"I can't believe you!"
Lotor never would have guessed that Torc would be his undoing. The boy was so simple, so doltish that the very thought of him posing any kind of threat hadn't even crossed the prince's mind as he and Ezor were meticulously covering their tracks. He was a minor, seemingly insignificant loose end but apparently he was all that Klara had needed to uncover everything, and now Lotor was paying dearly for his insolence.
The sight of the livid Lepidoptan storming off of Lotor's ship almost as soon as it landed earned more than a few curious stares from the soldiers currently on duty in the hanger, but a stern scowl from Zetherid sent all of them quickly scrambling back to work, though a gutsy few still dared to whisper amongst themselves and strain their ears to overhear whatever drama was about to take place.
"Klara, come back here this instant! This behavior is unacceptable!" Acxa shouted angrily at the retreating Lepidoptan, who just barely heard her over the crashing of her heart and the roaring of her blood in her ears.
"Unacceptable?! UNACCEPTABLE?! You don't get to tell me what is unacceptable!" Klara spat venomously, her eyes burning with rage so vibrant that hellfire would have looked dull in comparison.
"Klara, please calm down." Lotor crowed solemnly as he, Ezor, and Narti descended down the ship's ramp, his stoic expression a stark contrast to Klara's furious one despite the fact that he was feeling somewhat distressed as well. "I understand that you're upset. Why don't we talk about this someplace a bit more private-"
"Why?! So you can shut me up?! Am I causing too much of a commotion for you, your royal highness?!"
Sighing, Lotor shot Zetherid a subtle, pleading look, and immediately understanding what it was that he wanted, the latter spun on her heels and raised her voice so that everyone is the spacious hanger could hear her loud and clear, "Alright, everybody out!"
All work throughout the room ceased, but the soldiers remained fixed where they were, their startled, blank stares causing Zetherid's temper to spike.
"Are you all dense?! What did I just say?! Get moving!" she bellowed louder, her voice rising to a thunderous volume as it echoed off the walls that sent the previously statue-like soldiers scrambling for the door in a mad, cowardly dash of fright. Normally, the sight of the masses fleeing before her would have brought a somewhat sadistic grin to Zetherid's lips, but the tension currently reigning over the air took all the usual pleasure out of the moment.
"Zetherid, Acxa, go watch the doors; I don't want any interruptions or eavesdroppers. Ezor, Narti, go check on the returned work team to ensure that all...complications have been properly addressed and then begin drafting a replacement team; I want a list within a varga so I can begin making preparations for their departure." Lotor ordered, his eyes remaining unwaveringly fixed on Klara and vice versa.
The generals knew what he was trying to do, and surprisingly, it was Ezor this time that gave voice to their common concern. "Shouldn't one of us stay back with you to...you know...keep order?"
"I can handle this, Ezor. Go."
The stern intonation of the prince's voice warned that any further attempts at negotiating would be met with far less friendly results, so one by one, each of the generals sulked towards the door as well, the concern radiating from all of them creating a cloud over their heads that was so dense it was practically palpable. However, they all said nothing, and as they slipped single file out into the hall, only Ezor faltered in her stride just long enough to shoot a pained glance back at her leader before quickly following after her sisters, the door to the hanger sliding shut with a heavy, almost ominous thunk behind her.
The room had barely been theirs for more than a tick when Klara's fist collided with Lotor's nose just as he was about to speak, his words transforming into an unintelligible grunt as he stumbled back a few steps and cupped one hand over his face to protect himself from any further attack as well as to prevent the blood now dripping from his nostrils from staining the front of his uniform.
"You are despicable! You are the most vile, heartless being in the entire universe! Have you no sense of shame at all?!" she exclaimed angrily, her fists trembling with pent up rage as she fought the urge to throw another punch at his perfect face.
"Klara, let me explain-"
"Explain?! What is there to explain?! You lied to me and have now endangered several innocent lives, lives I promised Coban that I would protect should anything happen to him! How do you justify that, Lotor?!"
"Well maybe next time you'll think twice about trying to trick your captor into doing your work for you." Lotor remarked rather snidely before swiftly ducking out of the way as Klara swung at him again with a shrill screech of rage. Seizing both of her wrists before she could ready another strike, he rather roughly jerked her towards him and fiercely looked her in the eye, his lips set in a firm scowl. "Would you please stop trying to hit me? This is supposed to be a discussion, not a brawl."
"What else have you lied about, or has this whole thing just been one huge charade meant to pacify me while you destroy the lives of those I hold dear?! That would explain your random decision to start caring about me, wouldn't it?! Were you ever being honest with me even once?!" she spat at him as she strained against his hold, doing her best to ignore the pain of his claws sinking just far enough into her skin not to draw blood but still make her fairly uncomfortable.
"There's no point in me trying to argue my case if you've already made up your mind about me."
"That isn't what I asked! Was there ever a time when your aid or supposed kindness wasn't backed by an ulterior motive?!
"My intentions in helping you have been pure! You are the one who tried to twist my benevolence to serve your own gain!"
"And the fact that you went behind my back just proves I was right not to trust you with the truth! You claim that you want a universe of peace and unity, but your actions say something entirely different! What am I to believe, Lotor?! Which side of you am I to trust?!"
"You see what you want to see! Your anger blinds you into perceiving things in ways they are not-"
"I see clearly enough, clearer than I have in a long time! You have been manipulating me and using me this whole time, and I was stupid enough to fall for your cruel deception! You're no enlightened Galra savior; you're the slimiest wretch of them all!"
Lotor's face suddenly became very still, followed by a dark shadow slowly glossing over his features as his eyes ignited their own pits of vengeful flames and foul smoke that left a sickening taste in Klara's mouth.
"And you are oh so righteous yourself? Are you not the reason that your people and your comrades are suffering? Was it not your decisions and your leadership that led them into their current snare? Your childish ambitions are to blame for the suffering you see around you! You're no saintly princess or victim deserving of pity! You are a pirate and a spoiled little girl who is willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want, regardless of who suffers the consequences?! Admit it, Klara; you and I are more alike than you think!"
Words could never fully convey the vehemency of Klara's rage, so she didn't bother trying to. Instead, she plunged her leg directly into Lotor's gut with all of the strength and anger she had kept bridled up until that point, ignoring the sting of Lotor's claws shredding through the flesh of her arms as she sent him skidding along the hanger floor on his back in a manner that at another time she might have found humorous.
"I am nothing like you!"
Within those final words, she whirled on her heels and stormed towards the exit as Lotor strenuously rolled himself up into a sitting position, his eyes fixed in a piercing glare on the Lepidoptan's back as he cradled his throbbing stomach.
"Where do you think you are going?! I have not dismissed you!" he demanded assertively despite the fact that generating such a volume worsened his aching.
"I'm going to my cell!"
"It is no longer your cell, remember?"
"Then I'll have the guards put me in a different one!"
"And what of Haggar? You won't be safe from her there."
"At the moment, even her company would be preferable to yours!"
"You're a fool."
"And you're a bastard!"
The hanger double doors couldn't seem to slide apart fast enough for Klara, Lotor's presence growing increasingly insufferable as each second dragged by at an unbearably slow pace. However, no sooner had the exit finally opened enough for her to dart through than did Zetherid's paw swiftly wrap around her neck in a vise-like grip and hoist her into the air, holding her out far enough that the former's flailing legs just barely grazed the latter's chestplate with her wild kicking.
"You've really messed up now, princess." she snarled through bared teeth as Acxa came up alongside her and leveled the barrel of her gun with Klara's temple, eyes steely and unforgiving. Meanwhile, Ezor and Narti hurriedly scuttled to Lotor's side only to be waved away as the prince arduously dragged himself off of the floor, one arm still wrapped securely around his middle.
"Let her go, Zetherid." he said flatly, most of the anger having vanished from his face though a few traces of it still remained in the creases of his brows and the shadows of his eyes. "If the wench is bent on damning herself then I will not stop her."
The hulk of a general's jaw fall agape in disbelief. "Sir, you can't be serious! She attacked you! She needs to be taught a lesson-"
"Do not make me repeat myself, General."
Zetherid, Ezor, Acxa, and Narti were all taken aback. Never, not even in their early days of working together, had Lotor ever addressed any of them by their rankings as opposed to their names, a unique testament to the way he saw them as his equals rather than his underlings like so many other Galra viewed their brothers and sisters. To be addressed by him in such a way was enstranging, as if they were only just noticing the thick glass wall standing between him and them for the first time even though it had always been there. Regardless of whether they cared for him like a friend or a comrade, he was still first and foremost their leader, something they would do best not to forget.
