Two hours had passed. They had safely managed to avoid detection from Voltron, but how long could they keep this up? How long before Narti could no longer carry on? They had no supplies, no ship, and no hope. Strategically, there was only one thing to do.

A surrender of sorts.

A conditioned surrender with a guarantee his team gets the treatment they need. He knew the Voltron group well enough to understand they did their best not to kill the enemy outright. They had often been called weak because of that by his Father. It was his saving grace right now.

"We are running out options," he told his generals sternly. "I have a plan, but I know none of you will like it."

"That strikes confidence," Ezor mumbled.

"Hate it already." Zethrid agreed.

"Please tell me you aren't thinking what I fear you are thinking." Acxa paled.

"What?" Ezor asked. "What is he thinking?"

Axca swallowed. "Surrender," she states simply.

"WHAT?!" Zethrid roars. "No way! I don't surrender to anybody! Victory or death!"

Lotor considered that. The Galra way…

Deep in his bones, despite how rational he tried to be, he knew that mindset was there within him. One should expect victory, and if it cannot be obtained, then you fight till your final breath. He believed in those words, but not to the extent most Galra seemed to take it. To his people, it appeared that Victory had to be the conflict you were in at that very moment. If you couldn't accomplish that you threw in the towel and that was the end of it.

He thought that was rather foolish. Just because the enemy wins the battle does not mean they won the war. If you find yourself unable to win you shouldn't throw away your life if you don't obtain anything from it in the end. If he were to ever give his life, it would be a moment that would ensure his victory in some way, or even the triumph of his allies. Not some worthless sacrifice. Most Galrans he knew never thought that intensely about it before they chucked themselves into death's embrace.

"So we just charge into a slaughter?" Axca frowned at her ally

"I'd rather that then be their prisoner!"

Lotor raised his hand to calm Zethrid. "That may be alright with you, Zethrid, but you're not the only person in this equation. Narti will perish if we don't do something soon."

His generals look down to their injured ally, their eyes softening. Ezor kneeled to scoot her a little closer to the fire, noticing she was getting cold. They knew their leader was right, but as warriors, as Galra, it was hard to come to terms with it. Lotor reaches for his blade, looking them over one by one.

"Listen to me. Surrender does not mean the end. I figured with how this war was going that at some point we may have had to choose sides. Voltron is strong, but they have limited knowledge and areas to work with right now. They will value the information we have."

"You plan to help them too?" Zethrid couldn't believe her ears.

"This isn't a one-sided deal." he corrects her. "But yes, though they may not believe me at first, the knowledge I possess will be useful to them."

"You make it sound like they'll just let you go after a while…" Ezor mumbled.

"Perhaps they will. Perhaps they'll even ask us to join them," he said almost jokingly. Part of him believed that might just occur. "If I have to work with one side of this war, I would choose Voltron. Whatever comes out of this, in the end, we'll figure it out when we are stronger. Do you want victory Zethrid? Then follow this plan. I assure you it will be a swift end if we take them on now."

"So in the long run, give up now to fight another day?" Acxa guessed, "Once we're all patched up and see what Voltron plans to do then we can figure the next steps."

"Precisely." Lotor nodded. "For now, you all must stay here. I will negotiate the surrender." he turned towards the mouth of the cave.

"Let me come with you!" Acxa insisted.

"No, I need you to hold this position. Watch over Narti." he motioned to her. Her body had begun to grow weak, barely able to lift herself off the ground. "I shall return." with that said he turned and took his leave. He wandered through the woods, keeping his eyes to the skies to watch for Voltron movement. He could see the Castle, looming in the clouds.

The farther out of the thick forestry he got, the more his mind wandered past the ship, towards the sky. Deep blue and expanding as far as the eye could see. The life and beauty of this world were untouched, stain free of the Galra Empires rein. It was serene. The kind of place he would like to explore.

That had been his dream as a child. If he could only have one thing in the entire known universe, it would have been to have that chance. He supposed nothing honestly stopped him from doing that other than his father.

Being banished, he was only allowed towards so many sectors, most having to be the unexplored areas. He was tossed into open space, uncharted and dangerous with no back up should things go wrong. His generals came into the picture a little while after his banishment. They were like him, in many ways; Half-breeds who found no welcome from both sides of their lineage.

They were judged for their differences and unique abilities, yet he found them fascinating. They had all eagerly joined him in the chance of escaping their old lives. Through time he found himself close to each of them. They had been more like family to him then his own blood had ever been. He cherished them.

Just as he had cherished….

The thought falls flat.

Stilling himself to a stop, he looked up to the sky once more. The deep blue seemed to swallow him whole. That color haunted his dreams sometimes. Both in excellent and horrible ways.

