And we're back! Speaking of things being back, how about that trailer, huh? I, for one, am excited about the possibility of learning a bit more about the former paladins, if that's what that one clip in the trailer was hinting at. Please give me all the lore. Definitely hyped for the next season! Although if they kill off Allura or Krolia (but especially Allura), we riot.

Anyways, on to the chapter!

who you are in the dark

chapter fourteen

mother

The visit was... unexpected, to say the least.

She was well aware that Prince Lotor had ascended to the throne temporarily in Zarkon's absence. Word had spread quickly throughout the Galra Empire- or at least, the rumors had. Out here on the fringes, her most reliable source of information were the Blades, and they had only contacted her two vargas ago to confirm the situation.

Kolivan had sent out an emergency broadcast to all Blades, to confirm the long standing rumor. The information had apparently been gleaned by Voltron- who had briefly engaged the prince in battle, only for him to retreat without explanation.

Now that Thace's cover had been blown, they were left without any eyes inside Central Command. While they had other Blades placed in positions of power, herself included, none of them were anywhere close to the Galra headquarters. Trying to move them into position too quickly would only arouse suspicion- and now that their cover had been effectively blown, their existence exposed, that was exactly what they needed to avoid.

So suffice to say, she wasn't about to miss this chance.

Little was known about Prince Lotor. Even what the Blades knew about him was limited. If she could gather any relevant intelligence, it would likely prove invaluable- not just to the Blade of Marmora, but also to the paladins of Voltron, and their budding Coalition.

She had heard rumors about the paladins, even this far out. It was hard not to. But it had still taken awhile for the word to reach her that they were human. Of course, she already knew that the current black paladin was the former Champion, whom she had long since known was human. But she had been surprised to learn that the same was true of the others.

Or nearly. There was some confusion in regards to the red paladin- in the early stages, there had been a belief that he was a human male, but recently, all she had been hearing was that the red lion's paladin was in fact, the Altean princess herself. There had been some talk that the red paladin had been captured, but no such information ever leaked it's way down to her, so she could not be sure.

She had a hard time believing that the Empire would stay silent on it if they had. Judging from the fact that the rumors of the princess being the red lion's paladin had been more consistent, she was willing to believe that one.

As for the rest of the paladins being human...

Thinking about humans inevitably made her think of Heath, and thinking of Heath inevitably made her think of Keith. The only thing that kept her from outright abandoning her post and setting a course for Earth herself was the confirmation that the Galra Empire had not yet turned their attention towards it. As soon as the blue lion had left the planet, any interest the Empire had in it had been shelved.

She would just have to trust it stayed that way.

Maybe with Voltron in the fight, she actually stood a chance of seeing them again.

Such were her thoughts as she headed towards docking bay five. The visit was unexpected, but she could hazard a few guesses as to what it might be about. Or to be more accurate, she could only think of a single reason why the prince would send one of his generals this far out to the fringes.

For someone who stayed hidden so well, Prince Lotor's information network was not something that should be underestimated. She didn't know how he had gotten word, but he had, somehow. She was willing to bet her bottom dollar that they were here about Ranveig's weapon.

There was the chance that he could have sent Acxa here in order to ascertain the status of their expanding conquest, but she doubted it. There were better bases for that than this one. This was more of a research base- which, while it made for an appealing target for the budding rebellion, did not lend itself to being a stronghold for their forces.

With Ranveig away, she would just have to deal with them herself.

The fighters that Lotor's forces used were, as always, flashy. It did make them easy to spot, if nothing else. They were meant strictly for living pilots- these were not ships intended to be piloted by sentries.

Standing at the ready, she watched as the fighter landed. She had heard rumors that Acxa was a talented pilot, and given how she handled the fairly narrow space in which she had to land, it would seem that they were true. This would be her first time meeting the general- or any of Lotor's generals, for that matter, and she didn't intend to waste it.

No matter how well informed the prince was, the one thing she was confident about was that he was unaware that she was with the Blades.

The first thing she noticed, as Acxa left her ship, was that she was not alone.

The second thing she noticed was that she did not recognize the general she was with. She knew that he had to be one of Lotor's men- their armor was just as distinct as their fighters. She had heard from Kolivan that it was possible that Lotor had recruited another general, and it would appear that the rumors were true.

