Shiro lay on his side, his back against the wall.

The cell was cold and he had no idea how long he'd been there. He'd tried to escape many times but to no avail. Now all he had the energy for was hoping the others were safe.

With the witch, though, that was a false hope.

He winced as he imagined all the many horrible things the witch could be doing to them right now.

All the terrible things she'd done to him…

The door to his cell opened.

"Ah, no wonder the cell block stuck so bad," said a galra, his voice unnaturally loud, "this prisoner is dead!"

Shiro scowled and tried to move, but a second galra kicked him in the gut. The air left him and in his weakened state he fell unconscious.

()

"I don't think you were supposed to kick him," Jahk hissed as his hoisted the black paladin onto his shoulder.

"He was moving and I panicked," Gil snapped.

()

When shiro opened his eyes again he found a galra bending over him. He activated his arm and went to attack.

"Woah!" the galra raised both hands in surrender.

A quick pause and look around told shiro he was in a small pod with two enemies. He advanced.

"Woah woah!" the galra scooted back.

"Freeze!" The second galra stood and was holding a gun to Shiro, "Don't move."

Shiro froze.

"We don't want to hurt you," said the one with the gun, "our orders were to bring you back alive and well."

"Orders from whom?" Shiro said, his voice cracking from lack of water.

"Lord Krye," said the one picking himself off the floor, "we serve Krye and are enemies with the Witch.

Shiro hesitated. With his understanding, Krye was an enemy, but if they were enemies with the witch, then…

"Why me? What about the others?"

"Oh, right," the first galra sighed, "our lord will explain everything to you when we get there. Sneaking you out of the galra castle was hard work and playing up that you were dead was even more work. And you have Jahk here to thank for keeping you alive. Sneaking you food under the witch's watch was deadly."

"Shush, Gil," Jahk snapped, "we served our orders and that's that. I and you do not require thanks from anyone."

"You gave me food and water…" Shiro muttered, remembering hos the door would only open a fraction and packets would be shoved in hurridly before closing again.

"Thank-"

"I said I don't require thanks," Jahk snapped, "keep it."

He lifted the gun and took his seat back at the controls. Gil shrugged.

"He's actually shy."

()

Shiro was lead onto a large ship. Down the hall they passed many others heading every which way. The other galra never gave him more than a glance and then went their way.

The two, Gil and Jahk, had their weapons, but they weren't out and he was amazed that he was willingly walking into this situation.

He was lead to a small room with a table and a few cushioned chairs. Along one wall was a bench with two other galra on it. They stood when they came in, but sat again, looking a little perturbed.

"Have a seat," Jahk nodded to the bench and Shiro gratefully sat. They had given him some more food and water, but he was still exhausted and out of it.

The door opened again and this time Krye and Qaltok walked in. Everyone stood except from Shiro. He just didn't have the energy.

The others glared at him.

He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Borak," Krye said, "Could I meet with you later today?"

One of the other galra that had been waiting nodded, gave another glare to Shiro, and left the room.

"Teliv, any news from Selmak?"

"No, my lord," Teliv replied shortly.

"Then you are dismissed. Keep every ear out for him. I will discuss the others with you later."

"My lord," the galra saluted and left the room.

"Black Paladin," Krye said once the other two were gone, "please come sit at the table."

He took a seat himself and waited for Shiro to move.

He didn't.

"Gil, help him up. I'm sure his joints are hurting. Jahk, alert Kekre that there's someone in need of a nutritious meal and the good drink."

Jahk saluted and left while Gil helped Shiro to the table. Shiro sighed as he sat on the oddly very comfortable chair.

"What do you want?" Shiro asked before Krye could say any more.

"I want a lot of things," Krye said, not missing a beat, "but first, I want you alive and well."

"Why?"

"Because I need you."

"Why?"

"Because Cholek was right, I'm not your enemy."

"What's a Cholek?"

"'Who was', is the proper phrase, I believe," Krye corrected, "he died and, even though its not entirely Voltrons or the Blades fault, I am still rather upset. If I work with you, perhaps my anger will abate and I'll be able to think a bit more clearly."

"Wait," Shiro shook his head, "start over. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Krye nodded, "while you were in prison, you were moved to a separate cell. An empty cell that no one bothered to log was occupied, which was why you were never fed. The witch wanted you dead and starvation was suitable in her eyes. But, in your place, she placed a clone that looks and talks just like you, accept its decisions are more in line with what she wants instead of you. Your team mates escaped with the clone, thinking its you, killed zarkon, messing with my plans, and then have successfully pissed me off."

Shiro shook his head slowly, letting all Krye had said sink in. Krye allowed him, sitting in silence and letting his guest get his head around it.

Jahk came in again, carrying a tray with a plate of food and a steaming cup of what Shiro thought smelled like a milk tea.

"Eat," Krye insisted, "and then we will talk more."

()

Keith spared with Kolivan after a mission, which by now was routine. After missions, Keith would spend a few more days training his aura and perfecting his quintessence control.

"You are wavering," Kolivan scolded, "you must be 100 percent in your convictions. Which is why we duel this way. If you are not completely sure when dueling, you will lose. Only those that are sure stand any chance in winning."

"Do you think Shiro is acting strange," Keith blurted out. He was breathing hard and he dropped the tip of his sword.

"Strange how?"