Once that color had meant nothing to him. Then he met Zaheen.

A servant boy with blue eyes from his childhood. Yes… Yes, that was it! He remembered now. It had been so long and had hurt so much that he wanted to forget. There had been a half-breed child who he used to play with.

While he looked Galra from all angles, so most never realized, his eyes were the giveaway.

They were so blue on certain days. Lotor recalled thinking there was no way a color could be that vibrant. Like an ocean or sky, they would change depending on that little servant boy's emotions. On bad days they seemed blue-gray, like stormy clouds that drowned you in the rain to come. On good days Lotor swore there was never a color so beautiful.

Rich with warmth, it charmed him more than any amount of power or wonders.

Those were the kind of eyes he wanted to keep in his life forever. Then his Father seemed to take notice of his infatuation and took action.

He deemed it a disgrace for someone of his bloodline to be around an untrue Galra. Instead of shipping the boy off somewhere else, or even forbidding them from seeing each other, Zarkon took actions to the extreme.

He made an example of the boy, so Lotor would learn never to affiliate himself with the ' lower class' ever again.

Lotor inhaled sharply when his chest tightened. He leaned against the trees as he mourned.

He could recall it in vivid detail despite how much he wishes he didn't. That poor boy.

Poor Zaheen. His blue eyes had turned nearly silver with fear. His cry of pain still broke his heart.

Then the…

His foot snapped a branch. He jumped at the sound. It was too familiar. Too much like the appalling crack of a small spinal column splintering in two. He rubbed his eyes furiously to rid himself of the after image.

He had something he was supposed to be doing right now. He had people here with him right now that needed his help. He couldn't get caught up in the past. He had to make things right this time.

He pushed past the memories to make his path towards the future. With a goal of protecting what he still had it didn't take long to find a few of the lions. They had landed, their protective bubbles up and shielding them from the world. It meant the paladins were not within and were most likely taking their search by foot. He decided his best option was to search the area and hope they hadn't ventured too far from the mighty beasts.

A decent 5 minutes later he thought he was getting close when he found their trail of footprints.

Suddenly, there was a flash of color. He barely had time to open his mouth before the attack began. He blocked the first two strikes, knocking the other back. It was one of the paladins! At least… he thoughts it was. He was not dressed in the typical paladin gear and instead wore what the Blade of Marmora wore.

"I am not here to fight!" Lotor yelled

"Why do I have trouble believing that?" The Paladin yelled accusingly. The small Marmora warrior bore a single dagger, charging forth with such ferocity that he barely had time to lift his own blade. They fought for several minutes, each clash of the two metals sending a shiver down Lotor's spine.

It was strange. He was... excited? He hadn't felt a rush of adrenaline like for a long time. He felt dazzled.

His eyes wandered over the Marmora member's body to watch his reactions almost too closely. He wasn't the most significant build, but there was still strength there. Strength enough to hold his own. Did all paladins have such nicely structured bodies?

First, there was the blue one, now this paladin? He felt he really didn't need to add the Black paladin. Rumors and gossip about him spread through the entire Galra empire, and it wasn't just about his title of champion or skills. His appearance was a very, very well known factor.

Which one was this paladin anyway? It was hard to tell when he wasn't near his lion or wearing the usual gear. They were fast on their feet, yet there seemed to be something off. From time to time he would falter. His feet would stumble, giving an opportunity for a strong counter. It was as if this paladin was ill or something.

"Listen to me, I'm not here to fight!" he bellowed. When the paladin tried to strike him, he countered by kicking him against his chest. He slammed into the ground head first, his holographic helmet malfunctioning.

Raven hair fell from the disappearing mask, framing the face of snarling teeth and sharp dark purple eyes. Lotor felt floored.

What beauty.

Where all humans supposed to be this way or had Voltron made a requirement that you must be pure of heart or whatever and also be devilishly good looking?

His thoughts distracted him, barely able to catch the next blow. Their swords clashed together, his heart feeling like it was about to burst out of his chest. The paladins were uncanny!

"Keith!"

On cue, the blue Paladin had rounded the corner. He lifted his gun and aimed, barely grazing Lotor's armor before he could duck down behind a tree. The blue paladin scrambled to help the raven-haired man to his feet, holding his gun up with his free arm in case Lotor tried something again.

"Are you alright?" he heard them talking. "Why did you rush in alone?"

"I had it…" the supposed "Keith" insisted.

Lance scowled, "Obviously not!'

As the two bickered, Lotor peaked out. Figuring this was his chance he called to the paladins. "Paladins of Voltron!"

They froze up, eyes wide. Lance stepped forward, "Come out and fight, Lotor-!"

