Lance had sworn Farrah and GG to silence on what had happened on Earth and about his ability to store quintessence. He would tell the others on his own time, in his own way, and if he never had to tell them, even better.

The next day all the paladins, Lance, and GG were talking outside. Pidge told him what Sam and told her about what happened to his family and Iverson. She also said they were on the search to see if maybe they could find his family.

"You won't find anything," he said, "I know they're all gone."

"But Lance, I found mine when I thought they'd died."

"You won't find anything because I've already deleted all the evidence I found while traveling around with GG," Lance said smiling at her, "I found the videos and database files on everyone. They're gone…and don't look at me like that. I've mourned and grieved and I'm fine. I've got Farrah and GG."

"And us," Hunk said, "You've got us."

"Of course," Lance grinned at him and wondered what they would say if he told them that he'd killed Iverson. Would they be horrified? Would they stand by him like GG had?

"So, Iverson killed himself?"

"Yeah," Shiro said, "Sam mentioned it was an open and shut case because of all the evidence his niece provided."

Way to go Maryne.

In turn, Lance told them about what he and GG had been doing. They laughed and groaned when he told them about the Pina Colada song and what they did with it.

"The most feared song in the enemy Galra forces," GG said seriously.

They told him about how they discovered and got rid of the fake Shiro. And they finally asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"So how did you know?!"

"How did I know what?"

Keiths face twitched and Allura nodded like she expected this.

"How did you know the fake Shiro was a fake?!"

Lance frowned and shrugged, "I didn't."

"BULL!"

"Common, Lance," Hunk nudged him, "Spill."

"No, really guys," Lance laughed, "I had no idea. I got up to get a drink of water and next thing I knew I was tied up in a pod in the middle of space!"

"Oh really?" Keith wasn't buying it, "Then what?"

"Got picked up by a Galra cruiser, got knocked out again, woke up in a really weird prison where I met GG, ya know, like I told you before if you'd just listen."

"But you fought with him!"

"Yeah, cause he was pissing me off," Lance said, "He never listened to anything anyone had to say, he was a jerk to Keith, he was in everyones business, and by then I was just kinda done with his crap. No offence to the real Shrio."

"yeah," Shiro said not sure how he should be taking this.

"But they thought you knew, that's why they wanted to get rid of you," Allura said, "At least, that's what we thought…"

"Makes sense to me," Lance said shrugging, "But I really didn't know. I am glad you guys figured it out though."

"Then why did you want to talk to me?" Keith wasn't done drilling.

"And about coded messages?" Pidge joined in.

"I told you," Lance rolled his eyes, "Shiro was driving me crazy! He wasn't letting me do anything! I wanted to ask Keith to get his stupid, emo, jerk-face back to the ship so HE could deal with all the bs!"

It was strange how their carefully thought out reasoning's had just fell completely apart. Oh well, at least the result was a good one.

GG watched the lie form so easily. Too easily. Around the other paladins he wasn't himself, just like when he was with the cadets he wasn't himself. Though instead of masquerading as a mastermind and digging into everyones personal secrets, he was acting the fool and protecting his own secrets. The request to keep him grounded wasn't just to keep him from falling in the pit, but to pull him from the clouds as well.

()

The day before they were to launch, Lance holed himself up in his room and tried to make plans about where he'd go from here. It was obvious that he couldn't stay.

"Hey, Lance, have you seen Farrah?" Shiro stuck his head into his room, causing him to have a minor heart attack.

"Jezz, don't do that. The last time I saw him he was talking to Keith in the lounge, why?"

"Kolivan just showed up with two other Blades."

"Ooo, triplicate," Lance grinned, "must be very important."

"Try not to say anything to piss them off," Shiro said, but smiled. He went to the lounge and Lance decided to head to the bridge as see Kolivan himself.

"I refuse," GG was saying as Lance walked in. He stood directly in front of Kolivan who, in turn, had his hand out stretched. The atmosphere was tense, and Lance edged along the side to stand next to Allura and Corran.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"Kolivan just asked for GGs blade," Allura whispered back.

"Why?"

