jeith | into the abyss

into the abyss

[By all accounts they are lucky to have escaped Ranveig's base unharmed, though the uncertainty of their voyage through the Quantum Abyss remains more than just a little troubling. The large creature who is serving as their transport vessel has shown no signs of aggression, and the local atmosphere it creates is enough to promote an ecosystem of its own -- a scientific marvel, really, but Keith can't say that he's feeling especially inspired to conduct field research.

His priorities as a Blade are that of a soldier -- scout, identify a base of operations, keep stock of any potential resources in their environment, neutralize any threats. If they are to complete this mission, after all, they have to survive. With gravity in the area distorting space-time itself, it's difficult to say exactly how long it's been by the time the come across a structure that might pass for a cave to rest in.

It's at that point that Keith turns to the paladin of Voltron, then offers a nod.]

We should rest here tonight.

[It's said like a suggestion, though Keith doesn't wait for an answer before he enters the cave. Finding it empty, he sits cross legged on the floor and breathes out heavily. Though he doesn't say it, he wonders what the human is feeling right now lost in the depths of space. In the short time that he's gotten to know them, he's found the human race to be a far more socially based alien species.

But then again, when his mind starts to drift back towards thoughts of their long, uncertain journey, even Keith finds himself a little grateful to have someone to talk to.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Though he's been conducting himself in a calm and collected manner all day, inside of James, there is a storm raging. They shouldn't have lost their ship, they shouldn't be stuck here, potentially wasting valuable time that is needed to save the universe. Getting upset about it is pointless as there is nothing they can do, and still James' blood is boiling with anger at Keith and also at himself.

The suggestion of a resting place is a sane one, but it is unwelcome all the same. Resting means the end of scouting and the end of distractions for himself. It means confronting that he'll be spending the foreseeable future with their Galra ally, who he still doesn't quite know how to feel about.

With Keith, he's always under scrutiny. The way he performs will reflect back on his own species - and James has always considered his own performance to be excellent, yet Keith is barely acknowledging it. It makes James feel on edge.

He falls heavily onto the ground of the cage and leans against the wall with a sigh, finally removing his helmet. ]

That's fine by me. Is the bare ground good for you? I'll go back out and collect some foliage to rest on for myself later.

[After a moment, Keith pulls down the hood of his uniform and deactivates his mask. For a brief second, he looks tired though in the next he looks back towards James, eyes determined. He's been trained to be resilient in the face of long stretches of isolation and adversity, their current situation is not one that should be making him falter.]

Comfort is not my priority.

[That's stated flatly, unconsciously dismissive. The paladins of Voltron are young and unhardened by war, he thinks. Then again, perhaps he's bitter. It's because they're from Earth. A planet that's been peaceful in some faraway corner of the universe. A complete stranger to the ten thousand year old war that's consumed virtually all the stretches of the world he's known. It's something he just doesn't inherently understand, even if he's worked towards peace for so many years as a Blade.]

But if you require foliage I will accompany you in your search.

Edited 2019-09-25 03:35 (UTC)

It is not my priority either, but I don't exactly see other more urgent matters to attend to.

[ Sitting on his ass on the cold hard ground is not any more productive than getting something to make the ground less cold and hard. They're stuck anyway. They're stuck, stuck, stuck and James is still seething about it. ]

Though there is a point to it. One or two nights in unforgiving terrain might be fine for a human body, but afterwards functionality will be impacted negatively.

[Of the paladins of Voltron, Keith finds this human is one of the more complicated ones to work alongside with. As he breathes out, his tail curls around him, kicking up a thin layer of dust.]

I take it Earthlings don't train under harsh conditions if a hard surface to sleep on presents an obstacle.

[His eyes flick upwards, though he doesn't yet move from his spot on the ground. He doesn't laugh, though what James has said would have certainly made any seasoned Galra soldier do just that.]

There is only so much training can do to make up for evolutionary flaws.

[ Any by god, he hates referring to this as an evolutionary flaw. Admitting that humans are in any way inferior to the Galra always makes acid burn in the back of his throat. And yet this one can't be denied - the human body is fragile and needs to be maintained. Training can do a lot but it can't change the basic reality of having a spine. ]

[This time there's a pause before Keith speaks. It's frustrating because he can tell he's offended James, even if that wasn't his intention.]

I feel discomfort, much the same as you.

[He doesn't know why that feels more like a concession than a simple pointing out of basic facts, but he keeps his tone flat and even.]

But it is not the Galra way to tolerate weakness from our own bodies.