"I don't know!" Keith shook his head, "its so weird! I don't know what to expect from him anymore. I don't feel like I can even talk to him anymore!"

Kolivan dropped his guard. Obviously THIS was the reason the boys aura wavered like it did. Without solving this problem, they wouldn't be able to continue with training.

"Why does that matter?" Kolivan asked, trying to understand more.

Keith hesitated, but plowed through, "Shiro's like a brother to me…he's the only family I've ever had since my dad died. I had no one and he's always been there. I thought I lost him when he disappeared on Kerberos, but I got him back. Now…now I don't know him anymore…"

Kolivan had no idea what to say. It was natural to change given ones experiences. No matter how much one tried not to, you learned new things and those new things causes you to change your life and ideals. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was hard to explain when he was sure that Keith was smart enough to figure this out for himself…

"I mean, I was sure Shiro didn't trust Lotor this much," Keith stressed, "he keeps agreeing with Lotor! Just because Lotor helped us out and helped to kill Zarkon, Shiros not best buds with him? I can't buy that! I've met all of Shiros best friends and none of them are as snake-like as Lotor is!"

"Not sure what a snake is, but I agree that the black paladin sides with Lotor a bit too much," Kolivan said, glad he could say something.

"I mean, ever since Lance died, Shiros been a little…stretched, but he hadn't lost his mind!"

Kolivan nodded, sure now that Keith simply needed someone to agree with him. He still had no idea why that AI was so important, but so long as Keith didn't say anything completely objectional, Kolivan would simply nod and agree.

"I thought I could help, but shiro never asks or even leaves an opening for anyone to help! That's how he's always been, but its gotten to a point where he's trying to do too much, ya know? And then we all got captured by Krye and that messed him up too! Why is he agreeing with Lotor about everything?!"

"A good question that I do not have the answer too," Kolivan said, thinking the ranting had gone on long enough, "keep a watch on your brother and do what you can. But letting it both you right now is keeping you from moving forward yourself. The black paladin is moving and you are letting his direction keep you stagnant. Shake off this worry and work on your progress. You won't protect anyone effectively the way you are now. It was not just the black paladin who was shaken with his encounter with Krye, yes?"

Keith winced and looked away. He'd been humiliated. He was sure he'd been stronger than Krye, but Krye had beet him far too easily.

How?

Why?

"Train hard and it won't happen again," Kolivan said, "Now, raise your guard."

()

As Shiro ate, Krye filled in the details about what had happened. How exsactly they had killed Zarkon and what Voltron had been doing since and how he, himself, had come to not like them anymore. He even showed Shiro the video of Voltron and the Blades deciding Cholek fate, but spared the eating man the sight and sound of what happened after.

"I hoped the Witch would leave Zarkons castle soon so I could collect you. I've always wished to talk to you, and I wanted to talk to you even more after our question and answer session. You were the only one to look at Qaltok when I spoke. You are an observant person and I can respect that."

"I wont help you hurt the others, no matter what they did or how you feel," Shiro replied, he had finished eating and was now sipping at the drink, "What they did was ignorant, but not evil, you on the other hand-"

"I will never claim ignorance," Krye waved a hand, "You misunderstand my direction. I need to get lotor out of the way so I can work with you and the Blades."

Shiro scowled above the drink and shook his head.

"You can't just change one persons mind and force others to follow suit."

"Of course not," Krye actually sounded insulted, "I'm not here to change your mind, since it seems you already trust me enough to eat and drink without fear."

Shiro froze, should he have feared? Why hadn't he thought that anything would be wrong with the food?!

"I've done nothing," Krye reassured him, "but you already trust me…I'm asking you to trust me more than Lotor. I've told you what kind of person he is and I have video evidence. However you have no evidence against me."

"You destroyed whole planets and moons!" Shiro slammed his cup against the table top and Gil and Jahk stiffened.

Krye waved them away, "there was a sickness that was spreading in that sector. Those people were already gone. Some of those planets were already dead, I merely burned them to contain and purify the disease. If you look, you will find that not even weblums have entered that area of space because they know bad food when they see it."

"You could have saved some."

"Not without endangering my own people, and I wasn't about to do that."

"And that's where we differ."

"Is Lotors different nature better?"

"You both are cracked!"

"Perhaps, but unlike lotor, I can be flexible," Krye stood and offered a salute to shiro, "I swear, on my life, that I will do what I can to save lives the next time I come across a situation where people will die."

Shiro had no idea how to respond to that.

"The galra don't value life, that oath means nothing-"

"I value life a great deal," Krye said, "and I've taught all my followers to value life. Cholek have a bit more to learn, but they all know how their deaths will effect others and they value life a bit more."

Shiro tried and failed to come up with anything else that he might have against him.

"I challenge you to gain a similar oath from Lotor," Krye said, filling the silence, "you won't get it. He's too stubborn and prideful."

"And you're not?"

"I'm stubborn in a different way," Krye said, again waving the topic aside, "Do I have your cooperation?"

"What will happen if I say no?"

"I give you a pod and you can go wherever you wish," Krye shrugged, "I have no use for someone who does not wish to cooperate and you have enough problems on your plate with that imposter with your team, so I would understand if you just wished to go back and settle that score."

"But…" Shiro narrowed his eyes.

"But," Krye nodded, "But I know something you do not. If you work with me, you too will figure it out."

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"Because you still haven't answered my question. Will you cooperate with me?"