The sounds of explosions met Keith's ears as the Voltron Force reached their destination. Immediately, he let loose a string of orders and the other rushed from their positions to follow them. Within moments more than a third of the enemy fighters were destroyed or crippled.

Lance held his controls with a grip of steel. In his head, he prayed to whatever god was up there to spare the people on the ground…and Jenica. Allura fired at every fighter, not thinking of the pilots, but thinking of the damage they had caused. She destroyed more than six in less than twenty seconds. Keith yelled orders through the communicators. His eyes darted from screen to screen as he struggled to take in what was happening so he could tell his team what to do. Hunk flew with precision and followed Keith’s orders to a tee. He showed Zarkon’s people no mercy. Pidge fought like he always did, thinking of what Zarkon had done to his planet and wanted nothing less than vengeance with a passion that belonged to someone four times his age.

Twenty minutes after they arrived, all the enemy fighters were destroyed. The Lions landed one after the other on Alderon—or what was Alderon. For despite how careful they were with their shots and their efforts in keeping the fighters from firing upon the village, it was completely destroyed.

Keith knelt on the ground and sifted the broken rock pieces through his fingers. Allura put a hand on his shoulder, her heart heavy. She had let more of her people down and the burden on her shoulders weighed as much as Arus. Keith put a hand over hers and just stayed where he was, his thoughts on those who had lost their homes and their lives.

Lance, Pidge, and Hunk scoured the area. They yelled at the top of their lungs for the people to come out. A hundred of more Alderonians gathered in the town square at their call. Allura and Keith stood in the center, their helmets tucked under their arms. The other three continued their call.

"People of Alderon," Allura addressed them. "Zarkon’s attack has been stopped, but as you can see your village has been severely damaged."

"Destroyed more like it," someone yelled.

"I am sorry about this, but we will rebuild soon. For now, we will lead you to another village close by and provide you with the necessary needs to survive until your village can be rebuilt."

"How long will that take, Princess?" the same person asked, her voice filled with contempt as she said the word. "As long as it took you to rebuild Whares? Oh, I forgot. That project hasn’t even begun yet and their village was destroyed more than a year ago."

Keith squinted into the crowd. The steadying hand he placed on Allura’s back was not noticed by anyone.

"Who is that?" he called out.

A young woman with a braid of black hair would about her head stepped forward. She was tiny and delicate in stature, but once Keith looked into her face he knew they were facing a strong-willed young woman. Her green eyes gleamed with intelligence and her wide, fine mouth thinned to an intimidating line. Keith glanced at Allura to see her reaction and if he hadn’t known her face as well as he did, he wouldn’t have noticed the droop of the right side of her mouth, and the sudden brightness of her blue eyes.

"What is your name?" Allura asked with her most placating voice.

"Kendra," she answered.

"Kendra," Allura repeated, "I just need you to answer one question; what do you think most important? The cities of the lives of the people in them?"

Kendra’s eyes lost their angry glow, and her mouth lost its line. She nodded curtly and said, "I see your point, Princess." She stepped back into a crowd.

For her part, the Princess showed no smug satisfaction. Instead, she nodded at Kendra and continued her speech.

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge returned. Keith drew his friend out from the crowd. Lance’s eyes held the look of someone in a disturbing mental state. His brown eyes were blank, but Keith could see the fire within Lance that he tried to put out. He was angry. And there was nothing they could do to help him.

"She’s dead," he whispered flatly.

Keith let out a breath. "I’m sorry, Lance."

"No more than me," his friend replied and he shuffled back to his Lion.

Allura went to Keith’s side as Hunk, Pidge, and what looked like the leaders of the community rounded up the people to collect their things to move on. She noticed that Lance was nowhere to be seen and she sent him a questioning look. She was close to tears as his expression answered her unasked question.

"Poor Lance," she sighed.

"He’ll be fine in a few days, but I don’t think he’ll be the same for a long while yet," Keith said, staring at the Red Lion. "I've seen him like this before. Lance's temper was legendary at the Academy."

"I know this sounds crass, but will he still be able to fly?"

"Naturally. Above all else, he is a soldier." But I don't know if we can trust him to do the right thing while flying.

Pidge stepped carefully to the doorway of Lance’s room. He took a deep breath and then entered. The light filtering in the dark room from the corridor outlined Lance’s shape on his tousled bed. He was just lying there, not asleep, but hardly awake. He was like someone in a trance. Pidge didn’t even think that he realized he was standing there. With a sad frown, Pidge stepped back and the door hissed shut.

He walked somberly down the corridor and ran right into Keith. The captain took him by the shoulders and steered him to the rec room where the Princess and Hunk waited and tried to relax.