He must have been only half-Galra, given the prince's preferences, but frankly, he didn't look it. His eyes were the standard Galra yellow, lacking visible pupils, and he stood tall. The only thing worth noting was the fact that he was tailed- an uncommon trait among pure Galra, and that said tail was furthermore scaled, in contrast to the purple fur that the rest of his body sported.

It was only her strict training that kept her from blinking at the sight of his markings. They matched her own, which, while a rarity, was not completely unheard of.

She couldn't say the same for the general in question- he went stiff at the sight of her, his eyes tracking her own markings, left hand almost seeming to twitch, as if he wanted to brush it against those of his own. To his credit, it vanished quickly, replaced by a mask of neutrality.

But she hadn't missed it.

Nor had she missed the weapon he wore at his belt. Perhaps this was her only encounter with Lotor's generals, but she had crossed paths with Emperor Zarkon on several occasions. She had been brought before him to personally explain how she had disappeared for several deca-phoebs, once she had returned to the Empire.

So she recognized that shape. It was a bayard.

It was not the same shape as the bayards the paladins of lore- and perhaps the current paladins- carried. No, it mirrored that of Zarkon's- but she could tell from the dark red accents that it was not the same weapon.

That was disturbing.

While it was certainly possible that the Empire might have been able to construct bayards of their own, it was unlikely. If the legends were true, they were a piece of the lions themselves. Even Prince Lotor, with his Altean heritage, would have a difficult time of it.

She would be less bothered by it, she was certain, if it were not for the red accents. She thought back to the rumors of the red paladin's disappearance, and began to wonder if she should have not dismissed them as quickly as she had.

Had the Empire seized his weapon for their own? Or had the red paladin turned traitor?

She had heard nothing about the missing red paladin being Galra- she had merely heard that they were human. That thought gnawed at her, the markings that reflected her own suddenly giving her more cause for concern.

No. Surely it couldn't be.

"General Acxa," Krolia stepped forward, masking her thoughts, and her emotions with them, "-I am Lieutenant Commander Krolia."

"Lieutenant Commander Krolia." Acxa acknowledged, extending her arm. She grasped it by the general's forearm, a gesture which the general returned. "On behalf of Prince Lotor, we have come to conduct an inspection of this base."

"We?" Krolia questioned.

Narrowing her eyes, Acxa straightened, seeming to glower behind her. "We."

The other general grit his teeth, but begrudgingly extended his own arm. She hesitated for a split second, before she grasped it, not missing the faint downwards tug of the general's lips and his own delay in returning the gesture.

In lieu of an introduction, his gaze merely flicked in Acxa's direction. "I'm with her."

His voice sounded a bit young. Younger than she had expected, at any rate. His words were curt, and his Galran strangely halting, accented in a way that she couldn't pinpoint, but his choice of words... she didn't know why they bothered her.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't introduced himself, and she therefore could not put her gnawing fear to rest. If anything, the lack of a name only managed to amplify them, at the same time as she was trying to bury them. She couldn't let this compromise her ability to carry out her mission.

She didn't want to think about it.

From the look of it, Acxa wasn't exactly satisfied with her fellow general's introduction either. She stared at him, her eyes narrowed further, but in the end, she made no move to introduce him in his stead. She got the impression that neither of them liked each other, taking a tiny sliver of comfort in that.

At the same time, she tried to convince herself that it was impossible.

"You are more than welcome to conduct your inspection." Krolia said. "Though I am curious what it is that Prince Lotor hopes to find here."

Diverting her attention back to her, Acxa didn't so much as flinch. "Prince Lotor has heard some rumors. He wishes to confirm if they are true."

So they were here about the weapon.

Closing her eyes, Krolia drew in a breath, quickly calculating her next move. The less people who knew about the weapon Ranveig was working on, the better. He had only just begun the project, but already, the results were startling- and not in a good way. Not only was the weapon proving to be more powerful than anything they had in comparison, she also feared that it was becoming too powerful, too quickly.

She had been searching for a way to sabotage it, without blowing her cover, but she hadn't found a way just yet. She feared that she might not.

