Chapter Text
—blade of Marmora base—
"That will be all," Kolivan said to the members, ending the meeting. Roland sat on his chair, boring himself to tears. Same old routine every day, the same old meeting. Boring as ever.
Right after he left the meeting hall, someone tapped his shoulder.
"Roland," Antok said, "a word."
He frowned but followed him anyway to a private room.
"Is Victor still focused in dispatching Cain?" He asked Roland.
The galra frowned. "Is something the matter?"
The senior member sighed. "Yesterday we found a surveillance footage of a galra woman creating havoc in that tyrant's quintessence storages."
"And?"
"And this woman is not one of ours,"
"I fail to understand the issue,"
"Kolivan and I looked into it and this woman... This woman is Xia."
Roland blinked and blinked again. "Xia?"
Xia's alive? Unless… no Xia's dead. He had seen her die in Victor's arms.
"Or possibly a stranger who resembles her," Antok quickly added the other possibility. "We cannot confirm it yet."
Resemble—oh… then that's definitely not Xia. It's Kitten. That one paladin of Voltron never ceases to amuse him.
The galra tried to hide his glee. It seems she had his leader fooled."All right." Roland shrugged with a smile, "What do you want me to do? Track her?"
Antok nodded. "And if you can, make sure Victor does not get a word of this. He may start jumping to conclusions and look for her."
He had already met a look-alike of his sister, Roland thought. And the blades did not know he was the one aiding her. "I can do that. Though I doubt he would. Cain is currently keeping him busy, and there is this other woman he met a few weeks ago he's grown fond of.."
Antok paused. It was hard for Roland to know whether he was frowning since his senior never took off his mask. "I thought he lost interest in women after his sister's passing."
"Surprisingly not. He claims he's just fond of her. Nothing more than that. And I find it strange since he gave her his sister's crystal."
"He did what?"
Roland gave a sly smile. "That's all I can tell you. The rest are classified."
—Castle, Kate's room—
"Ow, ow, ow," Victor complained when Kate put antiseptic on his wounded cheek with some cotton.
"You know," Kate said mused, "You warned me the possible dangers of infiltrating the storages, but ironically, at the end of the day, you're the one ended up being injured."
Victor growled. "Beginner's luck. It'll hit you sooner or later."
"Beginner?" She snorted. "Buttons I went on missions when I was six, most of them were dangerous enough that an average six year old earthling wouldn't be able to survive."
"I get the feeling that is a topic I should not discuss with you,"
"It's pretty sensitive," she agreed. "I'm surprised your gifts can't heal you own wounds."
"It's frustrating at times, but I'm used to it. I can't help myself but can only help others… it's kind of common among grifters." He looked at her. "Hasn't any one of your gifts done that to you?"
Kate placed the medicine on her table. "Yeah...actually...I can alter memories, deleting and creating them for other people. But I can't alter my own."
Victor frowned at her. "Why would you want to do that?"
A knock was heard on her door. "Keith?" It was Hunk.
"Get in the closet!" She harshly said lowly.
"Oh, come on, not aga—"
She kicked him into the closet before unlocking the sliding door. "Yeah?"
"Shiro wants all of us at the bridge, now," Hunk spoke, giving Kate a small wave when she appeared.
—Castle Bridge—
She wasn't really listening to the entire conversation. Her mind was preoccupied with other ways to sabotage Zarkon's plans and break into the quintessence storages so the tyrant wouldn't be able to use them anymore. Along with other things that would possibly shake the whole empire.
She got bits and pieces of the conversation like 'stronger bond with black lion', 'space pirates', and 'lenses'.
"Keith?" Kate jumped and turned to Shiro, "Coran and the others just went. Are you going with them?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry," and she fled from him.
…
Why was she running? She had moved on from him, right?
Right??
—Mall—
Kate roamed around the mall, looking at what the stores offered, and wasn't one bit interested. They had some shiny things (which she was sure Allura would have loved to buy for her dresses, not Kate’s taste though) but nothing special, really.
Her attention was caught by a couple talking, sitting on a table with a pile of books on the table.
