Kolivan came up on screen, "I will forgo greetings and get right to the point. We've been infiltrated."

"What?!"

Kolivan nodded and stepped to one side, "This is one who managed to make it past our securities and even swore an oath to us…however we found this in his belongings."

He held up a patch with Kryes insignia. A four pointed arrow with a star in the middle.

"He has one last wish, as per our culture, and his wish is to meet with you. Do you accept his wish?"

"Wish?"

"Lotor is here," Keith said, "and he knows about you already, is that a problem?"

"Kolivan," Shiro cut in, giving Keith a look, "we really think Lotor is on our side. Keeping you two separate is ridiculous. Yes, we are fine with this guys last wish, but you have to come soon, right? Well, Lotors here as well and you are going to have to be fine with that."

Kolivan looked from one to the other.

"Fine," Kolivan said after a moments consideration, "I shall introduce myself, however, the Blades dealings will not be known to him unless we speak to him ourselves. Is that a suitable compromise?"

"Yes," Shiro nodded, "that's fine."

()

When Kolivan came he wore his hood as did the other two escorting their prisoner. Their features covered in their masks and voices distorted when they spoke.

"I am Kolivan," he said to Lotor, "this rat says his name is Cholek."

They looked to the captured galra. He had surrendered peacefully when he'd been found out, so there wasn't a mark on him. He looked calm and resigned.

"I wish to speak with Voltron alone," he said, a slight lilt to his voice indicating he didn't grow up on a galra ship and instead grew up on a galra colony.

"You did not specify when you made your wish, scum," said another Blade, "speak, now."

The prisoner took a deep breath and nodded. He took his time gathering his thoughts.

"I joined the Blades, not to sell them out," Cholek said, "But because I believed their goal to be similar to Kryes. I do not believe Krye to be your enemy. My lord is not an evil force, but one who-"

"What dribble," Lotor sneered, "He would have saved Zarkon if he could!"

"Let him speak," Kolivan snapped, "This is his last wish and it will be given without interruption!"

"My lord is not evil," he said again, "lord Krye is not your enemy. You're goals…I know they are the same! My lord may not share everything with us, but I know they must be! His actions and yours are so similar! Please, I don't care what happens to me, but do not make Krye your enemy."

They waited and finally Cholek nodded, "I am finished."

"Such idiocy," Lotor spat.

"Now we will-"

"May I request you give him to me?" Lotor asked, surprising everyone.

"Why?" Kolivan asked.

"because I don't believe he should be killed," otor replied evenly, contradicting his earlier temperament, "whatever he saw of your works he's already passed on. I can use this person to blackmail Krye. I can get us more information on Krye."

"Krye hasn't been seen since Zarkon died," Regris said, "we haven't seen any ship of his at all, how are you going to find him?"

"If he's not as evil as Cholek says, then he'll come to get him, then Krye will have to answer my questions to get him back."

"That sounds like a villains plan," Hunk muttered and Pidge and Keith nodded.

"But it could help us," Shiro said as the others heads whipped around to stare at him, unbelievingly.

Kolivan was reluctant. He'd tried to send Blade members to infiltrate Kryes foces ever since the announcement, but to no avail. The fact that THEY had been the ones infiltrated was a sore point. But he still wouldn't wish anyone in the hands of lotor. Kolivan didn't know what Lotor specifically did to win the black paladins undying trust, but it had to be more than just saving them from Zarkons ship.

"Do you truly believe you can get information this way?" Kolivan asked as the prisoner tensed.

"Don't send me with-"

"Silence," Regris snapped, "You said your peace, now stay silent."

Cholek went pale and awaited his fate, no longer resigned or calm.

"I swear that he will see his lord again," Lotor said, face sincere and serious, "I know how to play the political game and prisoner swapping is common in war."

Kolivan nodded in agreement. Still…

"If we go this rout, then he must make it bodily back to Krye," kolivan stipulated, "understand? I will not have the Blades reputation blackened by any war crimes you commit after we hand him off to you."

"Of course," Lotor said, "I understand and I swear it will be so."

