Chapter 21-Ignition Point

It took half an hour to reach Keith's shack. The ride was uncomfortable. Shiro wasn't entirely secure, with one leg dangling off the edge, and only Hunk's firm grip kept him from falling. Similarly, Katie had given up her struggle and was either irritatingly limp in Lance's arms or straining against his hold to get a better look at Shiro. Only a severe reprimand from Keith about weight distribution calmed her down. The hoverbike was making a sharp whining noise as they stopped at the shack.

In the desolate gray and blue-toned landscape, they found Keith's small wooden house, simple and rustic, with a front porch. Next to the house, a futuristic motorcycle lay fallen, evidence of a recent hurried arrival. The sky was overcast, giving the scene an almost melancholic atmosphere. Everyone was strangely quiet as Keith and Hunk gently lowered Shiro from the hoverbike to the ground. Lance jumped off the other side and walked around to find all three of his best friends staring at the unconscious form of Takashi Shirogane, who, up until that moment, had been missing and presumed dead in this universe. In space...

"Shit," Hunk sighed.

"Yeah," Lance said. That summed it up.

Lance had been initially worried when he couldn't sense Lapis before arriving at the desert. His sister claimed it was just a matter of time and that he didn't need to worry, as each had a different association time. When he arrived at the Garrison, he could only brush against her if he concentrated intensely. Now, they were in an open area, and Lance felt he was closer to her than he was at the Garrison, which is why the connection had become stronger. They still hadn't met, and that was why Lance could barely feel her, but now, as he listened to the desert's hum, he could sense her. How curious that the Guardian Spirit of Water would choose a desert as its hiding place.

There was a nervous tension in the air that was wholly uncomfortable as they settled Shiro onto the thin, single bed in the shack. Lance could feel the buzz of unanswered questions thickening the air, but by some unspoken agreement, they took care of Shiro first. It made Lance's heart ache. It reminded him of his team.

But these people, no matter how familiar at their core, were still strangers to him. Katie was huddled in the corner, her eyes still wide with disbelief. Hunk had taken a few steps back after laying Shiro on the cot, his hands clutching his own hair, his anxiety finally showing. And Keith... Keith was fussing over Shiro, tenderly removing mismatched boots, wiping sweat from his forehead, murmuring softly. Lance couldn't make out the words, but his heart ached anyway, longing for Keith to direct some of that familiarity towards him.

Keith looked at him sharply. "What?"

And Lance realized he had frozen after stepping into the cabin, his body disengaged while his mind worked overtime trying to process all the information before him. He just stood there, staring. He tried to shake it off, but Hunk beat him to it.

"We're in trouble," Hunk said, turning abruptly from where he was pacing in the cramped space.

"Probably," Lance said, his voice much calmer than he felt. "But we have bigger things to worry about." He gestured towards Shiro.

"I thought he was dead in space!" Hunk's voice was strident with panic but didn't quite cover the soft, pained noise Katie made in the corner.

"He's obviously not dead," Keith shouted, pausing for a moment to give Hunk a dirty look.

"Well, where did he come from?"

"I think it's pretty obvious he came from space, Taito," Lance said calmly, using Hunk's given name to underscore the seriousness of the moment.

The tension increased as the three of them tried to mentally grasp what the evidence was pointing to.

"He came from space. That pod entered the atmosphere from orbit."

"HOW can you be so calm about this? How did he make it back from Kerberos without his crew?" Another groan from Katie, but Hunk pressed on, relentless. "How did he manage that without Mission Control contact? Standard evacuation vehicles don't have the capability to sustain life support for that long—"

"Hunk," Lance interrupted him in the middle of the spiral. "That capsule wasn't from Earth."

A heavy silence fell, the only sound in the room being the drip of a rag as Keith dipped it into a chipped bowl and wrung it out to continue wiping the grime from Shiro's face. Lance took a deep breath.

"We need to get some sleep. Shiro needs to rest. We all do. Tomorrow will be—" even Lance faltered now, with the day ahead looming.

"—a big day," he finished softly.

Only they had no idea how big it was.

