"Uhnnn," Keith groaned and sat up. The space around him was almost too dark to see anything. A line of purple light from the door lit up the floor a few feet in front of him. The cold, hard metallic surface of the wall sent shivers down his back. Confusion filled him. He rubbed his head and tried to stand. He could hardly get his legs under him. He managed to crouch before his legs gave out and he fell back to the floor. His confusion morphed into fear and he pulled his legs to his chest.

He hugged himself in a desperate attempt at self-comfort. His clothes were gone, replaced with a strangely synthetic dark material that covered his whole body. A loose, roughly cut tunic covered his torso. He wasn't particularly cold, but he wasn't as warm as he'd like to be. His breath stuttered out as he tried to keep his fear under control. He whispered to the dark, "Hello?"

"Keith?"

Keith jumped and looked around now that his eyes had adjusted. A dark lump different from everything else separated from the floor. Keith recognized Lance's tanned face below a mess of brown hair and whispered, "Lance? Where are we? What happened? I can't... I can't move. Lance, what did they do to me?"

Lance crawled across the floor and knelt. He put his hands on Keith's shoulders and said, "You're okay, Keith. It's just the sedative wearing off. That woman, her name was Krolia, said you'd feel a bit weird when you woke up."

"Krolia? That second lieutenant?"

Lance tilted his head. "You know her?"

Keith shook his head and looked away struggling to recall what had happened. "I think... she's the one who found me after I crashed. The other aliens wanted to kill me, but... Lance... she saved me. She wouldn't let them hurt me and carried me when I couldn't walk. I... Why would she do that?"

Lance let go of Keith's shoulders and sat beside him, their sides touching. "I don't know, but she saved me too. That bitch you hate said I was... I wasn't worth their efforts, but the lieutenant and the other male with the medic made a case to keep me alive. She made up some bullshit about a weird Romeo and Juliet situation saying you'd die if I was killed."

"What the hell?" Keith looked at Lance. He could almost make out his friend's freckles in the dark, but his cheeks were darker. "Lance, are you blushing?"

"N-No! Why would I-"

Keith wiped a hand down his face and took a deep breath. He soothed, "It's okay, man. It's not everyday a freaky alien ships you with your best friend."

Lance made a choking sound and clarified, "I'm your best friend? Hold on, you know what 'shipping' is!?"

Keith felt a smile tug at his lips. "I hang out with Matt and Pidge. Together they're the ultimate life form in fandom and pop related culture." Keith settled his nerves and asked seriously, "So... we're on a space ship?"

Lance sighed and nodded again. "Yeah. They're taking us to the center of their empire. A bunch of other humans and aliens are being held prisoner here. Mrs. Holt was taken with us."

"Oh god, Coleen," Keith breathed. "Then, no one escaped?"

"It was never going to work, mullet. As soon as we stepped outside, we were surrounded by those robot freaks. The others are still alive, but they were taken somewhere on earth. Veronica..." Lance put his head on his knees.

Keith leaned into Lance's shoulder. "Is she alive?"

"Yeah. She's with the cadets, Iverson, and the admiral."

"That's good. I'm glad your sister's okay. Krolia said the initial invasion killed over three billion people... I guess I'm lucky that I don't really have anyone left to lose."

"Keith, don't talk like that!"

Keith swallowed hard and held his breath. It didn't stop the tears from returning. "I saw Takashi, Lance. He told me..." Keith stifled a whine and asked, "You know right? About his condition?"

"Keith, calm down. It's okay. We're okay."

Keith startled as Lance's arm circled his shoulders. Lance's hand settled on his hair and gently rubbed. Keith inhaled and shut his eyes. He whispered, "Lance... we're never going home, are we?"

"No, buddy. I don't imagine so."

"Then it doesn't matter. I'm sorry, Lance. You're here because of me, right?"

Lance exhaled nervously and shook his head. "It's because I did what I thought you would do in my situation. I did this to myself, Keith. Still, at the end of the world, I'd want to be nowhere else. If I get to live out the rest of my days as an alien POW with my favorite mullet, how can I complain?"

