"Yes, we are. We've been fighting the Empire's cruel reign for deca-phoebs. Some participated in the fight willingly. While others were born into it".
Ulaz.
Everything was dark and muffled, yet Shiro was slightly able to make out the voices. "The operation of the Prisoner 117-9875's has been successful. The artificial limb is within its proper place." A deep, sophisticated sounding voice stated out loud. Did he say, "artificial limb?" No, that can't be right.
"The scanners are picking up neural activity." Another similar, although somewhat distinctive voice said. "Shall I inject him with more sedatives?"
"That won't be necessary," The first voice responded. "Let our newest accomplishment witness the Galra Empires gift to him firsthand."
Shiro overheard the last five words clearly as his vision began to return; finding himself within the confines of a violet chamber, staring at what he presumed to be ceiling; his eyes trying to adjust as the violet light shined directly in his face. He began realizing there were restraints on his limbs; even though he could feel every single part of his body, except for his right arm. Shiro presumed it was pumped full of narcotics; his wound was severe after all. Near life-threatening if untreated.
Luckily for him, Shiro's head wasn't strapped down; allowing him to look to his left, right and lift his head up. To his sides where two Galra, garbed in long, gray-white clothing reminiscent of that of scientists. Shiro tilted his head up and saw two armored sentinels standing by the door.
"Ah, he's conscious." One of the scientists said, garnering Shiro's gaze. The alien looked at him with a contented smile, before turning to his fellow scientist. "Release his restraints and carefully aid him up."
"Vrepit Sa!" The Galra soldiers said simultaneously as the two guards stand ready to move Shirogane, as the assistant scientist does as he was instructed to do.
The assistant scientist looks at Shiro with equivalent amounts of satisfaction as the first one. "You should consider yourself lucky. Emperor Zarkon wishes to speak to his newest champion in person."
"Champion?" Shiro quietly asked himself.
A clank was heard, and the guards and scientists turned to the direction of the sound as a ventilation cover dropped through the ceiling on to the ground. Three individuals of varying sizes garbed from head-to-toe in leather-like covering and full-face masks fell through the exit with swords in their hands. The two tall ones charged the guardsmen and sliced their upper body armor; slaying them instantly. While the third, and shortest of the group tossed two knives at the scientist's shoulders; piercing through their flesh as they collapsed onto the ground. Takashi did not know if they were alive or not.
"Takashi Shirogane." The tallest of the masked individuals said in a clear, yet robotic sounding tone; probably due to a built-in voice filter within the mask. "Remain still." The man instructed as he took his blade and sliced the restraints with quick and careful precision. "Are you capable of standing?"
Shiro slowly sat up, at last free from the stringent restriction on his limbs; he could feel his right arm now, but it still felt off in a way he couldn't describe. As the feeling within Shiro's weak arm fully returned and hoisted it in front of his sight to see what is wrong with it; only to desperately wish he hadn't.
"Oh, God." Shiro breathed as his eyes widened with horror upon realizing his right arm had been replaced entirely with a dark gray and white prosthetic. Shiro covered his mouth with desperation; trying to not scream out loud at what the Galra had done to his body.
"I am sorry about your arm. I know you will require time to process this, but that isn't a luxury we have presently." The masked man informed Shiro with some remorse in his tone, before pressing a button on the side of his mask. The cover glowed a brilliant blue then faded away; revealing himself to be a Galra. Shiro scowled at whom he thought to be his rescuers and threw a punch with his left arm, hitting the alien and making him wobble back. Shiro was prepared to strike him again, only for his arms to be grabbed by the other two men.
The remaining masked men pressed the same buttons on their mask, revealing them to be Galra as well. One was sterner looking with a chiseled jaw; while the other was a young-looking teenager, with a violet mullet over his feline-like ears.
Keith
Ulaz
Thace
Members of the blade of Marmora
"Calm down; we're here to help you." The teenaged one said as he continued to hold onto Shiro.
"Who are you?" Shiro asked with some hostility.
"Your aggression is understandable; being saved by men with the same faces as your captors. However, we are unaligned with Empire." The tallest Galra explained to him, stroking his faintly sore chin. After a few more seconds of struggling, Shiro eventually relented and was released by the other two aliens. "My name is Ulaz, and my companions here are Thace and Keith." The violet alien with white facial marks explained, addressing the older man before then the teenaged one respectively. "We are agents of the Blade of Marmora."
"So, you're against the Empire?" Shiro asked, wanting some confirmation of if he can trust his "saviors."
