shock. Never before had she interrupted Jarep or another chief commander, and yet here she was opening her mouth to passionately defend Keith of all people.

Either he ignored her outburst, or she was going to get a stern talking to when there weren't such pressing matters at hand.

"I recognize that Lance. As much as I want it not to be he's the one here and he's able to help fight for himself. What'd you think I was going to do? Send him off by himself?" He inquired.

"No, of course not!" she carefully cleared her throat, "I guess I jumped to conclusions." she lowered her head slightly, "It won't happen again.

Jarep nodded some skepticism still hidden in his eyes. "Right, Now what do you suggest we do about Keith?"

"He can come with me."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Shiro earnestly asked Pidge. She had barely entered the room before Shiro started pounding her with burning questions as to where the blue paladin had inevitably gone.

"As I said, no evidence shows their still on the ship. A pod is even missing!" She pulled out her tablet, "However the security footage picked up a galra pod landing." she flipped the tab so they could see.

On the camera, they could see the pod land. Several seconds passed before the pod opened revealing a figure inside. Yet the camera was too far away to tell who it was. At this Pidge paused the video and promptly turned the tablet back towards her. She gently tapped a few places here and there before she displayed it again. When she turned it back around, she had zoomed in on the figure in the pod and cleared up the footage. The revelations sent everyone into frozen shock.

"How can that be? We should've picked up unapproved landing in the bay!" Allura cried out.

"Are you kidding me?" Hunk replied, "It's Haggar she could enter anywhere and we'd never know it till the last second!"

"That's not all," Pidge once again drew their attention to the tablet. On the screen just before anyone enters the frame a illuminating flash of light then Krolia walks onto the screen. She stops, looks around, then continues. A third camera view showed yet another flash of light and then Shiro walked onto the screen. He stopped in front of the door where Lance had been held and entered. A camera inside the room merely showed Lance voluntarily leaving with Shiro.

Pidge shut off her tablet, adjusting her glasses. Everyone was sharing the same look. We have to find Lance and Keith now!

"Coran, is there any way we could find out where Keith and Lance are?" Shiro inquired his voice desperately trying not to crack. Haggar had gone too far this time and she was not going to get away with it.

Stroking his mustache, he furrowed his brows in concentration, "Without their lions, it's impossible to see where they are, unless..."

"Unless what Coran?" Hunk asked.

"Well unless Lance knew about this, which I doubt she did. We could check it out."

"Check what?!" the princess and the three paladins practically screamed at him.

Coran held his hands up defensively, "Alright, alright. Don't get your horses in a bunch. The lions log coordinates whenever they land, and since this might realistically be a frequented location by Lance the specific coordinates will appear more frequently."

"Pidge do you think you could figure it out?" Shiro turned to the smaller paladin.

Pidge nodded, "I'm on it."

"Good, we don't need to waste any more time," he turned to the others, "If Haggar is with Lance it's most likely that they have no idea it's an impostor, so we must work swiftly."