Keith is so cold. He never noticed before, during the escape and finding Voltron, but he always feels so cold and empty now. He doesn't think he did before, but he can't be sure. Maybe he did and just never noticed? Whatever this cold means, he can't tell the others. He won't burden them with something pointless like this.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember-" Keith groans in pain as Zarkon's face comes into view, causing Shiro to step forward, but doesn't move closer when Keith flinches, "I don't even really remember. I woke up and I was back on a Galra ship. The fight... I can't even-"

"Don't push yourself," Shiro tells him, "We were worried. We thought we lost you."

"Sorry," Keith whispers.

"It's not your fault," Shiro offers a small smile, "If you're feeling up to it, the rest of the team would be thrilled to see you up and around again. They need you, you know. I need you."

"I'll try," Keith refuses to meet Shiro's eyes, "I'll try."

"If you need or want anything, we'll be on the bridge."

"Hey, Shiro?" Keith calls out, longer than usual hair dangling in his face.

"Yeah?"

"I guess I owe you one now," Keith finally meets Shiro's eyes and, to Shiro, they are so empty and so distant, "How many times are we going to save each other?"

"As many times as it takes," Shiro replies easily, "Love you, Yurak."

Keith doesn't reply.

Shiro frowns as he leaves. Something is wrong with Keith. He would never refer to the Empire as Galra and he would never flinch away from Shiro. Keith always makes sure to say "Love you" before a mission or going anywhere without Shiro, because you never know if it will be the last goodbye. Keith is always first to say it and always so quiet when he says anything. Maybe he's just tired or maybe Shiro was too quiet (no he wasn't) and Keith didn't hear him or maybe Keith was too quiet and Shiro didn't hear him.

Lance shows up at the bridge and clears his throat, "Attention! Ladies, gentlemen, non-binary and other! You love him! You missed him! Presenting Keith!"

Lance bows and Keith enters, blushing heavily, as everyone claps and smiles. He had used the Castle's comms system to ask for Lance's help specifically and it seems to have paid off. His ridiculously long hair is clean and cut to look like Pidge's hair, like Matt's used to look like. Shiro can't suppress the smile at the familiar hairstyle. Maybe Keith just needed to get out of the room?

"Hi," Keith waves awkwardly, not used to all the attention on him.

"You're looking better. How are you feeling?" Shiro smiles, keeping in mind the earlier flinch and keeping his distance, something he knows everyone notices, but Keith (he ignores the voice saying this isn't his kit).

"Alright," Keith doesn't want them to worry about the never-ending cold and emptiness, "Just have a weird headache," He didn't mean to say that, but no one says anything, because Pidge yells, distracting them.

"Guys, I think I have something here! So I downloaded intel from the Empire base we just defeated. I untied the quantum-folded encryption and I found something on Lotor," Pidge says.

Keith bites his tongue to distract from the sudden spike of pain and ignores how he feels like he is missing something.

"Do you know where he is?" Shiro asks.

"Well, not exactly no, but the last three sightings of his command ship have been in the Va'Kar quadrant."

"Nice work, Pidge. Although, those quadrants are massive. How will we pinpoint his location?"

"Hey, that comet is made from the same material as Voltron," Hunk speaks up, "Maybe I can scan the emission spectrum for Fraunhofer lines, like when I found the Blue Lion!"

"But you know those emissions are subject to free induction decay," Pidge adds, "Those are exponential drop-offs."

"Yeah, but if you could find a way to amplify the sensors- No, there'd be way too much interference. What if, instead, we increase the SA magnitude?"

"The spires of the Castle!"

"Genius!"

The two geniuses run off to enact their plan.

"I have no idea what either of them just said," Lance complains.

"They are going to make a way to track the comet like they tracked Blue," Keith explains, "Remember the device Hunk made? Just that, but on a bigger scale."

"Ohhhhhh," Lance nods, understanding a bit better, "Why didn't they just say that?"

"They did," Keith answers, confused.

"I mean why didn't they say it in a way that we all could understand?" Lance corrects himself.

"Because they needed to work out the specific technology and science stuff so the idea would work. In other words, they needed to use smart ideas so they could know it would work," Keith deadpans.

"Hey!" Lance pouts.

The team, minus Keith, Pidge and Hunk, smile at the familiar teasing. Maybe things are getting better?

"Let's set a course for the Va'Kar quadrant while they get started on that detector. We need to work fast. Who knows what Lotor has planned for that comet?" Shiro orders.

Lance visits Shiro that night.

"Hey, man. I just wanted to talk with you because..." Lance hesitates and Shiro knows this is serious, "Well, I've been worrying about something."

"Must really be bothering you, if you're here to talk about it," Shiro smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I mean, you're the leader, so I can talk to you, right?" Lance looks away, embarrassed.

Shiro places a hand on his shoulder, "About anything. I'm always willing to listen."

"I've been doing some math. With Keith back, that makes six Paladins, but there are only five Lions and, if I'm right, that's one Paladin too many."

"Solid math."

