"May I speak with you Prince Lotor?"

Lotor looked up from his work to see Sendak standing uncertainly in the doorway, his fist in a stiff salute above his heart.

"I suppose," Lotor sighed lowering the machine he'd been working on, "Ancients know that I won't be able to finish any of this work with all the interruptions I've had as of late."

"I can come later." Sendak made a motion to go out.

"No," the prince stopped him with a wave of his hand, "it is fine. Father has been getting on me to take more breaks. He says I am working too hard."

Sendak's brow creased.

Lotor read his mind.

"I know. The hypocrisy is glaring." He shrugged and then asked, "what did you wish to speak to me about?"

The commander didn't reply immediately. An uncharacteristic act for such a studious soldier.

Instead he stiffened, straightened his shoulders, and open and shut his mouth.

Lotor stared at the ongoing display in morbid fascination. Sendak was rarely flustered. Normally he spoke with that straight yet deliberate manner of his. Now he looked more like a blushing schoolboy than one of Daibazaal's finest soldiers.

Finally Sendak cleared his throat and said, "We have worked together for some time now. Have we not?"

"Yes?"

It was the only thing Lotor could think to say. He'd known of Sendak since he was a child, but hadn't actually been formally introduced to him until his father had allowed him to join the fleet. Though having never met the man, Lotor hadn't carried any positive feeling towards Sendak. In fact, though it had been a pain to eventually admit to himself, Lotor had been jealous.

Sendak was everything his father and the rest of the fleet wanted out of an imperial heir. Physically intimidating, commanding, and deadly towards anyone he deemed an enemy. Everything Lotor seemed to lack, Sendak had in fact that Zarkon had trained him himself, only strengthened this sentiment, as well as Lotor's initial dislike. It hadn't seemed fair that this outsider should curry his father's favor with such success while the prince struggled to even be given a chance.

As a direct result of this conflict, the two had ended up developing something of a competitive streak with each other. For every major accomplishment one would make, the other would seek out and take any opportunity to somehow one up it. This went on for almost a decaphoeb, much to the benefit of both their careers, before eventually coming to a head when Zarkon assigned both men to the same ship in the same quadrant doing the same job.

It was a test. It HAD to have been a test.

There was no other explanation.

What exactly it was Zarkon was testing, neither could be sure. Perhaps he'd wanted to see if his would-be heirs could manage to prioritize the empire over their own self benefit. Maybe it was to test their ability to properly work towards a common goal even with people they disliked.

Or maybe he'd just wanted them to sort things out in a place far away from the imperial palace where the blood wouldn't stain the carpet.

Either way, neither he nor Sendak had had any intention of NOT passing the test with flying colors.

But then things had started to… change.

Having to constantly stand one another up in every conceivable situation quickly became tiring. As did trying to constantly sway the crew to their respective 'sides' in every debate. It didn't help that every man on the deck of the ship had noticed their competitive tendencies and so made it a distinct point to avoid being on the bridge when BOTH of the men were present.

So in an amazingly silent compromise, Lotor and Sendak had each respectively toned things down and reserved their rivalry for downtime hours or otherwise situations where it wouldn't interfere with the work on the ship. Coming out on top would hardly mean anything if the ship was in pieces when they returned to Zarkon after all.

This understanding eventually developed into a stable working relationship, and as time continued to go on Lotor had felt his previous jealousy slowly beginning to drain away bit by bit. Sendak may have attained a level of approval from his father and the rest of the court that Lotor had yet to achieve, but it was not unearned. The men under his command greatly respected him, and slowly, Lotor had begun to as well.

He was a very different man from the one he had thought him to be.

Though what kind of man Sendak actually was was proving very hard to figure out at the moment.

"What I mean to say is, we have both become very much accustomed to one another." Sendak explained redundantly, "You and I, I mean."

"I am well aware." Lotor said somewhat irritable. Was the man never going to come to the point?

Sendak growled to himself in frustration. This shouldn't be so hard. Normally he had no problem saying exactly what he thought, but now that he actually needed to get the words out…

Dammit Sendak, your Emperor Zarkon's finest soldier. He took a deep breath. Just blurt it out and get it over with!

Lotor frowned, "Listen, I enjoy a decent chat as much as the next man but I really do have work to get done. So unless this is urgent it will really have to wait until-"

"PRINCELOTORWOULDYOUALLOWMETHEHONOROFCOURTINGYOU"

"-I'm finished with this. We can talk after that."