"Aw, Lance. I'm your favorite mullet?" Keith teased. Lance shook weakly with suppressed laughter and Keith let out a shaky chuckle. He took several deep breaths and whispered, "Thanks, Lance. I know this is literally the worst possible situation, but I'm glad I'm not alone."

"Mr. Lone Wolf has a pack of two now. We're in this together."

"Ohana?"

Lance put his hand on Keith's and said with a white toothed grin, "Ohana."

Krolia took a deep breath and closed her eyes before shutting down the console. Keith and the boy with him faded from view. Almost ten quintants had passed since she'd been forced to imprison them. She leaned on the console. He was the image of his father to her, though Thace said he looked like her. But maybe it was Dal's best attributes that she saw in her son.

She had cried on the flight to earth when she found the obituary of her one and only love. If only she had known sooner, she would have returned and taken Keith with her. He would have known family. She would have loved him like she should have. Instead, Keith had suffered alone before becoming one of the best pilots the planet had ever seen and the leader of many.

Krolia collected her emotions and started her daily routine. Sendak had put her in charge of the entire security of his cruiser. It was actually more boring than what she'd been doing under Ranveig, but it suited her purpose. This was exactly why she'd left Keith, Dal, and the blue lion. She could make a difference and hurt the empire. It was time they started paying for their crimes against the universe.

She was in the hangar staring at the blue lion when someone came up behind her. A mechanical hand gripped her shoulder. She suppressed a shudder and lifted a fist to her chest. "Commander Sendak, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time, Krolia."

Krolia turned and smiled pleasantly up at the commander with a slight tilt of her head. "Not at all, commander. I've always got time for my leader."

Sendak actually smiled. It was a little unsettling to see on such a cruel man. His organic gaze was soft upon her, while the mechanical eye was the exact opposite. His smile was crooked, a normally charming expression on anyone else. He looked up at the lion and said, "It truly is a magnificent creation, Krolia. All my life I've dreamt of bringing a lion of Voltron to our emperor. It's almost favorable that the red lion escaped Prorok's custody if only so that I can return them both to Zarkon myself."

Krolia followed his gaze. "I'm honored to be even a small part of your great task."

Sendak gave a closed lip chuckle. "You are more than a small part in this. And please... address me by my name, Krolia."

Krolia lifted her hand in a soft fist to her chest. "Vrepit sa... Sendak."

He lifted his galra hand to her jawline and growled suggestively, "I look forward to working... closely with you, lieutenant. Now I must let you resume your duties. I'll await your report in my office."

She blinked up at him, that flirty glance she'd perfected specifically for this kind of situation. "Your office it is." He winked and walked away folding his hands behind his back. Krolia shivered in revulsion and walked to the lion where she was protected within her particle barrier.

Krolia rested her hand on the bright shell and murmured, "Do you remember me, Lion? I'm... sorry that you've become trapped here. It was never my intention for anyone else to find you... or my little one. I do not know why the red lion saved my son, but you have my undying gratitude. I swear on the soul of my beloved, I will free you and your sister."

As she had when Krolia found her on earth, the lion remained still and silent. Krolia lifted her chin and continued on her way. Sendak would surely be disappointed if she were late for their unappealing appointment.

"Brona, do not dwell on her any longer." Brona paced her room while Ulaz stared at the ceiling laid out on the couch. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "If you aren't going to relax and open up about what this is really about, I'll leave. I have things that need to be taken care of."

He sat up and went to stand when Brona reached out and caught his wrist. "Wait, Ulaz. I need your company... just for a few moments longer."

Ulaz turned and slowly stroked her hair behind her ear. "What is it my precious kitten?"

Brona raised an eyebrow with a quick grin. "Are you using a power move on me?"

Ulaz held her face in both hands and gently flicked his tongue along the tip of her nose. "When you act like such a finicky feline, what am I to do except threaten to remove the reward?"

"And you consider yourself my reward?"

He smiled against her lips and whispered, "I'd like to think so."

Brona bit his lip. "Naughty boy." She pushed him back onto the couch and sat in his lap with her legs on the armrest. "Do you think I'm acting out in jealousy?"

Ulaz feigned ignorance. "Who said that you were?"