"Lance, no!" Keith was tugging the blue paladin back. "You don't know what this guy will do, stay back." he insisted.

"Keith I got this," Lance argued, tugging his arm away.

"He's Zarkon's son; he must be crazy strong, stay back!" Keith insisted. Lotor took that as a backhanded compliment but found the two arguing to be slightly amusing. They were like children, unable to see eye to eye.

"Keith you are the one who got beat up, let me handle this!"

"I didn't get beat up!"

"You look horrible!"

"This isn't from Lotor!" he cut off, "Well some of it is, but it's- it's nothing!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!"

"If it's nothing then you should know I got this!"

"Lance, no! Let me take care of this!"

"Pardon the interruption you two, but could we get back to the matter at hand?" Lotor called from behind the tree.

"Oh, right." they lifted their weapons.

Lotor lifted his arms in defeat, a very humiliating position but the only one he could think of. "Wait!" He tossed his sword to the ground, shocking them both. "I have not come to fight. I have come to talk." Gaining their attention, he narrowed his eyes.

"Talk?" they grumbled, "After everything you have done?"

"I know," he says slowly, stepping out with his hands held up. "I am not on Zarkon's side. Never have been. In fact, I have no doubt you already know how he attacked my generals and me. I only ask for you to hear me out. I'll do whatever you ask." The two paladins shared a quick look. The blue paladin stepped back to inform the others, not quite sure what to think when it came to the Galran Prince.

"What's your endgame with this?" The Marmora paladin grumbled.

"That my generals be spared," he explained. "One of my own is injured from Zarkon's attack. I simply ask they be treated and saved. She is blind now and will die from her injuries here soon if not treated."

Something about his words seemed to strike something in the paladin, and he glanced back at his Blue partner. He bites his lower lip, "Blind…" he met Lotor's gaze, "Where are they?"

"You must swear not to hurt them." Lotor narrowed his eyes. After a few seconds, the so-called Keith nodded.

"I swear." Less then a few minutes later the paladins arrived. His generals and him were taken prisoner aboard their ship. It took a lot of convincing to get Zethrid to agree but knowing they would treat Narti was enough for her to at least calm down and follow through.

They were each put in powered cells, left to wait there till Narti was healed and they could be questioned.

Lotor paced his own cell, deep in thought. Things were working out in some regards. The thing that mattered most was that Narti would be okay. After that, who knows. In truth, they could be killed at any moment if he didn't play his cards right. He hoped the paladins at least answered to reason, unlike his father.

A little while later, an elevator fell from the floors above. He rose, watching its descent. When the doors opened the Blue paladin stepped out with a small tray. He approached the cell cautiously despite knowing Lotor could not harm him within it. He slides the tray forward, the metal able to pass through the barrier for a short second before it closed again.

"I brought you some food and water."

"A kind gesture," Lotor says plainly. He kneeled down to take the water, his throat scratchy and sore. When Lotor met the paladin's gaze, he felt drawn to his eyes.

The icy blueness generated a feeling like he was being pulled into a lake of frozen water. They were different from the last time he saw them. Back in the mines when they had run into each other by accident, his eyes had been the color of a newly bloomed and rare Bluestar flower; enchanting and delicate.

Lotor could tell by his body language that he did not like him, and those flickering azure orbs confirmed his thoughts. Lotor took the glass, taking small sips. He stared at the paladin, a numb feeling absorbing him.

"You remind me of him…"

"What?" the paladin questioned.

The galran prince shook his head, "You remind me of someone I once knew." He turned his head to the side a sadness coming over him. "When I look at you, I miss them."

A small pause fell between them before the blue Paladin asked, "What happened to them?"

"They were killed. By my father."

Lance inhaled slowly, taking that in. It shouldn't have been that strange that even the son of Zarkon would mourn the dead. It still surprised him.

"Were you two close?" it was a very intimate conversation considering the situation.

"Very." Lotor sat down, folding his hands together. "He was different. Both mentally and physically. He was a gentle boy with blue eyes. Something very un-Galra to the normal yellow our eyes tend to have. My father disapproved of it- Of the boy being different. He says the blue color was a weakness to the Galra Empire…" he left the topic to linger in the air.

"I'm sorry for your loss." the paladin says quietly.

When a decent minute passed Lotor asked, "How is Narti?"

"Healing well. The Princess will be down soon to talk to you. I suggest you be honest. No lies." the paladin warned, retreating back to the elevator and disappearing. Lotor watched, then chuckled. This was by no means a funny situation, yet he laughed. He never thought he would be in a position like this. Prisoner to Voltron, forced to follow their rules.

And what was worse?

His mind was racing at just how attractive they all were. If this was just a few of the human beings in the galaxy he was seriously considering taking a vacation to their home planet.