[ James takes a breath and a short pause from speaking. He's on edge and that's not really Keith's fault. They're equally to blame for being stuck in this cave now. Neither of them had been able to prevent it. And with nobody else around, there is no point in getting into a fight. ]

What is the regular Galra sleeping arrangement then? How do your quarters in the Blade get furnished?

While I am at a Blade of Marmora outpost, I sleep on a bed.

[That's a grumped sort of admission because he can practically hear the paladin's next retort.]

It is a different story when it comes to missions such as this one.

[ The next retort doesn't come for a moment. There is only James with his eyebrows raised high. ]

There is no reason to artificially tire ourselves out during this mission. We'll spend the next few days here at the very least and there is no need to keep our resting place secretand unseen either.

Let's make the place comfortable and save our strength for when it is actually needed.

[Keith represses a deep sigh as he gets to his feet.]

Is that a common thing amongst Earthlings as well? Not needing to project strength at all times?

[He turns to exit the cave before James can scrutinize his expression. He isn't quite ready to be mocked for the only way of life he knows.]

[ James follows suit immediately. As they exit the cave, he takes in the environment on the space whale once more, with clearer eyes than before. It's... pretty. James can't even tell if the distinctly foreign feel it has to him is because he's lightyears from home in the depths of space or simply because he's too used to desert to feel quite at ease in forests. ]

Yes. It differs from situation to situation, of course. As a Paladin of Voltron, weakness is a grave flaw. As a cadet at the Galaxy Garrison, it was much the same. But as a general rule, the human race is not focused on strength as a primary value.

[As James talks, Keith reaches for his knife. It's a well practiced motion, something swift and efficient, and within seconds the blade activates and becomes a sword. They haven't come across any hostiles on the space whale yet, though the creatures that attacked the fighter jet have not left his thoughts. His eyes sweep the surroundings, then as they approach a bush, he slices through it so James can grab his bounty of foliage.]

So what is your primary value?

[He'll do the small courtesy of keeping the question "comfort?" to himself.]

[ James indeed picks up the foliage as they go, while also eyeing the plants around them with a lot more care and interest than he did initially. Wildlife survival has never been his forte, so this was going to be... interesting. ]

Hm. If I had to say... Integrity. What skills or qualities one should possess really varies among humans of different status and occupations, but clear principles and a backbone are always appreciated.

[Keith's done more than his fair share of space travel and surviving in hostile environments, though the quantum abyss is its own unique environment and figuring out the local ecosystem was going to take a bit adjustment. He hacks through another bush, keeping his eyes pointedly on things that aren't James as he speaks.]

That's something humans and Galra have in common then. Clarity in purpose to match an iron will and an iron fist.

[Though it isn't something he was expecting to say.]

Anything less is considered abject failure.

[ James doesn't necessarily dislike the idea of a strict regimen. He's joined the Galaxy Garrison after all, he's used to working hard and relentlessly. But even for him, a whole society operating under the same principles is hard to really fathom. ]

Has it always been this way, even before Zarkon?

Wouldn't be able to tell you from personal experience.

[It's not in Galran body language to shrug, but he would if he knew what that meant.]

But even before becoming a starfaring race, we were a proud race of so-called conquerors. [A beat.] So I suppose your answer is "yes."

[And with that, there's another swing of his sword and another bundle of foliage falls to the ground.]

[ James by now is kind of vanished behind the foliage in his arms, so any eye contact avoidance on either of their sides has become a moot point. ]

Mankind used to be more like that before technological advancements were made that made centralized communities easier and thus solving every conflict by combat harder. So now a lot of our internal power-struggles are settled through social class and bureaucracy.

[ Talking against all the leaves in his arms ends with a leaf in his mouth that he discreetly spits back out. ]

I think we've got enough for at least rudimentary beds.

[Keith pauses just before slashing his way through another plant. Though he does turn away from it, he keeps the sword in his gloved hand.]

Bureaucracy or death doesn't have the same ring to it.

[That may or may not be a joke as he starts heading back towards the cave; it's hard to tell really given how dry his tone has gotten. As he passes James, he'll grab a tailful of foliage from out of his arms. Better that he's at least able to see where he's going.]

Do Earthlings have several emperors on one planet?

Edited 2019-09-27 00:11 (UTC)

[ James doesn't want to acknowledge it verbally, but he is grateful to have some of the bushes out of his face. ]

Several rulers, yes. No emperors, however, not anymore. The most common form of government is elected officials representing a country, but some are still monarchies and follow a king. There's nearly 200 independently governed territories on our planet.

