Summary: Various Galra groups inch closer towards their goals. A renewed Team Voltron examines new abilities.

ARC V: Honour

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Pockets of Time and Space

::::

Hi, Coran.

The bridge was crowded, as he lingered near the back and walked the conference call continue, only really listening with one ear. The paladins stood silent and occasionally interjected while Allura handled the majority of the conversation with Queen Ryner, and Commander Kolivan, and rest of the Voltron Alliance. Baujal of Taujeer had slinked his way back in once he'd seen the Black Lion's eyes glow in a holoscreen, but Coran hadn't quite forgiven him for pulling out in the first place. The newly crowned King Dolan was there as well, even as servants scurried in the background of his feed, to get his kingdom back in order.

"We'll be arriving in Olkarion in a few vargas," Allura said, nodding more so towards Queen Ryner. "We must transport the krun crystal to the proper drop off point with Lira and Thace first, but the Castle must finish recharging before we can make the wormhole."

That, and Coran knew Allura was exhausted; sharing her quintessence from a drained Lion, and the experience of being Bonded at all, with everything she had been going through lately... He'd almost insisted on sending her to bed straight away, if he'd thought she would listen and not expend more energy arguing with him.

If you're hearing this, then you already know what happened. I'm sorry. You've already lost so much. I didn't want you to lose another friend. But that's war, I guess. Depending on when you're listening to this, I don't have any advice—or at least, not any that you'd need. Just trim your mustache, and take care of yourself, and the team. Lance and Pidge rely on you, and you even got Keith to open up once you two made up, and Hunk can always use some help in the kitchen.

A sigh escaped him as Coran shut his eyes. He was tired, too. He'd listened to Shiro's message so many times he had the man's own quiet, breaking sigh memorized. It was the reason Coran was able to haul himself out of bed most mornings and plaster on a cheery smile no matter how placid, to try and make sure everyone was fed and sleeping at least a little. And with the paladins now going back into battles, and searching for whatever was left of Shiro on the side, he knew things would only get harder. Better, maybe, but not any easier.

I wish I knew what to say to you. I'm sure once I've finished recording this I'll think of a million other things I should have said, but... Thank you, for looking after us. It's been a long time since someone's looked after me, but I know you always tried. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a father. And thank you, for looking after Allura. She means the world to me and just... Just take care of her, for me, okay? Don't let her lose her spark. It kept me going more than she knows.

Coran's face tightened, his brow pinching, before he opened his eyes and turned to face the paladins. He forced a smile. "Now, is it finally time for dinner? We can't let fresh goo go to waste, y'know."

I love you, Coran, and I'll miss you. If there is something on the other side of all this, I'll say hi to Alfor for you. I promise.

::::

The cells of the gladiator ring were dark and shallow, and both generals towered over the prisoner slumped over in the corner. "The weapon," Ezor said, sneering. "What do you know?" Zethrid cracked her knuckles behind her, placing her thick fist against one purple palm.

The rebel Galra had crescent markings under their eyes, and under their chin. A Yurak with furry ears. "I know nothing of the weapon you speak," they said, thickly accented. From a faraway colony, too, maybe close to the Outer Rim. Who knew how far the Blade of Marmora's members came from?

"We checked your records," Zethrid growled with a grin. She and Ezor had the evidence on their side, as she shoved the holographic file in the rebel's face that Ezor had procured. "You were on a Blade base near these coordinates. You must've seen something funny."

"I do not have much of a sense of humour."

Ezor smiled. "You're lucky I do." She crouched down in front of the chained prisoner. "Come on," she pressed, in a sing-song voice.
"We're high up officials. I bet we could improve your living conditions here."

The rebel turned away with a scowl. "I'd rather die quickly," they said, and Ezor pouted. "May Merla's curse be upon your heads."

Zethrid seized them and lifted them up by the throat. "What do you know about the Princess?" Zethrid snarled, shaking them against the wall. "What curse?"

"She was a terrible witch," the rebel wheezed, gleeful at having struck some kind of nerve. "Deathless. There are rumours she walks among us still, a phantom, a sin. Her curse is the haunting."