She stared at them, her chest tightened…
—Past, the Garrison—
She was in the library doing her work as well as her project alone when a certain Bennett found her. "Okay, thought I'd find you here."
She looked up at him, "Hey,"
James and her usually hung out in the library around the corner. It was their usual meeting spot for work and some private place to talk since she usually came into the main library building as herself, dressed as a girl with another name. (No skirts, though)
James pulled a seat in front of her. "How's your side of the project coming?"
She shrugged. "Eh, coming out all right…" she hesitated when she said, "Hey, James... Am I being too obvious?"
"With what?"
She turned red. "With my crush... With... You know…"
"Oh," he looked at her contemplatively. "oh, I don't think so. Why?"
She hid her face with her book. "When I had tution with Adam today... He told me he knew…"
James looked surprised. "Really? Ha ha…" Kate glared at him and his smile dropped. He cleared his throat, changing the subject. "So, uh, you know what day it is, right?"
Kate dropped the book and frowned. "Your birthday?"
"No, try again,"
"Your mom's birthday?"
"No. Birthdays aren't related here. Try again."
Kate shook her head not knowing what else it was. "Uhh friendship day?"
He gaped at her incredulously. "Wow, You are so not like other girls."
Kate huffed. "Wow thanks for noticing."
"It's Valentine's Day,"
Oh, he meant that. "Yeah, I know... So?"
James stared at her. "You didn't prepare anything for Shirogane?"
Kate went stiff, face turning in every shade of red. "I … I did… I already gave him my box already…"
He frowned at her suspiciously. "You didn't tell him the chocolates were from you, did you?" She scowled and that gave him his answer. "Figures. You're going to go nowhere like this, Kate. I'm telling you, confessed to him already. The sooner, the better. And you don't have to deal with this burden of emotions anymore."
She huffed. "Easier said than done, Einstein. I don't-I can't bring myself to say it. He already has a boyfriend!" She frowned to herself. "Scratch the last part, a fiancé! I don't want to ruin what they have."
James laughed at her like she'd gone mad. "Ruin? Look, the other girls give him love letters every day. His desk is piled with them. They know his engagement, yet they keep trying to break it. It doesn't bother him, neither does it break his relationship with Adam. "
She looked away her face still bright red. "Well, I would rather be viewed as a brother than be those desperate hyena girls." James continued to stare at her with amazement. "Oh yeah, that reminds me," She pulled something from her bag and gave him a medium-sized box of chocolate wrapped in a decorated wrapper. "Happy Valentine's Day, James."
His face was completely priceless. "Wah- Chocolate? From you?"
"Don't get the wrong idea here, Jamie." She crooned. "I usually give chocolates to people as a sign of caring." He looked at her confused and she rolled her eyes. "Look, I know Valentine's Day is to celebrate love and romance and whatnot, but I never had that sort of idea in my mind. I used to give chocolates to the guys I used to hang out with when I went as Laura Chang. I give them to Alex and my dad, and I even gave one to Adam this morning."
"Adam?" Kate nodded. "Why?"
"You saying I can't?"
"No… " he was still surprised. "huh… You know, if this is a sign of caring, did you ever think of giving it during friendship day?" He teased.
Kate rolled her eyes. "If you don't want it, just tell me. I can take it back." His smile dropped, and that made her laugh. She packed her books back in her bag and got up. James looked at the chocolates more closely. "Did you make these?"
"Is that hard to believe? True I mostly grew up as an insufferable, wild brat. But I have a few female qualities in me."
"You mean feline," he got up with her, "You still purr in your sleep."
"I thought I told you to not watch me if I doze off, it's creepy."
"Eh, I find it cute."
—present—
Kate tossed a stone to a fountain. She kept seeing warm memories she had with James, whether she was asleep or awake. Either because she really missed him, or she felt guilty for how she ended things with him.
He didn't deserve that…
"Keith?" Lance approached her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "What about you? You...look worried about something."
"Yeah," he admitted. "I'm worried about my family. And my older sister…and who her boyfriend is if she is dating."
He has overprotective brother issues, Kate thought with a smile. Just like Alex. "I don't think you should be worried, Lance."