"Yes, we are," Thace spoke up in an experienced sounding tone. "We've been fighting the Empire's cruel reign for deca-phoebs. Some participated in the fight willingly. While others were born into it." Thace concluded as he looked at Keith with what Shiro assumed to be some fatherly concern.
"And why are you here to rescue me?" Shiro asked Ulaz.
"Because your world is in danger." The tallest Galra stressed with utmost importance. "The Blue Lion has been found on your Earth. Moreover, the Empire is preparing an invasion fleet to take it and your planet."
"Our leader sent us to sabotage the invasion fleet, and escort you and your companion back to your home." Keith finished up for his superior.
"The Blue Lion." Shiro began, recognizing the name. "Like the one Zarkon was talking about." Ulaz gave the human a confirming nod. "What is it?"
"As far as we know, it's a weapon; or part of one," Keith explained. "And we assume there are more of them elsewhere; since we came across one on a previous mission."
"Zarkon believes gathering these Lions will make him more powerful than he already is; we cannot allow any of them to fall into his hands." Thace further summed up.
"You have no reason to trust us Takashi Shirogane, but we require your help; for the benefit of our cause and your world. If not the whole universe." Ulaz stated concludingly.
Shiro looked at the three Galran's for a moment, considering all his options, and knowing this was a considerable risk; but he promised to reunite Matthew with his father and bring them home to Katie, and intends on keeping it. "All right, but on one condition."
"Name it," Thace said bluntly.
"One of my companions, an older man named Samuel Holt was taken to a labor camp. After my friends and I help you stop the invasion and find the Blue Lion; I want your word that you'll help us find and rescue him." Shiro demanded.
"That is a reasonable offer," Ulaz responded with an acceptable nod.
"Then we have a deal." Shiro contently said, extending his left hand out to shake; which Ulaz gratefully accepts.
Ulaz then directed his attention to his fellow Blade's members. "Keith, you'll go with Shirogane to secure his comrade and escape the castle. Thace and I will sabotage the hyperdrives and dreadnaughts; along with the Empires other devices."
"I won't fail you." Keith saluted with all respect, knocking his fist on his garbs breastplate.
"Good luck, my son," Thace said lastly to the young alien, confirming Shiro's suspicions on the relationship of the two Galra. Thace and Ulaz reactivated their masks and hopped through the ventilation shaft to fulfill their part of the plan; while Shiro and Keith make a break for the doorway to find Matthew and Lapis.
The human and Galra skulked around every corner of the castle; making their way to the soon to be the former prison cell of Shiro, Matthew, and Lapis. Takashi stayed close to Keith; following his lead on when it was safe to move or not. After a half-hour of sneaking, the duo eventually makes it to the destined brig. In front of the prison, door were two machine guards, nothing neither of them couldn't handle. Keith drew his knife from his back sheath, which transformed into a sword instantly, as he and Shirogane rush the robots together. The young Galra quickly decapitates one of them just as Shiro smashes the other one's head in with his mechanical arm.
"Let's make this quick before a patrol passes by or something," Keith stated as he pulled out a strange looking, rectangular device from his pouch on his belt; placing it on the doors lock. "Now to let the codebreaker do its work." The device began beeping frantically until it finally flashed a greenish color and the door swiftly opens.
Shiro stepped through the door first, and finds Matt sitting in one of the corners; back up against the wall. "Matthew." Shiro quietly uttered, garnering the young man's attention; who looked at his friend with a brighter expression.
"Shiro!" Matthew unintentionally said aloud as he scrambled him on to his feet to greet the taller man. He was so ecstatic to see a friendly face that he forgot about his injury from the arena at that moment; accidentally injuring himself as he almost falls back on to the ground. Luckily for him, Shiro was within grabbing distance.
"Are you all right, Matt?" Shiro asked the young man.
"Yeah, I'm…" Matthew started but paused with concern upon seeing Shiro's right arm. "Oh my god. What did they do to you?"
"I'll explain later, but we must go now," Shiro stated as he looked around the cell to find no trace of their blue comrade. "Where's Lapis?"
"Haxus took her," Matt answered. "He said the Druids wanted to see her, whoever those are."
"Keith, we have a problem!" Shiro shouted to his ally as he helps walks Matt out of the room; even though they didn't know her for that long, Shiro and Matt weren't going to leave Lapis in a place like this.
