Voltron: Tales of the Valkyrie (Voltron Legendary Defender fanfic)

United 1

Keith walked down the hall of the Atlas toward the communications hub. They'd met up with Shiro during an evacuation run. The storms raging the galaxy had settled, providing time to get people to safety. Alien refugees currently occupied the cargo hold and mess hall.

The door to communications slid open. Darkness encompassed the room, minus the light from a single display. Star sat cross-legged in a chair, body hunched toward the display. Her long golden hair fell over her shoulder and toward the floor. Keith's jacket sat beside her on the table.

Keith entered the room, walking softly. He put his hand on her shoulder.

Star jumped from her seat, sending the chair clattering to the floor. She threw a punch.

Keith caught it. "Star, it's me. You're safe."

Her tense features slacked, anger subsiding. "Sorry. I was trying to contact the Valkyrie. No word." She tried to pull her hand away.

The black paladin held on, unclasping her fingers so his palm touched hers. "Then maybe we can talk. It's been a while since we've been face-to-face."

Star avoided his eye, voice curt. "We can't talk about that now."

"Nothing's going on right now."

"Wrong." Her stare chilled his bones. "There's always something happening. Some form of evil brewing in the background. And as long as it's there, the universe will need Voltron. It's pointless to talk." She ripped her hand away, grabbed his jacket, and shoved it into his chest. She turned to the darkness, shoulders slumped.

Keith gripped his jacket, frozen. The universe would always need Voltron. And to her, there was no possibility of being together while Voltron was needed.

But he didn't want to give up on them. Couldn't.

He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and clasped his hands around her waist. He buried his face into her shivering neck, tracing his nose up her stiff jaw to her ear. He pressed his lips close as he whispered, "When you're ready, I want to talk."

Star settled in his grasp, face turning to his. The coldness in her eyes had vanished, replaced by worry. "Keith, I -"

The door slid open behind them. Instinctively, they let go of each other.

Lance paused in the doorway, eyeing both of them. "Should I come back later?"

"Nope," Star said, pulling Keith's jacket off and handing it to him. "What is it?"

Lance looked between them before saying, "Storms are back. Shiro wants us on the bridge."

Star walked out the door and straight to the bridge.

Keith followed until Lance stopped him with his arm. The red paladin's concern showed. "She seems different. Unless giving the cold shoulder after a very intimate hug is her usual."

"I think you're confusing her with Allura." Keith pushed past Lance.

"I don't get the cold shoulder. More like . . . lukewarm."

Keith snickered. "I was joking. There's something wrong, but she doesn't want to tell me." 

They walked toward the bridge, Lance ruffling his brown locks. "Maybe it's whatever Quin was doing with her."

Keith had considered that possibility. Star didn't say anything about the experience. All he knew was that she didn't change like Zarkon and Lotor.

On the bridge, all the paladins gathered with Shiro, Coran, and Star by the monitors. Red blips covered the large holographic map of the universe, signaling odd weather patterns across the galaxy.

Hunk sighed, shoulders slumped. "I really thought we had beaten this."

Star leaned on the panel, staring at the controls by her fingers. "It won't be over until Quin's destroyed."

Keith stepped toward her. "I killed it."

The Valkyrie lifted her gaze to him. "You killed a manifestation. Quin is very much alive."

Shiro crossed his arms. "Given the fact I wasn't appraised of your mission to the quintessence field, perhaps you could explain what I missed."

Despite Shiro's effort to catch Keith's attention, the black paladin remained locked on Star.

She stared at her boots. "I had the Valkyrie fix the witch's ship so I could enter the quintessence field. I planned to go in only once to make sure the witch was gone and the universe wasn't in danger. Afterward, I was . . ." She shook her head before gazing apologetically at Keith. "I was called. The field seemed to beckon me back. So I went, in case I had missed something. Finding nothing, I returned here and had the ship destroyed."

Keith tried to come closer, but she shied away from him. "It pulled me in and that's how I found Quin. Our interference in their realm awoke the soul of quintessence. Quin latched onto me."

His eyes widened, remembering his warning from the future. "You're the key."

She moved closer to him. "No. Voltron is. Quin has fought Voltron for millennia, but she fears one more than the rest. Only one has gotten close enough to kill her, and she fears they'll be willing to sacrifice everything." She stared at him, gaze glassy. "Everything." She backed away and faced the blips across the galaxy. So many planets in danger and only one could stop it.

Allura hugged her elbows. "So what do we do? We cannot simply wait for Quin."

Star pushed her bangs back. "Don't have to. I know where the final fight is. The first world affected by Quin. Menaku."