Zethrid let the rebel drop, and turned sharply towards Ezor. "This was a waste of time," she growled, ears flattened closer to her head. "Let's go. We have our rendezvous soon anyway."

Neither General as they left heard the rebel hoist themselves up, and raise their right wrist to their mouth. They shook back the sleeve of their prisoner uniform, to the chip buried under their shallow skin. If these were the Generals they thought so, then the quartet and Galra prince had played their own hand unintentionally.

"Marta's prisoner log, to Commander Kolivan: Lotor's Generals are here," the Blade wheezed. The big general's hand had nearly crushed their throat. "Your orders were correct. Lotor wants to take Sendak out himself. The rest of a mission is a go. The generals also spoke of a weapon, and know of our outpost in the Tylax Quadrant. They are looking." Marta cleared their throat. "They are coming."

::::

The next morning, Lance bolted up in bed and could barely contain his excitement. With everything going on the previous day, he had forgotten about it, and then when falling asleep, he was sure he had dreamed it, but no. He had really walked—run—could run on water. His abuelita had always said he was a gift from God, but he had never thought it would suddenly be so literal! And after everything that had happened, and him being a bit of a jerk to Allura, maybe this was exactly the cool, good news they all needed. The princess would be happy, wouldn't she? His abilities were clearly coming from his Lion. Unless his body had just done something weird and funky with the gravity on Eidolon, but he didn't think so. The thrum of Blue in his veins felt stronger now. And the slight leak he'd plugged up for a moment, in the Yellow Lion's hangar, that made more sense now too.

And he was the first to have this new ability. He had come first in something and beaten everyone else. Although... if Shiro had been here, Lance was sure he wouldn't have been first. That would have been Shiro. But Lance had never minded coming second to his former leader, and he still would have beaten Keith, and Shiro would have been proud of him. Lance's eyes stung as he pulled on his jacket. Shiro would have been proud.

He really was gone, wasn't he?

Lance wiped his eyes as he stepped out into the hall, determined not to let anything take away his joy. They had a new Black Paladin, and there was no better fit for it than Allura. They'd gotten out of Eidolon alive and helped Dolan take the throne, the Voltron Alliance was back in action, and they'd be able to form Voltron again. And as an added bonus, they'd be going back to Olkarion to discuss some new plans with the Blades—he'd missed the warmer, sunny planet after all that snow—but until then, Thace and Lira would be on the Castleship with them. It was always fun having Lira around, and Thace made Keith slightly less grumpy too.

He found the team eating breakfast in the lounge room, plates beset with what looked like toast smeared with space goo, and walked in with a spring in his step. "I have some exciting news!" he said.

Hunk rested his chin in his hand. "Ooh, do tell."

Lance shot him an appreciative grin. "Well, you're never gonna believe this!" He bounced on the heels of his feet for a moment, before he blurted, "I can walk on water!"

Allura dropped her spoon. "P-pardon me?"

"It was incredible," Lance gushed. "I was walking on the ice, and then running—and then I was on water. I can walk on water! How cool is that? Allura, did you know I could do that?"

"Yes, but—" Her face brightened amid her shock. "I wasn't sure, as you aren't Altean, if your bonds with your Lions would develop to the point where your elemental powers would begin to come in. They were designed with Alteans in mind, after all."

"They did accept and bond with Galran paladins," Coran pointed out, smiling at Keith. "Zindi of Zadai was quite proficient with growing things in her spare time. She even trained with the Olkari."

"Ooh!" Pidge lit up like their datapad. "Can I do that too? I mean, growing stuff with technology was pretty cool—"

"Hey," Lance pouted, and pointed to himself. "Only paladin with actual powers, here."

Allura sobered and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, of course. My apologies, Lance. Once we reach Olkarion, I can see what I can find in the sacred texts and prepare a proper lesson. You can practice and the others can prepare, now that we know this facet of your bond is possible." She gave him an easy smile. "It shouldn't be long before your Lions tell you their names, now, either."

Keith's jaw dropped. "Our Lions have names?"