"Haxus," Brona complained on an exhale and flopped backward dramatically. She looked at her hand where she played with a tear in the fabric from one of their more enthusiastic encounters and mumbled, "He told me I should stop being so foolish and accept that Lieutenant Bitch is here to stay. I mean, her transfer was so sudden! Sendak never allows new personnel into his crew so quickly. She must have pulled some kind of crooked business behind the scenes."

"Or perhaps she's really as good as everyone says she is," Ulaz suggested in a subtle way of redirecting the conversation away from Krolia's meddling with empirical records. "Sendak himself admitted she was highly recommended. She rose quickly within Warlord Ranveig's own crew. He's even harder on his people than Sendak."

"I suppose," Brona unwillingly relented. "But did you see the way Sendak is around her? From the moment he laid eyes on her, he's been practically drooling. I mean, what does he see in her?"

"She is very attractive," Ulaz mused with a teasing half smile. Brona almost glared at him. He leaned over her, his arm supporting his weight, and said, "I know you are ambitious, Brona, but do you really crave Sendak's affection? Am I not enough?"

Brona's eyes widened as she suddenly realized what he was suggesting. She shook her head and reassured, "No, Ulaz. You are more than enough for me. You're everything to me. I see the future, our future, when I look at you. But if I have Sendak's approval, I have a chance to rise through the ranks." She gently stroked his hair, her fingers caressing the edge of his ear. "I want to have command of my destiny, Ulaz. With a ship of my own, we have everything we could ever wish for. Please, Ulaz, try to understand."

He kissed her jawline and slowly stood up. "I understand, Brona, but do not let Second Lieutenant Krolia become the obstacle that brings about your downfall. She is not in the way of your ambitions." He stretched and walked to the door. Grabbing his pack from a hook on the wall, he said, "I don't know if I'll return today."

"Ulaz, thank you for listening to me."

He smiled back at her in the doorway. "Thank you for trusting me."

She curled up on the couch and waved lazily before the door closed. He walked for several minutes before ducking into a darkened room. A voice said, "You're late."

Ulaz tipped his head. "A minor inconvenience. How bad is it?"

Thace emerged from the dark by the glow of his luxite blade. "Keith started another fight when their rations were delivered. We need to intervene or everything will be in vain."

Ulaz frowned. "I'll arrange for him to be brought to my med bay. Thace, he needs to learn the truth."

"Krolia will not approve." Thace folded his arms. "He may act out if he discovers the secrets hidden in his blood."

Ulaz cracked his neck. "We have a short time yet. Teach him only what you need to. I'll send you his location when I'm ready." With that they split up and went their separate ways.

Keith sprawled out on the floor shivering. They'd sprayed him with some kind of numbing agent this time when he'd attacked. Lance sat beside him. He's been too slow to react in time to help, but not for lack of trying. Keith knew Lance felt bad despite that and whispered, "You know, I should teach you how to throw a proper punch."

"Hmm?"

Keith looked up at Lance. "I mean, you have the best marks in accuracy, sharpshooter, but you were never great at hand to hand combat."

"Okay, ignoring the insult, I'm only going to ask once. How do you know that? Our grades are kept private between us and our teachers."

Keith sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Exactly... the teachers."

Lance leaned on a hand and asked sarcastically, "What, did Shiro or Adam blab to you?"

Keith folded his hands on his chest. "Hey, wanna play twenty questions?"

Lance laid down so their heads were close while their bodies went in opposite directions. "I mean, this is the weirdest road trip, but sure. Why not."

Keith said, "To answer your question, it wasn't Shiro or Adam who told me."

"So who?"

Keith bit his cheek. "My turn." Lance groaned. Keith asked, "Is Rizavi really dating your sister?"

"What?! Veronica is dating Nadia?"

Keith snorted. "Wait, you didn't notice? James asked me about it a couple weeks ago. Since Nadia is still a senior and Veronica an active officer, we all thought they were trying to keep it on the down low. We didn't want to suggest anything and rat them out on accident, but it seemed pretty obvious to the rest of us."

"I can't believe you and James both noticed something I didn't," Lance mumbled above crossed arms. "My turn?"

Keith said, "Shoot, sharpshooter."