Even worse, she feared that Ranveig might not be able to control what he had created.

Opening her eyes, Krolia drew on her training, betraying nothing. She didn't want Lotor to know about the weapon, or about the enriched quintessence they were using to make it- but she also didn't have a choice. "You're here about the weapon."

Acxa didn't even blink. "Yes."

"I will have to contact Commander Ranveig." Krolia told them. "Only he has the clearance to access the weapon."

She was steadily working on getting said clearance herself, but she wasn't there just yet.

"Is the Commander not present?" Acxa inquired.

"Currently, no." Krolia told her. He was out inspecting another base, one that had taken a hit from rebel forces. "But he should return within a few vargas. Sooner, if I contact him."

"Understood," Acxa said, "-we'll wait."

Giving the general a curt nod of her head, Krolia motioned to one of the sentries. "In the meantime, this sentry will take you anywhere you wish on the base."

"Except for where the weapon is." The other general seemed to mutter underneath his breath.

Krolia merely frowned, turning to look at him again. He flinched, tail flicking behind him- he'd uncurled it from around his waist. Ducking his head, his eyes vanished behind his bangs, though she was just barely able to make out the odd fact that his brows were a different color than his hair. She wasn't sure as to how she had missed it- the black stood out, a stark contrast to his white hair and purple fur.

Their color made her uneasy.

Acxa simply glowered at her fellow general. "We understand."

She let her gaze linger for a second longer, before she pulled it away. There was one way she could put an end to her doubts.

"Very well," Krolia acknowledged, "-in that case, I will leave you to your inspection while I contact Commander Ranveig."

Acxa saluted in response- and after several seconds, so did her companion. She didn't miss the way that his heart didn't seem to be quite into it, and again, she felt the strange stirrings of comfort at the same time as she continued to deny her worst fear.

She had good instincts, but she was certain that this time, she was mistaken. She had to be.

He didn't feel himself relax until Krolia left the hangar.

Relax probably wasn't a good word for it. He wasn't actually relaxed- just less tense. He still couldn't shake the mentality that he was in enemy territory- but that wasn't what had him so tense. It had less to do with being on a Galra base, and more to do with that lieutenant.

She had introduced herself as Krolia, and the first thing he'd noticed about her were her markings. They were pretty hard to miss, considering he'd seen the exact ones whenever he'd looked into a mirror the past few weeks. He'd seen a lot of Galra on Central Command, and they had come in all shapes and sizes- but none of them had markings quite like his.

He didn't have long to dwell on it- or to relax, because the minute the lieutenant left the hangar, Acxa whirled on him. "I thought I told you to follow my lead."

He bristled at that. "I grasped her arm!"

"And yet you failed to introduce yourself or state your rank. You were late in your salute, too. All of that is basic protocol." Acxa coolly observed, narrowing her eyes. "Don't forget that your actions reflect on Prince Lotor."

Gritting his teeth, Keith's tail lashed behind him. He wanted to say that Prince Lotor could shove it, for all he cared, but for once, he managed to think before he spoke. "Well maybe it's not my fault that nobody's ever bothered to teach me imperial protocol. In case you forgot, I didn't exactly grow up in the Empire."

He already had his hands full juggling learning Galran, the Empire's history, and training- he didn't want another thing to add to his already full plate.

He expected Acxa to snap at him, but instead she flinched- opening her mouth to say something before she snapped it shut. Instead, she just glowered at him. "Fine. But when we return to Lotor's ship, you're going to learn."

Narrowing his eyes, Keith grit his teeth. That sounded an awful lot like a threat. "What? You going to teach me?"

"If it's necessary, yes." Acxa stated. "You're just lucky it was the Lieutenant Commander who greeted us, and not Commander Ranveig."

Clenching his fists, Keith looked away. He hated to admit it, but she was probably right. He just- he didn't know why, he just didn't feel comfortable telling Krolia his name. When he put it like that, it sounded stupid- he was obviously just overthinking things.

He knew his mother had to be out there somewhere, but what were the odds he'd just run into her, and so soon? It just didn't seem likely.

Frankly, he didn't want to meet her. Not now, not when he was like this. Not when she was apparently Blade of Marmora, a rebel- and what was he? A former paladin of Voltron, who had, for all intents and purposes, chosen the Galra Empire over the good guys. A traitor.