Shiro took a while to wake from the administered sedative. While he waited, he looked around Keith's cabin, where Keith was crouched by the year he had been expelled from the Garrison. The cabin, modest and slightly dusty, was filled with old machines stacked up, suggesting a curious mind and a life of isolation. A feeling of nostalgia and sadness hung in the air.

"So, where did you learn so much about hovercrafts?" A voice asked from behind him. Lance froze and slowly turned around. Keith was watching him with a curious and calculating look, as if Lance were some kind of anomaly. Lance shrugged.

"My sister was really into them. She used to tell me all about how she built hers from scratch and all the different parts she looked for." Keith's eyes lit up with interest. His curiosity had peaked.

"That's cool. A lot of people don't appreciate them anymore, they're kind of old, so only vintage collectors are interested in them, but it's good to know that there are still people who can appreciate the classics." Keith replied, a small smile beginning to form.

Lance snorted. Those were almost the exact same words his twin had used.

"Something funny?" Keith asked sternly, his expression no lighter. Lance immediately stopped laughing and approached Keith, shaking his head rapidly.

"No, it's not that!" Lance insisted. "It's just that... my sister said something very close to that, and I found it funny. Coincidence, you know?"

Shiro wasn't very lucid when Lance entered the shack. His eyes had a cloudy look, and his gaze didn't stay in one place for long. Keith stood hesitantly in front of Shiro, his face a clear painting of uncertainty.

"The dizziness should go away in a few minutes, and he'll be more coherent," Pidge explained from Keith's couch, her gaze persistently fixed on the stacked machines and their dusty surfaces. Lance recognized Pidge's desire to examine the old technology and quickly redirected the conversation before she had a chance to ask about the machines.

"Do you have any clothes for him? He can't exactly walk around like this," Lance said, referring to Shiro's tattered slave outfit.

Keith was silent, thinking before crouching by the coffee table and pulling out a medium-sized box from underneath it, tearing open its flaps. Lance approached and peered inside; there were various small trinkets—medals, a mug, a frame, and a set of clothes and boots—the same ones Shiro wore when they became paladins.

"Why do you have these things?" Lance asked, genuinely curious as Keith carefully extracted the black vest, pants, and dark boots. Keith frowned, fire flickering in his eyes.

"When the Garrison blamed Shiro for the accident, they emptied his office and room—threw everything away! But I stopped and managed to save some things. And they didn't like that," Keith grumbled. Lance froze.

"That's why you were expelled," he suggested in realization. Keith made a noise of agreement.

"They accused me of assaulting a superior officer and got rid of me at the first chance they had." He stated bitterly, watching Lance, not elaborating further.

"Keith?" A voice murmured.

Keith turned from the floor and looked at Shiro, who was slowly waking up. He was lying on the bed where Keith and Lance had placed him hours earlier, grunting with effort as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Keith moved slowly and silently, extending his clothes to Shiro with an uncertain expression on his face.

Shiro took the clothes and held them to his face, resting his forehead on the fabric. Lance didn't know how overwhelming the situation must be for Shiro—the horrors he had suffered, lost for a year in space, only to return and be immediately bound and imprisoned by people he used to trust. Now, finally able to relax a bit, accepting something familiar he probably hadn't seen since before being sent to Kerberos. He was probably in a very delicate state, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him break down.

The scene was marked by a stillness that seemed to weigh heavily in the air. The dim light of the late afternoon filtered through the broken windows of the small wooden house, softly illuminating the rustic interior. The setting was a mix of desolation and tranquility. Shadows cast by the fireplace danced on the walls, creating a comforting contrast against the coldness and abandonment that permeated the space.

Shiro slowly shuffled to the makeshift bathroom, a small room separate from the main room. He was still weak and stumbled a bit but managed to brace himself against the walls while changing clothes. Keith and Lance remained silent in the main room of the cabin, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Keith fiddled absentmindedly with some of the items salvaged from Shiro's room, while Lance stared out the broken window, lost in his own reflections about what had happened to his friend.

After a few moments of silence, Shiro shifted his gaze and headed for the cabin door. He needed fresh air, something to reconnect him to the present and ward off the ghosts of the past. As he stepped outside, he was greeted by the vast expanse of the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky with soft hues of pink and orange. He walked slowly to a spot where he could better view the horizon, trying to find some comfort in the serene beauty of nature.

