Lance stood outside the garrison vehicle as Veronica was loading up, his heart pounded at the thought of him inside a car rather than the comfort of a giant war machine.

"You okay? You look pale," Veronica looked over at him.

"I'm fine, just mentally preparing," lance smiled at her swallowing his fears.

"Lance," he heard behind him and saw Allura walking over with her helmet in hand.

"What's up?" Lance climbed in the vehicle and glanced over his shoulder to see why she was coming over.

"I uh.. I just wanted to say good luck," she pursed her lips but lance didn't seem to care for her words.

"Okay? Uh you too," he looked back at the seat keeping his back to her.

"I know we've been in fights and had tension lately but I wanted to let you know there was nothing going on between Lotor and I, we were just talking and there was nothing.. nothing to be worried about, I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea," Allura told him gently and lance gripped the car tighter with his eyes down.

"Why would I care? Your both single people, do whatever you want," he turned to her but there was no emotions in his eyes. The past told him they'd both do whatever they please without his opinion, why would he care at this point if she wouldn't listen in the first place.

"That's not.." Allura held her helmet tightly. He was serious about him and Lotor breaking up?

"I don't know if it was love or if it's because he's altean and I felt alone-" "I don't want to talk about it Allura, that is at the bottom of my list, it's-it's fine," lance put his helmet on not bothering to look up, he didn't know if he could keep his anxiety down if he looked at her.

"I know you both regret it, so it doesn't matter," he closed his eyes and smiled at her.

"I'm fine now," lance smiled brightly and relief lifted Alluras shoulder.

"I'm so glad, please, stay safe," Allura nodded happily and ran to go on her mission as lances smile melted away and his chest felt hollow seeing her run off.

"Oooo the Princess and you?" Veronica teased making lance jump.

"Ugh no, never," lance gagged and she laughed at her brother.

"Let's get moving," Veronica closed the top of the vehicle. Lance held his hands in his lap nodding as the roof closed over them as they mfe pilots took off to the air. He kept his eyes ahead as they started moving, he couldn't get distracted now, he just had to toughen it out.

-

"Paladins our window of opportunity is razor thin, with the element of surprise we'll have the advantage," Shiro told the pilots and Paladins through the communications of their helmets as each Paladin and pilot were paired up while Lotor, Coran and Shiro stayed at the garrisons.

"Good luck,"

The Paladins focused on calling their lions to them, closing their eyes and finding the bond that would bring them. There was a spark in each of them as yellow eyes flashed in their minds. The lions and the team, they could see it, all of them.

All of them but lance.

Lance couldn't feel a thing as he focused on his lion, he needed to focus on her, he wanted to return in his lion than a car.

Sudden the ground shook as blasts hit behind the vehicle and lance gasped looking back. They were found, galra fighters were on them.

"We've been spotted!" Lance called back to the garrisons.

"Watch out, be careful," lance gripped his seat tightly with wide eyes.

"I know!" Veronica snapped finally as she was able to avoid the blasts swerving back and forth.

"Veronica Look out-" but the vehicle was struck.

—

"Four of the Paladins out of five have reached their drop zone," iverson told the others from the computer as everyone watched on the big screen the Paladins locations.

"Lance where are you? Can you hear me?" Shiro had his arms at his sides as Adam was at a computer working.

Lotors ears snapped up sharply at the sound of lances voice ripping out a shriek then his communications where cut off mid scream.

"Lance?" Lotor tried reaching him as panic rose  in everyone seeing the Paladin wasnt responding.

"Oh no," Shiro looked at the screen wide eyes.

"Lance answer!" Lotor barked.

-

"-nce, lance where are you Buddy?"

"Lance can you hear us!"

Lances eyes opened slowly as he laid on the desert ground with his hand extended to the tipped vehicle. He grunted as his ears rung, his body hurt.

"Lance come in!" Lotor?

He slowly pushed himself up gapping at the pain in his body and his head pounding, he blinked away the blur in his eyes sitting up right again. Muffled voices all around him as his ears rang. He looked around confused trying to remember what happened.

"Veronica?" He remembered his sister. His heart skipped a beat.

"Veronica?!" Lance got to his feet as he screamed her name.

"Chloe!?"

Tears pricked his eyes as he ran back to the garrison vehicle looking for his big sister.

"Veronica!" He cried for her seeing his sister unconscious on the ground near the broken vehicle.

He sprinted over and got to his knees seeing how badly hurt she was, he rolled her and held her close looking down. She only had a bloody nose.

"Lance?" Veronica groaned looking up at him.

Suddenly behind them sentries lined up and started shooting at the siblings, lance knelt in front of his sister putting up his shield as Veronica could barely keep her head up with his arm around her.

Lance stuck his shield into the ground to sturdy as he transformed his bayard into a riffle to fire back at the drones and sentries.

But he slowly lowered his gun a little looking up seeing a fighter coming their way. From the sky it flew just above the ground, locking its aim onto them. A beam flying at each side as the earth exploded, lance covered his sister quickly but ran out of the smoke as he fired all he had at the fighter, his blasts did little to nothing but he didn't stop shooting. One good hit is all he wished for.

But wishing was for fools.

Lance stared at the fighter as its shadow was on top of him, he couldn't win...

So this is my end.. huh...

He closed his eyes. It was like everything was silent all around him, Veronica behind him.

I'm sorry.