Keith dragged himself onto the sandy shore and coughed before falling onto his stomach. He was panting and shivering, hardly able to focus on anything. Through the fuzz in his mind, he heard the hum of an engine and then he was blinded by light. He watched as six of the aliens materialized out of the dark around the ship that had found him and grit his teeth.

He tried to push to his feet when a large foot pressed him back into the sand. Metal was held to the back of his neck and he heard the firearm prime. A woman said evenly, "Stay down, primitive."

Keith failed to free himself and growled, "Let me go!"

Another alien knelt beside him and yanked his arms behind his back. A now familiar constriction surrounded his forearms as he was cuffed and the gun barrel was removed from his skin. The woman's warm hand circled his bicep and lifted him to his feet. "Walk."

She shoved his shoulder in emphasis and Keith slowly shambled forward. His legs were like lead, each step a labor he quickly lost any motivation to continue. Hanging his head, he plodded on as a convict toward their execution. Anger caused silent tears to course down his cheeks. He tripped in the dark and stumbled. Then his toe caught in a dip and he fell to his knees. The hard ground stung where it dug into him. He took a shaky breath and tried to stand. His legs wouldn't cooperate.

A hot gun barrel was pressed between his shoulders and a male commanded, "Get up."

"I can't," Keith sobbed out after a second futile attempt. His anger and tears hurt his throat. His whole body felt like it was revolting after its recent ordeal. The gun barrel burned him through his uniform. He screamed and fell forward, turning his head to glare at the alien. "I said I can't! If you're going to kill me, just get it over with!"

The woman answered in that same calm tone, "You aren't going to die, kit." To her companions, she said, "Stand down. He's just a whelp."

Keith clenched his teeth to stifle his sobs. They kept calling him that, but was he really so childish? Would Shiro and Adam have done what he did? His thoughts were interrupted when the woman crouched beside him. He asked in a small voice, "What are you-"

She soothed, "Hush, little one. You speak too much."

She reached for the muzzle he'd forgotten still collared him. Before it covered his mouth, he leaned away begged, "No, please!"

The muzzle tightened and he struggled not to hyperventilate. He met her calm gaze with terrified eyes brimming with tears. She blinked slowly and reached for his arm again. He flinched, but she carefully pulled him against her other arm and then scooped him off the ground. She carried him bridle style as though he weighed nothing, her serene expression never changing. Then they were crossing the desert.

The male who had cuffed him asked, "Second Lieutenant, the primitive-"

"He said he could not walk, private, and I will not sack carry a person who may have internal injuries." She answered without turning.

The soldier pressed, "I was only going to say a lame colonist isn't worth our trouble. There are plenty of other primitives to replace this one."

The woman stopped and glared back at the male. Keith took a quick breath and tried to make himself smaller in her arms, glad he wasn't her target for the moment. The male flinched and stood at attention while the others slightly distanced themselves. Her voice snapped like a whip, "Are you sure about that, private? Because from my understanding, the initial subjugation of this particular colony eliminated over half of its occupants, a number which has long since been considered a waste of resources. Or are you saying you would take his place, since you clearly lack any sense as a soldier?"

"No, that's-"

"No, 'what', soldier?" The woman was scathing with rage and the other soldiers stepped further from their comrade.

The soldier held a fist to their chest and lowered their gaze. "No, Second Lieutenant Krolia. I will not misspeak again."

The woman glared down her nose for ten seconds before she turned and resumed walking. "See that you don't, or you'll be scraping vluxy residue for the next deca-pheob."

The man answered uncertainly, "Vrepit sa."

Keith stared at the woman with a mixture of fear and awe. Were there more aliens like her? At least she wasn't a freaking murder bot! The inside of her helmet lit up beside her cheek and she gently set him on his feet. His legs were still trembling when she slipped her arm between his cuffed arms and his shoulder blades to help him stay standing.

She tapped the side of her helmet and the visor vanished. Her purple streaked black hair poked out around her face. She said, "Command, repeat your request."

Keith heard through her helmet, "Lieutenant Krolia, have you confirmed the identity of the irregularity on our radar?"

She started walking slowly keeping Keith close to her side, and answered, "Affirmative command. The rogue pilot was found responsible and has been apprehended. I'm transferring him to his designated quadrant now."

"Negative, Lieutenant. We've recovered the red lion following it's aberrant behavior, but until the paladin is found, all breaches in security are to be isolated in quadrant gamma of holding bay alpha. A large number of primitives have already been contained. Proceed with every precaution."

The woman frowned and answered, "Confirmed, command. Changing target location now."

Keith let out a muffled yelp as she lifted him into her arms once again without missing a step. Her dark eyes were narrowed more than before and her lips formed a strained line. Keith chewed his cheek and looked away. What did any of that mean and why was the lieutenant upset by it?

