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Krolia was...tired. But she looked forward to returning to earth. Earth meant home, meant safety. But it had taken immense measures to get there.
A highly powerful warp machine, a gravity generator, and some people on the inside and enough threats on the outside to lure people out so they could get to Zarkon and the witch from the inside....well. It took a lot of planning and dedication. Marmora knows they had almost lost dear Antok, stuck in the infirmary for phoebes with a hit he took for Kolivan and probably her sake as well, and also Thace, her dear younger brother and protege. He was roughed up by the Druids while escaping that damn transportation ability. But a bit of sleep-inducing chemical bomb and a fierier explosion seems to have put them out of mind. The war was over. Within a quintent, 10,000 years had come to pass and fall. As Cal would say, not with a whimper, but with a bang. Many bangs.
And now they had discovered Princess Allura herself on Arus and were retrieving the Voltron Lions with her. Luckily, Krolia had known just where to find one. And, her family.
Krolia, was tired. And filled with elation. Peace. Peace and home. And....a lot of reports and paperwork and diplomacy with Earth officials because since there wasn't a need to keep the Earthlings out of sight and low on the radar of the Empire, they had to do things properly. Krolia could do proper. She hated it. She loved it.
Diplomacy did not come with muscle memory as a knife in her hands. It was not as practiced as accuracy at a target. It certainly wasn't as easy as breathing, or more so, piloting. But. Diplomacy meant peace. And diplomacy on currently peaceful planet meant no balancing speciest former dictators unhappy being removed, or insurgency caused civil wars (as much as she could relate), or fights over resources. No backstabbing. No heel-turns or, Marmora's claws. A memorable case of organ trading another sentiment dominant species on the planet for fashionable accessories.
Peace. And a two story wooden house with someone with warm brown eyes and a pair of inquisitive purple eyes she could now protect from close eyes. Did Cal take pictures? She hoped he took pictures and video and she could pull it out and examine and track and research the growing young man her child would be. Her child is. And she gets to see him!
Krolia took another deep breathe, her eyes closed. A smile on her face. A smile that was causing Kolivan, Antok, Ulaz, and Thace to be a bit confused. And concerned. Or, in Thace's case, making not-quiet remarks about Ulaz needing to check her head.
And now, they sat just a bit outside the Terran solar system. And it was beautiful to see these stars again out the red tinted view-port. She gazed at them in longing. Soon Cal. Soon I will see these with you again. And our boy.
Krolia tightened her grip on the transport ships controls and yanked suddenly. It was time. The ship jerked. It was too much for the gravity to keep them all steady, the ship's landing program not up. Her passengers cursed and she heard thuds. Claws scraping. Finally, she heard a bigger thud then the others. Antok. She sat there, unmoving. Claws scraping onto the wall, Kolivan's head popped right behind her, eyes narrowed.
"Krolia." It was an unhappy tone. An 'I will not ask you are to give answers immediately' tone. Kolivan could say many things with tones and a glance. Unfortunately, Krolia could too.
"Kolivan." I am not moving Kolivan.
"What the ruggle-sucking-," the whispered sounds of Thace's cursing behind them was halted by a smack on his person by Ulaz. Antok's tail was like an earth helicopter; the armored tip making a continuous whistle.
She activated the chip she has jammed into a port on the screen and the ship locked down. There was no getting it to work without the passcode...or the chip. She yanked the chip out and showed them, before crushing it. It snapped and crunched like an Earth potato chip.
She wasn't risking this being snatched away from this: she was finding her family. Whether they remained on Earth or not was their choice. But her choice was beside them. If Kolivan really wanted, she could be an ambassador. But she was not fighting when she had years of her son's growth to catch up on.
Four pairs of eyes stared at her. They comprehended what that chip meant. Ever loyal Antok jumped first. He stomped up close behind Kolivan and her, his bulk large and drawn to full height. She never was fazed, he must be dazed still. But his hand did not approach his sword. She couldn't tell if he was thinking she wasn't a threat or if it wouldn't be a fair fight. As long as he didn't go for that sword she had a chance here. If it was the latter Krolia could make him regret being alive and out of medbay later.
"What is this mutiny?!" He learned the dramatic intimidation so well from Kolivan and her, but pointing in her face was a bit over the top in such small quarters. She wasn't going to respond to that.