()

Lotor sailed on his ship and winced a little at the sounds coming from the back of the ship. Zethrid was making sure Cholek looked suitably desperate when they bargained with Krye.

They had activated the distress signal in the insignia and waited until Krye arrived.

Lotor stood and made his way to the back of the ship where Cholek was getting his breath back, the tight restraints already dislocating both of his shoulders.

"Why were you trying to convince Voltron that Krye wasn't their enemy?" Lotor asked, thinking that interrogating him might also be useful. Instead, however, Cholek spat in his face.

Lotor smacked him with the back of his hand.

"I'll ask one more time. Why are you trying to convince Voltron that Krye is not their enemy? Where you instructed to do so?"

Cholek just glared. Regris had told him that he'd said his peace, so he had, and he would say no more unless instructed to by his lord.

"My lord," Acxa came up to them, "Krye is here."

()

Lotor sat in the pilots seat as Kryes helmet appeared on the screen.

"Don't you ever take that thing off?" Lotor admonished.

"No."

It was a simple and dead answer, leaving no room for a conversation to happen. So lotor waited for Krye to start this time.

"I want to know," Krye said slowly, "Why one of my engineers panic signal is coming from your ship."

Zethrid and Ezor dragged Cholek to the front so he could be seen.

"You're man here infiltraited the Blades, a vigilante group, and was caught," Lotor said, "But you probably already know all about that."

Krye tilted his head, "Actually, no, I did not. Cholek, what are you doing there instead of in the engine room?"

Lotor looked at the galra that was being held up by his generals. He was barely breathing anymore, but he still raised his head on his own and spoke with as much clarity as he could.

"I beg, pardon, my lord…I saw the way you lead and realized…it was…no different from Voltron…or the Blades…They can't be our enemies…so I went to prove…my theory…"

"I see," Krye was emotionless, "Thank you, Lotor, for taking such good care of my engineer. I'll be taking him back now."

Lotor grit his teeth. Krye knew why they were there. He had to know. So why was he making lotor spell it out for him?

"What are you willing to give for this trash?" Lotor asked, "He's not that valuable but I'll take-"

"My fleet, Lotor," Krye said without hesitation, "I would give my fleet."

Both Lotor and Cholek stared in astonishment.

"But you already have a fleet," Krye replied, "What would you do with a second one?"

He was mocking him! Lotor thought his teeth would break if he clenched them any harder.

"I want information," Lotor said, "You held back when we swapped information before."

"But so did you," Krye shrugged, "And if you look at my strategies closely, I've hidden nothing you can't observe for yourself. My people are simply more suited to their roles than yours are."

More mockery and now insults!

"I'm not asking much," Lotor spat, "you're correct, I don't want your fleet, but how about a future favor? Any favor I ask, and I'll give this spy back to you?"

Krye thought for a moment, then nodded, "Deal."

He cut the communications and lotor stood. Cholek was still astonished that anyone would value his life that much.

Until Lotor shoved his sword into his gut.

"You will return alive," Lotor hissed, "but it will be too late to save you by then."

()

Lotors ship warped away, leaving a pod floating in the middle of space.

Krye ordered the pod be brought in and then no one touch it. The last thing he wanted was rumors to start spreading.

Choleks disappearance was a great mystery on his flag ship, so many were interested in the galras physical and mental state.

Krye waited by the hanger doors while the pod was brought in. when it landed he and Qaltok boarded alone.

The stench of blood greeted them before anything else.

Cholek lay on his back, holding his gut, trying to keep the blood from spilling out, but with his shoulders the way they were, he was unable to apply enough pressure.

Krye knelt beside his engineer.

"My…lord…" Cholek coughed, blood coming out from a cracked rib that had penetrated his stomach, "I …would…serve you….no…matter what…"

And he died.

Krye closed the engineers eyes and stood.

"Qal," he said quietly, "I'm angry…"

"Yes."

"But I've never had anger hurt me before…"

"That's because the pain is grief, sadness, not anger."

"Qal."

"Yes?"