Lance murmured, "You know, I don't think you've actually played twenty questions before." He was quiet for a minute before he asked, "How did you fly that jet? Did you hot wire it or something?"

"I had the codes."

Lance frowned. "How? They only give those codes to graduates."

"I... I am a graduate, Lance."

Lance rolled up on his side. "Whoa, samurai. What do you mean 'you're a graduate'? You're not any older than us."

Keith sat up and chewed his lip. "I graduated nearly two years ago from the garrison. The only ones who knew were Griffin and the Holts, but that was more from circumstances and the fact that James needed to know as the formal leader of the team."

Lance gripped Keith's shoulder and turned him. "Keith, you're our leader. You've always been the head of the class."

Keith half smiled and looked away. "Yeah... and that was the problem. At the end of our sophomore year, I accidentally walked in on Admiral Sanda, General Iverson, Shiro, and Adam having a conversation about cutting a student. The government only funded six students in the fighter pilot program. They were arguing about which student to move when I interrupted.

"They were going to place you in the cargo pilot division even though your grades were well above the cutting line, Lance." Keith felt Lance's hand slide off of his shoulder. He looked at his friend and continued, "It was literally tenths of a percentage between you and two others. I may have yelled at the admiral. Told her that you were more than worthy to become a fighter pilot. In anger, she asked what I would do in her position. Tell someone else to step down? She asked if I'd let you take my spot."

"Keith..."

Keith continued before he lost his nerve, "I told her to give you my spot because I was going to graduate before the start of the next semester. I don't know if they believed me then, but they didn't formally remove you from the program. Shiro asked me if I was serious. I told him I had never been more sure of anything in my life. That summer, Shiro, Adam, and Iverson gave me a crash course of the materials juniors and seniors needed to know. I flew as Shiro's co-pilot. A couple weeks before classes resumed, I took my final exam and passed with a near perfect score. Shiro was actually pissed that I broke his record as youngest pilot to graduate from the garrison. They all surprised me with a secret graduation ceremony. Sam Holt asked Admiral Sanda if I could begin training to be the pilot of the Kerberos Mission."

Lance took a minute to absorb everything and asked, "So, all those times when you were skipping class?"

Keith put a hand on Lance's knee and admitted, "I was drilling with Adam. Shiro was permanently grounded six months ago due to his deteriorating health and Adam needed a flight partner. The white wolf was Shiro's way of letting me know he'd accepted that I was now the pilot of his fighter."

"Whoa... Keith, I never would have guessed you'd do something like that for me. That explains why my letter from the garrison arrived so late that summer. When were you going to tell us?" Lance asked.

Keith shrugged. "The Kerberos Mission was rescheduled to a few months after graduation. I figured the cat would be out of the bag by then when I was sitting in the audience instead of on stage."

"You were going to leave us just like that!?"

Keith shook his head. "It wouldn't have been permanent, Lance. And you guys had James. He's a great leader and a six man team makes more sense than seven."

Lance suddenly grabbed Keith's hand. "That's not the point! Keith, we grew up together. I mean, all of us, our classmates. Ohana, stupid mullet jerk! That was your doing! And now you tell me you were going to peace out and shoot off into space?"

Keith startled backward and his mouth parted in confusion. "I'm sorry? I didn't think it was that big a deal."

"Fuck, Keith! Of course it's a big deal! Why do you think Adam and Shiro nearly broke up over it? You're too important to everyone back home, Keith. You're too important to..." Lance's expression grew determined and he finished, "You're important to me. Maybe there was a bit of truth to what that alien said. From what you just told me, I really am the omega of our group, but that only proves it more. Maybe... Maybe I do feel more for you than trust as my leader."

"Lance, what are you saying? You're not the weakest by my standards. And what feelings? Lance, you're confusing me," Keith reached out with his other hand and squeezed Lance's shoulder. "We're both scared and hungry and not making sense."

Lance wiped furiously at his eyes and looked down. "You just told me you had been planning to leave the team. You were going to leave me behind for some stupid mission to collect dumb ice samples from the edge of our freaking solar system." Lance glared at Keith and said in complete seriousness, "Promise we'll always be together. Promise that no matter what, you won't leave me behind, not even to protect me."