They waited, and waited. Antok with his finger still pointed and tense as could be, Kolivan looked disgusted and exhausted by plans getting held up (as usual), Ulaz looked a cross between curious concerned. Thace, her little brother. Dear Thace. He looked like he had a severe concussion and she had made him eat a whole lemon. Which, admittedly, was an idea for later. They stood there, and waited.
Kolivan's ears twitched and dropped, clearly done with his plans being interfered with. Ulaz grew bored enough to sit down and go over patient records. Thace continued bobbing his head back and forth like watching a game of Thokizshik. He was intelligent but he wasn't bright sometimes. Antok, who should know better than challenging her to a game of intimidation stood there like a statue until his tail swishing increased. His finger trembled.
And, finally."Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Antok continued, trying to hide his finger twitching. Krolia debated yawning for show. Krolia contemplated. She shot down. He might actually grab his blade.
"If, in fact, I can get the claw out of my face," she raised her brow. Antok looked to Kolivan. Kolivan shrugged. Antok looked back and forth and then dropped his arm. His shoulders drooped like an instantly melting Folixner candle.
"I for one, am not committing mutiny so calm yourself," Kolivan and Ulazs' brows arched up in surprise. Thace has not stopped his infernal nervous dancing- she has never known how he hides things so well in the field but not with them.
"I am in fact taking a stop to inform you of events you need to know, and a necessary secondary goal when reaching Earth that I had not ever thought would come up because of the war." Krolia took a deep breath. Another.
They eyed her, clearly concerned about what managed to upset her. Another deep breath, the stale recirculated air filling her lungs.
"There is a child on Earth." She pauses, breathes. Before she can say something else Thace's hysterical laughter fills the passenger area. Homicidal urges make their home in her.
"Uh, yeah there is a child on Earth. Lots of them. Children exist, Krolia," he turns to Ulaz," Starlight, you see what I mean? You need to check her now. I know my sister. She clearly got hurt. Please, dear." Ulaz eyes her like considering approaching a wounded animal. The traitor. She considers throwing them both out in their suits and they can jetpack to Earth. Hmm. Perhaps this will be mutiny.
"No, Thace. I am looking for a specific child on Earth. A man and child, in fact. My child and his father." Somehow they don't catch the hint.
In fact.... Kolivan looks like he sucked a lemon now, and Krolia didn't realize he could even make that expressive of a look. Antok starts inching away slowly. Hes looking at the other three desperately. Ulaz is grabbing a med kit and....by the Trizian mountains is Thace grabbing a stunner. She is going to string him by his nails later.
"Krolia," Kolivan speaks softly," I know the war is over but we still have missions and this is important. I am not insulting any wishes you have of starting a family-" Sweet. Quiznak.
Why is she surrounded by stupid people?
"However we cannot simply take a human man and/or his child, it is neither moral, nor conductive to diplomacy." What a polite way to put it.
"We also do not have time for an in depth courting process you would need to be on Earth for." Why for everything good in the universe is he still talking. They all look afraid. Is Thace tying a net? Rope wasn't in the inventory list.
"Shut up." She isn't dealing with their idiocy anymore. Kolivan slams his mouth shut but seems unsure what to do with her supposedly off the deep end and being the only one with the passcode. Antok seems to have found fear for the first time in his life, and those two in the back aren't subtle with their take down plans. How are they spies who both tricked Zarkon and Haggar. Kolivan opens his mouth again, likely to insist she listen or they grab her but she. is. done.
"I am not looking for a random father and child." She spits out at him. Do they not know her? Kidnapping outside of military operations? Hmph.
"I am looking for my child. Mine. My biological child that I left. On. Earth. When. I was. There." They freeze, the information of, oh hey, Krolia isn't crazy crashes through their brains. She sees them all relax slowly with knowledge she won't kill them. She might, actually. Then they tense up.
Thace hurtles up past Antok, who sways, ungrounded.
"I'M AN UNCLE?!" He screeches. Does she really have to remind four grown men this is in close quarters? To not yell in close quarters?Thace looks like he was hit with a planet, so shocked. She tenses, unsure of how he will take this.
Then, he tosses the handmade net on top of his mate's head and throws himself at her. Then he throws himself off her and rounds to Antok and Kolivan and shakes them by their shoulders.