He didn't want to meet her like this, if ever.

No, he decided- it couldn't have been her. The markings were probably just coincidence. It wasn't like she had even reacted to them.

Or him. Not that she would, even if she was. When his mother had left, he'd still been in diapers- and human. If he was unrecognizable to the paladins, there was no way his mother would be able to tell it was him.

"Fine," Keith relented, "-when we meet Commander Ranveig, I'll be better. Happy?"

Acxa frowned, looking unconvinced- not that he could exactly blame her. He hadn't been written up for insubordination as many times as he had back at the Garrison for nothing. His old teacher was right- he really hadn't been the right fit for their rigid culture.

Figures he'd be a lousy fit for an imperialistic military empire too.

Not that he wanted to fit in with the Galra. God no. He'd rather get his teeth pulled out a second time than truly blend in.

"Fine." Acxa still didn't look like she believed him, but it didn't appear she was willing to waste the time to press the issue further. "Just remember- whatever allegiances you might have held in the past, you vowed loyalty to Prince Lotor. That's the only thing that matters."

He wanted to say that she'd told him that already, but he bit it back. Just what the hell had Lotor done to earn such fervent loyalty from her anyways? It was like she was practically hanging off his every word.

Turning on her heel, Acxa motioned towards the sentry. Narrowing his eyes, Keith fell into step behind the pair of them. This still didn't feel right to him- even after all his time on Central Command, being paraded around a Galra base as a guest still felt wrong.

He guessed he should be happy about it. If it didn't, that would be a sign he should be worried. The last thing he wanted to do was get comfortable with this lie, on the off chance he might actually start believing it.

The thought made him shiver.

"Krolia. I didn't expect to receive your next communication so soon."

Kolivan felt the edge of his lips curl into a slight frown. It had only been a handful of vargas ago that he had issued the emergency broadcast, confirming what they had all feared- that in the absence of his father, Prince Lotor had taken over the Galra Empire. The Altean princess had confirmed that much for him, having encountered the prince on Puig, after he had taken back the planet from Puigan control.

The thought sat uneasily with him. The Empire now knew that they were not able to use the black lion, which had likely been Prince Lotor's goal. That was a fact that they had been attempting to conceal, as it would indicate to the Empire that they had a weakness.

The princess' communication had been brief, just long enough to update him on the situation. He had sensed right from the start, that there was more she wished to speak about, so he hadn't been all that shocked when she had asked if she could arrange a meeting in person.

He had agreed, making arrangements at once. The red lion was to arrive at their main base within half a varga. It would seem that whatever it was the princess wanted to discuss, she didn't want to do it with the paladins around.

"There has been a development." Krolia stated.

As usual, her expression betrayed nothing. She was one of the Blade of Marmora's most senior members, even if she was a generation behind himself and- Kolivan paused there. Antok, Ulaz... they had both been senior members, and now, all that were left were himself and Thace.

It was a difficult thing to take.

"Have you been able to sabotage Commander Ranveig's weapon?" Kolivan asked.

"Negative." Krolia reported. "But we're not the only ones who have heard of the weapon. Just now, two of Prince Lotor's generals arrived inquiring about it."

He didn't expect to hear about the prince again so soon, so Krolia's information took him by surprise. "And the prince?"

"Not present." Krolia told him. "He sent Acxa and another general that I am not familiar with in his stead."

Kolivan lifted his brows at that. So the paladin's information was correct.

"I sent you some visuals from our cameras." Krolia informed him.

He quickly verified this for himself, uploading the file that Krolia had sent him. There were several, all of the same general, from different angles. Kolivan narrowed his eyes, his thoughts flicking back to his own earlier suspicions. The general and the missing red paladin did not appear all that similar, not at first glance- but there was no telling what the witch might have done to him while he was in captivity.

And he was carrying a bayard.

"He has a bayard." Krolia told him, as if reading his mind. "Similar to the one Zarkon had, only its accents are red. What's going on, Kolivan?"

It was a loaded question, he could sense that. Krolia's expression didn't betray much- she was too well trained for that. But she had also chosen to report on the arrival of the two generals while they were both still on base- so something must have driven her to do so.