Keith felt his breath stall in his lungs. Why was Lance asking that all of a sudden? It wasn't like he could go on the Kerberos Mission now anyway. Keith nodded and said, "Lance-"

The door opened and Keith slid on his knees in front of Lance blinking in the relatively bright light. He squeezed Lance's arm as two hollows were silhouetted in the door frame beside another whose face was cast in shadow. The alien said, "Prisoner 770077, exit the cell and accompany me immediately."

Lance whispered, "He means you, Keith."

Keith whispered over his shoulder, "You just told me never to leave you."

The prison guard stepped into the dark and aimed their gun at Keith's head. "I said move it, scum."

Lance and Keith stood. Then Lance pulled him around and mashed their faces together. Keith's confusion redoubled and he looked up into Lance's face above their rapidly rising chests. Then Lance pushed him toward the waiting prison guard who roughly caught Keith's arm and violently shoved him out of the cell. Keith looked back as the door closed.

The guard struck him between the shoulder blades with the butt of his weapon sending Keith to the floor. Keith bit back a nasty retort and pushed to his feet. The hollows walked alongside him while the guard aimed at his back. No honor. Fuckers.

They walked for some time before entering a single room. Strange monitors lined three walls below what looked like cupboards. A familiar alien stood beside a table that was almost standing on end. The medic gestured to the prison guard and said, "Bring him here."

Keith jolted as the guard grabbed his arm hard enough to bruise and dragged him to the exam table. "Let go of me, you bastard!"

When Keith was thrown into the table, it knocked the breath out of him. In the lull of his struggles, the medic and guard quickly fastened straps securing him to the table. The medic pressed a button and the table began to lay back. Keith grit his teeth in fear at a loss for words. The medic informed, "I'll need him for at least a varga. I'll send for an escort when he's ready."

The guard grunted in response and the hollows followed him out. Keith groaned and flexed every muscle, but the straps held. After almost a minute, he gave up in a panting, sweaty mess. He snarled out, "What are you gonna do to me?"

The medic came to his side and said, "You may relax, little kit. I'm not going to hurt you."

Keith shot back, "Yeah, about that, fuck you!"

The medic's lips twitched and he turned away to clear his throat. "You draw too much attention to yourself, Keith."

"Since we're stating the obvious, you're a freaky alien, Ulaz." Keith glared at the medic when he looked back with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, I remembered, asshole. It's something I'm good at."

Ulaz tipped his head sideways. "I'm honored you remember me, kit. I only wish we had been able to meet under better circumstances."

"Oh, like having tea in a meadow of flowers while butterfly wings kissed our skin?"

Ulaz put his hands together and held them to his mouth in a silent bid for patience. "Keith, you're here now because you caused trouble for your prison warden. You were sprayed with an acid that will slowly eat through your attire and then your skin until you are no longer capable of rebellion. I managed to arrange for you to be placed in isolation for three quintants, but if the acid is not neutralized, you will be in unbearable pain by the time that you are moved back to general captivity." He gestured to Keith's hand that was uncovered. "Already, you have a rash from the acid. Will you let me take care of you?"

Keith had finally caught his breath and he hated that Ulaz had managed to calm him slightly. He ground out, "Fine."

Ulaz reached down and said, "Thank you, Keith. I know you have little reason to trust me, but I only wish to help you. Now, hold your breath for a moment. I have to flood the table."

"Wha-" Keith yelped as a cool, slimy sensation hugged his back and made its way up the sides of the table. Within seconds, the whole table was covered in a viscous clear liquid resembling mucus. Keith closed his eyes and held his breath as it covered his face. Slowly, the slime began to recede and then Keith felt the medic wipe his face. He gasped and opened his eyes. "What was that?"

"The neutralizing agent. It too is meant to deter disobedience. The prison guards have been known to submerge prisoners until they lose consciousness. That is why I sent your escort away." Ulaz turned to a counter top and muttered, "Barbarians."

Keith looked at Ulaz. "You're one of them."

Ulaz clenched a fist and said to the room, "Yes, though that does not mean we are the same. Keith, not all galra seek universal control. Do not for one instant think that I am so morally depraved as the other officers on this ship."

"Then help me escape. Please," Keith begged.