"It's good to have you back," Keith murmured, breaking the silence softly. His eyes met Shiro's, who remained still, staring at the horizon. The rising sun painted the sky with warm tones, but Shiro's expression remained somber. The sound of the wind howling through the dunes and the distant crackle of a fire created a rough melody, contrasting with the peace they sought.

Keith extended his hand and gave Shiro's shoulder a comforting pat, who sighed for a moment but remained silent. Their journey had been long, and the marks of battle were etched on their bodies and souls.

After a few minutes, Shiro finally responded, his voice a bit hoarse: "It's good to be back." He looked at the endless dunes, as if seeking strength in the vastness of the desert. "But at what cost?"

Keith felt a pang in his chest. He had felt Shiro's absence every second, and now, seeing him so downtrodden, was almost unbearable.

"What happened, Shiro?" Keith asked, his voice laden with concern. "Where have you been all this time?"

Shiro's words echoed in his mind: "I... don't know. My head is a mess. Things... horrible things happened. I can't remember everything."

Shiro blinked slowly, as if trying to remember. "Ah, I wish I could talk. My head is so confused…" Shiro murmured, his voice heavy with emotion. "I think... I was lost. Somewhere. Fighting. Suffering. But also... protecting."

Keith placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder, conveying calm: "It's okay, Shiro. We'll take it slow. We'll figure it out together." He knew Shiro needed time, but he also knew he couldn't carry this burden alone.

The confusion in Shiro's eyes was palpable, and Keith was determined to help him unravel the mysteries that haunted him.

"Sometimes, the beauty of simple things can be what we need to anchor ourselves," Keith continued, his voice a soothing whisper. "When I feel lost, I often remind myself that the sun always rises, no matter how dark the night has been."

Shiro finally turned to Keith, his gaze revealing a mix of pain and gratitude. "I never thought I'd see something so peaceful again," he confessed, his voice still laden with emotion. Keith took a step forward, placing a comforting hand on Shiro's shoulder. "You're here now, Shiro. And we'll face this together. One step at a time."

A moment of quiet passed, with no interruptions other than the crackling of the fire and the dripping of water from the shack's roof. Finally, Shiro broke the silence.

"I was... on some sort of alien ship... I escaped," Shiro said, a glimmer of fear and determination in his eyes. He turned to Keith, a thoughtful look on his face. "How did you know I fell?"

"You need to see something," Keith said before turning and walking toward the shack. Shiro followed, curiosity growing with each step.

Inside the cabin, Keith pulled back a white blanket, revealing a board covered with papers, photos, and multicolored lines connecting various points, resembling a conspiracy theory. Everyone in the room turned to look.

Shiro stared at the chaotic display, then asked, "What have you been up to?"

Keith sighed, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and determination. "I can't explain... after being expelled, I felt... lost. And then I felt drawn to this place... I felt like... some kind of energy was telling me to search."

"Search for what?" Shiro asked.

"Well, at the time, I didn't know... until I came across this area here." Keith pointed to the board, his finger tracing lines on a crudely drawn map with the words "SOURCE OF ENERGY!" "It's a jumble of giant stones covered in strange carvings and drawings, each telling a similar story about a blue lion. But they all have hints of an event, the arrival of someone last night..."

Glancing back at the taller man, he continued, "And then you showed up."

Confused and unsure, Shiro turned to the three young people in the room. "I have to thank you for freeing me," he said sincerely, walking over to the young Cuban. Extending his hand with the prosthetic in a handshake, he continued, "Lance, right?"

Lance hesitated for a moment, surprised by the gesture. He looked at Shiro's prosthetic hand, a flash of guilt and sadness crossing his eyes before quickly covering and shaking the alien hand firmly.

"Yes, that's me," Lance replied, forcing a smile. "We're glad you're okay, Shiro."

Shiro smiled back, feeling the warmth of the gesture. "You all did much more than you could ever imagine. I... I really appreciate it."

Moving his arm to the side, Shiro reached out to shake hands with the shorter young man.

"This nervous one is Hunk. I'm Pidge. Anyway, did anyone else from your team manage to get out?" Pidge asked, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.