[ When they make it to the cave, James is glad to drop the bounty of foliage on the ground and sit down next to it, looking through to remove hard branches from the lot. ]

A planet of two hundred competing nations....

[As they re-enter the cave, Keith drops the foliage on the ground, his expression still flat, though his curiosity is beginning to shine through. He's known for some time that he did not have the lineage of a pureblood Galra, but never had the question of his other half answered. Doubt, idle curiosity -- such things had long been seared out of him by his training as an elite Galra soldier, but the embers of weakness always threaten to reignite in the absence of diligence.

In the end, he was never really a good soldier. Even Kolivan had said as much.]

Earth must be a very large planet.

[Or more accurately, Keith thinks, lacking the technology that would enable one to eradicate the others.]

No, it really isn't. Our nations are just small. Being in space has taught me a lot about scale.

[ No use trying to aggrandize Earth about something this minor. It's a planet of average size, compared to what James has seen on all their space adventures. And yet Earth has so many landscapes and different kinds of people... James misses it. Even though he's always dreamed of going to space, he's never meant to abandon his home planet like this.

James lets his share also fall down and then goes to his knees, piling the makeshift bed more neatly.]

I used to think my home country was huge. That feels like an eternity ago. Now it turns out our vehicles are just slow.

[keith settles down on the ground a tail distance from james, quietly spreading leaves as well. despite the haughty nature of voltron's red paladin, it's also familiar and paradoxically more welcoming than the way the blue and yellow paladins conduct themselves.

so maybe it's for that reason when t he more personal information is offered freely, keith pays it more mind. he doesn't look up from his task, but if the silence comes across as dismissive that's entirely unintentional.]

I was raised on a planet that was, back then, on the far fringes of the empire. A small, primitive planet as it turned out.

[ James had also not expected a personal admission. Everything with the Blade of Marmora always felt impersonal, dutiful and large scale. It hadn't even occurred to James that Keith hadn't simply been born on a spaceship, in a secret headquarters.

It does pique James' curiosity. He turns to face Keith. ]

Do you miss it? I know I miss Earth.

It was a planet that had very little. But it was a free planet.

[he continues, tone flat and still not making eye contact.]

When the Galra discovered it, it lost even that. It was much later that I learned the planet had been deemed a suitable candidate for testing the prototypes of the Komar.

[which doesn't answer the question, but there's a pause and then keith looks up.]

What do you miss about Earth?

[ ... so, asking for personal information did not work out nearly as well as planned. James finds himself wincing at the mention of the Komar. His problems with his own homesickness suddenly feel very very minor. ]

It's hard to really describe the comfort of the familiar. I miss the desert. Red sunsets over the dunes. It's something that just feels like home to me because it's always been home.

And of course I miss the people and the life I'd been making for myself, where everything was under control.

[ The life where he wasn't stuck on a whale in deep space for the foreseeable future. Where he could go back to his dorm room in the evening and feel fulfilled. ]

[keith finishes spreading the foliage with his hands in silence. he's trying to imagine this Earth that the red paladin speaks so fondly of, but there are so many missing parts. like what's the sky like over there, how many moons does Earth have, is the atmosphere clear or is it dusy and stormy.....

but it's a bad idea to talk of places that can only exist in memory or imagination for now. there's a long voyage ahead and soon enough nostalgia will become suffocating.

still. there's one question he wants to hear the answer to.]

Do you regret leaving and becoming a paladin of Voltron?

No.

[ The answer is immediate, but then there is a significant pause before elaboration follows. As if James had to get the answer out as quick as possible, maybe to even convince himself. ]

Where I'd rather be and what life I'd rather live are irrelevant questions when faced with the reality of war. Nothing I could do anywhere else would be as important as the work we're doing here. I'm not afraid of accepting this duty and fighting this battle to the end.

[He raises an eyebrow, as the myriad of questions he has coalesce mostly into a faint skepticism.]

You said your planet was a peaceful one, did you not?

[Somehow it hadn't quite occurred to him that people from civilizations that weren't preoccupied with war and terror could be hardened by duty simply so quickly. Then, a secondary thought.]

Are you considered a child there?

[ Does he look so young...? James knows there is no logical reason to be offended. His Galran companion genuinely has no way of gauging his maturity appropriately. And still, somewhere deep down, his ego is wounded. ]

No. I'm an adult, though a very young one.

