“But… but how can that be?” Allura asked the Admiral, fighting the urge to go to Keith and to hold him for comfort. He was standing stiffly, fists clenched at his sides, his face was wiped of all expression, but Allura sensed that he was probably reeling inside. “I thought that both Admiral and Commander Montgomery disappeared into an energy rift – a miniature black hole – near Aidel and no traces of the ship were never found.”
Admiral Hawke glared, his irritation becoming evident as he ran a hand agitatedly through his hair. “That was the official story that GG came out with ten years ago,” he confirmed with a disgusted snort. “It was the story that I was told, and one that at the time I had no power to question.”
“What do you mean ‘the official story,’ Dad?” Lance asked, frowning. “Are you saying that that story wasn’t true?”
“Not completely,” Admiral Hawke confessed, shaking his head. He took another deep breath before he continued. “Best that you all sit down, because this is going to be long, long story.”
No one followed the directive but Coran, the entire team standing behind
the chair facing the console and flanking Keith instead. His tension had
spread to the rest of the people in the room, and all were focused on the
Admiral’s troubled face, waiting for the truth behind the story.
The Admiral nodded when he saw that he had their complete attention.
“Very well. Ten years ago, Rear Admiral Zachary Montgomery and his wife
Lt. Commander Katherine Montgomery were both members of the Intergalactic
Stealth Corps. From your studies at the Academy, you already know it is
a highly specialized, highly trained branch of GG in charge of enemy reconnaissance.
At the time, the war with the Drules had not yet reached the Near Galaxy
and had been confined to certain quadrants of the Far Universe, including
the Planet Arus.
“Planet Aidel was strategically important at the time because it was a gateway into the Near Galaxy, and there were rumors that the Drules were conducting negotiations with the rulers of the planet to build a base there. It would have been a big threat to us for the Drules to build a base on it, not only because they would be able to launch missiles at GG headquarters, but also because they would control the entry of ships from the Far Universe into the Near Universe. To scope the extent of what the Drules had already built on Aidel, Zachary was assigned to head a highly classified mission with that intent. Katherine, being one of the best pilots they had on the Corps, was chosen to be part of the same mission as well.”
The Admiral paused to look at Keith’s reaction once more, but the young Captain’s face remained impassive, his clenched fists and taut stance the only indications of his intense emotions.
“You must understand that to be part of the Stealth Corps and to accept such a mission also means giving GG the right to deny itself accountable should your team be captured by the enemy or encounter a mishap within enemy territory. You understand why this is necessary, especially when open war has not been declared,” the Admiral continued, his voice ringing with a resignation tinged with distaste for the system.
“But that’s damn unfair!” Hunk interjected, scowling darkly. Lance seconded Hunk’s opinion with a crisp, virulent curse word that earned a disapproving look from Coran but had the Princess nodding in vehement agreement.
“Yes, Lance, it’s crap, but that’s the way the system works,” Admiral Hawke said, his mouth quirking in a smile at Coran’s appalled look directed towards the Princess. He hid it by pretending to cough and covering his mouth with his fist. “Kat and Zach were assigned to take pictures of what was going on at Aidel as their ship hovered within its orbit. They would transmit these pictures to GG using technology that the Drules had not yet developed at the time, but absolute radio silence was to be maintained for the entire mission to prevent enemy detection. Incidentally, it was those pictures they had taken of the Aidel base that allowed us to neutralize its threat, leading to its eventual abandonment by the Drules. In that regard, their mission was a success. However, on the last week of the mission an accident occurred.”
“So what really happened?” Hunk inquired. “Was this when they flew into the energy thingamawingy the Princess was talking about?”
The Admiral shook his head, his fury evident once more. “Their ship crashed on the planet’s surface,” he said, blowing out an angry, exasperated breath. “Evidently, Kat had hovered too near the planet, and the ship was captured by the planet’s gravity, and the gravitational field also cut off all communications with their team. However, before they were cut off entirely, Kat and Zach were able to transmit their final coordinates to GG… they were right above the thick expanse of Aidel forest just before they crashed. There was a chance they could have survived the crash – a bigger chance than if they were sucked into some black hole.”
“And GG didn’t do anything about it knowing this?” Hunk shouted, feeling for his Captain and working up a healthy rage against Galaxy Garrison and the Alliance officers. “They never even sent a rescue mission to see if Keith's parents had survived the crash at all?”
Admiral Hawke shook his head. “GG couldn’t act on it. They couldn’t send a team to find if the couple had survived because GG technically had no business being there in the first place – remember that GG was not yet supposed to be officially involved at the time. Afterwards, the details of the mission were buried within the annals of GG Intelligence as highly classified information. That story about an energy rift near the planet was made up to explain to Kat and Zach’s next-of-kin the reason for their disappearance,” he said, his distaste once again making itself shown.
The Admiral focused once again on the expressionless Captain Keith. “This was the story they told Keith – and myself, as Zachary had listed me as next-of-kin for lack of any other family,” the Admiral said, his voice lowering with his intensity. “If I had known… screw the Alliance, I would have pulled whatever influence I had in GG at the time to organize a rescue team to find them.” He pinned Keith’s gaze with his own. “And I would have gone with it.”