"I'M AN UNCLE! I'M AN UNCLE!" He cries. Then he throws him past them and tackles Ulaz, still holding that stunner and medkit with a net on top of his shoulders, onto the ship floor. To Ulaz's credit, this whole display took about four ticks for Thace to accomplish, and Ulaz couldn't brace himself. With the series of continuous worry and shock Krolia will let it slide. This time. Someone is seeing drills soon.
Antok and Kolivan also may need drills, while Thace and Ulaz are spazzing over behind them all, they haven't moved. Antok's body language is more suited to a lost and unsure child then a warrior larger than any other Galra she's ever seen.
Kolivan is eyeing her like he's wishing this is a dream. He opens his mouth.
"No, Kolivan. This isn't a dream," she states. His mouth shuts.
It opens again.
"No its not a prank either." He shuts his mouth again. Antok finally seems to remember he has one too.
"Explain." She wants to roll her eyes but refuses to do so. She will let this slide only because Antok looked so pitiful befuddled. Kolivan looks like he will demand the explanation himself if she doesn't speak, while Ulaz shoves an excited Thace off of him to try to listen. Thace perks up before she can.
"WHAT'S HIS NAME?! DO YOU HAVE PICTURES?! ARE WE MEETING THEM FIRST?!"
Why is he still yelling? Krolia's good mood at being close to her son is the only reason his uncle has not been thrown out an airlock.
"His name is Calvin and our son's name is Keith. When I shot down the Empire scout ship that tried to call in the find, they hit my wing and I was pulled in by the gravity. When I landed, I landed in the area near the Lion and right outside the home of Calvin. He helped me and gave me medical aid and helped me find the Lion." She saw Kolivan twitch. He was glaring. Yes, she certainly did not fully debrief any of that with him when she came back to the Blades.
"He also helped me fight of the second and third scout party who came. He was injured and we barely stopped the last group." Thace gasped dramatically in the background. Ulaz sighed with soft eyes. Even Antok's tail swished a bit more.
"I determined the threat of the Empire getting the Lion and/or causing severe harm to the planet was too much of a risk so I left them behind, safe, on Earth. Keith looks like a full human and if his growth developed like such he should be an adult right now." She stopped.
They considered it, well Kolivan and Ulaz did. Antok seemed unsure of what to think of this development. Thace, still, was a stereotype of family excitement for a newborn. Keith is an adult now so help her. She might slap Thace away from Keith herself if he scares her son off.
"Do you know that his Galra needs and instincts were able to be provided for on Earth?" And there’s Ulaz, providing proof that Thace and he were a perfect match. The blades 'Anxiety Pair' had earned their title. Bless their hearts.
"Well I had given a mass of information to Cal on this topic so I would believe so," she drawled out the sentence in her best (terrible) imitation of Cal's 'southern accent'. It was long enough and, according to him, fit her dry wit well. If she could draw out the syllables long enough maybe everyone could use the time to get their few brain cells functioning again.
"What, exactly, is your ideas here so we can plan and incorporate this into our schedules," and it looks like Antok is back online, if pondering.
"If possible," Kolivan interjects quickly. Antok nods gladly. Thankful Kolivan is taking charge and order restored. Kolivan, no doubt, does not trust her not to up her ante in her schemes to get her way. Smart, smart Kolivan. Looks like his brain started functioning again. Surely it must be the showing of emotions and mentions of kits that turned it off. Kolivan does hate both famously and passionately.
"Consider seeing they are well as necessary for this mission to continue, or indeed, any other you have given me the control over," her eyes stared narrowed into Kolivan's. His meets hers. In the background, Thace curses, impressed, while Ulaz radiates smugness she can hear.
Kolivan stands tall, his gaze would break a lesser person. But she is stronger than most. And this is the love of a child. Kolivan is a fool for trying. Something must show in her gaze, or dawn in Kolivan's head, because his eyes widen. He caves.
"I see," he nods," tell us what you know about location, about them, and any plans you have considered already."
Krolia is getting her family. And soon. They have five expert Blades prepared to get to them, by force possibly, and see them safe and sound.
Home. She's going to the only home she's ever known. She will see her family. Her home. But, she might need to turn the ship back on for that.