*WILL BE EDITED LATER. EXCUSE ANY WEIRD/OUT-OF-PLACE WORDS, GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, AND SPELLING ERRORS*

The next day, the paladins and Arcadia were gathered outside the operating room. Allura had built a new prosthetic for Shiro and he was now undergoing the procedure to integrate it with his body.

Now, it was time for the prosthetic to be activated. Shiro woke up after being put under anesthesia and was addressed by Sam. "How are you feeling, Shiro?"

Shiro's blurry vision cleared. "Good," he replied, voice just above a whisper since he just awoke. "I'm good."

"I'm happy to tell you we've successfully attached your new prosthetic arm. We just need to power it on and make any final adjustments." Sam nodded, signaling to a man who was assisting him. The man carried over the prosthetic arm as Sam explained, "We've outfitted it with the most powerful energy source Earth has to offer. It's the closest we could get to mimicking a balmera crystal's energy. It should generate enough power to operate most of it. The remaining power will be drawn from your body's own electromagnetic field."

Once the arm was placed down, Shiro concentrated. His prosthetic activated with a hum. The arm hovered into the air as he willed it. He flexed the fingers and rotated the arm to make sure everything was functioning correctly. He then drew it closer to his body with a proud smile.

Suddenly, a crippling pain shot through his entire body. He screamed at the top of his lungs as the vital signs monitor rapidly beeped.

"He's crashing!" Sam shouted. "We have to shut it down!"

An assistant tried to restrain Shiro, but he was knocked back by the prosthetic arm.

Hearing and seeing how much pain Shiro was in, Arcadia rushed into the operating room. She was soon followed by Allura. The draconian dodged the arm when it attempted to swat her away. She successfully made it to Shiro's side. The princess tackled the arm and pinned it to the ground before it could attack another person.

"Sam, we need to remove the power source!" Allura shouted.

Sam rushed over and opened the back of the prosthetic. He quickly removed the chip, allowing Allura to place the crystal from her tiara inside the arm. Acting as its new power source, the arm's once golden glow was replaced with a calming blue.

Arcadia, who had been providing healing for Shiro, looked over at his vital signs to see them improving. As the beeping slowed and Shiro's screams ended, she felt relief wash over her. Her attention was drawn to the prosthetic when it returned to Shiro's side. Looking back at the man, she checked on him. "Shiro?"

The other paladins rushed in as Shiro regained consciousness. He looked around at the faces of his friends. "What—What happened? I feel strange." He looked down at his new arm and smiled when he saw he had full control of it. "I feel great."

Arcadia removed her hands from his arm with a smile. "All that matters is you're feeling better. How's the new arm?"

"Amazing," he replied. "It will take some time to get fully used to it, though."

Keith helped Shiro off the table. One by one, everyone left the operating room to head to the debriefing room.

On the way out, Arcadia saw Allura's tiara on the floor. It seemed the princess had forgotten it. She picked it up to see the crystal was missing. It was then she figured out she used it as the new power source for Shiro's prosthetic arm. She glanced at her best friend's back before running back to her room and storing the tiara. She would give it back to Allura when she would be given the time to replace the crystal she lost.

Dashing back to the debriefing room, Arcadia entered just as Pidge explained what she and Allura discovered in Sendak's memories. "We've learned so much from Sendak's memories. We discovered his methods for taking over planets like Earth."

"Sendak constructs armaments at key strategic points around planets. This gives him the ability to control enormous swaths of territory. He uses the armaments as deterrents to prevent any uprisings and to control the conquered population," Allura stated.

"Based on data from from Commander Holt's micro-satellites," Veronica began, activating the display to show a digital map of Earth. "Cross-referenced with resistance intel, we've ascertained that Sendak built six massive structures on Earth. We never knew what they were being used for until now."

"They're the weapons?" Hunk asked. "So, what's stopping us from blowing them up?"

"We simply don't have enough firepower to do the job," Admiral Sanda explained. "And even if we did, there's a good chance those facilities contain civilians. We can't just go in blind."

"Admiral Sanda's right," Shiro chimed in. "That's why we should infiltrate a base and gather intelligence first."

"The nearest base is 52 klicks south of our position," Veronica said.

"What's the terrain like?"