"I don't know," She said with a shrug, "I didn't understand a lot of what they were saying. But I think Kolivan doesn't believe that GG and Farrah are from 10000 years ago."

"I will not say it again, young one," Kolivan spoke with authority and command.

GG stood his ground and didn't move.

"Hey, Kolivan!" Lance stepped forward, breaking the tension, "Long time no see!"

Kolivan merely glanced over before responding, "welcome back."

"Thanks," Lance grinned and wedged himself between the two Galras, "You see, Kolivan, Farrah will be here any second now, so can't this wait until after you talk to him?"

"There is no need to wait," Kolivan said, "This is a Galra matter, stay out of it."

"He has every right to speak," GG replied coldly, "It is you that has overstepped your bounds."

"Cake! I think Hunk left some in the kitchen! Let's all go get cake!" Lance pleaded, but his words fell on deft ears.

"You have not proven yourself by trial."

"I need no trial," GG seethed, "This is my weapon that I forged on my own. I gathered and mined the material. I lit the fire. I made my blade. No one has the right to even ask for it."

"The Blades have no need for-"

"Just stuff it up your blow hole!" GG snapped. Lance winced and thought he probably shouldn't have taught him that one.

"What's going on?" Shiro entered with Farrah and Keith, "Lance?"

"In my defense I was trying to stop them," Lance said quickly, backing away with his hands in the air.

"You're offspring has quite the mouth," Kolivan turned to Farrah, "And no respect."

"It is a hazard of our profession," Farrah said, not responding to the upset and instead tried to smooth things over, "We are naturally loud so we can hear each other over our work, so when we miss our mark and get our hand, the curses are just as loud."

He held out his hand in greeting and Kolivan took it a little stiffly.

"You are Farrah, the self-proclaimed founder of the Blades?"

"More like co-founder," Farrah again ignored the insult, "I'm sure you were filled in on how we ended up here."

"It is not believable," said Regris.

"The same happened with the Princess and you doubt my word?"

"We doubt Zarkon and the Witch would have forgotten about their high-profile prisoners."

"Ah," Farrah nodded, "Now I see. At the beginning of the war, we had an objective. The Alteans destroyed our planet, so we destroyed theirs. After that it was simply meaningless slaughter. Many things were changing and many Galra were confused and couldn't keep up. The emperor had a poisoned mind and was leading us down a path that a lot of us had no interest in. In all that confusion and getting a foothold in the complete change of our very culture, are you sure they wouldn't lose a few frozen prisoners?"

It was a sound argument and valid question.

"Very well," Kolivan nodded his acceptance, "is your intention to rejoin?"

"I don't need to rejoin what I haven't left," Farrah said grinning, "we merely wanted to talk and see what had happened to the group and where it is going, perhaps help out where we can."

"So your offspring has said," Kolivan said, "But our objectives do not seem to be similar."

"We started the Blades of Marmora not just to fight back against tyranny, but to preserve the true culture of the Galra," Farrah said, "Are you saying your objectives are different from that?"

"We have lost much over the years," Regris replied, "we have acted and grew in a way that is necessary for out fight to continue."

"In other words," Farrah said, no longer in a good mood, "You've held yourselves so far removed from life that you no longer value it."

"Survival was a must in the war we fought."

"And now you face discrimination on almost all sides," Farrah was calm, but the words themselves were like bullets, "you let your secrets become more important than the simple effort it would have taken to help others."

"Simple?" Kolivan growled, "you leave before the expansion begins and come back when its over and lecture us on 'simple effort'?! You have no say in this matter! Founder or not, you have not seen what we have nor have you been faced with the choices that we have!"

"I'm sure I have not," Farrah agreed, "but it does not make my words any less true."

"We will have you give up your blades," Regris said, "you are no longer members of the Blades of Marmora."

Farrah sighed and spoke to GG, "Is this why you lost your temper?"

"I did not lose my temper," GG said glaring at the other Galra, "I simply became irritated."

"So so," Farrah nodded as he turned back to Kolivan and the others, "Bite me."

Lance sighed as Shiro and Keith narrowed their eyes suspiciously at him. He might not have said anything to make Kolivan mad, but he had taught his adopted family well.