Emperor Zarkon ordered Lotor to conquer a timberland planet, but the Prince had no intention of going through with his Father's orders. He was going to acquire the planet and its quintessence in a way his Mother's people once would have. Back when the Alteans kingdom was at its peak, and the Galra weren't so barbaric with their politics.
Upon his arrival, the planet's defences were very cautious... as his ship descended into the planet's atmosphere his vessel's systems started to fail. Lotor was an excellent pilot but even he could not stop his ship from plummeting towards the planet's surface.
As Lotor prepared for impact, giant vines erupted from the treeline and engulfed his ship, preventing his crash. The plant life slowly brought his ship down to the surface with surprisingly little damage to his vehicle.
The guards on the ground quickly surrounded his ship and detained him. Once he agreed to relinquish all his weapons, the guards treated him relatively politely. Judging by their reactions he had not been the first Galra they encountered and Lotor doubted he would have been shown the same polite courtesy if he had tried fighting back as most Galra would.
Lotor was pleasantly surprised by how developed and advanced their technology and culture were, despite being a planet with little to no outer influence or assistance. Even showed a capacity to be peaceful, as long as newcomers did the same.
During his research, Lotor hadn't heard, nor found any reports about the planet's defence and it's people's capabilities. Their leader or leaders were not foolish with their goodwill, able to take down a clear threat if need be.
After the guards did a thorough check over his person, the leader of the timberland planet came to meet him, a female by their people's standards. She didn't look like much relatively short for her people and fairly slim. She had pale green skin with light brunette hair that matched her antennas, darker green markings along her cheeks and brows though it was hard to see any other markings with the long dress and cape she wore.
The guards gracefully bowed to their leader as she entered the room, their voices filled with adoration as they talked to her. It was clear these people followed this woman out of respect and not fear. Clearly, she did not rule her people the same way his Father ruled the Galra.
This was a good sign for his plans, but something happened as she approached him that he could never have planned for...
The markings on her cheeks started to glow as did his once hidden marks glowed along his cheeks. This was a phenomenon he had only read about when researching his Altean heritage, a phenomenon that once happened between his Father and Mother eons ago.
The Prince was stunned speechless at the revelation that this world's leader was his Soulmate. Confusion and amazement flashed through her brown iris and golden sclera, her gaze simmering with cautious curiosity as she scanned over his glowing cheek marks.
"What do these glowing marks mean?" the woman asked, she appeared puzzled and curious but overall calm.
It was another good sign that she didn't reject nor saw new things as an automatic threat.
"It is nothing malicious, just a symbol of new connections for my kind" He replied, she didn't look completely convinced, nor did she seem inclined to disregard his words as nothing more than a lie. She was open-minded but cautious; good traits to have in a leader and a mate.
Lotor offered his open hand to her "I will explain more later, for now, may I know your name? I am Lotor,"
"I am Ori'Auna," she replied, placing her hand flatly over his. Lotor gently gripped the slim woman's hand and with slow movements; as to not appear as an attack or threat, he gave a soft kiss to the back of her warm hand.
"It is an honour to meet you Ori'Auna," he told her and for once truly meant those words that he often repeated out of necessity, not sincerity.
The woman's antenna perked up as he kissed her hand, "It's intriguing to meet you Lotor," Ori'Auna replied, gripping his hand in return, and pulling it up to her mouth, placing a small kiss on the back of his hand.
Lotor blinked down at the women, a little surprised by the gesture. The antennas upon her head drooped slightly as the green skin of her cheeks warmed into a soft shade of orange. "I'm sorry is it not customary to kiss your hand in return?"
Mith bubbled in his chest, years of emotion control managing to quell any laughter that tried to emerge. "Not usually, but I do not mind creating a new custom," Lotor assured with a soft smile, his usual looks and charm seem to not affect the woman as she simply looked relieved. Perhaps that was for the best, it gave her the capability to see beyond his looks and hopefully his race.
They spent many of the following hours talking, over his plans and hopes for a proper alliance with her people. She listens carefully, asking questions or clarifications when needed.