She pulled up an image of the area she spoke of. "The region around what we'll call "Base One" is a complex urban environment. Our route will take us through highly patrolled areas. It'll be hard to keep proper surveillance of our surroundings due to all the structural damage."

"Then I suggest we form two teams." Shiro pushed a few buttons on the display "A ground unit that will attempt to infiltrate Base One and get eyes on whatever's inside, and a sniper team that observes from a higher position, covering the ground unit and providing some visibility."

"Use communications sparingly. Stay on the move. Keep an eye on the timing patterns of the patrol drones. Pidge, Keith, Allura, Arcadia, and Griffin, you're the ground unit. Hunk, Kinkade, Lance, and I will be sniper support."

With that, everyone left the debriefing room. Those who were assigned to the mission split up into their respective teams and departed from the garrison after changing their gear.

Arcadia sat in the back of the vehicle and stroked the top of Kosmo's head. Keith had decided last-minute that Kosmo should accompany them seeing as he could be an excellent asset. She did feel a little better about the mission since the wolf would be joining them.

Finally, they were close to their destination. Keith contacted the sniper unit to inform them. "Approaching target location."

"Copy that, ground unit," Veronica replied. "We've got eyes on you."

Leaving the vehicle in a tunnel, they continue on foot. They maneuver through the sewers located underneath the city. They didn't make it far before Lance warned them. "Drone patrol ahead."

Once the drones soared by, the group ran across the catwalk and into an adjacent tunnel. They eventually found a manhole that led them to the streets above. Exiting the sewers, they returned topside and trekked down the street towards the large galra structure. Pidge, Keith, and Kosmo took cover behind a car while Allura, Arcadia, and James hid behind a slab of concrete. In the distance, they saw the entrance to the structure. Sentries and drones kept guard.

"This is as close as we're gonna get," Keith said. He looked over at the trio across the way. "Pidge and I are going in."

"Negative," James responded. "Route's obstructed. It's too well-guarded."

Keith fell silent as he thought of an idea. When he came up with one, he contacted the red paladin. "Lance, you ready to cover us when we get inside?"

"Ready to go," Lance replied.

Kosmo teleported Keith and Pidge away.

James stared in awe, which Allura noticed. "It's a comic wolf."

The boy grinned. "I've got to get me one of those."

Arcadia laughed at his response. "It would make everything a lot easier."

While waiting behind cover, the draconian held out her palm and created a flower made of ice. She was trying to work on her ice spells to master the element. She was hoping to accomplish this before her next lesson with Proliux.

James, who had been watching her, stared in awe at the ice flower. "I still can't believe magic exists. I thought it was just made-up stuff in fairytales."

"Draconic alchemy is quite beautiful," Allura said. "Even amid battle, Arcadia makes it bewitching."

The golden-eyed girl grinned. "Fighting is messy, but who said you can't make it an art?"

Just then, they heard Ryan's voice over comms. "I've got movement to the north. Drones closing in on your positions from the adjacent alley."

Crouching lower, Allura, Arcadia, and James spotted the approaching drones.

Arcadia pressed her back against the concrete slab, morphing the ice flower into a dagger. She was ready to attack.

As the drones floated by, one of them detected their presence. Allura gasped, "We've been spotted."

"Hang tight." Ryan shot two drones while Arcadia destroyed the third with her ice dagger.

The gunfire and exploding drones caught the attention of the sentries and other drones. They began firing at the spot the three were crouched behind.

"I think you guys made them angry," James said.

Arcadia was tempted to jump out and destroy the machines, but she decides to trust Ryan and Lance. The two cadets expertly took down all the enemies with their snipers. With the sentries and drones destroyed, the area was clear. The trio emerged from their cover.

Allura looked up and smiled, knowing Lance could see her. "Thanks."

"No problem," Lance replied.

From his tone, Arcadia knew he was smiling. She smirked as she was the only person he told about his crush on the princess. "Someone's happy about being praised."

Lance, unbeknownst to her, was blushing. "Knock it off, Arcadia..."

The trio was about to check their surroundings but stopped when more entries and drones arrived on the scene. "Lance, Kinkade!" Allura shouted. "More sentries incoming!"