"Who's Ke…" Matthew started but stops upon seeing the young Galra. Without thinking, Matt leaped for one of the destroyed sentries' swords and pointed it at Keith, who responds by preparing his weapon as well.
"Wait, Matt. He's a friend!" Shiro explained, standing in-between the two young men. "He's helping us escape.
"He's a Galra, why would he help us?" Matthew aggressively asked.
"Yes, he's a Galra. But he's not with the Empire." Shiro quickly and calmly explained.
"But sir, how can we can trust him?" Matt asks his superior.
"You can't," Keith confessed to him. "But I'm offering to take you home and save your father. And from the look of your current situation: if you come with me, you may die. If you stay here, you'll die without a doubt."
Matt didn't say anything after that and just lowered his weapon before looking at Shiro. "I don't trust him, but I trust your judgment, sir."
"Thank you, Matt." Shiro gratefully nodded at his friend for willing to believe in him to this extent. "After we escape, Keith promised to help find Samuel. We'll get your father back.
"Thank you, sir," Matthew said with some tears in his eyes and giving him a salute.
"Now, that we have that settled. We should leave as soon as possible." Keith stated to the two humans.
"But there's a problem, we can't leave yet," Shirogane informs the teenaged alien.
"Your world is in danger; we can't waste any more time here." Keith re-explained to Shiro.
"Some Galra took a fellow cellmate, Lapis Lazuli," Matthew explained. "They said they were taking her to the Druids."
"If they took her to the Druids, then I'm afraid there is no chance of saving her," Keith told the humans with sincerity.
"But you don't know that; they didn't grab her too long ago, maybe we can still save her," Matthew suggested.
"First of all: I do know that since I've seen what Druids are capable of." Keith harshly explained. "And second: my mission is to return the two of you to Earth. Your friend isn't a part of that mission."
"Then make it apart of the mission, because we're not abandoning her to Zarkon's mercy," Takashi responded.
"Alternatively, I can knock the two of you unconscious and carry you out of here if I have to." Keith threatened.
"You probably could, but I doubt you will," Shiro stated. "You might not be willing to admit it, but I can tell you're someone with a conscience who won't let bad things happen to people; even those you don't know."
Keith stared down the man for a few moments before scowling at the ground and clenching his fists, as he grits his teeth. "Quiznacking humans. Fine, I'll help you find her; but everything that happens from here until we escape is your heads." Keith informs the two of young men as he walks right past them. "I have an idea of where your friend might be right now; so, stay close." Shiro picks up one of the sentries' swords off the ground as he and Matt follow the teenager to rescue Lazuli and escape this place for good.
Lapis was escorted down the hallway by Haxus and four sentry robots, with shackles attached to her hands and feet. She didn't know where she was going, and what might happen to her as the blue woman's eyes looked at the ground with despair. Admitting defeat and giving up all hope of there being an escape from this; Lazuli's just another prisoner.
"Oh, quit looking so blue." Haxus ridiculed. "The Witch and her Druids have a special plan for you; one that will serve the Galra Empire greatly."
Lazuli did not know what the Galra wanted from her, and she didn't care either. Believing there is no point to it as she wallowed in her self-pity.
The blue woman was surprised at the sound of swift slices, and the sentries behind her collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud; discovering knives in the back of their heads. "What the…" Haxus began as he turned behind him; only to get jumped by an individual with a long blade in his hand.
Lazuli was having a difficulty understanding what was happening; only for it to get cleared up upon two blades stabbing right through the chest plates of the remaining two sentries. Discovering the weapons owners be "Matthew! Shiro!"
"Are you all right, Lapis?" Matthew asked the blue woman as Shiro slashes her binds.
"I didn't think you would come for me," Lapis confesses as she shakes her now free arms and legs; their attention then shifted to the sounds of clangs.
The three former captives turn to the source of the noise and see Haxus in a duel against his attacker. "Matthew, you stay with Lapis. I'll help Keith." Shiro instructs the young adult before hurrying over to assist their colleague.
Keith's and Haxus' blades locked with each other as it turned into a struggle of brawn. Haxus manages to shove the teenager backward a couple of steps, just for Keith to counter with a hack to the soldier's torso.
"Agh!" Haxus wailed as he clenched his injury; before going back to the offensive. As the alien soldier prepared to strike the Marmora agent with a downward slash, Keith swiftly ripostes the attack and knocks his opponent's weapon from his hand. This moment gave Shirogane enough time to knock out the Galra with a punch to the jaw from his robotic arm; successfully beating seven bells out of him.