[ He's 18 and that means he's legally an adult and nobody should question this fact! ]

Are you?

[With the foliage spread out on the ground, Keith takes a seat with his legs crossed.]

We cease to be children when we say the words "I fight in the name of Galra."

[Which isn't a direct answer on his age, though he adds a moment later to clarify.]

As our race became capable of life beyond ten thousand deca-phoebs, it no longer made sense to mark adulthood by a numerical age.

... oh.

[ 18 is a pretty measly age in comparison, so maybe it's good he didn't say it in numbers. ]

Is there a choice component involved in being an adult, then...? When do you say those words, typically?

When it has been determined that all of your impurities have been burned away and your inner flame is at its brightest.

[The words are repeated a little flatly. Keith doesn't meet James' eyes and instead pulls out his knife, examining the sharp edges.]

All Galra citizens, regardless of their intentions to join the imperial army, must receive this training. All Galra must be ready to lay down their lives in order to protect the empire.

[ Huh.... James has been given a military-adjacent education so it's not like the idea of drilling is completely foreign to him, but this is still... harsh. A harsh path for everyone to take, regardless of choice. That's exactly why they fight the Empire, of course, but usually he doesn't allow himself to think about their children or anything of the kind. ]

That's horrifying. How did you manage to get out of that and join the Blades?

Horrifying, is it?

[Keith lets out a low chuckle.]

You use that word too easily, paladin.

[Or perhaps, Earthlings are more prone to hyperbole? Who really knows. He lowers the knife, then allows himself to lie back on the leaves to stare up at the cave roof. A short moment of self indulgence before picking himself back up to start a fire seems permissible.]

The Blades found me. [He doesn't shrug, but it's audible in the nonchalance of his tone.] When I was assigned to Balmera X9302 in the Delterion Quadrant, my commanding officer was astonishingly lenient when he discovered I had omitted some reports of battleship class crystals.

You rebelled before you were recruited?

[ It's.... well, James has been thinking lately. On Earth he's always been the one to follow orders to the T. Orders equal order, and he was going to be a good astro explorer. Naturally he'd be obedient.

Watching Galra soldiers had cast a different light on what he thought was purely a virtue. It had forced James to wonder who he'd be, if that were him. He didn't like wondering and he'd wildly shoved the thoughts aside, until... well, now. ]

[Keith falls silent for a long moment turning on his side facing away from the paladin. He has a feeling the young adult Earthling will judge him if he says too much -- many do when dealing with former soldiers of the empire, after all.]

I was considered a kymazhar. Our pejorative word for potential. One who may set the world aflame and crush it under their heel or render themselves to ash. Only those with pure Galra lineage may rise to the highest echelons of leadership. A hybrid is more prone to whims of weakness and fancy.

[A beat.]

I was young and wanted to prove myself. I failed, of course.

[ Kymazhar... James tries to commit the word to memory and yet knows immediately that he's never going to memorize it unless he writes it down or hears it another two or three times. ]

I see...

[ He sees, yes, but he can't say he really understands. ]

If it brought you to the Blades, it might have been your lucky break anyway.

[ Keith shifts onto his side, trying to quell at least a little of the restlessness that's starting to build up inside him. ]

Perhaps. Though knowing the Blades, they may have influenced my initial assignment. Half breed I may be, but I was skilled enough to have been more than a glorified security guard soldier on an already conquered Balmera. The Blades have become quite adept at identifying those who are likely to be sympathetic to their cause.

[ He huffs -- a noise that could either be derisive or amused. ]

And what were you doing before you were a paladin?

[ The world of the Galra seems both overtly simple and overtly complicated at the same time. If you stay in your rigid little box, James is sure you can live a no-brainer life, but trying to actually gain an overview over why it is that you're where you are....? That must be hard.

Then again, maybe human society isn't so different. What an uncomfortable thought. ]

I was studying to become a space pilot, so in a way I'm doing what I thought I'd be doing... only, it was never meant to be in the context of war. Since humans haven't made it very far from Earth yet, I was meant to fly research missions eventually.

[ Keith considers that with a low contemplative hum that seems to come from his chest rather than his throat. ]

And what is it that you think your people would have done should you have discovered other life forms on distant planets during the course of your research?

[ It's asked with genuine curiosity rather than as judgment. ]

The history of our civilization is long, but the archives dating back to the first days of our ships taking flight show that those ships were not battleships.

[ It had all started innocently enough. Research, lifting the quality of lifie for all on Daibazaal. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

into the abyss

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject