Paxix sat moodily on his bed.

Ko had refused to even look at him when he'd tried to talk to him outside of Lances earshot. Barka as well had picked up the kids and had marched swiftly to his own room.

He hadn't even been part of the argument!

If only his mother could see him now…

Well, perhaps not. She'd be so pissed…

There came a knock on his door and when he opened it, found Barka. He looked very tired.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure," Paxix shrugged and stood to one side. Paxix wasn't sure what Barka was up to. Normally he wouldn't go against what Lance had said, and here he was breaking the rules.

Barka found a seat and waited until Paxix had found one himself.

"I wished to apologize for losing my temper-"

"And I'm going to stop you there," Paxix said shaking his head, "is losing your temper REALLY the reason you feel guilty?"

Barka thought for a moment, "yes. It is."

Paxix sighed. They weren't going to go anywhere with this.

"I also wished to explain myself to you first, before I explained myself to Ko," Barka said, ignoring Pax's sigh, "You seem to hold a lot of weight in his opinion, and I thought I should…run my thoughts past you first, before attempting with him."

"Sounds reasonable," Paxix said, "so, what are you trying to explain?"

"My master is a good person. Her husband died long ago. She had been celibate since. I want that understood the most. Her position may have been close to the Emperor, but she had no love or loyalty to him."

Paxix raised an eyebrow, "but she's a galra."

Barka nodded, "Please, I swore to never breathe a word of this, but there are Galra that oppose the emperor. But until the time is right, they can not act in any way. The Emperor watches every galra too closely. They are not allowed to marry or have children outside their race. That is why any with Galra blood that are not pure are made into slaves, so that they will be eradicated."

"You haven't told this to Lance?"

"I saw no need to since he trusts me already. Is it not the mark of a desperate and guilty man to try and convince those that are already convinced?"

Paxix paused, then shrugged, "k, go on."

"I recognize Ko's freedom, but to me, serving the master who saved my life, that is my freedom. It is a life I choose. Shackles or no, I would still be loyal to my master. I don't want to give her or the children any reason to doubt me or mistrust me."

"And us?" Paxix asked, "what about our trust?"

"I am explaining this to you so that-"

"Not good enough. Words are just that, and they mean nothing without action."

Barka looked down at his hands and nodded his understanding. But what could he do? He already worked with them daily, and helped them when they were hurt or over worked. What else was there?

"Let me take off one shackle," Paxix said, and Barkas head snapped up.

"No."

"Just one, we can leave the other one on-"

"Absolutely not!"

"Its not-"

"NO!"

Boom!

The ship shook violently.

BOOM BOOM!

Paxix was flung to the floor and Barka tried to help him up wne the shaking also knocked him to the floor.

"What the-" Paxix winced as he bit his tongue.

Barka stood and bolted for the door, "Libby! Amnur!"

()

After they had left Lance sat in his chair and held his head in his hands.

"that could have gone better," Coran said, his hologram picking up on Lances distress, "Allura-"

"I know Allura could have done better!" Lance snapped, "She probably could've just stood and her presence alone would've shut them up! Same with Keith! Same with Shiro! Hunk would've guilted them into being friends a LONG time ago!"

"And pidge?"

Coran asked when Lance didn't give an example for her.

"Pidge would have just left and let them fight it out….should I have?"

"No," coran said sternly, "you were right to stop them. Fighting is one thing, but that would have been not ok."

Lance shook his head, "What am I going to do?"

"That's not your choice," Coran said, "Its there's. Allura may have been mean to you, but in the end, it was yours and the others choice to stay and work together. You can put a paladin in a lion, but you can't make him fly it!"

Lance snorted. Even as a hologram, coran would always be coran, and Lance was grateful.

"How are we supposed to form Voltron? Not only do we only have two, maybe tree, but where do we even look for a-"

BOOM!

()

Lance ran to the bridge, often hitting the walls as the ship shook under the impacts.

"PAXIX! KO!" Lance roared into the ships com, "Get to your lions!"

As the windows zoomed in on the one firing, Lance shuddered.

Haggar had found them.

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