Ulaz turned back and the tension in his posture dissolved. He leaned over the bed and looked into Keith's eyes with a penlight before resting one warm hand on Keith's forehead. "Bide your time, little one. Draw no attention to you or your companion. Listen and learn. Strike when your moment comes where your enemies are most vulnerable. And remember, most of all, you are not alone. Little kit, you have more allies than you could possibly know."

Keith's anxiety rose unbidden and he whispered, "Why are you telling me this?"

Ulaz smiled. It was warm and kind and Keith felt his chest tighten as his mind fought his instincts to trust this man. He ruffled Keith's sticky hair that had awkwardly dried. "Because I like your spirit, kit. You remind me of a dear friend who taught me these same lessons. You will learn to love her."

"I'll never love any of you." Keith turned his head away from the medic and refused to look back.

Ulaz let out an exasperated sigh and dabbed at the rash on the back of Keith's hand. The cool creme instantly soothed his irritated skin. Then Ulaz moved on to Keith's neck and face. They said nothing more and Keith avoided eye contact. After an uncomfortably long time, the bed slowly began to rise. If not for the straps, Keith would have fallen forward on his face. Ulaz started loosening the belts and whispered, "Remember what I told you, Keith. Please, I do not want to see you hurt again."

Keith pushed off of the table and caught his balance. Then the door opened and the female lieutenant was waiting. Ulaz nodded to her and said, "He's ready, Krolia."

"Keith, please follow me."

Keith looked between Ulaz and Krolia before walking toward her in defeat. She said while they walked side by side, "You've lost weight, little one."

"The goo doesn't agree with me."

"I don't believe that." Krolia put a guiding hand on his shoulder as they turned a corner. "The rations are meant to maintain peak condition. I know you're going through a growth spurt at your age. You really can't afford to miss meals, child."

Keith rolled his eyes. "What are you, my mother? Honestly, I'd rather starve to death than give you bastards the satisfaction of beating me."

She squeezed his shoulder and stopped him in the hall. When he looked up, the anger he felt was replaced with contrition and fear. She glared down at him with an expression he'd only seen directed at others. "Don't you dare go that far, Keith. Your life is not worth so little." She pulled him onward and continued, "I will force feed you myself if you try something so stupid."

"Okay, I get it. I'm sorry," Keith apologized on reflex. God, even Coleen hadn't been able to shame him so badly. "Don't make it weird."

Krolia gave him a confused glance and they continued in silence more awkward than the one between him and Ulaz. At last, they entered a different smaller section of prison cells. The doors were less than half the width of the cell he'd left Lance in. Krolia paused by a door on the end and rested her hand on the door-pad. It slid silently open. Almost grudgingly, Krolia said, "This will be your cell for the next three quintants. I've taken the liberty to ensure you'll be given nourishment. Following good behavior, you will be returned to your cell mate."

She put a guiding hand in the middle of Keith's back and he entered the small isolation cell. Glancing back, he watched as her expression became remorseful and she closed the door. She glanced through the small viewing slot once before shutting that too, sealing him in darkness. Keith reached out and felt the walls. He paced the edges. This cell was about a third of the size of the one he shared with Lance.

Finding the corner, he slid to the floor and pulled his knees to his chest. So much had happened in the last hour. He didn't know what to make of it all. He'd probably start to lose his mind after a week in here. For the first time, he seriously began to have questions about how the aliens kept time.

Much later, he was laying on his side when he heard a noise. It was new. He'd memorized the hum of the ship and the buzz of energy that tended to flare sporadically, but this was a strange scrape. If the room hadn't been completely silent apart from his steady breathing, he would have missed it. He looked up to see a faint blue outline form a square.

A second later, the square was lifted and slid aside. Keith quickly sat up and made himself as small as possible while three glowing eyes lit up the space in the ceiling. The stranger dropped into the room lit by that same blue glow. It came from their sword, bleeding from an insignia Keith instantly recognized even though he never expected to.

Keith looked up at the figure in the skintight armor that covered their body. A hood covered their head even as those three eyes glared out from inside. The figure silently stood to their full height and slid their sword into their belt. They found Keith where he cowered on the ground and said, "Little one, it is time you learned the truth."