He thought again about his own theories.

"When we first made contact with the paladins," Kolivan began, "-we were able to verify a long-standing rumor."

Krolia's eyes narrowed at that. "The red paladin's capture."

"Yes." Kolivan stated. "According to Thace, there was a prisoner that was transferred from the general cell block to Haggar's lair phoebs ago. It would appear that she had taken an interest in them. We have reason to believe that it might have been the former red paladin."

Krolia looked as if she were holding her breath. "What was their name?"

Kolivan merely frowned. "Pardon?"

"The red paladin," Krolia clarified, though in truth, it wasn't necessary, "-what was their name?"

Unthinkable. That had been his initial thought when the idea had begun to take root in his head. That it was unthinkable for Krolia to have withheld information from him.

Now he was not so sure.

"Krolia-"

"His name, Kolivan." Krolia repeated, her tone far harsher this time, bordering on demanding. "That's all I'm asking for."

For Krolia to let her composure slip to this extent... Kolivan didn't even have to ask to know that the unthinkable was in fact, the reality. The pronoun switch was acknowledgement enough.

"Keith." Kolivan stated. "The paladins gave his name as Keith Kogane."

Keith.

The name rung in her ears, Kolivan's repetition of it only sufficing to make it worse. She knew that she must have turned pale, but at the moment, she couldn't find it in her to care.

Keith. Keith, her son.

Her son, who she thought she had left behind safely on Earth, in the care of his father. Her son, who had been so small, so human, when she had left them. That Keith.

She realized she wasn't breathing, and forced herself to draw in a large gulp of air. Her lungs burned with it, and she felt as if she were drowning. She had left him behind in order to protect him, to keep the Galra Empire from finding him. So how had... how had this happened?

How could Keith be here? Galra, and in Lotor's colors, no less?

She wanted to deny it. Yes, maybe her son had been captured by the Empire, but the only reason that one of Lotor's general had the red bayard was because he had taken it from him. But no. She knew that couldn't be true. The bayards were pieces of the lions themselves, and weren't something just anyone could use.

And she doubted that anyone would carry a useless weapon.

Dimly, she was aware that Kolivan had lapsed into silence. Swallowing, she composed herself, though her heart wasn't in it. All the training in the world, and it was gone in just an instant, the reality not something that she wanted to face.

She didn't know what had happened between now and when she had left, but the truth was clear. Her son was working for Prince Lotor.

Keith had grown up to be the enemy.

It left a sick feeling in her gut. Like a worst case scenario playing out before her very eyes. She supposed the only small mercy was the fact that it was the prince he served, and not Zarkon himself- although they knew so little about Prince Lotor, that she couldn't decide if that was the better option or not.

"Are you," Krolia began, voice weak, "-are you certain?"

"Yes." Kolivan responded, seemingly impassive. She knew better than to think that. "Krolia, you-"

It didn't take much for her to realize that Kolivan had figured it out. Her reaction alone had made it obvious enough. She was a deep cover spy, she couldn't afford to be emotional. And yet, she had been- betrayed each and every one of her feelings, too raw to be contained, the reality too awful to pretend that she wasn't affected by it.

"I know." Krolia said, finally regaining some of her composure. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect for things to turn out this way."

She could feel Kolivan assessing her. Probably looking for any signs that she might be a traitor herself. She felt nothing at that, no sting of betrayal from all their long years spent fighting together- in their line of work, it paid to be suspicious of even those you trusted implicitly.

"Is this the only thing you withheld from your report?" Kolivan inquired.

Straightening her back, Krolia drew in a long breath. "Yes."

Kolivan closed his eyes, taking in her words. "He's your son."

"Yes." Krolia repeated.

Opening his eyes, there was a faint trace of sympathy in them. "I am sorry."

She felt numb. "You don't need to apologize. This is my fault. If I had briefed you properly, this might not be happening."

If she had never left, this wouldn't be happening. None of it. She should have brought them with her, not left them behind- she should have insisted until Kolivan tired of hearing her speak that they be allowed to reside on base. If she had, then Keith wouldn't be...