"Yes?" She looked at him, puzzled. "Revealed to paladins in time. It is a sign of deeper trust, of each paladin being accepted wholly into their pride."

Lance turned to Pidge with a deadly serious look on his face. "I'll bet you ten credits I can learn my Lion's name before Keith learns his!"

Pidge grinned and stuck out their hand. "Deal. You may have been bonded to Blue a bit longer, but Red totally thinks of Keith as her kitten, always rescuing him and stuff."

"As a good team should," said Coran, smoothing out his mustache.

"Speaking of teams," said Allura, turning to Thace and Lira—the older Galra seemed to have been watching everything with vague amusement. "You should likely tell me where your drop off point for the krun crystal is, before the rest of us head to Olkarion."

"Of course, princess," said Thace, rising. "If we could move to the Bridge? It will be much easier to show you there."

Allura raised her eyebrows, but allowed him to lead the way to the bridge and type into a holopad. Hunk grabbed Lance a piece of goo toast and the Blue Paladin munched on it on the way over. Allura didn't have the energy to scold him for chewing with his mouth open, even if Pidge made a gagging noise that coaxed a smile out of Keith. She was just glad for now they were all being generally patient and silent, knowing answers about their Lions and powers would come later, but soon.

She watched as a hologram whizzed to life in the middle of the bridge, slowly just with blue lines in the outline of a vague shape, or ship, before Thace pressed a few more keys and the whole thing filled in properly: the looming insignia of the Blade of Marmora, highlighted as a new space station.

"We're going right to your new HQ?" Allura said, puzzled.

"One of them," Lira said, finally breaking her silence. "We're hoping to have three primary bases, to avoid the collapse of one being as detrimental as it was last time." Keith shifted uncomfortably, but no one else paid him any mind; they had let it go long ago. "This is Base Delta. Uncle Thace is still working on its cloaking technology, to seal it in a pocket of time and space."

"Ulaz was the mastermind behind them," said Thace. "Once his sniper days were over, he set to work on new technology. He could install one in any base. Now, we're trying to piece together and update his code. We're hoping Brizo and the Olkari, and perhaps even the Green and Yellow paladins could help with that."

"Yeah!" Hunk stooped down and slung an arm around Pidge's shoulders. "It sounds fun. Like making a space sandwich, right?"

"One that can devour you instead if you open up the wrong dimensional pocket?" said Keith, and both Thace and Lira nodded. "Yeah, it sounds like a real fun time."

"Hm," said Pidge, grinning. "Maybe you should Keith-proof it then."

"Yeah," Lance played along. "Put up a sign: no mullets allowed."

"Hey!" Keith protested, pouting.

"I'll need the coordinates for Base Delta to wormhole there," Allura said, as the boys started bickering and Pidge snickered. "We could arrive there in another few ticks, if you wish to do so now."

Lira didn't smile, but Thace did. "To Base Delta it is."

::::

"Sire."

Lotor smoothed down his robes and hair. "What news do you have for me, Acxa?" He'd drawn up a holofeed for his, as he sat in the throne like chair in his room. The doors and windows of the Dark Tower were still shut, although the week of mourning was nearly over, and he could leave Zadai behind, soon. Hopefully with Sendak's severed head in tow.

His general shifted, clearly uncomfortable. Good. "We weren't able to find much news about the weapon," she said. "But Sendak should be arriving in two days time. We will confront him then."

"Hm." Why his father's favourite General had put so much investment in the gladiator fights, Lotor had never understood. But his mother had gifted Sendak with a new arm, providing he hadn't lost it to the princess of Altea's little fighters. "And you know what you and the Generals must do?"

"Take him out," said Acxa, her face hard.

Lotor nodded. "I expect you to handle it well. I will be attending to my own matters in the meantime, and will be off-planet on a trip to Pollux."

Acxa's eyebrows rose, one becoming hidden behind the wave of her hair that fell over one side of her face. "You require something from the druids, sire?"

"Nothing that is of your concern," he said, and she ducked her head. "But if you must know, it is of something about my dear sweet sister."

Acxa's head snapped up. "Has there been any leads on her, sire?"