"I had him," Keith grumbled to Shiro.
"I just figure I could help you out," Takashi replied to the teenager, before turning to the unconscious Haxus. "He should be out for a while."
"Now that we have your friend, it's time to go," Keith stressed to the human.
"Wait, what's going on?" Lapis questioned the young man. "And why is he helping us?" She asked once more, glaring at the young alien.
Keith faintly growled as he looked at Lazuli, not wanting to go over the whole trust issue situation a second time. "Listen, lady, I helped save you because of these two; you don't play an important role in my mission."
"What mission?" Lapis asked.
"He's here to help us escape," Matthew made clear to the blue woman. "I don't trust him either, but Shiro does, and he's our best chance of escaping right now."
Keith places a finger on a small gadget on his wrist and talks into it. "Ulaz, this is Keith. Are you there?"
"I'm here young one," Ulaz acknowledged. "We're finished on our end of the mission, how goes yours?"
"I had to take a slight detour to get their cooperation." Keith vaguely informed his superior. "But we are on our way to the hangar now."
"Very good, we'll begin the disabling process as soon as you leave. Good luck." Ulaz wished him as the exchange of dialogue ended; before Keith presses the device again.
"All right, Red; meet me by the hangar to pick us up," Keith instructed into the communicator; before turning it off.
"Who's Red?" Shiro asked the young alien.
"You'll meet her soon enough," Keith briefed him. "Now let's get moving."
The three former captives remained near their Blade of Marmora agent as they hurriedly and cautiously snuck their way to the hangar to meet up with Red. The escapees safely assumed that she must be their getaway driver, or pilot technically.
"Um, I hope this doesn't sound rude." Matt began rather timidly. "But your name is kind of…"
"You're wondering why my name sounds human, correct." Keith finished for the young adult. "If you must know, Earth is where I was born." The teenaged alien answered. "And no, I'm not going to delve into it."
"So, how far until we reach the hangar?" Shiro questioned.
"It's not that far now, and if everything goes according to plan; Red will get us all out of here." Keith summarized with a smug grin. "They say nobody has ever escaped from Castle Doom alive."
"Why would you pick now tell us that tidbit of information?" Lapis asked with some irritation; already disliking the current measurement of their chances. "Was that meant to make us feel better about our current situation?"
"No, it just makes this entire thing more interesting." Keith sarcastically responded, before turning to Shiro and Matt. "And the Blades will honor the deal of finding Samuel Holt, as promised."
The two humans then turn to Lapis. "What are your plans after we get out of here?" Shiro curiously asked.
"After we escape from here, I'm returning to Homeworld as fast as I can," Lapis explained. "While I appreciate you helping me escape, like the Galra said; I'm unimportant to this mission."
"Then, I guess this is goodbye," Matthew said to the blue lady.
"I guess it is." Lapis directly answered.
"Right, if you're all done with your goodbyes, the hangar is clear right now." Keith notified the group. "Let's move."
The group quickly follow Keith as the doors to the hangar slide open. The area was filled with ships as expected; each with their unique design that Shirogane, Matthew nor Lapis Lazuli have ever seen. They were silver ships with red highlights and a design reminiscent of a cross between avian and amphibians. "These are Djalg and Erto class fighter jets. There some of the best aerial vehicles in the entire Galra military." Keith explained to the entire group.
"So, which one are we taking?" Matt asked.
"Neither," Keith answered, looking at a portable device held in his hand; which Matt assumed to be the alien equivalent of a watch. "Because mine is faster than any of them and should be here right about… now."
An almighty roar is heard echoing from out in space; which should be impossible by all scientific standards. Its bellow was very animal-like, sounding like that of a lion as the noise drew closer to the hangar doors. The source of the sound ultimately reveals itself to be a massive, mechanical red lion. The robotic feline flew right into the surrounding area; before letting out one last triumphant roar as it lands on the ground as close to them as it could manage. The robotic beast lowered its head and opened its jaw to reveal a staircase that leads to a blue door.
"Just in time girl!" Keith ecstatically shouted to the massive robotic beast; before turning to the awestricken Lapis, Shiro, and Matt. "Guys, I'd like you all to meet Red." The three escapees were all left speechless at what they were witnessing. "I know she's impressive, but you can gawk at her in amazement later."
"R… right," Shiro said as he returned to his senses, along with the other.
