Keith found his courage and stood. The person was clearly galra, though the fact that they snuck through the ceiling instead of using the door spoke volumes. Keith asked, "Who're you? Ulaz... or a friend of his?"

The galra tipped their head sideways. "My name is unimportant for the time being. Little one, do you wish to know the truth?"

Keith stiffened and clenched his jaw. "That symbol on your sword... what is it?"

The galra insisted, "Do you truly wish to know? To learn the truth is a one way journey. Knowledge may bring pain and cannot be untaught."

"You're starting to piss me off," Keith shot back. "I already asked my question, so tell me what the damn symbol means."

The galra drew their sword and held it out at arm's length. "I think you already know the answer, little one. The path to knowledge is difficult and we are hardly where I would choose to begin your training, but time is of the essence."

"Time? Training?"

"Keith, take this blade from me and you will learn everything."

Keith finally noticed that the galra wasn't taking care to be quiet. He asked, "Won't the guards hear?"

The galra sighed and their shoulders slumped. Keith could imagine he was rolling his eyes behind the mask. The galra explained, "These cells are soundproof to silence the insanity of the prisoners. Attack me, Keith."

"Fine!" Keith rushed with a punch and roundhouse. His foot made no impact and he looked up in scared realization. The galra groaned with palpable disappointment and Keith screamed as he flew back into the wall. He picked himself up and accused, "That was dirty!"

"That was pathetic," the galra returned. "Come at me again, Keith, as though your life depends on it. Soon it just might."

Keith clenched a fist and did as told. He lasted ten seconds longer. Standing and glaring, he immediately attacked again. He relaxed into the drill. It had been a long time since a sparring partner had challenged him and he remembered all of Shiro's old tips from their days fighting together. He was finally starting to see his opponent's patterns when the galra blocked his kick and called, "Enough, kit. That is enough for now."

Keith ignored him and punched again. He actually landed a hit! Grinning, he hesitated and looked up. The galra sighed when Keith kept up his pace. The galra blocked and said again, "It's time to stop, Keith. I'm serious, kit, do not- Keith, stop!" The galra caught Keith's fist and pulled him forward.

"Whoa!" Keith wiggled as the galra pinned him to their chest with one arm and put him in a headlock. The galra was breathing hard against Keith's cheek. So this was still hard for him too?

The galra's grip softened, though they didn't let go completely and Keith felt the ground beneath his toes again. The galra leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Enough, Keith. You've been training for vargas and need to rest."

Keith took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he relaxed, the galra let go and paced to the wall. Sliding to the floor, he gestured beside him. Keith cautiously approached, but left a couple feet between them. The galra reached to their belt and held out their sword. "Here."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "You told me to take it, but now you're offering it?"

The galra chuckled. "Good instincts, kit, however I am offering it. Come now."

Keith reached out. Just before he took the hilt, he looked up at the galra. "Why do you trust me with it? I could turn on you."

"If you wished, but I think there's something you want more than your freedom right now."

Keith scrunched his nose and took the sword. He put the flat of it across his other palm and ran a thumb over the blue light. "I..."

The galra said warmly, "You know this symbol."

Keith nodded. "Why... Why does..." He bent his legs and put his forearms on his knees. He gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands and put his forehead to the pommel. "There's something different about me... right? That's why you and Ulaz found me?" He had a sudden realization and looked at the galra. "My blood, they took it back on earth! Do the other galra, the mean ones, do they know?"

The galra reached out and rested a broad hand on Keith's shoulder. "They do not know, little one. Your identity is safe for the moment. The only ones who know are my allies within our order and now you."

"Your order?" Keith swallowed his anxiety as his heart rate slowed again. "Does that mean... my knife... the one who gave it to my father...?"

The galra squeezed Keith's shoulder. "She has her own story to tell you, little one, but know that it was not easy for her to leave you and your father behind."

Keith took a deep breath and looked at the sword. "So... this order..."

The galra chuckled again. "We are known as the Blade of Marmora. We oppose the Empire from the shadows, assassinating targets and disrupting our enemies actions."

"The Blade of Marmora..." Keith smiled for the second time that day. "How do I join?"

The galra barked a laugh and reached up to fluff Keith's hair. "Easy, little one. We have to get you out of here, first."

Keith perked up. "Wait, there's actually a way?"

The galra firmly nodded. "There is a way." The galra turned and knelt facing Keith. "My teacher has a plan, but it is too soon to reveal everything."