His lips twitched. "You and your Generals are still eager for bloodlust, I see."

"Of course, sire." Acxa placed her fist over her heart in salute. "She cost us much."

"And you are all still taking your doses regularly?"

"Yes, sire."

"Good. That will be all, Acxa. I will summon you four once my business is finished, and I expect to hear of your successes."

"Yes, sire," Acxa repeated. "We will be ready. We won't fail you."

Lotor's eyes glittered. "I know."

::::

The team waved goodbye to Thace and Lira, Kolivan waiting at Base Delta with some Blades to fully transport the krun crystal from the docking bay. "Eidolon went smoothly?" he said, unsmiling.

"In the grand scheme of things," said Keith dryly. They made eye contact for a second before Keith turned away, and Allura didn't let the silence dwell.

"We'll see you soon at Olkarion?" Allura checked, and Kolivan nodded. It was strange to see him without Antok by his side, but she supposed his second in command was overseeing another one of the bases being constructed.

"Antok will arrive first in my stead," Kolivan said. "But I'll stop by. We need to finalize some plans with Brizo, and make sure they're not too distracted by that space whale of theirs."

"Queen Ryner says they've both been thriving," Allura said. "The paladins and I have some business to take care of once we reach Olkarion, but I can check up on our scientist."

Kolivan shifted. "And you'll be training as your team's new Black Paladin?"

She stiffened, but managed a smile. "Yes, Commander."

"Good," he said, his own smile curt but as warm as he could get. "You're a fine leader in your own right, Princess."

"Thank you, Commander. I should be taking my leave now."

"I look forward to having Voltron back in the fight," he said, and they briefly shook hands before Allura led her team back to the Castleship, and she opened up a wormhole to Olkarion.

She felt Black feed her quintessence through her connection, but she was still drained once they came out on the other side. How Shiro had bonded so quickly with Black, and so well, after a year of starvation and imprisonment was beyond her; yet another thing she would never be able to thank and praise him properly for, now that he was gone.

Ryner greeted them when they touched down upon Olkarion, and gave her a report on Brizo's status that meant she didn't have to check on the many limbed scientist herself. "Briz is doing well and nearly finished constructing better engines for the Blades' ships. Spawella is twice as big and got a new tank, and they're both very happy with it."

"Good," Allura said, relieved. Briz was always a bit of a mixed bag, and if anything happened to that space whale, she wasn't sure Briz's remaining sanity could take it. At least here on Olkarion they were all safe. "I have some training to do with my team in the Castle of Lions, so we'll be staying there for the new few weeks instead of in our usual quarters here."

"Of course." Ryner gave her a small smile. "Good luck, princess. I know you'll bear the mantle of Black Paladin well."

Allura inclined her head and tried to ignore the tightness in her chest. She leaned into her connection with Black, letting the Lion feed warmth and comfort back to her. They were both still mourning, but they could rebuild, together, and honour the man they had both loved. "I will certainly do my best," she agreed.

After all, the mission was more important than any one individual. Even those who were completely irreplaceable.

Allura took a deep breath and shepherded the paladins back to the Castleship. "Now, get ready in your armour on the training deck," she instructed. "Coran and I will be there in a few ticks with the information you need. It's time for you to learn about the elements."

::::

Here's his chance. Thace moves before he can loose his nerve, seizes Ulaz Maala by the wrist, and yanks him into the nearest storage closet. The hallway of their academy seems empty enough they haven't been noticed, but Thace knows they're not out of the woods yet. Kolivan will have his head if he's misjudged things and this goes poorly.

"Have you ever heard," says Thace, "of the Blade of Marmora?"

Ulaz's pale features stare back at him in shock. "I do not understand—"

"I have seen you spar and fight and shoot against your peers. I know what you're capable of."

Ulaz shakes, even as Thace can see understanding slowly settle over him; this is just denial. "Maala, if this is some strange attempt at courting—"

Thace blushes despite himself, but does his best to ignore it. Clearly his staring hadn't been as inconspicuous as he'd hoped. "No, I—my brother did not die, the way we were all led to believe. Him and I are Blades, and I believe that you could be too. Have you never wanted something more to fight for than what the Empire has given you?"