"Really?"
"Hm-hmm,' she then gave a sly smile. "My only concern is that girls that admire their brothers a lot, end up marrying men exactly like them."
He stared at her. "You're not helping."
"I know,"
He glared at her but sighed. "Oh, what were you going to tell me the other night?" She gave a questionable look. "You know, before we discovered Pidge was the super rat?"
"Oh," she smiled at him, maybe she should try to look for some chocolate or brownie mix? It should be Valentines day or maybe Christmas? She would definitely check later. "Well, that night, I just wanted to say that… I think I like you better when there aren't any bimbos around to distract you. You remind me of a guy I lov-" she immediately clapped her hands over her mouth.
Lance gaped at her. "Loved?" he frowned, "you loved a gu—"
"Used to hang out with!" she said forcefully. Great... Her secrets weren't slipping out just because she lost control over her memory abilities, or because Chaos babbles about it behind her back, (which she really wanted to strangle the hag for). It was also her goddamn mouth!
"Well," She said awkwardly, "I think I need to get out of here before I start a fight. Bye!" And she quickly ran off.
—later, after they escaped and all, Castle Bridge —
"We got our lenses!" Coran said with excitement, rushing in.
"Excellent!" Allura said happily, and Kate incredulously stared at her ridiculously weird hair. "Now, we can get the teludav up and running."
Kate looked around. "Where's Shiro?"
Just as she spoke, her leader appeared behind them.
Allura asked, "What did you do? Take a nap?"
Shiro chuckled, folding his arms. "Not exactly," his brow raised when he looked right. "Is that a cow?"
"Mm-hmm," Lance hummed, "his name is Kaltenecker."
Kate rolled her eyes. "So, did you find a way to bond with your lion?"
"Yes," he replied, turning to the rest of them, we need to get moving. We're headed for the Blade of Marmora's headquarters." Kate's mind went blank. They were going there now? She bit her lip.
She was not ready for this.
—later—
Coran said reaching the base would take another few quintents? So a couple of days, quite possibly a movement (a week) since they couldn't risk using the new Teluvduv lenses straight away. And since Zarkon's bond to the black lion was weaker, they had plenty of time.
She went on another mission with Victor again. They successfully sabotaged another quintessence shipment, and neither of them was injured this time. Victor opened another portal and led her to a galra mall (which she reluctantly went to with him). He promised he just wanted to buy a couple of things before he dropped her back safely in her ship.
Kate waited, leaning on the wall, as galra soldiers and civilians walked past her. It was weird, really. She was in an enemy turf, yet they all thought she was one of them because of her appearance. She easily blended in with the crowd.
Kate sensed someone was targeting her, their eyes not leaving. She swore in Russian before she moved away from her spot, to the corners of the mall where people hardly came.
"Hey, sweetheart," a buffy galra soldier grabbed her arm. There were two other goons with him. "Why don't you keep us company?"
Kate gave them a wicked smile. She expected this kind of situation and was so in hell ready for it.
—after she beat the hell out of them—
"Tsk. Men, you never change, do you?" Kate mused. They were all over the floor, groaning and unconscious.
Well, that was fun. Time to look for Buttons!
She heard a cat meowing behind her and turned to it. It was an unusual kind of black cat, with streaks of its fur in a different color. Kate smiled at the animal. Whatever, a cat is still a cat. She knelt to it and reached her hand to the cat. "Come here."
The cat obeyed and walked to her, purring as she stroked its fur.
"What's your name?"
The cat purred.
"Kova, huh? Where's you owner?"
"I am surprised Kova likes you," a stranger appeared behind her. A galra with long flowing silver hair smiled at her. He was handsome, that Kate couldn't deny. "Other than me and one of my generals, he does not let other people touch him."
She would usually use her hearing and smelling senses to know if someone was sneaking up on her, but that would require her to focus. However, the empath made her know if there were people nearby because of their emotions, it was natural. But this man…she couldn't sense his emotions.
He was just like Chaos.
She stroked the cat's fur under his chin, trying to act natural. "I assume you're his owner?"