James and Allura dove behind a pile of rubble. Arcadia, however, did not. She saw the overwhelming number of enemies and refused to stand by. With a protective barrier around her, she ran straight for the robots.

The princess gasped in fright. "Arcadia, it's too dangerous! There's too many!"

"Trust me, Allura," she calmly replied. With twin daggers made of ice, she leaped into the fray and began slicing up the robots. Lance, James, and Ryan aided her by shooting the enemies. Allura used her strength to throw some rubble at them to help her best friend.

Arcadia set her sights on another sentry. She tossed one dagger into its chest and the other at its head. The ice shattered as the robot toppled over, lifeless. She then erected another barrier around her and dashed into a group of sentries. When their attention was on her, she shattered the barrier. The shards of light flew outward, piercing the bodies of the sentries and destroying them.

The draconian's attention was drawn to a throng of sentries that were closing in on James and Allura's position. She created an ice wall between the robots and her allies before conjuring large icicles. With the wave of her hand, the icicles surged forward and pierced the bodies of the sentries, pinning their bodies against the ice wall.

In the distance, she spotted a group of sentries heading towards the building where Lance, Veronica, Hunk, and Ryan were. She went to stop them, but an intense and crippling burning sensation on her back caused her to sink to her knees. She knew exactly what is was—another elemental seal. Wrapping her arms around herself, she dug her nails into her upper arms to keep from screaming in pain. "Why now...?" She muttered through labored breaths.

Her hunched-over form caught the attention of the sentries. The ice wall she constructed shattered as they aimed their guns at her. Before they could pull the triggers, their bodies exploded as they were shot. James had shot them with his rifle. He then ran out from cover and towards her. He shot a few more sentries and drones on the way. Reaching her side, he took one of her arms and hooked it around his neck. He wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her to her feet.

Arcadia didn't argue and leaned against James for support. The burning along her back continued to cause her pain as he helped her behind cover. He shot a few sentries by wielding his gun with a single hand.

Allura took Arcadia from James when they reached cover. She scanned her for injuries. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Story for another time," Arcadia muttered. She inhaled and exhaled deeply to help her through the pain. She leaned against her best friend, sighing in relief when the pain subsided a minute later. Although the pain was gone, she felt exhausted. Mastering an element always took a toll on her body.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them the she heard Hunk's voice over the comms. "Cover is definitely blown, guys!"

"Keith, Pidge, it's time to roll!" Lance shouted.

"Copy that," Keith replied.

A few seconds later, multiple explosions erupted from various locations across the city. Veronica had detonated the chaff. The sentries has ceased firing as their vision was obscured.

"Rendezvous at your cruisers," Veronica said as she escaped with the rest of the sniper unit. "We only have a couple of minutes until the sentries gain vision again."

Just then, Kosmo appeared in the alleyway with Pidge and Keith.

"Let's move out," Keith said.

Allura, who helped Arcadia stand up, asked, "Can you walk?"

The draconian nodded. "Yes, I'll be fine."

With those final words, the group returned to the vehicle and returned to the garrison.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

Before the debriefing, Arcadia returned to her room. Standing in front of the body mirror, she unzipped her suit and peeled it away for only her back to be visible. The tattoo had warped. The ancient scripture had formed what looked like a tree. At the roots of the tree were six circles. Four were filled with ancient scripture depicting the birth of fire, ice, darkness, and lightning. The other two remained empty.

Arcadia wouldn't lie. She found the tattoo and scripture beautiful. She hadn't realized how enthralled she was with the tattoo until the door to her room slid open. She was startled by the noise and hugged herself to prevent the suit from falling to reveal her chest. Turning to the door, she spotted Keith.

He quickly turned away when he saw her state of undress. Cheeks turning red, he quickly apologized. "S-Sorry. I did knock, but didn't get a response."

"It's fine," she replied. "I was...distracted."

"Allura told me what happened. Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm okay." She turned her back to the mirror again, combed her snowy locks aside, and started at the markings. "What do you think of tattoos?"

Keith was puzzled at the question. "I guess they're cool. I mean, I really don't have an opinion about them. Why?"

"Well, um..." She turned so her back was facing him. Her markings were on full display. "What do you think of mine?"

Keith was gobsmacked. "When did you get a tattoo?"

