Chapter Text
Romelle stared in shock. There was a strange Altean in her home and eating her food. That wasn’t too bad, actually; the man was hungry and he enjoyed her cooking. What was alarming, though, was the explanation her kid brother gave in how he found and accidentally woke up Alfor. She had so many questions, but answers were limited. But then there was the final thought.
“Avok will not like this.” she said.
“Avok doesn’t need to know.” Bandor informed.
“But this is his home, too!”
“And he spends a lot of time away from it looking after the town.”
“Avok is your older brother, right?” Alfor spoke up. “Is him learning of me being here bad?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say bad?” Romelle said, thinking it over. “But he is protective of our people. And especially his family. And you being a stranger when we’ve been so isolated… and with no contact with the colony the others went to…”
Alfor nodded. “I’ll do my best to make myself scarce.” He dipped his head respectfully. “I would hate to cause issues.” He then thought it over before snorting a bit, confusing the two siblings.
“Is… it funny?” Romelle asked.
“No, no, not that.” Alfor said. “Just… back then, I went on many travels, learning of planets and cultures and, well… I guess I was known for issues and trouble. Some of the others were constantly bailing me out of it.” He couldn’t help but laugh, thinking of the days of missions and studying and more or less, him, Coran, and Sam just being a trio of complications and getting themselves in sticky situations. He lost track of how often the other paladins and Colleen had to drag them out of it. He let out a sigh. “Those were interesting times, you know. And me doing my best to not cause problems just seemed amusing.”
“Sounds like the universe was different back then.” Bandor smiled brightly. “I’d love to hear all about it!”
“Well, working on the ship, I can easily tell you stories.” Alfor assured.
The ship. Bandor had made sure to mention how Alfor was going to work on the ship and the young Altean would be studying with him and helping out. Hearing the reminder, though, Romelle was worried.
“Working on the ship… that means you’ll be leaving?” Romelle asked. She eyed her brother, worried he’d follow suit.
“Eventually, probably.” Alfor said. “But it could take time. However, one quintant I should head out. I can find out how things are going out there.”
“And think, Ro, maybe we can find the other colony? Maybe we can find Mom and Dad!” Bandor exclaimed.
“And you plan on going, too?” Romelle looked concerned.
“I…” Bandor looked to Alfor and then back at his sister. “I don’t know. Maybe? But if it’s possible to leave, then I know it’s possible to come back.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t abandon our home and family. I’ll always return no matter where I go and when. Besides, like Alfor said, it’s gonna be a while before there’s any departure.”
Romelle was still put out about the potential of her little brother leaving Pollux, but she had to remember that he was growing up. He wouldn’t be a little kid forever. “Okay. But! If you leave here and don’t come back, I’m finding a way out there and dragging you back, you hear me?”
“Of course!” Bandor grinned brightly.
Alfor smiled. He wondered if that was how Allura would have been with Matt growing up. Or perhaps even Matt and Katie as they got older. He then felt sad, wondering just how they were. Did Coran succeed in getting himself and Allura to safety? Were Matt and Katie safe wherever Trigel hid them and her lion?
“Alfor?” Romelle reached over and wiped the Altean king’s face as a tear fell. “Are you okay?”
“Sorry, just…” Alfor sighed. “Thinking about those I knew in the past, wondering if they were safe… and what became of them.”
Alfor had been living with Romelle and Bandor for a phoeb. Or rather, he lived in the storage area and was taken care of by Romelle and Bandor, going up when Avok would be away. In that pheob, Bandor studied under the older Altean, trying to understand the tech, especially the ship.
However, it wasn’t a month of just being hidden away. Alfor did go out often, making sure to avoid other Alteans to keep from causing problems. However, it brought him peace to go outside at times and relax. He especially found it enjoyable to sit in the forest and tell Romelle and Bandor stories of Altea and his time as a paladin.
He also made sure not to be cared for rent free. He did his part to help out around the house. Just because he was a king thousands of years ago didn’t mean he didn’t know how to take care of things. And one quintant, he was out with Romelle and Bandor, washing the clothes in a river. However, as well as Alfor helped, Bandor slipped up.
Or rather slipped in and fell into the river.
“Bandor,” Romelle giggled, “you’re supposed to wash the clothes in the bin, not the ones on your back.”
“Oh! Hush!” Bandor wadded up a garment and tried to throw it at his sister, but she dodged it with ease. “This isn’t really easy.”
“It’s laundry, not alchemy and study of quintessence.” Alfor mused, greatly amused by the situation.
“Oh, like you’ve done laundry before?” Bandor scowled a bit. He admired and respected Alfor, don’t get him wrong, but he couldn’t help but make the quip.
“Who else has been helping Romelle this past phoeb?” Alfor smirked at the reminder. “Plus, I was doing my own while out on missions during my paladin days.”