"Not so fast!" A familiarly militant voice shouted to the group as they all turned around; discovering it to be from Sendak. "So, not only will I be able to kill the lot of you, but the Red Lion once more belongs to Galra Empire. Unless you surrender the Lion here and now; I'll convince Emperor Zarkon to forgive this little jailbreak and spare your lives."
"Over my dead body!" Keith responded out loud as he holds his blade steady.
"Very well but do remember." Sendak began as he leaped into the air, falling toward the group "I gave you a choice!" The large Galra shouts as he slams his more massive, robotic arm on to the ground; barely giving Keith, Shiro, Matt and Lapis time to dodge.
The four of them recover from the unexpected shockwave, only to have the sizeable alien commander to stand between the escapees and the Lion. "Everyone, get to the Red Lion!" Keith orders the escapees, as he readies his sword. "I'll hold off Sendak until your all in." With those last words, Keith charges at the larger Galra and swings his sword with the intent of decapitating him.
However, Sendak blocks the strike with his cybernetic before grabbing Keith's neck with his right arm and flings him aside; where crashes into a stack of crates rather painfully.
"Do you think you can defeat military expert such as I with brute force, boy?" Sendak taunted the young Galra. "You'll learn firsthand of why I am the Empire's greatest soldier!" The commander goes on the offensive as he rushes toward the downed agent, cranking his mechanical arm to deliver a powerful left cross.
Keith quickly rolls out of the way as the substantial arm slams into and destroys the crates; only to get backhanded by the prosthetic.
"Matthew, Lapis, get to the Lion; I'm going to help Keith." Shiro ordered as he rushed at Sendak with his sword in his hand; before Matt could even protest.
Sendak saw Shiro coming at him from yards away and throws his left forward which detaches from the alien's body as it soars towards Shirogane; who scarcely dodged the attack in time. Shiro stayed on the ground long enough to see the mechanical arm return to its owner with speeds far faster than Sendak threw.
Recognizing this as an opportunity to strike, Keith leaped into the air to deliver a fatal downward slash; only for Sendak to grab the blade of the sword and throw the teenaged Galra aside once more.
"Keith!" Shiro shouted as he rushed to his downed ally. "Are you all right?"
"What are you doing, Shirogane?" Keith angrily questioned. "You have to get to the Red Lion with the others."
"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself." Shiro rebuked.
"I wasn't going to sacrifice myself," Keith informed him. "I'm the only one who can pilot the Red Lion. I was going to meet up with you when you get to safety."
"Quit being stubborn when people are trying to help," Shiro said to the teenager. "Besides, my help paid off," Shiro said as he turned away from Keith. The young alien follows the older man's sight and sees Lapis and Matthew at a reasonable distance between the Lion and the fight.
"Fair enough," Keith admitted as he stood up. "Let's finish this and get you home."
Shiro gave Keith an agreeing nod as they turned back to Sendak. The two warriors saw what Sendak's arm could do, so they must take it out if they want to succeed in escaping. The two of them had the same plan in mind as Shiro gave Keith his sword before charging the commander dead on; as Sendak smirked at Shiro as he thrusts his mechanical arm forward; detaching from its owner just like previously, with Shirogane dodging just like earlier.
Only this time, Keith leaps at the gigantic machine and uses all the strength the teenager could muster to stab through the least protected area with the sentries' sword; pinning the limb to the ground. With Sendak distracted by the loss of his left arm; Takashi's robotic hand began glowing a radiant purple as he punched the commander in the face with enough force to shatter his cybernetic eye; knocking him to the ground.
With Sendak believed to be out cold, Shirogane and Keith gave each other confirming nods as they ran to the Red Lion; catching up with Matthew and Lapis.
"That was incredible you two!" Matt ecstatically exclaimed.
"We make a good team," Keith admits just as they all reach the animal-like vehicle. "All right Red, open up and get the hyperdrives going!" The door within the Red Lion's maw quickly opens as Keith runs ahead to the pilot seat; followed by Shirogane, then Matthew, and finally Lapis.
Matthew waited by the door, for the blue lady was only a few steps away from entering the ship but is halted as Sendak's mechanical arm grabs Lazuli's entire body and pulls her back to its owner.
"Lapis!" Matthew cried as he watched the imposing soldier takes the blue woman.
Keith witnessed what was going on from the cockpit; clenching his fists in frustration as he slammed a large button by the Red Lion's control panel; effectively securing all doors on the ship.