Shiro frowned, confusion evident in his eyes. "I don't know. Some things are foggy. I remember the mission and being captured, but after that, it's all a blur."

"Uh, excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but..." spoke the taller young man, Hunk, his voice trembling. "The aliens, where are they now? Are they coming here? Will they be after us? Where are they right now?"

With each word, Hunk seemed to shrink more, his eyes wide with fear. He looked nervously around, as if expecting the aliens to appear at any moment. His hands trembled slightly, and he hugged his arms to himself, trying to calm down.

Shiro noticed Hunk's growing panic and tried to speak in a calm, reassuring voice. "I don't remember the details," Shiro responded, his voice full of concern. "I remember the word Voltron and some kind of weapon they want, but... I don't know why. And we have to find it before they do."

Lance, always ready to ease the tension, gave an encouraging smile. "Hunk, relax. We'll keep an eye out for the aliens. If they show up, we'll be ready to face them."

Taking a deep breath, Hunk tried to calm down. With trembling hands, he opened a backpack and began to speak. "Well... last night I was going through Pidge's stuff." He pulled out a photo and, glancing around at the rest of the room, continued, "And I found this picture of his girlfriend," he said in a teasing tone.

With an irritated, somewhat feminine scream, Pidge exclaimed, "Hey, give me that!" He shouted, grabbing the photo roughly and snatching the backpack from Hunk's hands. Putting the photo away, he grumbled audibly, "What were you looking for here?"

"Ah, I was looking for chocolate..." Hunk replied, pulling out a brown notebook from his bag. "...but then I started reading his diary..."

"What!" Pidge yelled, jumping on Hunk's arm and grabbing the notebook back.

"I saw that the series of numbers the aliens are searching for looks like a Fraunhofer line," he concluded.

Keith, observing the interaction, asked, "Frau what?"

Pidge, catching his breath, responded, "Fraunhofer lines are absorption spectra that let us identify the composition of stars. If the numbers the aliens are looking for resemble a Fraunhofer line, it could be a clue about where they are or what they are searching for."

Hunk, still nervous but determined, interjected, "Yes, but it's also a number describing an emission spectrum of an element. But this element doesn't exist on Earth. I thought it might be this Voltron. I think I can create a machine that can track this element, like a Voltron tracker."

Lance crossed his arms and grinned widely. "Hunk, you genius!"

Hunk smiled shyly. "Yeah, well, it's quite interesting. It's pretty cool." Then, pulling out a folded paper from his pouch, he presented the result to the others. "The wavelength looks like this."

He showed the paper to everyone, revealing a detailed graph with the specific wavelength he had identified.

Keith looked at the graph, his eyes widening. "Give me that." In a swift move, he snatched the paper from Hunk's hands and placed it on the board. Overlaying the graph on a photo of a mountain range, the lines aligned perfectly.

Keith compared the graph with the photo of the rock formations he had, and everyone realized that the graph matched the outline of the rocks. "Well, I guess we should go look for it then," Lance said to them. Everyone murmured in agreement and began preparing to head to the location where the photo was taken.

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"Okay, I admit, this is really weird," Lance admitted, his voice low as a ghostly voice whispered in his mind: "Paladin." He clenched his fists, trying to ignore the cold, gentle touch, reminiscent of the ocean waves, that still lingered in the back of his mind. His sister's words echoed in his memory, reminding him of the voice that called her Lápis-lazúli. Feeling scared and suspicious, he asked Hunk and Pidge to enter the cabin while waiting for Shiro and Keith to join them later, promising to uncover more about this mystery afterward.

Waiting for the others to climb the rocky terrain was a test of patience. Keith, with his extensive desert experience, led the way while Lance was eager to finally meet Lazuli. Together, they helped each other up the summits and down the unstable surfaces of the natural formations. When they finally approached the cave, Lance felt a bubbling excitement in his stomach. Hunk led the group with an improvised Geiger counter, and Lance followed closely. Seeing the cave ahead, Lance leaped over the short edge.

"Is everything okay?" he asked Keith and Hunk, who were also carefully descending. "Yes, the cave is full of carvings – they're everywhere," Keith replied. Lance nodded and waited for Shiro to help Pidge down before everyone entered together. Lazuli's excitement about his presence seemed to intensify.

"Lápis," Lance murmured, "I'm here." Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath his feet.

If Lance were honest, he would have preferred to avoid the hard landing, and the groans of the other paladins confirmed that they would have preferred it too. Lance stood up, shaking off the dust, and looked around in astonishment. They were surrounded by a force field around a massive blue mechanical lion. The sight was vaguely familiar, reminiscent of the description his sister had given. The alien lion, previously just a story told by Lazuli, was now right before their eyes. The lion's gaze seemed to pierce his soul, and Lance felt a mix of disbelief and excitement as he realized he was face to face with the magical creature his sister had only seen and heard.

After a few seconds that felt like hours, the same voice whispered again in his mind. "Paladin. Paladin. Paladin. My paladin," the voice reverberated with reverence. Lance felt tears in his eyes as the realization of the moment finally hit him. Everyone around him was equally astonished by what they saw. The lion sculptures and the incomprehensible writing in the cave were a completely new sight. "These are the lion sculptures I was talking about," Keith remarked, stopping to look around as well.

Lance brushed the dust off one of the sculptures, and to his surprise, it began to glow a turquoise blue. Keith was equally surprised, clearly not expecting anything like this. "They've never done that before..." he murmured, trembling. Before he could continue, a blue circle lit up beneath them, and the structure collapsed, causing the five of them to fall.

Pidge grabbed Hunk as they fell and, upon landing in the water pool below, let go of Hunk and fell onto her back, coughing from the impact. "Oh, cazzo," she murmured, groaning as the pain began to set in. As she got up, she heard Lance murmuring something. Looking up, she saw the glorious blue lion surrounded by a force field, looking pristine and unexplored. "Is that it? Is that Voltron?" she asked, amazed.

"It must be," Shiro confirmed. Keith looked up, noticing something related to the energy. Everyone gathered around him, and Lance was mumbling about how the lion seemed to be staring at him, trying to help in the awkward silence. Keith moved forward to examine the lion more closely. "I wonder how we're going to get through this," he pondered.

"Maybe you just need to hit it," Keith suggested with a teasing smile, giving the blue barrier a light tap. Instantly, a light show unfolded, and the barrier shattered, overwhelming Lance with a wave of emotions and visions from the released energy.

"Did everyone see that?" Keith asked hesitantly, his gaze fixed on the now-active lion.

"Voltron is a robot!" Hunk shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. "Voltron is a huge, amazing robot!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with the discovery.

"And this thing is just a part of it! I wonder where the others are!" Pidge exclaimed, with a mix of curiosity and excitement.

"That's what they're looking for," Shiro realized, understanding dawning on his face.

"Incredible," Keith murmured, still processing the magnitude of the discovery.

Lapis stood up from his seated position and let out a deep roar that echoed through the cave, startling Hunk and Pidge. He then crouched in front of Lance and opened the way to the cockpit. Lance wasted no time and ran to the blue lion's station, taking his place in the familiar pilot's seat. He noticed an empty seat behind him, and before he could think more about it, he heard the others starting to board. The lion opened the internal display, and Lance let out a sigh of surprise and joy as he grasped the controls. The sensation of the nearby seas felt like home to him.

"Hold on!" he laughed, and before any protests could be voiced, the lion burst out of the underground cave and began running through the desert. Shouts of shock echoed through the cockpit as Lance sped through the desert at a breakneck pace, before taking off and soaring through the air at incredible heights. The excitement of finally being free of the cave and the sensation of being with one of his paladins made all logic escape Lance's mind. He and the lion flew together, the connection between them becoming almost palpable, until Hunk's plea interrupted the moment.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" he shouted, gripping Lance's jacket with a clenched fist, clearly in panic.

"Sorry, man! She's really excited! It's my fault," Lance apologized, trying to adjust the flight to something smoother, not realizing that Hunk still hadn't gotten over his motion sickness.

"She?" Keith asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

Lance nodded vigorously, forgetting to mention that the lion was sentient. "She can hear us. She's the one who told me how to make her fly and how to stop. I'm sure all the other lions have a consciousness like hers!"

As Lance finished explaining, a warning appeared on the left-hand screen.

"What's that?" Pidge asked, worried. Lance tapped the alert and quickly read the detailed coordinates.

"There's an alien ship approaching Earth," he informed, his voice tense.

"A what?! And why isn't it doing anything?" Keith exclaimed, panic rising in his voice.

With intense concentration, Lance listened to the response he was given. A sense of guilt, an apology, and some images were the responses he received. "She says she's waiting for your second pilot," Lance said with a tone of condolence, knowing this could be a problem.

"Your what?" they shouted in desperation.

"Lance, this isn't funny!" Pidge yelled.

"Sorry, Pidge, but I'm not trying to be funny," Lance replied, looking at them. "Besides, who do you think the second seat is for? The sea bass?!"

"Oh, you!" Keith growled, but before he could attack Lance, Shiro interrupted him. "Calm down, Keith. Guys, focus! Panicking isn't going to help."

He couldn't finish the sentence, as the lion began moving erratically, with spins and twists. Soon, they found themselves running on the ground.

"Lance, what are you doing, man?" Hunk shouted.

"It's not me! She just suddenly started doing this!" Lance exclaimed, confused, trying to control the lion.

The group continued to adjust within the lion, trying to recover from the abrupt fall. Lance looked at the control screens in front of him, trying to understand what was happening. Pidge, with her eyes fixed on the screen, pointed to an image that was rapidly zooming in.

"Guys, I think I know why!" Pidge exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. The screen showed a cloud of smoke forming on the ground, which soon zoomed in to reveal a figure riding a hoverbord. The figure was dressed in dark leather and a motorcycle helmet with a dark visor, reflecting the ambient light with a sinister gleam. The hoverbord was equipped with various improvised straps, which swung as the figure moved quickly.

As the lion charged toward the cliff, Lance and the other paladins were fully absorbed in the situation. The screen in front of Pidge zoomed in on the cliff and the figure in danger. The figure, dressed in dark leather and a motorcycle helmet with a dark visor, was riding a hoverbord with improvised straps.

"Mierda!" Lance exclaimed, his heart pounding as he recognized the figure as his sister. She was being chased by military trucks and seemed to be heading toward a dead end, racing directly toward the cliff.

With a shout of determination, Lance adjusted the lion's controls. The lion, with a powerful thrust, surged toward the cliff, its robotic muscles tensed and ready for what was to come. The figure on the hoverbord accelerated desperately, leaping from the cliff with a daring leap. The hoverbord and its rider were about to hit the ground at breakneck speed.

At the crucial moment, the lion moved with precision, its massive cargo platform extending to catch the falling figure. The maneuver was carefully calculated, and the platform opened like a welcoming net, catching the rider and the hoverbord at the last second. The lion's platform enveloped the hoverbord and its rider with a firm, protective embrace, absorbing the impact of the fall.

The scene was spectacular. The hoverbord, which had been in free fall, was abruptly stopped by the lion's platform. The force of inertia made the hoverbord sway briefly, but the platform quickly stabilized, keeping the vehicle and its rider firmly in place. The lion spun gently, adjusting its position to ensure the cargo was secure. The movement was so smooth it seemed as if time had slowed down for a brief moment.

Lance watched as his sister, now safe, stood up from the cargo platform, relief evident on her face. The hoverbord was intact but clearly shaken from the fall. The lion stabilized in the air, its control systems adjusting to ensure the cargo platform remained firm and secure.

The lion steadied smoothly in the air, its cargo platform now safe and stable. Lance, still dazed from the recent maneuver and the intense rescue moment, watched as the floating screen on the panel displayed the figure who had just been rescued.

The figure rose from the cargo platform with a mixed expression of relief and exhaustion. He removed his motorcycle helmet, revealing a young man with dark hair tied in a male bun, some strands falling across his face. Sweat still dripped from his forehead, and he shook his head energetically to rid himself of the droplets.

The young man, with a determined look and a half-tired smile, looked directly at the lion's camera. In a casual yet almost arrogant tone, he said, "Nice catch."

Lance, his heart still racing from the adrenaline of the rescue, couldn't contain his frustration. "Nice catch?! Nice catch?! Shit, you almost died!" His response in Spanish was laden with palpable anger, reflecting the fear and concern he felt. "You have no idea what we went through to rescue you!"

