The Silver Paladin

Return to the Balmera

~~~Saoirse~~~

After our event with the rebels, we continued on our course to the Balmera where we would begin our first big rescue mission.

"We'll be arriving at the Balmera soon." Allura said. I looked out the front window and saw that the area was mostly colored in various greens and yellows. There was a large yellow planet in front of us, which I assumed was the Balmera.

"Liberating these Balmerans from Zarkon's grasp will not be easy."

"So, what's the plan? We go in there and just-- pow, pow, pow! And free the prisoners." Lance said imitating laser guns.

"What was that noise?" Keith asked.

"Laser guns."

"No, Lance, I think you mean-- Pew, pew, pew." Hunk said making his own laser gun noise.

"That sounds like fireworks." Lance pointed out.

"Technically, they're more like-- ba-choo, ba-choo, ba-choo!" Pidge stepped in.

"Olay, enough with the bad sound effects." Shiro said. I was happy that he stepped up to stop the sound effects. Another one and I think I might--

"Besides, it's more like-- blam, blam, blam!"

I slumped forward. I take it back.

I sighed, holding my head trying to ease the headache I had, "How can my brother, a twenty-five year old Lieutenant at the Galaxy Garrison, make such bad laser gun imitations?" I asked myself, knowing that I would never get an answer.

"Paladins, focus." Allura said.

"Besides, we can't just shoot at the Galra. This Balmera, it's, like, alive." Hunk pointed out, "And from what we've seen, it doesn't look very good."

The radar on the large screen showed us heat signatures from the Balmera, and it seemed that the Balmera really wasn't healthy enough sto sustain life for very much longer.

I felt bad for it. It was a planet but it was a creature, and it hurt me to see it in pain like this.

"Yes, it's an atrocity what the Galra have been doing to this grand beast." Coran said, pulling up a picture of the Balmera surface, showing us what the Galra have been doing, "Stealing its crystals, its very life force,  without ever performing the energy rejuvenation ceremonies to heal it."

Energy rejuvenation ceremony? Suddenly, my head pounded against my brain. It thumped a few times before the pain faded away. Why did that happen?

"After seeing Shay's people enslaved, it made me realize how bad Zarkon really is. And we're the only ones who can stop him." Hunk said bringing me back to reality.

"Okay, so we can't go into the tunnels guns blazing." Shiro said calmly, "Plan B. We figure our how to draw the Galra up to the surface and battle them out there."

I nodded thinking up a plan, "Coran, you said that the Galra were mining the Balmera for crystals, right?" I asked.

"Yes, that's right." Coran answered.

"So what if we attack the mining equipment on the surface?"

"Yeah, then the Galra troops would have to come out of the mines to defend it. Then we beat them up, head down to the tunnels, Voltron saves the day." Hunk finished.

"But how will we know how many are left down in the tunnels?" Keith asked.

"We can track the Galra and the Balmerans using Biothermal Life Indicator Point Technology." Allura said, creating a holographic image of the technology.