"Look, when Keith takes over the Red Lion, if I get a Lion, I'd have to take Blue from Allura, but she's progressed a lot faster than any of us did and I can't do that to her. She might even be able to unlock powers we don't know of. I also can't keep the Red Lion from Keith. We both know how close those two are."

"That's fair."

"So, maybe the best thing I can do for the team is step aside."

Shiro frowns and Lance rushes to defend himself.

"This isn't a participation game. This is war and you want your best soldiers on the front lines."

Shiro's frown deepens as he listens, but he looks at Lance and smiles softly, "Don't be so hard on yourself. You've progressed and grown massively, since we first met. Right now, I don't see the Lance who pranked us as we approached the Castle," Lance blushes at that, "I see the Lance who puts his team first and has always been the support we need. You understand when to have fun and when to be serious. I'm proud of you. You would make a good Black Paladin."

Lance just gapes for a few seconds, before snapping out of it, "No! I'm not taking the Black Lion from you!"

"I knew you'd say that and I will respect your wishes," Shiro smiles, "But leave the math to Pidge. You'll give yourself a brain cramp."

Lance laughs and Shiro follows his example.

Hunk gets help from the mice that he now owes a mouse shower. Turns out that when it doesn't work, hitting the console does wonders.

"I found the comet, but it's booking it away from us," Hunk yells, "Coran? Allura? Can someone Altean come move this Castle?"

"Well done. We're on our way," Allura declares.

"Okay, we're gaining on it."

"Make sure we stay far back enough to be undetected," Shiro orders.

"Looks like the signal stopped in the Ulippa System," Pidge tells them," Activating long-range scanners."

They zoom in on an Empire base and see a command ship.

"That's not Lotor's ship," Shiro stands up from his seat.

Keith bites his tongue again at the sudden spike of pain. He tries to hide his flinch at Shiro's sudden movement next to him, unsuccessfully. No one mentions it.

"But the comet is in there," Hunk confirms.

"Heres the plan, everyone. We need to get that comet," Shiro declares, turning to face his team, "They must be transporting it into that base. It'll be vulnerable during the transfer. That's the best time to strike."

The Empire cruiser attacks the base. The entire team watch in shock.

"Who the heck are these guys?" Lance manages.

"I don't think they're moving the comet to that base," Shiro decides, "We need more information."

"You're right," Lance speaks up, "Keith take the Red Lion. I'll stay with Coran in the Castle and provide support."

"Lance, are you sure?" Keith asks, barely managing the words, due to his shock.

"I'm sure," Lance nods, before giving his goofy smile, "Besides, I get to look down on and criticise all of you!"

Everyone laughs and Keith gives him a small smile.

Only four Lions launch.

Keith approaches Red, hoping to reopen their connection. He sits in the cockpit and feels for her. He feels a spark of unbearable pain and sees nothing but flames for just a tick.

Something changes.

Something shifts.

Red is here, but Keith isn't all here. He knows that Red still has some work to do with Lance and Keith needs time before he returns to her.

"Keith, where are you? We need you!" Shiro calls over the comms.

Keith gives a small smile and pats the console in front of him, "See you soon."

"Lance, I need you to fly Red."

"What- what is it? What's wrong?" Lance's panicked voice comes over the communication.

"The Red Lion-" Keith says (and isn't that a huge red flag, because Keith always called her Red and always calls the Lions by their colours, like names), "-isn't responding to me. It looks like you're its-" Keith always calls Red by her correct pronouns, "-true Paladin now."

Coran turns around in surprise and Lance's face gets serious.

"I'm coming down."

———

"This may be the worst post in the Galra Empire, but it's my post! Victory or death!"

———

The Lions land and deploy speeders.

"The most important thing is for you to get eyes on that comet," Keith says, "The second is figuring out who these people are."

They hide the speeders nearby and board the ship.

"Keith, we've just boarded the ship," Shiro tells him, "There's no crew in sight. Moving forward with the search."

"Coran, get us a closer look at that," Keith orders when the base's roof opens, "What is that...?"

"The teludav!" Coran freaks out, "What, in the name of King Groggery the Infirm, is going on?"

The Paladins find a ship instead of the comet. The ship is the comet.

"Guys..." Keith calls, "There is a piece of the teludav inside the Empire base."

"The one we used to wormhole Zarkon's ship?" Lance asks.

"But they would never be able to operate it without an Altean-" Allura begins, but gasps in realisation, "Zarkon's witch! She had Altean markings."

"Is anyone else kind of freaking out?" Hunk asks.

"Yep, mark me down for one freak-out," Lance confirms.

"Lotor must be nearby. We need to find him and take him out for good," Allura says, because she's angry.

"We cannot let him get that ship," Shiro replies, "We need to get back to our Lions. We need Voltron."

"Why take out one ship when we can stop all of this by taking out Lotor himself? We can't let him keep outsmarting us," Allura retorts, "I can't keep letting him beat us!"

"That's exactly why we can't risk letting Lotor have that ship. This is too important."

Keith decides to speak up, because she needs to learn to let go and move on (a reminder that Keith focuses on the mission instead of the overwhelming betrayal might just help, he thinks), "Allura, I want to stop him too. We all do, but Shiro has a point and he's the leader for a reason."