The other paladins exchanged confused glances at Lance's random Spanish. Hunk frowned and turned to Shiro, questioning with his eyes what exactly was going on. Pidge tried to decipher the meaning of the words, but the mix of languages and the intensity of the tone left the situation somewhat nebulous for him.

Shiro, however, picked up on Lance's tone and immediately realized that he was expressing frustration and irritation. "Lance, calm down," Shiro said firmly, his voice carrying an authority aimed at restoring order. "We're all tired and stressed. Let's stay calm and handle this civilly."

Shiro's attempt to ease the tension seemed to have some effect, but Lance's complaint still hung in the air. The newly rescued young man seemed more focused on recovering from the shock than on anything else. The tension in the cockpit was mounting, with the situation still not fully under control.

Luan stood up and quickly moved to the back of the hoverbord, where he retrieved the medical kit strapped to the vehicle. He opened the kit and took out a first aid kit, preparing to provide assistance. "Listen, Lance," he said in Spanish, his voice now a bit softer but still carrying a serious tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you problems. I was just trying to escape."

Shiro, attentive to the situation, decided to accompany Luan. Inside the cockpit, the other paladins watched Luan's movements on the floating screens, their concern for the situation growing. The blue lion, now stabilized and under control, began moving towards the stratosphere, with a clear objective and mission underway.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Luan exited and entered the command cockpit. The cramped space was filled with complex equipment and controls. He approached Shiro and Keith, who watched him with expressions of curiosity and caution.

"Lieutenant Luan McClean, Medical Corps," he introduced himself formally. "Identification Code: 7B-3142."

"Lieutenant Luan McClean, Medical Corps," he introduced himself formally. "Identification Code: 7B-3142."

Lance raised an eyebrow, looking at Luan with a confused expression. "Since when are you a lieutenant?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

Luan replied tersely, "This morning."

Shiro shook Luan's hand with a firm gesture. "Thank you for your help, Lieutenant McClean. Let's assess the situation and make sure everyone is safe."

Suddenly, a deep tremor shook the lion. The cockpit lights flickered, and the control panels trembled. Lance and Luan, the twins controlling the lion, were focused as they faced the enemy Galra ship that was firing relentlessly at them.

"What's happening?" Hunk shouted, his voice mixing with the impacts and vibrations of the lion.

The lion began to shake more violently, and the cockpit was jolted by the impacts of the blasts. Lance, focused on evasive maneuvers, saw Luan quickly move to a reserve seat. He sat down, adjusting the medical kit beside him and looking around with an expression of determination and nervousness.

Shiro, now next to Luan, tried to assess the situation. "Everyone, we need to stay calm and act quickly. We need to stabilize the ship and prepare a counter-offensive."

As the team adjusted to the new level of emergency, Lance and Luan continued to control the lion with skill. Lance maneuvered the lion with agility, avoiding the heavy attacks from the enemy Galra ship. The lion moved with impressive fluidity, its agile maneuvers trying to evade the incessant fire.

While Lance avoided the attacks, Luan focused on keeping the tail laser in position, firing short, precise bursts of energy at the enemy ship. Each shot was meticulously calculated, with the clear goal of disabling the Galra ship's weapons and relieving the pressure on the lion.

The synchronization between the twins was impeccable. Lance evaded the attacks with skill, while Luan fired with precision, hitting critical points on the enemy ship. The blue lion moved as an extension of their combined skill and strategy, each movement and shot contributing to an effective defense.

"We're almost there!" Luan shouted, maintaining the intensity of the attack. "Keep up the maneuvers!"

Lance, focused and determined, continued to guide the lion with skill, responding quickly to changes in the enemy's offensive. The tension in the cockpit was palpable, but the cooperation between Lance and Luan provided a sense of control and hope amidst the chaos.

Pidge, monitoring the systems and situation from inside the command cockpit, watched with growing concern. "They want the lion!" Pidge announced, her voice filled with urgency. "The Galra ship is trying to push us out of orbit. If they succeed, they could immobilize us and gain access to Earth!"

