Taking A Chance

What did the Blade want?

With a few minutes to spare, Keith and Lance arrived at the Castle, curtisy of Kosmo.
‘We all ready to put on a show?’ asked Pidge.
The other all deadpaned her.
‘That’s what I thought,’ she said.
‘Right, get to your lions and wait for the signal to fly over the Garrison, and form Voltron,’ said Shiro, ‘we’ll fly around a bit and show off some of Voltron’s weapons, then split and land near the base ready for the press.’
They stood there a second longer, then reluctanly went to their lions.
For those watching on the ground, they put of a marvellous display that wowed them all. When they landed, the team was happy to fall in behind Allura and Coran as they moved over to the reporters. Unfortunately for Shiro, it was big news that he was back and lots of questions were shouted his way. Then they started on Keith, wanting him to change into his Galra form, so they could see him, and Keith shrank back behind Lance.
‘Keith is not a sideshow act to be ogeled,’ said Shiro. ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask him to do that here.’
‘You don’t think we should know what the enemy looks like,’ asked one of the reports.
‘Keith’s not the enemy,’ said Shiro. ‘He helped defeat the Galra, along with other aliens, and other Galra, who were tired of being manipulated.’
‘These five paladins were chosen by the lions of Voltron to free the universe from the Galran empire,’ said Allura. ‘If they were not worthy to pilot them, they wouldn’t have been chosen, and your first meeting of an alien species would have been the Galra enslaving your people.’
With that Allura turned away from the reports and led the paladins into the hall were the guests of the ceremony had gathered. The reporters were guided into where they were allowed to stand to take photos. Their families looked ready to burst with pride, but the reporters ignored them until they saw Jaya, and all the cameras swung his way and they started yelling at him to look their way, frightening him.
‘Stop, you’re scaring him,’ Lance yelled, as Keith hurried over to the kit, and picked him up.
The room went quiet.
Jaya hid his face in Keith’s neck. Molly ran to Keith, and hugged his leg.
‘It’s okay,’ Keith assured them. ‘Go to papa, Molly.’
Molly ran to Lance who picked her up.
Keith followed her over and the press snapped photos, but didn’t yell anymore.
‘Do you want to say hi?’ Keith asked Jaya.
Jaya turned his face a little and looked at all the people. He gave a little nod.
Keith put him on the ground.
‘Hi,’ Jaya said.
‘And who are you,’ asked a female reporter as she sat on the floor in front of him.
‘Jaya,’ he said.
‘Pa, ‘aya,’ said Molly, pointing to him.
Lance put her on the floor and she went and took Jaya’s hand, and the sound of cameras snapping filled the hall.
The female reporter looked up at Keith her eyes almost pleading with him to talk to them.
Keith looked to Lance and Shiro who both came and stood with him.
‘Jaya is a Galran kit, a baby,’ said Keith. ‘He’s my brother, we had the same mother.’
‘Why is he here?’ asked the woman.
‘Krolia and Kolivan were killed fighting for Earth,’ Keith said.
‘And the little girl?’
‘Her family was killed by the Galra,’ said Lance. ‘Before her mother died she asked that we take care of her.’
‘We understand people’s curiosity, not just about the kids, but about all of us,’ said Shiro, ‘we ask you to respect our privacy, and let us do our jobs, and live our lives.’
The woman smiled at Jaya. ‘Thank you for talking to us,’ she said.
Jaya smiled, setting off another round of photos.
Hand in hand, Molly and Jaya went back to where Lance’s family waited.
The Admiral firmly moved them on, and up to the table at the front of the hall.
Lance frowned at the sudden rush of confusion, and found Keith was separated from the rest of the paladins. He was placed at the end of the table, with Iverson next to him.
‘You little shit,’ hissed Iverson, 'you were told not to make a scene.’
‘It was hardly my fault,' Keith said.
‘You could have left that thing at home,’ Iverson said.
‘How, he's a baby,’ Keith said.
Their conversation halted when plates of food were put in front of them.
‘Whatever,' said Iverson, when the cadet serving them moved away, 'so what did the Blade want?’
‘That's between me and them,' Keith said.
‘Listen to me Kogan, I will make your life a living nightmare, unless you learn to tow the line,' said Iversen. ‘The Admiral wants to know what you went to the Blade for.'
‘It was Blade business...'
‘Don't fuck with me, the Admiral owns the Blade…’
'No she doesn't,’ said Keith. ‘The Garrison pays me to fly red lion, not run the Blade.’
‘You assured her you could make hard decisions,' Iverson said.
‘And I can, it's to say no to her wanting to use them for her own purposes,’ Keith said.
‘Don't you have any loyalty to your own people?’ Iverson snapped.
‘You seem to forget, I'm Galran and Altean,’ Keith said.
‘Just give me the fucking information.'
‘Why such the desperate need to know?'
‘None of your business.’ Iverson glanced down the table at the Admiral.
‘Ah,' said Keith, ‘you won't be getting any tonight if you don't find out.'
‘I don't know what you're talking about.‘
Keith leant closer to Iverson. ‘I can smell her on you. You might also want to tell her, when she's finished giving you a blow job, she should pop a mint.’
On the other side of Iverson, Coran choked on his food.
A red faced Iverson turned to him.
‘Sorry, 'said Coran, thumping his chest, 'it went down the wrong way.’
Iverson turned and attacked his food like it was to blame for Keith's rudeness.
Despite Keith being hungry he couldn't bring himself to eat while they were being watched closely by the press and guests, of course Iverson sitting next to him, scowling didn't help either.
Down the table, Shiro's datapad pinged and he read the message.
Adam: Keith's not eating.
Shiro glanced down the table at Keith, who looked totally miserable.
He turned to Hunk. ‘Can you and Pidge move down a seat when I get up.’
Hunk frown. ‘Sure.'
Shiro took his food and drink and went down to Keith.
‘Do you mind if we swap seats,' Keith,’ said Shiro. ‘I'd like to catch up with the Commander.’
‘Um...sure,' Keith said. He picked up his food and drink and saw the seat next to Lance was free and sat.
Lance frowned at Keith's untouched plate.
‘Why haven't you eaten?’ asked Lance.
Keith stared at the table in front of him. ‘l...can't eat with people watching me.’
‘Look at me,’ Lance instructed. Keith slowly turned to look at him. ‘Just look and talk to me, okay?'
Lance drew him into conversation, and soon Keith was distracted enough he unconsciously started to pick at his plate.