"Why?"

"Keith, there are many variables that I do not want to cause you more distress. Let us worry about everything until the moment of action." The galra put his hand around Keith's on the hilt of his sword. "Now I must go or my absence will be noticed."

"Wait! Don't- Don't leave me!" Keith gripped the galra's forearm.

The assassin settled his hand on Keith's head a final time. "You are not alone, little one. We watch over you from the shadows. Even when you do not see us, our gaze will never leave you. Trust me, young kit."

Keith looked at his hand that still gripped the hilt of the sword and slowly let go. The galra patted Keith's head and stood in a single motion. Keith looked up at him and asked, "When will I see you again?"

The galra sheathed their sword and answered, "I do not know, but another will come before you leave isolation. Take care what you reveal beyond this cell. The enemy is interested in you and this ship has many eyes."

Keith watched as the galra bent their legs and jumped to catch the edge of the hole in the ceiling. He effortlessly pulled himself into the vent and slid the panel back over the hole. Keith sat there while his mind ran rampant. He was still thinking about what what the galra had said when a mechanical sliding panel made him jump. After a second, a small package fell out of the hole in the wall and bounced across the floor.

Keith looked at the food parcel and glared, jumping again when the slide slammed shut. Turning to lean his shoulder against the wall, he closed his eyes. How much time had passed while they'd trained? He hadn't noticed before, but he was really sore and tired. Settling his breathing, he curled up as much as he could and fell asleep.

"Keith... sweet boy, wake up."

Keith groaned and slowly sat up stretching. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the room was lit with blue before he saw the person kneeling beside him. He startled and cursed, "Jesus Christ!"

The galra was dressed in dark armor similar to what the one before wore. Their hood was up, though their mask was gone. He could only see the outline of their chin and mouth within the dark. On their shoulders were broad cuffs of some kind that the other hadn't had. This galra was also smaller in height and weight and female.

She apologized, "I am sorry I surprised you."

Keith shook his head. "It's alright. I feel like I overslept."

"My companion said you worked very hard. You needed the rest."

He looked sideways at her. Why was it so easy to accept them now? They were still technically aliens, but it was like something in his mind had changed completely in the last twenty four hours. He asked, "What time is it?"

The woman answered, "I believe it would be close to sunset on your home planet, however to give context, you will be moved back to your previous cell in less than twelve of your earth hours. Two and a half quintants, or roughly the same number of days has passed since you were brought here."

"Two and a half days!?" Keith's mouth formed an 'o'. "So that's what you mean. Then, is a 'varga' similar to a different unit?"

"The universe uses the standard Altean time measurements as they are the most common among planets. I believe your hours are similar in length to a varga, though there are only twenty vargas in a quintant instead of twenty four."

Keith tried to wrap his head around that, but he wasn't exactly good at conversions. Then he realized he was debating math and time with an alien who assassinated other aliens for a living and he asked, "Why are you here?"

The woman's lips curved upwards in a smile. "I hear you like to fight. Shall we make you better?"

Keith grinned and nodded. She reached out and he took her hand. When she pulled him to his feet, he noticed she was unarmed and asked, "Where's your weapon?"

The woman paced a few feet away and turned to face him. "It is somewhere safe. I want to teach you without it."

Keith stood at attention as a trill of excitement went through him. "Alright. Teach me."

The woman giggled breathily and began her lesson. Keith paid close attention to everything she said and did. They weren't sparring like he had with the other assassin, but he still felt tested on a mental and physical level. When they finally stopped, he was sore and sweaty. He leaned into the wall panting and slid to the floor.

The woman sat beside him half cross-legged with one knee bent. "You are a fast learner, Keith. I've spent many pheobs teaching what you picked up in vargas."

"Thanks. You're a great teacher."

She looked at him, her lips formed into a smug smirk. "I know. Many of our order are adults who defect from the empire, though I had the privilege of being raised within it. Our leader himself taught me to wield my mother's blade."

Keith looked at his feet and chewed his cheek while his gut churned with nerves. At last he asked, "Your mother was a member of the Blades of Marmora too?"

Her lips parted to reveal sharp canines and she quickly looked away. "...Yes, little one. That was the original intent of our order. To pass the blades from parent to child through blood." They sat silently for several minutes before she noticed the food packs bunched by the far corner. "You haven't eaten?"

Keith groaned and rolled his eyes. "You sound like that lieutenant."