What had that witch done to him? He looked more typically Galran than she did, attaining a height that she never had in all her years. His eyes, and that tail- she fought back a shudder, unable to help but wonder if it had been at all painful.

She knew the answer could only be yes. One thing was for sure- if she ever got the chance, she would string Haggar up with own intestines for laying a single finger on her son.

Drawing in a long breath, Krolia steeled herself. "Tell me everything."

If this was the card that she had been dealt, then she only had herself to blame. She didn't truly want to believe that her son could have become a paladin, only to end up betraying them for the sake of the Galra Empire- or for Prince Lotor. She wanted to believe in her son, but at the same time, she had to brace herself for the possibility that he had.

Even so, she clung to the half-hearted way he had given his salute. She didn't want to have to fight against her own son.

"What we know isn't much." Kolivan confessed. "Only that shortly before the assault on Central Command, one of the witch's gladiators went missing."

Gladiator. Her fingers twitched at the word. So twisting her son's body hadn't been enough for Haggar- she had thrown him into the arenas too? Perhaps strangling her with her own innards would be too kind.

Kolivan paused, locking eyes with her. "Krolia... are you certain?"

She didn't want to be, but she was.

"Yes," she told him, "-I'm certain."

Kolivan's brows furrowed, his expression grave. "While we don't know the circumstances, if your son has truly chosen to serve Prince Lotor..."

"I know, Kolivan." Krolia said. "You don't need to tell me. Our mission cannot afford to be compromised. I won't let my emotions get in the way."

Just don't ask me to fight him, some silent part of her whispered. She didn't think Kolivan would. He was accustomed to making tough decisions, but he wasn't cruel. Not without good reason.

Kolivan nodded, accepting her words. They had fought side by side for centuries, and knew each other well as a result. If she hadn't meant to keep her word, then she wouldn't have said them.

Then again, she had also said that she'd keep Keith safe.

"Does he know?" Kolivan asked.

"That I'm his mother?" Krolia finished. "No. When I left, he was still an infant. I doubt his father told him much about me."

He had looked so human- why complicate things when he could have just gone on believing that? When he had been born, carrying no trace of his Galra heritage, she had been ecstatic. He had a privilege that few half-Galra were afforded- to grow up in the culture of their non-Galra parent, with none of the stigma that being Galra carried.

Now that was gone.

There was almost no trace of his human heritage left. It was hard to really compare, considering that she had never seen him grown up, but the only trace she could pick out of the child she had left behind were the color of his brows. She knew some of that was bound to be because the last time she had seen him, he still had all of his baby fat, features not yet fully defined, but the change was still hard to take.

If it were just that alone... she could accept it. She was Galra. She was not about to resent her own son for looking as such, especially when it hadn't been by choice.

That it hadn't was her own assumption. She could only reason that if it had been, he would look more like her- instead, the only similarity between them were their markings. Without those, she might have never recognized him.

And she still almost hadn't.

"Try and learn what you can." Kolivan instructed her. "I will have to inform the paladins. If your son... if the former red paladin has truly turned against them, they need to know. It could potentially compromise the red lion."

She gave him a curt nod of her head. She could not dispute that, though some part of her wished that they could keep this between the two of them. The less people who knew about her son, the better. It wasn't out of shame- knowing that Keith might have chosen the Galra Empire over the paladin cause- over their cause- stung, but she had no right to judge him for any of his choices, not when she had abandoned him to his fate.

At the very least, it didn't seem like Zarkon's witch was using him as a puppet. He wouldn't have had the free will left to be half as grumpy as he had been. She would count her blessings where she could find them.

And there was still the slight chance that she was wrong. That Keith wasn't doing this because he wanted to. But she didn't want to pin all of her hopes on that. It was easier to accept that he was, and be pleasantly surprised later, rather than be proven wrong.

"Understood." Krolia said. "I will learn what I can."

With that, she brought an end to the transmission. Drawing in a long breath, she squared her shoulders. She had been well trained, and while she might have slipped, her conversation with Kolivan had allowed her time to process her emotions. Concealing her transmitter underneath one of her claws, she steeled herself.

Right now, she wasn't a mother. She couldn't afford to be. She was Krolia, sworn by blood oath to the Blade of Marmora.

If the source of her new mission was her own son... then so be it.