Ori'Auna was trepidatious about his proposal but knew her people's current methods of defence against the Galra Empire wouldn't work forever. If they kept resisting and fighting back as they were, none would survive when the full force of the Empire came for them. What Lotor was proposing was… unlikely to work. It would be a grand risk, but doing nothing would be by far riskier. It was better to try and fight for a different outcome than simply wait and ensure their coming doom.
Ori'Auna agreed to Lotor's proposal, hoping for the best but kept expecting the worst.
With the amazing discovery of Ori'Auna being his soulmate, Lotor felt more invigorated than ever to further push his agenda to create a meaningful and sustainable alliance with her planet and its people.
Lotor spent as much time as he could with Ori'Auna, seemingly discovering a new level to her brilliance with each passing day. It was truly astonishing to learn the history of her people and that all the major advancements and inventions that had been created in the past decade were all due to Ori'Auna's intelligence and ingenuity. Ori'Auna's achievements and brilliance had earned her the right to become their leader. Not through combat or a birthright just by her own hard work and trust of her people.
Given the limited resources she had to work with, and couldn't get any help from other species or planets due to Galra Empires' restrictions, what Ori'Auna had accomplished was nothing short of homemade miracles.
"How were you able to do it?" Lotor asked one quiet evening, the two of them sipping warm drinks on the balcony as they gazed at the stars above.
"I'll need more clarification on what you mean first," she replied gently petting Kova that laid snuggly on her lap. Even his feline friend had taken a quick liking to his soulmate.
The cat had developed a habit of hissing at males that got too close to her. Ori'Auna would of course scold Kova for it, and Lotor would apologize for Kova's behaviour, then proceed to feed his cat treats when she wasn't around.
"The amount you were able to create and invent, all for the benefit of your people. How were you able to do so? Many would have given up with such limitations," Lotor explained, gesturing out towards her quiet kingdom below.
Ori'Auna hummed in thought as her fingers lightly scratched behind Kova's ear, it was common for the woman to react like this when she was organizing her thoughts and words. "For the most part I never saw those 'limitations' as blockades, but as a challenge for my creativity", she answered.
This was the moment Lotor knew he was in love with Ori'Auna. The female leader, too distracted by the way her cheeks started glowing again, to notice the soft look in Lotor's eyes. His gaze completely fixated on just her and not the view before them.
Lotor worked tirelessly side by side with Ori'Auna, figuring out ways to harvest quintessence in a sustainable way. Making sure the quintessence was harvested at the same rate it replenishes even finding ways to produce more quintessence without losing the delicate balance. All while he gradually learns her people's customs and ways, being very respectful to Ori'Auna's people and always treating her as an equal.
Ori'Auna was cunning enough to figure out that their glowing marks had a grander meaning and symbolism than Lotor first played it off as. The marks appear to react the strongest when they share a tender moment, or the spark of inspiration strikes them both and one unfortunate time when an invention backfired, injuring Lotor's arm.
Despite Ori'Auna's best efforts to stay professional, she found herself slowly falling for Lotor, but as a leader, she felt confessing her feelings wouldn't be proper and kept them to herself.
Ori'Auna tried many times to get answers from Lotor about the glowing marks but the stubborn Prince has never elaborated on the glow's meaning. She trusts that Lotor has his reasons but she can't help but feel frustrated over his secrecy over something that involves them both.
Lotor remains vague, fearful of what his father may do if he discovers that Ori'Auna was his soulmate. Since such a thing came from his Altean blood and not his Galra.
In slight retaliation, whenever they were alone Ori'Auna started calling Lotor; Atem, which meant beloved in a more ancient form of her peoples' language. So every time Lotor tried to ask what the nickname meant, she simply told him that 'I'll explain it to you another time.' Much in the same way, Lotor often replied whenever she asked about their glowing marks.
During the night before Emperor Zarkon's arrival, Ori'Auna logically knew things wouldn't end well, despite how much her heart wished for the contrary. Things with Zarkon would not happen even close to how Lotor hoped it would go or imagine how it would be.
The two of them stood upon the balcony, the one they spent countless times together on. Looking over the city and gazing up at the night sky.
Ori'Auna reached out to gripping Lotor's hand tightly within hers. "Lotor…" she began drawing his attention towards her "Atem, please promise me, that no matter what happens with Emperor Zarkon, that you will not blame yourself for the outcome."