His peer's yellow eyes flicker. "I am but a Kyrak. I am not allowed more."

"The Blades do not care about castes," says Thace. "And neither do I."

Ulaz's face grows pained. "I have a sister. I cannot just leave her."

"You would not have to. My brother was unable to fake his death before my sister and I discovered his plot. You could tell her the truth, before you disappear. Perhaps even check in on her when it's safe."

Ulaz's yellow eyes duck down. "And if I took you upon your offer," he says, "if I joined the Blades." His eyes harden, and Thace knows he's been successfully snared. "What would I be?"

Thace grins. "Whatever you wanted to be. An assassin, perhaps."

Thace heard the sound of a rifle firing before he entered the brand new training deck on Base Delta. He found Lira with a sniper rifle notched on her shoulder. She hit the bullseye six times in quick succession. He watched her shoulders tighten and then relax when she heard his footfalls, and she lowered her gun as she turned towards him.

"You shoot like him," said Thace.

Lira didn't smile the way he'd hoped. "I do not know if I am ready for this," she said, tracing the spine of her rifle. "I have never carried out this sort of mission alone. Uncle always used to make sure I had my aim straight."

"I have felt that way too," Thace said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Many times I felt out of my depth in constructing our new Base or on missions. More still in consulting with Voltron's scientist for our new guns. But I have managed, and so will you. You have always had a strong hold over your duty, Lira."

Her eyes darted down to the floor, and then up to his face. "You mean the way you did at the Emperor's central command?"

Thace stiffened. "I don't know what you—"

"I know they were tipped off there was a spy because you were looking for Orilla in their databases." She put a hand on her hip. "Care to enlighten me?"

"I couldn't not check," Thace muttered, and she softened.

"You didn't find anything, did you?"

He shook his head. "Their records drop off at the same times ours do. It's like... it's like she just turned into smoke." Kolivan would have called him a fool, for keeping the search going after twenty years, but he knew his older brother didn't think their sister was dead, either.

"She may have met Uncle's fate," Lira said. "No body to bury. Just... swallowed by the stars."

Thace gave her a hard stare. "I'm not so certain we know Ulaz's fate, either," he revealed, and her eyes widened.

"What do you mean? The paladins were there. They saw his base collapse and explode—"

"Into a pocket of time and space, yes."

Lira placed a hand on her chest. "Thace, I would like my Uncle to be alive just as much as you, but—"

"Ulaz gave their Black Paladin a message for me. The Champion recorded it before he died." Thace procured the chip recording with his name inscribed on it in characters he didn't recognize from one of the pockets located beneath his Blade breastplate. "Ulaz's request was for me to be told he was sorry."

Lira faltered. "Those sound like last words to me," she said softly, and Thace made a note to ask how she felt about not being included in that request later.

"Your uncle and I had a vow to never say goodbye when we left on separate missions."

"Because Blades don't say goodbye," she said, as though the reason was obvious—and indeed, Blades did not say goodbye. No attachments; no funerals. It was better to have clean cut offs, and to not tempt fate.

"We did not say it because we knew we would see each other again," Thace continued, pressing. "We would say 'I'm sorry,' instead. Sorry that we had to part, and bear the pain of that separation. Not that we would never reunite."

Her face fell. "Perhaps he meant you would see one another again in Kral-El?" Even Galra liked the idea of a harmonious afterlife, after all.

"If he thought he was dying, he would have said goodbye," Thace said firmly. "No. There's something else going on, something else he knew. I just have to figure it out."

Lira pursed her lips and then she very lightly poked him in the ribs. "I suppose it is a good thing you have time to sit at a computer and recover, then," she said, trying to smile.

Thace managed one far better than she did. "I'll be here to see you off and see you when you get back from your mission. You still have a few days. Just breathe. You'll do well."

Lira watched him walk away and wondered if he knew that was part of the problem.