"While you were with the Blade," she answered. "Turn around and see it for yourself."

He started to blush again when he realized she wasn't dressed entirely. "A-Are you sure?"

She laughed at how innocent he was acting. She looked over her shoulder and saw the tips of his ears were red. "You're my boyfriend, aren't you? No need to be shy. Besides, it's just my back."

Keith had to mentally prepare himself. When he felt he was ready, he turned around. His eyes fell on her back, eyes widening at the sight of the tattoo on her back. He slowly closed the distance between them. He saw the ancient scripture scrawled in the roots of the tree and gazed in awe. Unconsciously, he started tracing the markings with his finger. "What...What is this?"

Remembering her conversation with Proliux, she knew the tattoo was the symbol of the Child of Mana. However, there was no way she could tell him she was supposedly the descendant of the god her people worshipped. Instead, she told him the many lies creates by the twelve grand masters. "It's the tattoo branded on the twelve grand masters. Some of the ancient scripture is missing because I have yet to master light and earth. The reason I collapsed during the mission was that I mastered ice. But don't worry, the pain is only temporary when the scripture is added."

Keith traced the roots with his fingers. He noticed her shudder at his touch and felt his cheeks heat up again. He cleared his throat and tried to get his mind off of her reaction. "It's...wow. I-I'm not sure how to put it into words. Guess the simplest way to put it is I really like it."

"So it doesn't bother you?"

"No," he answered honestly. "Who else knows about it?"

"You're the only one I've told." She turned away from and looked at her back in the mirror. "I like it too. I think it's pretty cool. I actually hated it at first, but it's grown on me...figuratively and literally."

Keith stared at the markings reflected in the mirror. "You've shown me draconic texts before, but that looks different. What is it, exactly?"

"It's the ancient scripture of Aethios," she said. "It is different from the common writing of Draconia. Usually, you would only find such scripture in temples dedicated to Aethios. It isn't a spoken script."

Keith pursed his lips. "Every time you tell me something new about your people, it makes me wish I could've visited Draconia."

"I wish I could've taken you and the others. I think you all would've enjoyed it. But we don't always get what we want. Now then..." She tugged her suit lower, startling Keith.

He quickly turned around. "Are you really stripping right now?"

"I need to change," she stated with a shrug. "The door's closed and it's not like you're some random pervert. I trust you won't jump me while I'm changing."

He groaned in disbelief. "You're unbelievable..."

She snickered and changed into the garrison prototype uniform. She adjusted her outfit before grabbing Keith's hand and dragging him out of her room. They joined the others in the debriefing room and Pidge shared the information she and Keith discovered on the mission. "Sendak has built Zaiforge cannons. Our intel indicates the cannons were just completed. They could launch at any time."

Iverson gazed at the schematic of the Zaiforger cannon on the large display. "What exactly is a Zaiforge cannon?"

"Planet killers," Keith simply replied. "If these cannons launch and are fully charged, Sendak will be able to destroy Earth in seconds."

"So, what do we do?" Veronica asked.

"Ideally, we attack all six bases at once, allowing them no time to stage a counterattack."

"That's not possible," Admiral Sanda denied the plan.

"If we had our lions, it could be. We'll have to find another way to retrieve them we rode on can't take off," Keith said

Sanda raised her voice, grabbing everyone's attention. "Your lions are orbiting another planet. There's no way to get you to them. Plus, there are only five lions."

Shiro was quick to reply. "Arcadia and the MFEs would need to attack the sixth cannon."

"We'd love to, but they don't have that kind of the range. The ECLs do, but we still need to perform test flights and we don't have that kind of time," James explained.

"There should be enough faunatonium to boost the MFEs to the sixth base and back," Coran said.

"That's great and all, but Admiral Sanda has a point. We can't get to our lions," Pidge stated.

Arcadia saw the dejected faces of the paladins and chimed in. "You all have formed strong bonds with your lions. We don't have to retrieve the lions because they'll come to you. No matter how far you are, they will come. Use your bonds to bring them to Earth."

Shiro stood up. "Arcadia's right. You've been training for this since the very beginning. Each of you has forged a bond with your lion. Tap into it."

Lance thought for a second as he remembered when they lost their lions before removing on Earth. "Our lions did come to us when we were lost in space."