If the worst were to happen to her, Ori'Auna couldn't stand the thought of Lotor living the rest of his life full of self-hate and regret.
"You don't always have to prepare for the worst Ori'Auna, I don't expect things to go smoothly but even my father has to see that logically this alliance will greatly benefit the Galra Empire," Lotor assured her. The Prince lifted her hand to gently kiss the back of it. "Trust me, I will assure your people and you remain safe my Ammi."
"W-who taught you that word!?" Ori'Auna gasped, her cheeks flushing a soft orange, mind scrabbling, wondering how Lotor had discovered the female term for beloved.
Lotor gave her a cheeky smirk, the one that always seems to appear on his face when he kept answers from her. The way his lips twitch and eyes playfully mocked her would forever charm and infuriate her.
"I asked around," he answered simply.
"Why must most of your answers only produce more questions" she huffed slightly shaking her head, freezing as Lotor's free hand gently cupped her heated cheek.
"I am honoured to be your Atem" he assured, caressing her cheek with his thumb.
Ori'Auna gently leaning into his soft touch, suddenly the answer for how he knew didn't seem to matter compared to Lotor possessing the same feelings towards her as she did for him.
When his lips met hers, she had felt a happiness burst in her chest that had laid dormant since her childhood, before becoming a leader or knowing the weight of life and loss.
"I still need your promise" she softly asked when they parted, "please Atem, for my peace of mind" and peace for her soul.
"I promise Ammi" he swore to his soulmate, though had no intention of keeping it, he would die before letting Zarkon harm her.
The next day Emperor Zarkon and Haggar arrived, things were going worse than Orianna had originally feared. She could already tell at best her people would be forced into slavery and that she would not survive past this day. Ori'Auna had already accepted what was to come, the only hope she had left was for Lotor to survive.
When Lotor was suddenly knocked out by the witch, Ori'Auna forgot about her place or the threat of Zarkon, rushing to Lotor's side. Fear shook through Ori'Auna as she touched her Atem's prone form. Both their cheek marks glowing as she felt his pain.
Zarkon saw her marks and immediately became enraged, letting out an animalistic roar.
"She's Lotor's soulmate!" the witch gasped.
Tears formed in Ori'Auna's eyes, finally knowing what the glowing marks on their cheeks meant. This whole time Lotor knew and saw her as his Ammi for longer than she had known, she regretted not telling her Atem about her feelings sooner.
The Emperor rushed towards her and Lotor, a weapon forming in his hand. Ori'Auna was only quick enough to stand over her Atem in an attempt to protect him. Even if it only meant giving her soulmate a few more moments of life as Zarkon struck her down with a single strike.
Zarkon ordered the destruction of the entire planet to assure Lotor's soulmate could never reincarnate...
Lotor woke up to the horrifying sight of his Soulmate's planet destroyed, nothing but fire and ash remained of the once lush world. Ori'Auna's blood stains his armour as if to mock his inability to protect her. The soft presence of Ori'Auna's soul, which had lingered inside of him since their first encounter was gone. Leaving him hollow as his soul echoed out for hers.
"A Soulmate would have only made you weaker than you already are," Zarkon informed his son, leaving no doubt as to the reason why his father killed his beloved and destroyed her world and people.
Lotor's anger and grief pushed past the numb feeling still lingering in his limbs to lung at his father with the intent to destroy the monster that took his Soulmate, killed his Ammi.
Zarkon swatted Lotor away as if he were nothing more than a child having a tantrum. Lotor's ears rang after being slammed to the ground by his father, but through the haze, he heard Zarkon dictate his banishment.
Lotor laid there, breathing through clenched teeth, coughing out blood from the impact. The Prince swore he would spend his banishment training and planning his Father's downfall. To one day punish the monster for taking his soulmate's life and find a way to build an empire, one that he once imagined him and Ori'Auna ruling together. An Empire his Soulmate would be proud to call her own. It was the only way he could keep at least one of his promises to her, and to honour Ori'Auna's memory and lost soul.
For the coming years and centuries, Lotor refused to hope he would meet his soulmate again, as Ori'Auna's soul laid forever lost in the cosmos with the rest of her people.
Thousands of years passed and Katie Holt was born with Ori'Auna's soul.