Keith carefully rubbed his arm where the sterilized needle had been carefully inserted to extract his precious blood as he looked wonderingly across the cell to where a smaller prisoner sat.

She had platinum hair that came down to her shoulders and black ears on the top of her head. She seemed to observe him with lively curiosity as she sat peacefully, her knees curled up to her chest.

After a while of her regarding him, he started to get uncomfortable with the silence that enveloped them, and he nervously cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable."

Keith looked up, "Pardon?"

The creature spoke once more, "Am I making you uncomfortable?" she politely asked, tilting her head.

"Um...Well...Yeah..." he said cautiously embarrassed. He wouldn't normally admit to this sort of thing, but she had inquired about him with such boldness that it caught him off guard and he didn't know how to react. Typically he would merely wait patiently until whatever it was making him feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry about that," she said adjusting to where her legs were crossed in front of her, "I've only ever seen one other thing like you."

"A human?" he asked, elevating his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Yeah!" she thought for a moment, "I can never recall her name, but she has chestnut hair and really pretty ocean blue eyes..." she trailed off.

"Lance?" he suggested.

"Yeah! That was it!" she looked fiercely at him, her eyes narrowing, "How do you know Lance?" she asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.

"She's a Paladin of Voltron. She's one of my teammates,"

She nodded thoughtfully, "So you don't like, know each other know each other,"

"What are you suggesting?"

She sighed hopelessly."You guys aren't together? Are you?"

Keith instantly felt his face grow warm. What was this creature saying? How does she associate with Lance? Why is she asking if we're together?

"I-um...No, we're not," he stuttered out, "we're not together." he ran a gentle hand through his hair. The creature merely shook her head and smiled knowingly.

Keith looked up from the floor of the cell, "who are you anyway?"

"I'm Haiethil," she replied promptly. Keith opened his mouth, but she held her hand up, "and before you ask how I know Lance that is classified information on a need to know basis."

"I already know you work together."

Haiethil looked stunned, "How?"

"I heard her leaving the castle of lions one night, and I followed her to a secret base, so I'm guessing that's what you're referring to as "classified" information."

"Jarep, have you obtained anything yet?" Lance was pacing impatiently in her room. It had been several anxious hours since Keith had disappeared.

"We might have something...or at least a general area."

"At least it's a possible start. Where is it? I can tell the team and we can send Voltron"

"It's not that simple," Jarep promptly cut her off.

"What do you mean, not that simple?" she said desperately."If he's being held captive it's nothing we can't handle."

"Lance, you know by heart your extensive training, we have to carefully take every possible precaution. We need to"

"Send a recon team I know," she sighed."Can't we make an exception just this once?"

"I'm sorry." Jarep was quiet for a moment, "If you like I'll permit you to do recon for both your team and us."

Lance brightened up, "Yes, I will do it," she eagerly accepted the reasonable offer without hesitation.

"Alright, I'll send you the coordinates. And Lance?"

"Yes?"

"Remember your training."

"So you're telling me you started training when you were four months old?" Keith said with disbelief.

" Affirmative. My distinct species is considered an 'mature adult' as you would typically call it, at four months."

"Wow, I didn't even handle a knife until I was three."

"Lance, first Picked one up when she was one and was able to hit the target spot when she was one and a half years old," Haiethil stated boldly.

"Lance? The attractive person who jokes all the time and never takes anything seriously?" Keith asked, "Yeah nice one," he said sarcastically laughing.

However, Haiethil was not laughing.

"Jokester? Lance? She's never said a joke in her entire life."

"What?"

"I'm serious. I've never seen her laugh once, it's all training with her."

Keith couldn't believe what he was hearing. Lance was undoubtedly not the type of person who could take anything seriously. Well, now that he thought about it, back at the space mall she seemed pretty panicked when he had startled her and ended up with her communicator in hand.

"It must all be an act. But who is she really?" he said in a whisper.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

The door to the cell slid open and a galra officer walked in, blaster in hand. He carefully looked from Haiethil back to him, he seems to bide his time deciding.

"I want the paladin," he said sternly leaving the room. Seconds later two armed sentries entered and forced him to his feet. He earnestly tried struggling fiercely but it was no use. He earnestly tried struggling fiercely, but it was no use.

"Don't attempt anything paladin," the sentry said harshly pointing his blaster at Haiethil, "Or she'll be the first to die."

Instantly Keith instantly understood why they had willingly given him a cellmate. They had given someone he could talk to, get close to, and then use that innocent person against him. To get him to do whatever they required him to do.

Lance made her way to the bridge practically running. Every moment she took her time it was a precious second less Keith had left. She didn't wear her divine Paladin armor, instead, she wore black combat boots and tight-fitting clothing; she had a loose cloth hanging around her neck that would cover up to her nose when she required it. Her lovely hair was in a tightly braided ponytail.

She burst into the bridge startling everyone. They all instantly looked at her with surprise and considerable confusion in their familiar faces. Pidge had to get up from the floor, as she had fallen out of her chair when Lance had burst into the room.

"What the heck Lance," she said bitterly, properly adjusting her glasses.

"Sorry Pidge, but I think I might have a possible location on Keith."

"What?" the whole team said at once.

"How?" Hunk asked.

"That's not essential," she replied bluntly; she couldn't risk the team finding out about the secret organization she was working with. Not yet.

"Well let's go!" Shiro said, starting for the door.

"Wait!" Lance said quickly blocking the exit, "It's not that straightforward."

"What do you mean Lance?" Allura politely asked.

"I have to go alone."