::::

"Each Lion, as you may have noticed," Allura began, "is linked with a corresponding element, and so therefore is their paladin. The Green Paladin is the Guardian of the forest, and living things. The Red Paladin is the Guardian of fire. The Blue Paladin is the Guardian of water. The Yellow Paladin is the Guardian of the earth. And the Black Paladin—" She glanced towards where Shiro would have sat in the centre of the group, gathered today on the floor of the training deck. "Is the Guardian of the sky. Attachment and ability to these powers varied from paladin to paladin across the generations. Just because Lance has access to them does not mean the rest of you will, or in such short a time span, and—yes, Hunk?"

He kept his hand raised. "But uh, if each Lion's quintessence is supposed to mirror their pilot's, then why doesn't my Lion—or any of ours—have an equally strong bond with each of their different paladins, over the years?"

"The Lions seek those with complimentary paladins," she answered. "Not only for themselves, but for each other and the other paladins. All parts of the pride must work together to form a coherent whole that is capable of forming Voltron." She smiled slightly at Lance. "Historically, Blue is often the one to gauge the other paladins the other Lions are considering. The Lion is flexible enough to see how each possible paladin's weaknesses and strengths can work with her sisters', and one another. But there are some paladins, like Shiro, and Lance now, where the connection runs deeper than personality and a common goal. Coran?"

Her advisor drew up a holofeed. There was a diagram of a Lion, transparent and generic enough to apply to any of the five, but based the most off Black's shape. Beside it were the Altean characters for SOUL BOND.

"There are some paladins' whose quintessence and personality don't just match their Lion, but their soul as well. These paladins do not exist in every generation, but they are the strongest. When a Lion's and paladin's soul matches up, it is known as a Soul Bond. It creates a heightened connection, and these are typically the connections that cause elemental powers to develop in paladins even when they are far away from their Lions, even after say years apart."

"So Blue is my other half, basically?" said Lance, looking rather delighted, if a tad unsure of what to think about the fact a giant mechanical Lion was his soulmate.

Allura gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "More than that. The Lion helps make you whole, and vice versa. The powers cannot be rushed however. They come out in time, and in natural situations. The fact that you," she said, glancing at Pidge and Keith, "were affected by Eidolon's cold climate is hopeful, however, that your powers will develop. And Hunk, I'm sure they will for you as well. The Yellow Lion will not forget your devotion to a rock planet like the Balmera. But for now, Lance, since you're the only paladin will access to these abilities, you will train with Coran in the evening to figure out how they work and how they work for you. We also have a series of ancient texts for you to refer to for training tips."

"As your bonds with your Lions deepen," she continued, and Coran drew up a different holograph that read LION NAMES. "In time, your Lions may reveal their names to you. Each Lion has one predominant one, sometimes gifted by their first paladin, sometimes it is an intrinsic thing they have known since they were created. Their names are meant to be kept between a Lion and their paladin, and the wider pack as a whole. It is a treasured secret, and one that has never been written down. The Lion sharing theirs with you is a sign of deep trust and love, and typically happens with every Lion-paladin pair. You will come to know them in time."

"So basically," said Pidge, not bothering to raise your hand, "you called this lesson to tell us we just have to be patient?"

Allura frowned. "More than that. I told Queen Ryner we would be hard at work training the next few weeks, and I meant it."

All five Lions on Eidolon had been enough to drive off the attacking Galra, but it wouldn't always be. They would need Voltron to carry on, and it was her duty to figure out how to form it with the rest of the team. She may not have had a Soul Bond with Black, not like Shiro surely had, for him to survive Zarkon in the astral plane, but she was still the Lion's paladin, and now it was time to act like it.

"After all," she said, "we must learn how to form Voltron. The real training begins tomorrow," she threw a stern look at Lance, who spluttered, "and I expect you to all be on time, bright and early."

Keith's gaze was steady. Although he was not the Black Paladin nor leader Shiro had hoped for, it seemed the boy was taking his obligation to support her seriously enough. "You can count on us, princess," he promised, elbowing Lance. "And Mr. Walk-on-Water over here."

Lance frowned, but then brightened. "I actually like the sound of that."