"And Red saved my life numerous times," Keith said with a small smile.

"Yes, it's possible," Allura beamed. "So we'll call the lions to meet us here."

"We'll need the element of surprise," Pidge stated. "The lions will have to rendezvous with us at the bases."

"Yeah, that will really catch the galra off guard," Hunk commented. "I mean, assuming our lions respond to our calls. What if they don't come?"

"Trust me, they will," Arcadia answered. "You five may not know this, but the lions cherish all of you. When you call, they will come to you."

"And when they do, you will strike and destroy all six cannons simultaneously before they can be launched. And when the job's done, you can form Voltron and finish off Sendak and the rest of his forces.

"My pilots can transport four of you to the galra bases before heading out to the sixth cannon," James said.

"I'll bring Lance to Base One," Veronica spoke up. "It's the closest, so I can do it by ground."

"It's settled, then," Shiro announced. "While Veronica drops Lance at Base One, the MFEs will each fly a paladin out to a base. Arcadia will depart for the sixth base immediately and rendezvous with the MFEs there. The paladins should reach the drop zones at exactly the same time the lions arrive. Then the MFEs will join Arcadia at the sixth base. We'll launch a coordinated attack on all six locations at once."

With the plan organized, everyone departed. They changed before heading to the tarmac. Lance headed to the vehicle with his sister while the others gathered around the MFEs. Allura, who had seen Lance walk away, took chase after him.

Arcadia grinned in amusement. "Looks like it isn't a one-sided crush."

Pidge overheard her mumbling to herself. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," she smirked.

"I meant to ask this before, but..." Nadia eyed the draconian. "How is this going to work? Do you have an alien spaceship we don't know about?"

"No spaceships here," the snowy-haired girl replied.

"You could say big things come in small packages when Arcadia's involved," Pidge snickered.

James, Ina, Nadia, and Ryan were now more confused than before.

Arcadia sighed. "You all will see soon enough. For now, we should depart. Our mission begins once we're in the air."

Hunk went with Ina, Pidge was partnered with Nadia, Allura would be traveling with Ryan, and Keith would be in the company of James.

Arcadia walked away from the MFEs to give her enough space to transform. She stretched her limbs to prepare herself but stopped when she heard Keith shout her name. Lowering her arms, she turned around and saw him running towards her. She wondered if she had forgotten something. When he stopped in front of her, she asked, "I did get the coordinates from Pidge, but am I missing something else?"

Silence.

She titled her head in confusion at his silence. "Keith?" Her eyes then drifted down to his helmet, which he had yet to put on. She went to ask another question but found herself unable to say a word when his lips collided with hers.

It was a short kiss, only lasting three seconds before he pulled away. She started at him in surprise as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Be careful," he whispered to her.

She pecked him on the nose. "You too."

They pulled away from each other.

Keith returned to the MFEs and left with James.

Arcadia watched as the MFEs took off. She then transformed, startling a few garrison soldiers in the process. She flapped her wings and headed to the sixth base. As she flew as fast as she could, she heard Shiro's voice over the comms. "Paladins, Arcadia, our window of opportunity is razor-thin. With the element of surprise, we'll have the advantage. Good luck."

Flying through the sky, Arcadia soon spotted the galra base in the distance after crossing over the oxean. As she was readying herself for the battle ahead, she heard Lance shouting, "We've been spotted!"

Arcadia stopped. She was near the galra base in Australia when she heard him. She was tempted to fly back to Base One to help, but she had her own mission to accomplish. She mentally apologizes to Lance and Veronica, hoping they would forgive her for not aiding them and praying the red lion would come before it was too late.

Returning to her current flight plan, she flew towards the galra base. She heard the familiar roaring engines of the MFEs and saw they had caught up. She was impressed at how fast the faunatonium made the fighter jets. She glanced around at the four jets. She then heard Nadia's voice. "An alien that transforms into a dragon. That's pretty cool."

Keeping her attention on the galra base, she listened closely to the comms when all she could hear was Lance and Veronica screaming. She felt her heart thundering in her chest and begged for the red lion to come. A loud explosion was picked up on the comms, startling her. Then, it went silent. Her blood froze and she came to an abrupt stop. "Lance?"