The entire Castle Control was silent as the Admiral ended his explanation.
Keith nodded slowly. “I believe you, Uncle Hawke,” he said softly, gratefully. “And I would have gone with you as well.”
“So, Dad, are you saying that there’s still a chance that Keith’s folks are alive on Aidel?” Lance asked matter-of-factly. “Even after ten years?”
“They may be,” Admiral Hawke said, an amount of caution in his voice. “I’m not saying unequivocally that they are, but how else could someone from Aidel have found out Kat’s the verification code?” He pinned his gaze on Keith once more, addressing the Captain directly now. “Will you go?”
Keith sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his hair, indications of his intense emotion showing on his face for the first time since the Admiral had told them the news. He turned to Coran. “No one will be left to defend Arus. It is not practical when another force nearer Aidel can look into the matter,” he said quietly, first meeting the Chief adviser’s gaze before shifting to the Princess’ sympathetic blue ones. “I can’t ask you to risk making Arus vulnerable for the sake of the slim chance that they are… they could be...“
“No, Keith,” Allura interrupted him, a tinge of exasperation in her voice, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a light shake to emphasize her point. “I made this mistake once before with Pidge, but I won’t make it again. We’re going, and that’s that.” She dropped her hand and turned to Coran, her eyes now communicating her pleading to her chief adviser. “We just routed Lotor’s forces a week ago. Planet Doom won’t attack again so soon.”
“Yeah,” Hunk said eagerly, rubbing his hands together with relish. “I’m all game – and didn’t you say that there were slaves in Aidel? Time we set them free and gave the damned bullies over there a taste of their own medicine.”
“Yes, the team has permission to go.” Coran nodded his agreement so quickly that it silenced everyone in Castle Control for one stunned moment. “Do not look at me that way,” he ordered with a self-conscious cough. “It was all decided long before you came in here, provided Keith would agree. The Admiral has devised a way to make your going possible.”
Lance looked up at his father suspiciously. “What way?”
Now it was the Admiral who looked uncomfortable. He ran a finger under his collar in a gesture of agitation. “I – ah – I took the liberty of sending a team of nearby Alliance war cruisers there from another quadrant of the Far Universe to reinforce Arus’ defense forces while you are on Aidel. It will arrive at Arus in approximately two hours or even less,” he said with a smile. At the gawking stares of the entire team, even Keith’s, he hastened to add, “They would have been the ones deployed to Aidel in any case, so there is not much of a difference.”
Lance gave a low whistle. “Sure, just a few thousand light years. How did you manage that one, Dad?” Lance asked wryly, one eyebrow raised. “You’re pretty high up, but only a god could possibly pull off a miracle like that.”
“’O ye of little faith.’” The Admiral grinned at his skeptical son. “The Hawke charm, my boy, the Hawke charm,” he quipped with a wink, garnering a disbelieving laugh from the entire team. “I am not head of Intelligence for nothing, you know,” he continued drolly. “I threatened that I would release information that would cause heads to roll if they didn’t agree to my plan.”
Admiral Hawke sobered as he pinned Keith’s gaze with his own once more. “I also told them about how being the one to find his parents has been the dream of a certain Captain who has given them nothing but noble and exemplary service for most of his life,” he confessed solemnly.
At that revelation, Keith’s eyes widened slightly in surprise then zeroed in accusingly on Lance, who was looking at the ceiling and softly whistling in feigned innocence.
“This was not even considering the service given the Galaxy Alliance by your father and your mother as well,” the Admiral concluded with a small smile. “There was no way they could go against that last reason – this is the least they owe you and your family.” He smiled at the young Captain solemnly, noting that his dark eyes were suspiciously moist. “The dream is yours now, Keith. Keep your promise.”
Keith looked away and dug into his pants’ pocket to draw out his gold medallion. He turned it over in his palm and stared at it for a long moment. Finally, he looked up to meet the Admiral’s proud eyes. “Thank you,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. He looked around him and noted the approving looks on his friends’ faces, lingering almost imperceptibly on Allura’s tear-moistened eyes and finally finding rest on Lance’s smug grin.
“As for you, my friend, you have a big mouth,” Keith reproached Lance, his voice still husky. The jibe earned a shaky laugh from the entire team.
Lance shrugged the insult off, taking the show of affection for what
it was. “Hey, what are best buddies for?” he shot back with a wide, mischief-filled
grin. However, the solemnity of his gaze as it met Keith’s grateful ones
said to Keith everything else that Lance, in all his drollness, could never
say aloud.
It was decided that the Lions would leave for Aidel as soon as Samantha and the Alliance war cruisers arrived, giving them about two hours to prepare for departure. From Arus, it would take about five hours to reach the planet on maximum mach speed, and they would be travelling that speed because they had no time to lose. For all they knew, the rebel force’s assault on the rulers of Aidel had already begun, and the people there needed all the help they could get.