Allura pinched the bridge of her nose mostly to hide a smile. "You're all dismissed for the day. Rest."

::::

Pollux is full of plumes of smoke, and the landing pad on the outskirts of the Wall is no different. Kova is the friendliest thing to find him when he ambles down from his ship with all the grace of a ten year old, his limbs not quite gangly and definitively hardly grown, and Lotor scoops him up into his arms. It is a rare occurrence he does not travel with his mother—she hardly ever lets him out of her sight, but he supposes next to central command, Pollux under its current leadership is the second safest place for him in the galaxy. As crown heir, he has quite a lot of enemies, and it's something that makes his father laugh every time he brags about it in his best princely voice.

"Will he be your point of interest every time you visit?" Lotor looks up to see the towering form of his sister, and although her face is covered by her druid mask, he can hear the smile in her voice. He stops scratching under Kova's chin, the cat purring, and runs to hug her. Merla takes off her mask to pick him up. With him still a young child—Altean blood alone makes for an interesting mix, where decades are merely years, elongating the Galra lifespan by a considerable amount—and her a young adult, it is all too easy.

Lotor tugs at the new braid in her long white hair, and traces the red arcs shaped like lightning under her eyes, crawling further down her cheeks than it had the last time she'd visited. "Perhaps," he says, and she grins.

"Ah," Merla plays along. "So long as I am chopped therrak, I suppose I can put up with it. Mother has been treating you well?"

She's thinner, Lotor notes as he shifts against his sister. She must have been doing more magic recently. "Yes. She said I could watch her banish some of the dissenting druids, but she won't tell me why they're being banished, nor where they'll go afterwards."

Merla stiffens. "Dissenters are banished to the Other World, Lotor," she explains, a little hoarse. "A land suspended between life and death before they eventually succumb. You know that no one leaves Pollux. They're being banished were taking unauthorized doses of an unlawful substance."

He's a child though, and easily bored. "Have you been doing any superb magic lately?"

Her levity returns, as much as it ever exists. "I do have something special to show you," she promises. "May I put you down?" Lotor pouts but nods, and pulls Kova into his arms as Merla raises hers. Her eyes and hands flash white, the marks upon her face blazing, and then she holds a flower made of ever moving stardust. She bends down and holds it out to him. "Here."

It's enchanting, and Lotor grips it in his fist. The particles shift a bit more under his hand, but remain coherent enough to hold the shape. "It's beautiful. What is it?"

"A poor imitation," she says, "of the juniberries that used to grow on Altea."

His face lights up. Stories and songs, particularly from his sister, are all he has left of the old, otherwise forgotten planet that holds half of his heritage. He never remembers that his mother only set foot there for a few years, and that most of the Alteans he's known are descendants of the Banished Twelve, who left with Fala Morigin thousands upon thousands of years ago. He looks back at the flower in his hand.

"Will this one grow too, if I plant it?" he asks, already knowing he'll ask one of the servants to do it for him. A prince doesn't get his hands dirty; that's what Mother and Father always say.

Merla chuckles and smooths down his hair. "No. No growing thing comes from Pollux, little one." She stands up and takes his hand. "Come. It's not good for a young flower like yourself to be here for too long. Let's go see those banishments, shall we?"

The flower drops from his hand as she leads him away, Kova cradled in his other arm and purring mildly. Perhaps the darkness of the city and the masked inhabitants should scare him, but he is never scared when he is with Merla. If he is a young flower, like she says, then she is the thorns that guard his stem.

She will never let anything hurt him.

Remnants of his engine exhaust rustled his cloak as Lotor stepped out of his ship, and breathed in Pollux's salty city air. Dark towers rose to a sky that would have appeared to be a cave, if not for the shifting clouds and the twin crescent moons shining vague light. "Ah," he said with a cheshire grin. "You haven't changed a bit."

He hadn't come here often as a boy—Pollux had predominantly been the domain of his mother and sister—but he'd been once or twice. Enough to remember the low hanging lanterns full of flickering purple fire, the space station ancient and creaking and on top of the dark side of a motionless moon, suspended in orbit by the spells Fala Morigin had cast so long ago.