"Well?" Allura prompted. "Did you talk to him? That was pretty fast."

"No, I didn’t talk to him. I couldn’t," Pidge said. "I chickened out." He turned accusing eyes at the others. "Why don’t one of you try? You’re adults after all and you’re supposed to carry more responsibility than me."

Hunk twitched. "I don’t think I can. Seeing Lance that way makes me uncomfortable," he confessed. "He’s the one that I always thought could bounce back and seeing him like that…it scares me."

Keith moved to the communication monitor and at first they thought he was going to call Coran, but he punched in a number much too long to be in the castle—or the surrounding areas—or the planet. Allura went to his side and peeked at the smaller monitor. She then smiled with perfect understanding.

"He was always the councilor," Keith said with a small smile.

In another solar system, a man with a cane walked about a small house, putting away his breakfast dishes. He whistled to himself as he did it, the sound hinting at his good humor. Standing near the sink, a beautiful blonde woman watched him do it as she wiped the wet plates. Unable to help himself, the man leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. She smiled at him, love radiating from the simple movement.

Something in the house beeped and the man went to a large monitor imbedded into a wall in his study. He pressed a button and two eager faces greeted him.

"Sven!" Keith cried. It’s great to see you, Buddy."

Sven’s face broke into an ear-to-ear grin as he saw his old friend and commander.

"Keit," he said with an unmistakable Scandinavian accent. "It’s been far too long since we’ve last talked, my friend. Nice to see you as well, Princess."

Rapidly approaching footsteps could be heard through the connection and the woman appeared behind Sven, a grin on her face.

"Cousin!" she exclaimed, her voice low and sultry.

"Romelle?!?" Keith and Allura exclaimed in unison.

"Isn't it a little early to be visiting?" Allura asked slyly.

"Sven?" Keith said with a half-laugh.

Sven put an arm around his love and smiled as a man finally at peace.

"We’re engaged," he announced. "And you’re the first to know."

Keith and Allura laughed gleefully.

"That’s great," Allura cried. "I’m so happy for you."

Despite her happy tone, there was something in her eyes that Romelle noticed. They exchanged a look. They would talk later. Keith smiled at her, missing the exchange, then returned his attention to the screen. Sven was looking at him with an expression on his face that only Keith understood. Keith only shook his head. His countenance turned somber.

"Keith?" Romelle said. "What’s wrong?"

"We wanted to talk to Sven about Lance," Allura answered for him.

Sven gasped and then paled. "Oh, no. What has happened?"

Romelle slid her hand into his, and she turned her face up with sad eyes.

Keith was quick to reply. "He’s alive and healthy…in body. However, he’s hasn’t been himself lately. He lost someone he cared about and he is not taking it as well as he should. He hasn’t eaten a decent meal in days."

"What happened?" Sven asked.

Keith explained what had happened with Jenica and Alderon. Sven listened intently and could not even imagine how he would feel if he had ever lost Romelle. Although he was sure that Lance didn't care for Jenica with the same depth that he cared of Romelle, his friend was the kind of man that felt everything ten times more than they should be felt.

"Put me through to his room," he said. "I’ll see what I can do."

Keith did so and gave them the privacy they needed. Then, they waited.

Keith passed the dinner rolls to Allura absently and she took it with the same attention he gave it. Next to him, the seat was noticeably and painfully empty for the seventh night in a row. Down the table, Pidge and Hunk were just as solemn. Coran sat to the left of the Princess, across from Keith. He found himself uneasy in the silence and found himself preferring the usual dinnertime antics that the boys usually provided.

"Did you bring Lance his dinner, Nanny?" Allura asked when the woman poured her a glass of water.

"Yes, I did," Nanny replied. Even she was beginning to get worried and they all knew that she preferred the mice’s company to Lance’s. "The poor boy. He only picks at his food. When is he going to come out?"

"Now is a good time."

Simultaneously, six heads whipped towards the doorway. Lance leaned against it, looking as he always did, with the perpetual smirk on his face, though he still looked gaunt. Wisely, no one said anything and the antics began, slowly at first, then gained momentum like a run-away train as it went along. By the end of the meal, even Nanny was laughing.

They retired to the rec room with their desserts and coffee, and Pidge switched on the vid screen as Hunk put in one of their favorite vid shows that Sven had mailed to them. The Princess had laughed at them the first time she saw them staring goggle-eyed at the vid, but soon found herself inching from the doorway, next to the couch, then finally beside Keith. When it was over and everyone was a little calmer, Lance stood in front of the vid.

"I just wanted to say thanks for caring, guys. I really appreciate it."

Without another word, he turned and left. They sat in silence then exchanged relieved smiles.