Zetherid barely felt her fingers uncurling from around Klara's neck nor heard the thump of the Lepidoptan's body hitting the floor as she scowled at Lotor, her tongue stayed only by the firm grip of Acxa's hand on her forearm. The prince alone bothered to watch as Klara scampered out of the room, doing the best to distract from the hurt and tears in her eyes with her furious flush and clenched teeth, but with her she took only a fraction of the tension in the room as the hanger doors shut behind her, unease that was merely magnified by the stifling uncertainty that lingered between those left behind. The incessant silence blanketing the room was insufferable, but more terrifying was murkiness of what lay beyond it, the fate obscured but also almost so certain to be poignant that none of them wished to be the one to pierce the veil of quiet and thus send the ensuing calamity into motion. However, sitting in silence for the rest of their lives was hardly a realistic option either, and eventually, Zetherid was the one to step forth and throw back the curtains protecting them from the gales that they all knew awaited them.
"You shouldn't have just let her off like that. She was out of line!" she hissed, her anger having morphed from a fiery burst to a steady, searing simmer whose crackle could be heard in her words.
"As are all of you, if I am not mistaken." Lotor grunted back as he raised his gaze to meet theirs. Though exhaustion reigned predominant in his eyes, flecks of disappointment, annoyance, and possibly even worry could be seen peeking through in certain spots like stars flickering in the scattered patches of open sky on an otherwise cloudy night. "I gave you orders and you defiantly ignored them. I already have one unruly rogue to deal with, and I won't tolerate four more, understood?"
"If she's such a problem then why don't you punish her like you would any other prisoner?! Why do you let her prance around like she owns the place?! You should've let me pummel her into a pulp or at the very least give her a good beatdown!"
"And what would that have done other than reinforce what she already believes about us?" Lotor retorted sharply, though he softened his tone somewhat before continuing, "Part of diplomacy is knowing who and who not to invest your effort into. It is quite clear now that Klara has no intention of being won over, so she is no longer any concern of ours, the gravity of which she will learn sooner or later."
His words sounded promising enough but the weight bearing down on Acxa's chest didn't shift in the slightest, and judging by their body language, she could tell her fellow generals were of the same mindset as she. They wanted to believe Lotor's sweet, enticing words, but they also knew better than anyone how skillful of a performer he really was. Still, perhaps his intentions were true; perhaps all he needed was a little nudge in the right direction.
"...Those left working on the project are still awaiting your orders, my prince. Perhaps we should check in on them in person and see what progress has been made-" she said calmly, hoping her prodding was subtle enough not to rouse Lotor's suspicion but still strong enough to have some kind of effect, but the prince swiftly cut her off.
"Too risky. The witch will surely catch wind of our recent endeavor if she hasn't already and will begin watching us more closely again, so it would be on our best interest to lay low for a few quintents. Tell those on site to finish what work they can and then stand by for further instructions, as well as warn them that I want communication kept to a minimum."
That wasn't the response his generals had been hoping for, but the tension still radiating off of Lotor cautioned against any attempts are arguing.
"Yes sir." they crowed in stiff unison.
"Narti, Ezor, I still want that list of members for the replacement team. Acxa, Zetherid, you two are dismissed for now."
"And what about you? Shouldn't you get looked over? You took some pretty hard hits." Ezor chirped worriedly.
"I've endured worse. Besides, the less the witch knows, the less she can interfere. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some adrenaline to work off." Lotor purred.
Zetherid and Acxa shared a glance before the latter spoke, "Why don't we join you? A little exercise could do all of us some good-"
"I wish to be alone. If I have need of you, I will call you. You are dismissed."
The iciness of Lotor's tone left Acxa dumbstruck, leaving her to stare blankly at Lotor's back as he briskly left the hanger, but an aggravated snarl soon shook her from her trance.
"Zetherid, your temper…" she warned.
"Oh, bite me Acxa! You're seriously going to pretend like there isn't something seriously wrong going on with him? He's completely shutting us out! Us! The people who have always been there for him! I don't know what has gotten into him lately, but I have a pretty good quiznaking idea of who is to blame for it!" Zetherid bellowed, her eyes narrowed into angry yellow slits and fists clenched so tightly that they were trembling.
"And what do you expect us to do? He ordered us to leave him alone, and he made it very clear that he wouldn't tolerate any further disobedience from us." Acxa countered cooly, arms slipping into a defensive fold in front of her chest.
"So we're supposed to just sit back and do nothing?" Ezor frowned, to which she received a weary sigh in reply.
"Yes. For now, we will respect Lotor's wishes. Without the Lepidoptan to worry about, he will hopefully start acting like himself again, and in the meantime, we can all help him indirectly by generating as little extra stress for him as possible. Ezor, Narti, go get started on that team; Zetherid, come with me."
"Where to?"
"Wherever the pirate's trail of destruction leads us."
"But Lotor said she was no longer our concern."
"She isn't but he is, and I won't allow her actions to cause any further trouble for him that they already have."