"I want this cleaned up and taken care of," He bent over and grabbed the insignia off the dead persons chest. All insignias had a locator in them, that was common knowledge, but Kryes also had a camera and a recorder.

"Take this and download it," Krye added, "I want to watch it as soon as its ready."

"Yes, my lord."

()

The video was dark until Cholek was discovered. Krye watched how the blades dealt with him.

"you surrender in immediate guilt," Kolivan said, "you are allowed one last wish before your swift death."

"I wish to be able to speak to Voltron, face to face," Cholek replied.

Darkness and muffled sounds as they prepared his last wish.

When light came again it showed the paladins.

"This was found in his things."

Krye listened intently as they discussed what would happen and how Lotor would bargain for Choleks life. He watched the three younger paladins object and the black paladin agree. He listened to kolivans warning to Lotor…

Krye watched until the very end. Until he saw his own helmet in the screen.

"All bets are off," Krye muttered, "all of them."

()

The Kral Zera was spotted by all sorts of people looking to be the "lucky one". Zarkon could have left the throne to one of his sons, but hadn't thought that he would ever die.

When Lotor showed up with Voltron a few left, no longer hopeful of even luck.

The few who stayed were Sendak and five others.

The ritual started fairly, but as time progressed, the fighting got dirty. In the end it was Lotor and Sendak against each other. The other five either dead or given up.

Then Kryes entire fleet arrive and opened fire.

Voltron had no warning and couldn't react fast enough. The platform broke, the stand that the flame was to be cradled was obliterated.

Sendak made it back to his ship, and Voltron was barely able to save Lotor, but the arena was completely destroyed.

Then Krye and his fleet vanished. They came to make sure no one became emperor, and left when the job was done. Casualties be damned.

"And that guy said Krye wasn't our enemy," Shiro scoffed.

()

Voltron gathered with the rebles with Lotor and Kolivan to discuss next moves and what the destruction of the arena meant as a whole.

"There will be no emperor," kolivan shrugged, "Though this means a longer war to fill the power vacuum, I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. That method of choosing a leader has always been questionable."

"But was it not the ONLY way to end this peaceably?" Lotor sighed, "and without many casualties? That bastard came in and took out our only hope for a swift end to the war. Could we not have changed the ways after someone had become emperor?"

"And how would you have changed it?" Kolivan asked, "made it so YOU and YOUR lineage would stay in power?"

"Not so," Lotor protested, "there are other means to decide who is leader. Loyalty counts, for instance, and Pidge here has told me many ways on Earth how they decide!"

"But you'd still have to build the system that that applies to," Pidge cut in, "and that would take a lot of effort, time, and everyone would have to agree to it. The power vacuum we have right now has divided the galra into so many factions its ridiculous."

"But why did Krye destroy everything?" Hunk asked, "It really doesn't make sense!"

"He is too weak on his own," Lotor snapped, "So he knew he couldn't participate. And if HE couldn't be emperor, then no one could."

"Oh, come on-" Keith started, but Shiro nodded.

"No, Lotor has a point," he said, "Krye has shown us in a lot of ways that his aim is to be emperor. He wants power and he'll do anything to get it. If that means destroying an old tradition, then so be it."

Keith looked at kolivan whose face was stiff as always. But Keith knew him well enough by now to know that the large Blade leader was uncomfortable.

"So…what?" Hunk pushed, "What do we do from here?"

"We're going to continue to free planets," Allura said, speaking up, "Lotor is going to help and if we back him, then perhaps we can gain support of both Galra and everyone else. With that support we can end the war peacefully as well. There is never ONLY one way to do things."

She gave a smile to lotor, and he smiled back.

()

"my lord," Qaltok knocked on the door to Kryes room. The door opened and the general stepped into the antechamber.

Krye sat at the table there, looking over videos.

"My lord, have you slept?"

"I have, Qal, no need to worry."

"I only worry because of experience, my lord," Qal walked over and sat next to Krye, bringing up his own screen, "The witch has left the central hub."

"Finally."

"Indeed, Gil and Jahk are on stand by."

"Do it," Krye said, "I want no mistakes."

"Of course."