The cat left her side and went to him. Kova jumped and landed on his shoulders perfectly. "Perhaps," he smiled at the cat, "he was once mine. Now I am not quite sure who he actually belongs to."
She still couldn't sense his emotions. Kate didn't know whether the man was playing with his words or telling the truth. His voice was calm. So calm.
She had to be careful.
"Quite a work of art you made here," he remarked, amused, as he gestured at the fallen bodies of the soldiers she took down earlier.
"They're not dead," Kate said, getting up, "in case you are wondering."
"I know," he looked at her, meeting her eyes, "but you could have killed them. Why let them live?"
"That's none of your business."
The stranger watched her with an unreadable expression, and Kate made sure he kept his distance. The fact that there was another living person whom she couldn't sense his emotions, like Chaos, freaked her out. She usually regarded those beings as untrustworthy and dangerous.
"Tell me my dear, what is your name?"
Kate narrowed her eyes. "I have many names," she said as though she was warning him. "Some consider me as a freak, stranger and outcast. While others claim I am hellion, Satan and death. Which do you prefer?"
He chuckled. "I take it you do not trust me."
"Is that not how we are? We're galras trust is not something I entirely promise."
He stared at her, surprised by her words. She wondered if she said something off or wrong. She didn't really know the galra culture, but whatever she got from the soldiers she was fighting against and the soldiers that worked inside Zarkon's main ship was, 'Destroy them! Capture Voltron! Vrepit za! Kill them! Yada, yada,' and the list of violent words goes on.
The galra smiled at her again. "You are not from around here, are you?" he took a step towards her.
Kate flinched, but she didn't answer him. God, where was Buttons when she needed him?
Loud sounds were heard from a distance, and that alarmed her. Kate turned her head. "What's that?"
The stranger chuckled. "Looks like the festival is about to begin."
She turned to him. "Festival?" she questioned.
He took another step and extended his hand to her. "Care to join the fun?" he asked with a warm smile.
She didn't know why, but she reached out her hand to him, letting his gently grasp hers. And she walked with someone she didn't know.
The stranger bought her tea as they watched the firework display outside the building. Kova slept on her lap. "It's beautiful," Kate murmured.
"Indeed," he agreed. "Where are you from?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling you. I still don't know your name." He opened his mouth but Kate held one of her slender fingers in the air to stop him. "But that doesn't mean I want to know. So don't tell me."
He tilted his head. "You're quite an unusual one."
"I get that a lot," she sipped her tea. "So what's this festival?"
The stranger looked back at the fireworks. "It's the day when emperor Zarkon became ruler of the universe." Kate's face darkened. "Though," the stranger sighed heavily, "I don't quite enjoy this day. What's more, hybrids aren't welcome to join the festival."
Kate frowned. She still couldn't sense whether he was lying or not. And hybrids? Did...did he know she was a hybrid ? "Why?" She asked curiously.
He gave a playful smile. "My, I thought you weren't interested about me?"
Kate rolled her eyes at his tease. She didn't mean why he didn't like the festival, she meant the other last one.
This guy…
Just who is he anyway?
"Kate!"
The raven haired turned. "Victor, sorry I left my spot. I was followed and attacked." She stood, gently placing the cat down on the ground.
"Kate, is it?" The stranger mused. "That's not a common name." Kate noticed how stiff Victor got when he saw the stranger. "Well, I should be taking my leave now. He stood, and gently reached her hand and gave a swift kiss on her fingertips. "I hope we meet again." And she watched him walk away with the cat, blending with the crowd.
Victor suddenly grabbed the sides of her shoulders, after the stranger left. "Did he do anything to you?"
Kate blinked. "No? Why? Do you know him?"
"Everyone knows him, Kate. I'm surprised you ran into him," he frowned when he saw the cups on the table. "And offered to buy you tea."
Kate shrugged. "He was being a generous gentleman, I suppose."
Victor shook his head. "Kate, this is serious. I'm just so glad he didn't recognize you as a paladin of...you know" he looked around him , making sure no one was listening.
"Is he dangerous?"
"Kate...that was emperor Zarkon's son. Prince Lotor."