"Okay, you guys go back to the Lions. I'll search the ship for Lotor."

"Allura, we need to stick together," Shiro says.

"Fine. Let's move," Allura agrees.

The door to the hangar opens to reveal Lotor's generals. They aren't pleased to see the Paladins.

"Hey, Keith, remember that Empire soldier we met when gathering stuff from the Weblum?" Hunk calls over the comms.

"Yeah?" Keith asks, confused.

"These soldiers are wearing similar armour," Hunk calls back.

"Any idea who they are?" Shiro asks.

"No. I never got a name or an allegiance besides the Empire, which doesn't seem true at the moment," Keith replies.

The Paladins are clearly outmatched.

"We don't have time for this," Shiro says, "We need to get to the Lions."

Lance, currently on the floor, agrees, "Good idea."

Allura pulls him up by the collar and they retreat with the others.

"Zethrid, stop," Axca orders.

"Come on! This is our chance to destroy them!" Zethrid argues.

"We have what we came for. Stick to the plan."

The Paladins return to the Lions.

"Okay, seriously, what is going on?" Lance asks, like someone knows, "I mean, who were they?"

"Halfbreeds," Keith says, looking at the cameras he had managed to get access to (thank you, Pidge), "Somehow in important positions."

"How can you tell?" Shiro asks.

"Hunk recognised their armour from the one I met in the Weblum and I know she was Empire, but they attacked the Empire base, so maybe the Empire is split into factions? I don't know, but I do know that a mission like that is not something you send any soldier on. You always send your most trusted soldier, most likely, your general," Keith explains.

"She stole some scaultrite," Hunk adds, "Allura, you said they have an Altean? They must be trying to build a teludav, so they can make wormholes."

"If Lotor has turned the comet into a ship, we have much bigger concerns," Allura answers.

"I thought Lotor took over for Zarkon. Why is he attacking an Empire base?" Pidge wonders.

"He doesn't want anyone to know what he's doing," Keith whispers to himself, only Coran hearing.

"I don't know," Shiro replies, "but we need to stop this, here and now."

The generals use the tractor beam to take the piece of the teludav.

"Contact Lotor," Axca orders, "The Paladins were talking to another Paladin. The one that helped me in the Weblum. It would seem they have an excess of Paladins."

"We have to buy them time and stop that ship," Keith growls.

"On it," Coran moves the ship closer, but the comet ship is released, "That must be the ship made from the comet."

"Then, let's be careful," Keith answers, (Coran raises the defences and fires the weapons) before turning to the comms, "The cruiser is taking the teludav and the comet ship is headed right for us."

The ship just dodges.

"A quick little bugger, isn't it?" Coran observes.

"I've never seen something that size move that fast," Keith mutters.

It dodges and attacks, breaking the particle barrier.

"That blast cut right through the particle barrier!" Coran declares.

"Everyone, where are you?" Keith calls.

The ship fires again.

"We can't take another hit like that!"

Voltron shoots at the ship, scaring it away, but the ship charges towards the Castle. Voltron forms the sword, but keeps missing.

"It's too quick," Keith growls.

"The cargo ship is escaping with the teludav," Shiro says.

"Isn't taking down the ship more important?" Allura asks.

"We can't let Lotor get away with the teludav."

"Shiro's right. We need to destroy it," Keith calls over the comms.

"But the comet's right here! We can take it down first!" Allura calls and for a moment, Voltron strains, the seams stretching, until Shiro listens.

"The cargo ship is getting away," Keith calls.

Shiro turns Voltron, but they are attacked by the comet ship. They use the shield, but they can't go after the teludav.

"Guys, the teludav's getting away," Hunk tells them.

"Shiro, what should we do?" Lance asks.

"We're going to have to lower our shield, shoot the cargo ship and deal with the consequences," Shiro says.

"I have a better idea," Keith explains, "but timing will be everything."

Shiro smiles and the shoulder cannon forms and the comet ship fires and-

"NOW!" Keith yells.

They dodge out of the way, letting the comet ship destroy the teludav. The comet ship doesn't miss a second time. The cargo ship gets abandoned.

———

"Your failure is most disappointing, but you gathered some useful information. Return before more Galra ships converge on your location," Lotor orders.

———

"So, Lotor was attacking the Empire base and trying to steal the teludav?" Lance asks, "None of this makes any sense."

"We can talk about this later," Pidge calls, "They're getting away!"

"We need to go after them," Allura says.

"No. We need to get back to the Castle," Shiro orders, "The Lions need time to recover and something strange is going on here that we need to figure out."

That night, Keith knocks on Shiro's door.

"I can't sleep. Can I sleep here?"

"Of course. You can always come to me, kit," Shiro smiles and his hand twitches as he holds back from pulling Keith close.

Keith hugs him first, "Love you, Dad."

Shiro feels the tears leak down his face as he holds his kit close, "Love you too, Yurak."

And for the first time since the battle with Zarkon, Keith doesn't feel cold.