In the cockpit, the tension was at its peak. The space was cramped, and each movement seemed to amplify the stress of the situation. Hunk was beside Pidge, his expression a mix of concentration and discomfort. "We can't let them push us out of orbit," Hunk shouted over the roar of the systems and the sound of impacts. "If they reach Earth, we have no defenses against that technology!"

Shiro, now adjusting the auxiliary controls to optimize the lion's defenses, exchanged quick glances with the twins. Lance and Luan were busy in near-perfect synchronization, each focused on their crucial part of the battle.

The cockpit felt smaller with each passing moment, the confined space making everyone a bit uneasy. The light from the floating screens cast frantic reflections on the paladins' faces, and the sound of explosions and control systems echoed around them, heightening the feeling of claustrophobia and urgency.

Lance, keeping his focus on the evasive maneuvers, felt the pressure increase. "We're doing well, everyone! Just a little more!" he shouted to the team, trying to keep morale high despite the chaos.

Luan, with the tail laser firing continuous bursts, adjusted his focus while firing at critical points on the Galra ship. His expression was a mix of intense concentration and determination, each move calculated to maximize impact.

Pidge watched the readings and data with attention, trying to keep everyone informed. "We're managing to create a path, but we need to keep pressing. They're still on us with full force!"

Finally, after an intense exchange of fire and maneuvers, the lion managed to distance itself from the Galra ship. The enemy attacks began to dwindle as the ship moved away, and the pressure on the lion started to ease. The sense of relief in the cockpit was palpable, but the team knew they were not out of danger yet.

Lance and Luan exchanged a look of satisfaction. "We're free, for now," Lance declared, the tension in his voice starting to dissipate. "Good job, everyone."

Hunk, breathing heavily after the battle, looked out into the vastness of space through the control panel screen. "And now, what do we do?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "We're safe for now, but we need to know what the next step is."

The wormhole loomed before them, a pulsating spiral of energy. It appeared as a round portal with a purple vortex, slowly swirling like a cosmic whirlpool. The core of the portal emitted a bright, smoky light, casting vibrant shadows around. The purple hue of the vortex was interspersed with shades of blue and lavender, creating a hypnotic and almost magical effect, as if reality itself were contorting around a pillar of unknown energy.

Lapiz, the voice of the blue lion, announced with reassuring confidence, "It says it's a wormhole; it'll get these guys off our tail!"

"Where does it go?" Pidge asked hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the swirling vortex, concern etched on her face.

"I don't know," Lance replied honestly, his gaze fixed on the wormhole, tension evident in his tone. "Shiro, you're our senior officer. What should we do?"

Shiro's face tightened upon hearing the question. He looked at the portal, carefully considering the situation. "Whatever is happening now, the lion knows more than we do. But we are a team now, and we should decide together."

The five paladins exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. The moment carried a significant weight but also a sense of shared purpose. Lance felt energized seeing the team come together to face the challenge. It was their first true act as a cohesive unit, and their confidence was palpable.

"Alright, beautiful, let's see what's in store for us," Lance said, a hint of excitement in his voice. He adjusted Lapiz's position, preparing for the next move.

With a determined push, Lance guided Lapiz toward the wormhole. As the blue lion moved toward the vortex, the space around them began to warp, creating a kaleidoscopic and acid-like effect. The portal enveloped the lion in a whirlwind of colors and lights, the experience of travel becoming a symphony of abstract patterns and hypnotic visions.

Lance felt a wave of nostalgia mixed with excitement as they passed through the wormhole. The kaleidoscopic acid, characteristic of these journeys, was a familiar and fascinating experience. He had truly missed this kind of intense sensation, where reality seemed to dissolve and reconstruct itself with each moment.

The journey through the wormhole was both dizzying and revitalizing. The colors and shapes melded into a hallucinatory dance, and the feeling of displacement was almost euphoric. Lance kept his focus on Lapiz, watching the lion move through the portal, as the team prepared for the new phase of the mission.

The wormhole continued to spin, the purple light intensifying as the blue lion approached its unknown destination. The team was about to be thrust into a new and unexplored part of the universe, with the fate of Earth and the future of the mission hanging in the balance.

As they traversed the wormhole, Lance offered a brief prayer that his family was safe, hoping that wherever the portal took them, they would find a solution and safety for everyone.