The woman tsked and reached into her armor. She removed a small flat parcel that appeared to be vacuum sealed. Opening it, the fresh scent of spices made him salivate. She reached in and took a piece before holding out the pouch. "Eat, precious one. You need your energy."

He raised an eyebrow at the pet name she'd given him and hesitantly took what she offered. "What is it?"

The woman answered while she chewed, "Animal protein."

He sniffed it and sneezed as something like pepper hit his nose. Looking at her one last time, he put it in his mouth and chewed. The meat was soft and thick, but cured with the spices. Something like salt stung his tongue it was so strong. He swallowed and took another bite.

Keith chewed and swallowed without thought of his actions while his mind quickly betrayed him. His breaths came fast and irregular and his eyes began to water. He pulled his legs to his chest and put his head on his knees as he started crying. Why? This was stupid. All she'd done was share her food and he was a blubbering mess. He sniffed and wiped his eyes taking another bite.

"Keith," the woman whispered.

He tried to stand, but only got to his knees. He hugged himself. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Hush, sweet boy." He felt her hands against his back and let himself fall forward into her. She caught him in a gentle embrace while he cried into her chest. "You've undergone tremendous amounts of stress in the recent quintants and you haven't felt kindness from your captors. I'm sorry. You will not have to suffer such treatment much longer."

"Thank you," Keith stuttered through his sobs.

She softly cradled the back of his head and whispered, "I only do as I should, Keith, though you are very welcome." She asked cautiously, "Is... is intimate contact like this common for you?"

Keith shook his head. "Not really. My... my friends, well more like brothers, were the only one comfortable hugging me. Everyone else seemed afraid of getting close... like I was going to lash out."

The woman's hold tightened protectively and she put her chin to the crown of his head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that as well. Keith, you must have felt so alone when you were small after what happened to your father."

Keith looked up in confusion. "How did you know I was an orphan?"

The woman cupped his cheek, and bit her lower lip. "It's doesn't matter right now, but know that I will never leave you again."

He sighed in frustration and put his forehead to her chest plate. "I don't understand."

She gently placed her cheek to his hair and whispered, "You will. Don't sleep until you are brought to your friend. Listen and learn from your enemies and remember what I've taught you." Then she sat back on her heels and put her hands on his shoulders. "Now, finish eating what I brought. I'll stay as long as I can."

Keith nodded obediently and bit off another piece of meat. His stomach clenched at first, reminding him just how little he'd eaten since he'd woken up in the cell with Lance. He easily finished what was in the package. The woman smiled from the depths of her hood and reached into her pocket again when Keith licked his fingers. She said, "I know you find the empire's rations unpleasant, so I brought you some of mine. Try to spread them out."

Keith looked at them and asked, "Uh... how can I smuggle them with me?"

The woman reached forward and touched the collar of his tunic before hesitating and asked, "May I?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Keith tilted his head as she used a nail to separate the front of his unitard just off center. She explained, "This suit is capable of almost nothing, but it stretches to fit the body of the one wearing it." She slid the packages of food into the clothing and pressed the material back together. It morphed and instantly reformed into a seamless piece of clothing. She touched his arm and said regretfully, "I have to go now, Keith."

Keith nodded. "I understand that much. Can... it's just... will you tell me your name?"

The woman looked down and shook her head. "Keith, you have no idea how much I want to, but until you are safely out of the empire's grasp, I don't dare put you in any more danger."

Keith chewed his cheek and looked away. "Fine."

"Keith," the woman whispered with a shake of her head. She reached out and cupped his face. Her palms were warm and soft against his skin. He shivered and melted looking into the depths of her hood. He could barely make out short hair curled around her face. He wanted to see her eyes to see if the things her actions told were reflected there.

He closed his eyes while his touch starved instincts fought his experience with liars. There was a strange pulse of energy. It grew until it became something he recognized and his eyes shot open when a lion growled. He gasped and exclaimed, "Wha-," before freezing in place. The room wasn't so dark for half a second and he saw the woman's face. "You?"

The lieutenant let go of him as though he were on fire and stood. "I must go."

Keith reached for Krolia, "Wait! Please- I have so many questions!"

She stepped back and jumped. Keith stumbled and fell to his knees. Why? Why had they bothered with him? Why were they telling him so much yet so little? When he looked up, she was gone and he had no answers.