They entered the compound perimeter. Keith blinked until his eyes adjusted to the overhead lights. The aliens all stepped aside and saluted while he was carried to the fenced section the garrison had used for high security vehicles. He felt like a prize captive. It was humiliating. He turned his face into the woman's chest-plate to hide his burning shame.

Then they came to a stop. The woman said, "I have the pilot who attacked the fleet." There was a series of beeps and then the woman passed through a gate with razor wire crossing the top of the twenty foot fence. She said over her shoulder, "Wait here for me. Wouldn't want to give the locals another chance to break free."

Keith heard the gate shut behind them and she gently set him on his feet again. She murmured, "Don't go anywhere," while looking at her gauntlet. She tapped it and a diagram was projected into the air above her arm. Keith recognized the area just outside of the hangars and looked around. In the next section of fencing was a group of adults. In sudden realization, he knew where he was and scanned the faces of the teachers.

They were despondent where they sat or knelt. A few stood or paced, but it was clear they had given up. Then he saw the face of his brother-in-law and he shuffle-ran to the fence. A couple of the adults looked his way at the disturbance and shocked recognition was quickly spread through the group. Adam looked up before shaking Shiro awake beside him. Then they were sprinting to Keith while the other adults blocked them from view.

Adam pushed his fingers through the gaps in the fence and Keith shed new tears because he couldn't reach out to meet him. Adam looked Keith over and breathed, "God, Keith, what did they do to you."

Keith felt a hand on his shoulder and planted his feet. Shiro stretched his fingers and Keith put his face to his brother's hand. He closed his eyes and choked on tears. Shiro whispered, "Keith, Keith, look at me."

Keith struggled not to tremble and opened his eyes. Shiro glanced up then back and licked his lips. "Keith, it's time to let go." Keith's eyes widened and he frantically shook his head. No. Not that. Adam looked at his husband in shock. Shiro went on, "We don't have anymore time, kiddo. Please, do what they tell you so they don't hurt you anymore. You have to live, Keith. Promise me. Promise me as my brother."

The woman whispered, "Little one, we must go."

"Wait, please!" Adam begged. "Just a minute more."

"It will not matter, terran. You will not grieve your separation less had you more time."

Shiro glared at her baring his teeth before looking at Keith again. "Keith, I love you. We're family, now and forever. Never forget that." The woman gripped Keith's arms and pulled him from the fence with her full strength. His boots slipped on the asphalt even as he resisted. Shiro called again, "We love you, Keith!"

Keith was shaking head to toe when she finally got him to turn and walk to different section of the fence. When they crossed another gate, he couldn't see through his tears. The woman guided him by the shoulder and he fell to his knees when they stopped. His wailing was muffled by the muzzle as he doubled up over his legs in gut wrenching sobs. He was only vaguely aware of a crowd watching him from a short distance beyond the woman or of the other aliens that came toward them.

She spoke in hushed tones. Then one alien knelt beside him and touched the side of his head. Keith flinched and jerked away as the medic looked at him with deep concern. The medic glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Has he been injured?"

The woman cocked a hip. "Not so much physically. The locals... he saw the ones he bonded with."

"Teacher," The second male murmured with a soft look of sympathy at the woman.

She shook her head. "There's been a change of plans. Ulaz, administer the sedative."

Keith pushed back and slammed into a wall. He looked between the three aliens in absolute terror about what was going to happen next. The woman watched their surroundings while the other male came closer. The medic soothed, "Easy, young one. Thace, hold him steady. He is uncomfortable with injections of any kind."

Keith fought weakly until the other male pulled him to his side in a gentle, yet firm head lock. Then there was a cool sensation against the side of his neck, but he couldn't see as the alien covered his eyes with one large warm hand. Then he gasped as the flash of cold traveled from the side of his neck to his chest. He immediately relaxed involuntarily and his eyes grew heavy. The alien who held him cradled his limp body and lowered him to the ground.

Keith blinked slowly while the drugs quickly took effect. The woman knelt beside him and gently brushed his hair off his face. She almost seemed to smile, though there was something melancholy about the expression. He saw her lips move while she spoke to the males, but he couldn't hear what was said. Then he felt a click as she released the lock on the muzzle and removed it. The male who had held him reached back and unlocked the cuffs before shifting him into a more natural position.

Keith was beyond the ability to control himself. His tears blurred his vision while a line of drool trailed from the corner of his lips. He blinked up at them, desperate to ask why they were treating him like this even as the ability to form coherent thought sentences vanished with the haze entering his senses. He closed his eyes. A few seconds later he was lost to the dark recesses of his mind where even dreams did not travel.

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