Besides, the sooner they got there, the sooner Keith would know if his parents were really alive.
What he must be feeling right now, Allura thought as she headed back to her chambers from Castle Control to prepare for their mission. After changing out of her gi and taking a quick shower, she purposefully made her way to the Castle observation deck with a specific person and a specific plan in mind.
True to her hunch, Keith was there, standing in front of the panoramic windows and taking in the view of the Arussian landscape bathed in the late afternoon sun. Before him, the scene was ablaze with its magnificent red and gold light, the same light framing his tall form, his back towards her. He was oblivious to her presence.
The sight of him made her smile – it made her realize how much she had really come to know him. Then she sobered, suddenly quite unsure about what to do next. She had meant to talk to him, to allow him to release some of the feelings she guessed were running amok inside him because of what he had just found out and what he was about to do. But something about the way he was standing made her hesitate to let him know that she was there.
His hands were thrust in his pockets; the line of his strong back and the set of his shoulders showed traces of the tension he had evinced earlier in the control room. Yet for all the forbidding messages of his stance and of her own mind, there was a loneliness about him that called to her and…
He made the choice for her when he turned around and caught her gaze, as if he had sensed her presence despite her silence.
“Princess,” he said softly, welcoming her with a small smile and appearing to be glad of her company. “Have Sam or the war cruisers arrived yet?”
She shook her head with a wry smile, walking towards the window and coming to a halt beside him. “If either of them have, I’m sure that you would be the first to know about it,” she teased. “You always seem to have some sixth sense about such things.” She turned her gaze towards the view outside the windows, taking a deep breath before looking back at him, her concern reflected in her eyes. “Are you ready for this?”
He laughed, but there was little humor in the sound. “Just about as ready as I am to have my teeth extracted,” he confessed with a wry smile of his own.
The inquiring tilt of her head prompted him to go on, although with some degree of reluctance.
“To be perfectly honest, I’ve run the entire gamut of emotions regarding their disappearance these past ten years that right now I don’t even know what I feel.” He met her eyes with his, and she saw the confusion reflected there. “It’s funny. Finding my parents has been my dream for more than half of my life, but now that I have the chance to possibly find it’s true, I… I almost don’t even want to hope that it is anymore.”
“I know,” she acknowledged softly, her gaze steady on his face, the expression there moving her. It was one of those rare moments when none of his masks were between them and the nakedness of his expression made the breath catch in her throat. Traces of anger, frustration, pain, fear, and hope – for once all there for her to see. He was open, vulnerable and… in need of comfort.
Throwing propriety to the winds, she stepped closer towards him and, without really thinking about what she was doing, put her arms around him and enclosed him in a comforting embrace. She felt him hesitate for a moment then she felt his arms go around her as well. He took deep, shuddering breath as he tightened his arms around her almost imperceptibly, as if in that moment to take all the comfort she wished to give him, before loosening to a more comfortable hold. She laid her cheek on his chest, feeling the strong and steady beat of his heart beneath her. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he might have pressed a kiss upon the top of her head before she felt him gently rest his chin upon it.
They quietly held one another that way for a while until Keith broke their companionable silence with a rueful laugh, one that was more light hearted than the other one that had gone before.
“At this point, I don’t know what I’m more afraid of, going to Aidel and finding that my parents are not there after all or actually meeting up with them and having them find that I’m not… I’m not the son they expected me to be,” he admitted sheepishly, lifting his chin from her head, letting her go, and looking down at her with a small grin.
She frowned up at him, dropping her own arms and moving a little away from him so that she could meet his eyes.
“Keith, no matter how things turn out for you – it can’t take away from whatever it is you are now and everything that you’ve become. Your parents can feel nothing but love and pride for all you’ve accomplished,” she scolded, all vehemence and earnestness, her eyes shooting irate blue sparks. All of a sudden, she paused hesitantly then and averted her gaze from his, looking down before continuing in a softer voice. “And if… if they aren’t… no matter what happens, I... we will always be here for you.”
“I know,” he replied quietly, his voice solemn.
To her surprise, she felt her hand being taken in one of his much larger and much stronger ones. Startled by the gesture, she looked up to find him smiling gently down at her, his eyes clearer and more certain now.
At that moment alert signals went off all over the Castle, and Keith looked up at the blaring loudspeakers with a grin. “That might be Sam or the Alliance cruisers. We better get on up there or Coran might think I’ve changed my mind about going,” he told her with a wink as he urged her toward the observation deck’s doors. “Then he might call Uncle Hawke, and, knowing him, I just might find myself demoted or my commission revoked.”
She laughed at that even as she quickened her pace to keep up with his much wider strides. “Wait up,” she reproached breathlessly, earning another sheepish grin from him. She arched her eyebrow at him as he adjusted his pace to match hers. “So I take it that you think you’re ready for this?” she teased.
“Never a doubt,” he quipped with another roguish wink that she responded
to with an un-Princess-like snort that made him laugh.
They ran all the way to Castle Control together, and neither of them
noticed that they had not let go of each other’s hands.