Krolia stalked across her bedroom and ripped off her hood. Air! She needed air! She loosened the front of her uniform and leaned over her vanity panting before covering her mouth to smother a sob. He'd recognized her and she'd fled! She'd run away again when he needed her the most. Her reflection looked back at her with contempt. What kind of mother abandoned her child?

There was a knock on the door. She jumped into bed and hastily pulled the covers to her chin as the door opened. Krolia relaxed and sighed in relief. "It's only you, Thace."

Thace locked the door behind him and asked, "Did you only just get back?"

Krolia sat up in bed and nodded guiltily. "He is... everything, Thace. I hate myself for leaving him there."

Thace knelt before her with his hands on his thighs. "Teacher, we cannot release him until everything is ready. Our leader's patience is already being tested."

Krolia glared into her lap. "Fuck his patience. I've only had Keith back for precious moments, but if anything happens to him, I'll kill everyone on this ship and then myself."

"Understood." Thace stood and asked timidly, "Have you spoken to Kolivan since your transfer?"

Krolia stood and stripped out of her armor. As she dressed in her imperial uniform, she said, "No, and I intend to keep it that way until our mission is complete."

Lance tapped a restless foot. After Keith had been taken, he'd paced until exhaustion only to wake up alone. After five repetitions, he was starting to think Keith was never coming back. Lance had banged on the door demanding answers, but all his questions fell on deaf ears.

His feet were sore, his fists were bruised, and he'd lost his voice from shouting. Lance folded his hands, put his forehead on them, and began whispering in spanish. He prayed for Keith to come back and he wasn't sure his prayers were being heard as time passed. Lance gave up and sniffled miserably. He'd given up all hope when the door opened. He lifted his head and breathed, "Keith."

Keith was carelessly shoved into the cell. He glared weakly over his shoulder before the door shut. Then he looked around and spotted Lance. His eyes were shining in the dark as they ran to each other and embraced. Lance whispered, "I was scared you were gone for good."

"They put me in solitary." Keith squeezed Lance tighter and said, "It's been three fucked up days."

"How do you-" Lance stopped himself as something crinkled between them. He asked hoarsely, "Uh, Keith... is that a chip bag or are you just happy to see me?"

Keith held Lance at arm's length and leveled his gaze. "Really? We've been back together for thirty seconds and you're already using cheesy pick up lines?"

Lance raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Yes?"

Keith rolled his eyes and reached up to his collar. Lance watched curiously as Keith pulled apart the weird jumpsuit and revealed something similar to what their food goo came in. Then Lance caught a glimpse of Keith's clavicle and he felt his face heat up. Keith didn't notice, thank god, before pulling out one of the packages and pressing the material of his jumpsuit back together.

"Lance, I-" Keith abruptly shut his mouth and scanned the room. Lance felt his confusion triple and followed Keith as he observed every inch of the walls. At last, he tapped the wall with his knuckles. The first couple were metallic, but then he tapped something like glass. Keith grinned in smug pride and turned to Lance. He pointed to the wall and then to his eyes.

It took Lance a moment before he realized what Keith was onto. Barely nodding, he motioned to the corner that would be a blind spot for their captor's camera and they both sat. Keith frowned and crossed his arms. Lance understood his frustration. If they were constantly under surveillance, nothing was secret, and clearly Keith had something he wanted to tell him.

Lance suddenly sat up straighter and snapped his fingers. Keith tilted his head in confusion. Then Lance said using sign language, "They can't see us here, right?"

Keith grinned and signed back, "Great idea, Lance!"

Lance swelled with pride and signed, "What happened? What did they do to you?"

"You're never going to believe it, but we have allies. They put me in isolation so we could speak in private. They have a plan to get us out of here!"

Lance felt his heart rate increase even as he tried not to get his hopes up. "Who are they? Some other prisoners?"

Keith hesitated as he signed, "Not exactly..."

"Then who?"

Keith shook his head in frustration and signed, "It doesn't matter, but I trust them. They gave me this stuff, food they eat that isn't goo, and taught me to fight like them."

"Keith... are you sure this isn't a trap?"

Keith's mouth formed a thin, determined line and he nodded. "They taught me how to survive. We dig in and bide our time. The enemy will lose interest and when the moment comes, we attack." Keith reached forward to grab Lance's hand and said out loud, "I'm going to teach you to fight, Lance."

"Great..." Lance moaned. "I'm already looking forward to the bruises."

Keith laughed and replied, "Good. I'm not going easy on you like Adam."

Lance moaned again and stood. "Fine. Let's get started."