"I'm sorry Matthew, but we have to go!" Keith apologizes as he grips the controls and turns the vehicle around; placing all his musterable power into the thrusters as the Red Lion flew into the cold void of outer space. "Ulaz! Father! I've escaped with the prisoners; begin the sabotage." Keith informed through his communicator.
"Affirmative," Thace said over the coms device. As the Red Lion soared farther away from Castle Doom; revealed to in fact be a massive space station, which proceeded to fire on them.
Keith heard a repeat of explosion from behind, affirming the sabotage was successful; the Empire won't be following them or traveling to Earth for a long while.
"We have to go back for her!" Matthew demanded as he confronted Keith in the Red Lion's cockpit.
"We can't." Keith bit back. "After we've come so far, I can't abandon the mission over one person."
"How... how the hell can you say something like that?" Matthew asked the teenager, irritated by his cold answer. "The Galra said they were going to do something to her, with these Druids. And we just left her at their mercy."
"Listen, Holt. I'm sincerely sorry we had to abandon her. But your friend wasn't a part of the plan, to begin with." Keith harshly declared to the young man. "I only rescued her, so I could get you two to cooperate. I'm not going to risk billions of lives to save one. You're an intelligent man and should've figured that out by now."
Matthew wanted to punch the teenager for saying something like that but didn't follow through with that desire as soon as he saw Shiro stand next to him. "Shiro, you know we can't leave her there."
"I know it's hard Matthew," Shiro told the younger man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But Keith is right, to an extent. However, like your father, we will go back for her as soon as we can ensure our home is safe. To make sure Katie and your mother are safe."
Matthew looked away from his superior, with conflicting emotions. He did want to make sure there was a home for all of them to go back to but didn't enjoy the difficult choices that had to come with it. "Keith," Matthew spoke up. "How long until we arrive at Earth?"
"Well, considering the Galra at Castle Doom can't pursue us." Keith started as he tried running the calculations through his head while examining the numbers on the Red Lion's screens. "We might run into a patrol ship or two. Maybe a dreadnaught. And considering we'll have to stop occasionally to eat, sleep and let Red recharge; also, if we connect that with our current rate of speed. I'd say about at least two years." Keith concluded as best as he could; unsure if he had all the right calculations to his theory.
"Two years," Matthew repeated as he looked out the window into the blackness. "That's how long until I see my family again."
"And we will get Samuel and Lapis back, too," Shiro promised the young man, who just faintly smiled as the Red Lion continued to soar through the cosmos.
"Let me go!" Lapis screamed and struggled as she was carried by Sendak down a long hallway, eventually stopping at a large door with demonic-looking markings carved into it.
The doors slid open as Sendak walked through with his grip on the blue woman tightening. The inside of the room was disturbing, to say the least; filled with bottles of unknown fluids with living and dead animals and technology that looked familiar and different at the same time. At the very end of the supernatural chamber stood the same hooded woman that was spotted next to Zarkon in his throne room; hunched over one of her tables as she experimented with something Lapis couldn't identify from where she was. "Haggar, I brought you the woman as you requested."
"Excellent, Sendak." The woman said in an aged, raspy voice as she turned around, her eerie amber eyes staring directly into Lazuli's own.
"If you don't mind me asking." Sendak respectfully began. "What makes this one so special to be summoned by the great Witch Haggar?"
The hunched woman doesn't answer as she walks closer to a now terrified Lapis. The witch extended her left hand forward and rubbed her palm on Lazuli's face as if examining her; making the blue woman shudder. "Tell me, Sendak, have you ever heard of the race simply referred to as Gems?" Haggar asked the soldier.
"I've heard of the stories about them, Mistress." Sendak humbly answers.
"But they are far from just stories." The witch revealed to him as she continued examining Lapis. "For you hold one in your hand. I harbored my suspicions when I sensed her energy, but her display in the arena confirmed them." The silver-haired woman jerks her hand back as she looks up at the taller alien. "From your stories Sendak, what have you heard about the Gems."
"That they are conquering race feared throughout the universe," Sendak answered. "Claiming millions of worlds throughout their conquest."
"Yes, that is indeed true," Haggar stated. "But there is something else Gem's possess; something the Empire strives for more than anything. The body you see now is merely an illusion; created from an unlimited supply of Quintessence."
Sendak pleasurably grins at the witch as he realizes her intent. "I see."
Haggar reaches for and grabs Lazuli's chin, forcing the terrified woman to look at the witch. "I can sense your fear, but don't be frightened. You'll have the highest honor in aiding the Galra Empire."