“Paladin?” Alfor’s ear twitched at a voice he heard. He then turned when he heard the snap of a twig. There he saw two Galrans and a strange blue wolf. While Romelle and Bandor went on more guard at seeing them, Alfor actually remained calm. Sure, Zarkon turned on the Alteans and started a war, but that didn’t mean all followed him. Right? He then noticed the shock on the younger Galran’s face. “King Alfor?”
Alfor blinked as he straightened up. “You know who I am?”
“Keith, you know who he is?” the older Galran, Krolia, asked.
“Yeah but…” Keith actually stepped closer, though Romelle moved to shield Bandor; seeing that, he stopped.
Alfor looked back and forth before holding his hand out to Romelle and Bandor. “It’s okay. I don’t think they’ll harm us.”
“But they’re Galra! They-” Romelle started to say.
“In my time, the Galra and the Alteans had become allies. Friends, even. I had many friends who were Galra, some I even trusted with my life.” Alfor informed. “I know things have changed, but I feel it in my heart that not all have followed Zarkon.” He nodded. “I’m sure it’s fine. Besides.” He looked back to Keith. “I’m curious of how he knows who I am.”
Keith took another step forward. “Because, I’ve heard of you from others. Especially Allura.” Hearing that name, Alfor perked up. “And, for a bit, I was your successor, piloting the red lion.”
Alfor’s eyes widened. “Allura? She’s…”
“Fine. She’s been safe in the castle in stasis with Coran.” Keith explained. “But… you… you’re alive? After like ten thousand years? How?!”
Alfor rubbed the back of his head. “Oh ancients be damned.” He nodded. “Come over and sit down, it’s going to be a long story.”
Keith and Krolia joined the Alteans, quick introductions being made. From there, Alfor did his best to explain things with Romelle and Bandor helping out. Or rather, Romelle was more help; Bandor was more interested in petting the wolf, intrigued by the strange creature.
As the others explained what happened and Alfor living on Pollux at that point. From working on the ship to figuring out a plan. When they finished their part, Keith and Krolia talked about their mission and what led them out there.
“A strange quintessence reading…” Alfor mused, thinking it over.
“It’s unlike any other we’ve seen in the system.” Krolia stated. “And it’s led us through the Quantum Abyss and out here.”
“I wonder if another reality rift has opened up.” Alfor mumbled.
“No, the reading is different from that.” Keith informed, making the Altean king look over. “Yeah, uh… we’ve, um, the other paladins and me, have kinda been through one before and ended up in another reality. And the quintessence readings differ from what Mom was following.”
“Wait, another reality?” Alfor exclaimed. “You actually went to another reality? And not just a glowing realm with hostile shadow entities?”
“Um, I’m excited about the reality thing, too.” Bandor spoke up. “But the tracing of quintessence may be more important?”
“Oh, right.” Alfor nodded. “But… I wonder where that reading could come from…”
“I don’t think from this planet. Or base.” Krolia stated. During part of the explanations, she and Keith made sure to explain that they were in a sort of base, part of their surroundings being displayed rather than real. “However, there is a moon orbiting the planet.”
“It could be possible there’s a base there.” Alfor suggested.
“Maybe the colony?” Bandor inquired.
“Hmm.” Krolia thought it over, worry filling her. “We’ll need a ship to get there, though. I don’t think the wolf can teleport us that far.” As if to confirm that, the wolf whimpered a bit, lowering his head.
At the mention of a ship, Bandor perked up. “Well! Alfor did mention that we should be about done with one of the ships’ repairs.”
The group, Krolia, Keith, Alfor, Bandor, Romelle, and the cosmic wolf, were able to take off and leave Pollux, getting the Altean ship out without, hopefully, notifying the others. Romelle had made sure to write a note to Avok, telling him that she and Bandor may be away for a bit but that they would return soon. It didn’t take long for them to get to the moon and finding a base there, ready to investigate it as Krolia found the energy signatures there.
However, what they didn’t plan on finding was a nearly abandoned base caked in dust. It hadn’t been touched in years. But it wasn’t exactly unoccupied. In a vast room, there were pods, not too unlike the cryo-pods of the castle. But upon further investigation, the others found Alteans.
And they weren’t just any Alteans.
They were the ones who left for the mysterious colony.
And none of them gave any actual life signs.
“This is horrible.” Romelle gasped out. “Who would…”
“I don’t know.” Krolia shook her head. She investigated further before finding some canisters of quintessence hooked to a few pods; they had yet to be shipped out and the dust told her they had been left there for quite a while. The last shipment had to have been what Warlord Ranveig, the Galran she was spying on as his second in command, collected some decaphoebs back. When she scanned the contents, she knew it was the same energy. “That quintessence we’ve been tracking, it’s from these Alteans.”
“Romelle, when was the last time anyone came for Alteans to take to the colony?” Keith inquired.
“Several decaphoebs. Bandor was barely talking then.” Romelle informed.
“It’s possible this place was abandoned then but…” Keith shook his head. “With our resources now, I don’t know how to help the other Alteans to make sure they’re protected.” He then looked to the others. “But it’s possible we can get help from the Blade of Marmora and the Voltron team.”