Lotor picked the machine back up and began fiddling with it as Sendak stood awkwardly at his side. Honestly, what did the man not understand about the concept of 'I'm busy' did he seriously think that if he just stood there Lotor would-

The prince dropped the tool he was using to fiddle with the machine and did a double take.

"Come again?"

Sendak became stern, "You heard me."

"Yes, but I want an explanation." Lotor said severely.

"I am asking, your highness, if you would allow me to court you to see if you would be interested in… having me. As is traditional."

"I GET that." He snapped. "I want to know why you are asking me."

Sendak's brow creased, "I do not understand."

"Why ask me?" Lotor demanded as he turned away. "There are plenty of others you could ask. I'm not exactly Daibazaals most desired bachelor if you haven't noticed."

This wasn't… untrue. Normally, a prince of the galra had to beat off the would be suitors with a stick. The allure of the position was just too tempting. However, despite this, as far as Sendak knew, Lotor hadn't been said to have been courted by anyone. Despite having been of age for a number of years now.

Unfortunately it wasn't exactly difficult to figure out why.

Lotor fiddled with a strand of his long white hair as he waited for Sendak to give his answer.

"I suppose," Sendak said slowly as the words wrapped themselves around his mind, "it is because I have grown fond of you."

Lotor paused before snorting and turning away, "This is ridiculous."

"Well what exactly do you want me to say?!" Sendak demanded. "I didn't intend to feel this way. It just happened! Now I'm doing the only thing I can think of that comes next."

"Please we both know you're only asking this of me so that you can win points with my father."

"WHAT?!" Sendak sounded sincerely offended (and hurt?) "You think I need to utilize such underhanded tactics to get ahead in my career? If either of us is guilty of such a thing its-"

Lotor cut in, "What do you like about me?"

Sendak stopped short of his oncoming tirade and stared.

"If you are 'fond' of me, then exactly what parts of me are you fond of?" Lotor explained as he glanced back at Sendak, carefully watching his face, "If you can answer me that, then I'll believe you really have feelings for me."

"That isn't- I can't just- That isn't fair." Sendak complained.

"How is it not?"

"Because I… I-I don't KNOW. I am not… good at this sort of thing. I know how I feel, but I can not think of why I feel that way." Sendak's shoulders fell and his ears drooped as he gave Lotor a dejected look. "If you do not feel the same way I do, then simply say so. If that is indeed the case then I'll just contact the emperor and request to be reassigned elsewhere. There is no reason to allow this to negatively affect the ship and crew."

Lotor didn't immediately reply. He was thinking hard about all this.

It was true that he and Sendak had been getting along much better than they had before. Lotor had even begun to think of them as friends. But this…

"It is not that I dislike you." He admitted. "It is just… rather sudden. You must understand. I am not a person in a position who is free to make my own decisions in this regard. I'm going to need time to reflect on things. Contact father and ask him what he thought of it when he gave you his permission, and then-"

Lotor stopped as he caught the look of discomfort on Sendak's face.

"What is it?"

"I, uh, I have yet to bring the matter to the emperor's attention."

"But surely," Lotor chuckled nervously, "you must know that you are supposed to ask my father first."

He then turned his chin up and said in a bitter sarcastic voice, "As is traditional."

Sendak licked his lips and managed to say, in an uncharacteristically small voice, "Yes, but… I knew you would likely prefer for me to ask you first. Besides, it would be pointless if you did not want me, and so… and so…"

Lotor tried to ignore the beating heart in his chest or the sudden heat he felt in his face. This gesture didn't have to mean anything. It was possible that Sendak simply didn't wish to risk the prestige he'd gained with Zarkon. He may lose favor with him if he deemed him unworthy.

Then again, even if this was some poorly thought out attempt at social climbing on Sendak's part there was no reason for Lotor to say no. Courting wasn't really binding. If at any point Lotor became disdainful of Sendak's attentions, all he needed to do was inform his father and the matter would be permanently settled. No matter what Sendak said or did, if Zarkon didn't approve of the relationship, it would go nowhere.

Besides, Lotor found that he didn't really want to say no.

"I see. Regardless, my father will have to be informed if you plan on taking this any further. I doubt very much he'd appreciate being contacted over a signal, so you'll have to wait until the next time he summons us. Or if you are not that patient use your own downtime to visit Daibazaal." He picked up the piece of machinery once again and made it a point to not take his eyes from it. "Once that is done, you can tell me what he says. Until then leave me to my work."

Sendak stood awkwardly for a moment. When Lotor showed no interest of saying anything further, he turned and quietly strode through the door, wondering whether or not this counted as a 'Yes'.