His mother's favourite druid, Tamlin, oversaw the spells now, and the cloaked Altean was waiting for him in the Sanctuary. There were longer lanterns hanging from the grand, arched ceilings. Incense burned like smoke and druids, mostly unmasked within the walls of their churches, bore many features, their marks corrupted and curving the same way Merla's had under their eyes, but nowhere near as long or grotesque. Small tidal waves compared to her storm.

Tamlin's hands were white as bone, clasped in front of the golden belt tied around the waist of her robes. Her hood was drawn up but her dark hair was still visible, her mask off. Her face was weathered and thin with flaccid skin as pale as her hands. The crescent marks under her eyes curved towards her eyebrows, making her look rather perpetually surprised, and coloured a deep, blood red.

"Ah, Prince Lotor," she wheezed. She'd been the head priestess on Pollux since before Merla had run away six hundred years ago, and it was starting to show. Lotor didn't know why his mother didn't just replace her. "Your mother sent word you would be coming. We have made the proper accommodations—"

His mother never missed an opportunity to show off her line of work, after all, with how consumed Lotor was with his father's Empire. But Lotor couldn't help his general lack of interest in his mother's work. Powerful and dark and impressive it may be, he had not been blessed with enough Altean blood for their alchemy to access that power. He was by all accounts a Galra in Altean shape, and he had never pretended otherwise.

"I have no time for pleasantries," he cut in. "I am here to see your Seer, Cecillus."

Tamlin's fingers jolted as though they were about to snap, but she nodded, only muttering, "As you wish, young prince," and he was too tired from his journey to snap that he was a good few millennia older than her. He followed her silently down the hall, past wide arched doorways, most full of plants hanging from the ceiling, luminescent and plugged into various machines.

Cecillus' dwelling place was near the end of the hall, and he sat mediating beneath the statue of the moon goddess, Celeste. The goddess' hands were clasped around a tiny Altea, and under her bare heels was the severed head of her sister, Luna. The two were the twin moons of Altea, but Celeste had born the blanket of the longer night as compared to her sister, who had had a shorter orbit around the lost planet.

Cecillus' white hair was cropped short, his skin dark and markings blue. Runes were etched onto the back of his hands, jagged and from torn flesh now healed over. He was a handsome man, by all means, but Lotor hadn't come to be distracted by a pretty face.

"We've been expecting you," Cecillus said, his eyes still closed, but there was purple light glowing underneath his lids, turning them translucent. Lotor quirked a brow at Tamlin, and Cecillus elaborated. "The goddess and I. The moon mother has told me of your arrival, and of the questions you seek. The comet of meaning. The downfall of your enemies. The location of the traitor." Cecillus opened one eye and revealed a vivid blue iris. "You do realize that General Sendak is dear to some of us? We made his arm. We broke him and reformed him."

"He's another one of my mother's pets," Lotor dismissed. "Made more in the arena than here." If Cecillus tested him again, and he had a good enough excuse, Lotor wouldn't hesitate to ruin the seer's pretty face. "And I am your future Emperor, so mind how you speak."

"The traitor's location is hidden from us," said Cecillus. "As it has been all these centuries. Whatever cloaking spell she has created, it is unlike anything we've ever seen. There is a bright spot, however. She seeks the same meaning you do."

"The comet?" Lotor exhaled.

"Your destinies will be intertwined again soon enough. I have seen it in my mind's eye. But there are more players in this game you must be wary of. Voltron, and Altea's princess. The Black Lion has roared for her."

"I will handle Voltron's rebellion of imbeciles," Lotor promised. "Now, Sendak?"

"Will fall in due time," Cecillus said. "But so will all. The wheel still turns. Even moons must set."

"I intend to rise," said Lotor, his eyes glittering like the sun, like his mother's: a flash of tainted gold when he grew irritable. He straightened, his robes flapping behind him, and glared about Tamlin. "I wish to see my accommodations, now."

"Yes, sire," Tamlin grumbled. "Of course."

"And I desire more dosages be sent to my room," he ordered.

He would need them soon enough, after all.