Ryan, James, Nadia, and Ina flew past her petrified form. Unlike her, they couldn't stop as they heard Lance and Veronica's comms deactivated.

"Lance!" Allura shouted. "Lance, are you there?"

"Lance, where are you, buddy?" Hunk called out worriedly.

"Lance, can you hear us?" Pidge asked, her tone the same as Hunk's.

"Lance? Lance, come in!" Keith hollered.

Time seemed to slow as no one received word from the red paladin or his sister. She could only hear the beating of her wings and her heart. Fear consumed her as her mind tried to convince her that he was gone. However, she refused to believe it. She tried to focus on the positives, but her thoughts were shattered when she heard the familiar roar of the red lion. Then, she heard the boy's voice. "Red Lion, checking in!"

A wave of relief crashed over Arcadia at hearing Lance's voice. That was all she needed to continue her mission with the MFE pilots. "All right. Let's destroy this base."

"Right behind you," James replied. "Let's do this!"

Arriving at the galra base, the MFEs and the draconian attacked.

Arcadia cast spell after spell as she attempted to blow up the base. Flames, ice, earth, lightning, and darkness all collided with the outer protective shell of the base. The strong metal could not withstand her or the MFEs' attacks. When they ruptured the hull, lasers rained down on them.

Looking up, the draconian spotted multiple galra cruisers above. Fighters poured from the large ships and flew towards them. The number was overwhelming and easily overpowered them. Along with her cries came those of the paladins'. She and the cadets were too focused on destroying the fighters to destroy the Zaiforge cannon.

Arcadia blew up a small group of fighters with a lightning spell before flying towards one of the cruisers. She was set on at least destroying one to prevent more fighters from being deployed. She conjured a massive fireball and sent it sailing towards the cruiser closest to her. It collided with the hull, creating significant damage but not enough to destroy it.

A large number of fighters flew after her as she dodged the incoming ion cannon of another cruiser. She focused her magic on the ion cannon and used an ice spell to destroy it.

Through the gunfire and roaring engines, the sound of the galra base's dome top retracting caught her attention. She realized that they were beginning the launch sequence of the Zaiforge cannon. Feeling a burning sensation in her back drew her attention back into the fray. With a roar, she erected a barrier around her and flew at high speed directly into a squadron of galra fighters. They exploded the moment they smashed into her barrier.

"Base Six is launching!" James shouted.

Hearing the paladins were also having no success destroying the other Zaiforge cannons, Arcadia knew their mission would end in failure. She swung her tail and destroyed a few more fighters in anger and frustration. "We were set up," she growled.

"But who would do such a thing?" Allura asked.

"Doesn't matter," Keith responded. "MFEs, return to the garrison."

"Roger that," the four cadets replied in unison.

"Arcadia, escort them back to base and make sure they aren't followed. Once you're done, join us. We need to cut the head off the snake."

"Understood," Arcadia said before flying alongside the MFEs. "Let's retreat."

The MFEs and draconian abandoned the base as the Zaiforge cannon headed into space. As they feared, the remaining fighters were pursuing them. There were too many to handle. Seeing they were at a disadvantage, Arcadia came up with a plan. "You four focus on escaping. I will deal with the galra."

"No way!" Nadia shouted.

"There's too many for us to handle let alone you," James added.

"I know, but sacrificing one to save four is better than all five of us dying," the dragon stated calmly.

"We're not leaving you!" James protested.

"You are one way or another." Using her alchemy, she created four illusions of herself in her dragon form. Each one took hold of an MFE and began to retreat.

Arcadia ignored the cadets as they protested. She felt her body weakening due to creating four illusions. She was already exhausted from their previous mission and now she felt drained from their current one. Still, she put up a fight for as long as she could.

The draconian swooped around the fighters. She continued to cast spells and was delivered to see none of the fighters had pursued the cadets. She tried to obliterate as many as possible.

Suddenly, a galra cruiser appeared above her. It fired its ion cannon, successfully hitting her. With a cry of pain, she was shot out of the sky. Her body collided with the ground and was forcefully reverted back. The pain and exhaustion prevented her from moving a muscle. She managed to crack her eyes open a little to see some of the galra fighters land. She saw sentries approaching her before she fell unconscious.