In battle there was only one plan that mattered; don't let the enemy see you sweating. Never let them know your scheme was blown to bits right out the gates and now you were winging it relying on nothing but bravado and desperation. If you were very lucky it would be enough to lead you to… not victory necessarily but somewhere that wasn't defeat.

The original plan had been piss-poor from the start anyway.

Breaking into a heavily fortified fortress to rescue Allura was never going to be easy but Keith still wished it had carried them a bit further before it had to be cut up and stitched back together as a Frankenstein atrocity. The plan was dead and now they just had a goal. Get Allura and get out. How to do that had to be figured as they went along.

Keith acted as a distraction with the Red Lion and drew Zarkon's fleets attention to himself. The moment he grabbed the stick he hit that calm state of mind that had made him the best pilot trainee at the Garrison. His superhuman reflexes had helped but it was this feeling that had made him a true ace. He was free of fear and anxiety. All that remained was cold, pragmatic logic as he followed a path only he could see. He knew exactly what he had to do for his enemies to die while he did not.

He'd never had the heart to tell Lance that it wasn't something you could learn.

He was faster and better than ever. Whatever it was that had amplified his strength had done the same to his reflexes and the enemy ships might as well have been dragging themselves through mud. The exploding ships looked like blooming flowers… and he hoped that the pilots were vaporized immediately instead of dying the slow death of suffocating in space.

Then he heard a voice.

Impressive. I can see why the Red Lion thought you a worthy successor to Alfor.

Keith flinched but didn't lose his concentration. Where was that voice coming from? It was almost like… it came from his Bayard.

Very good. The Bayard connects us, young paladin. They connect all paladins of Voltron.

The voice that echoed from his Bayard was deep and strong but smooth with unmistakable authority.

Come. You deserve a worthier opponent.

Keith didn't need to ask questions. He just… knew where to look… and saw someone walking on the space fortress's ramparts. Without a spacesuit or any other kind of protection. That was impossible! It should have been. No living being could survive in the void.

The monitor gave him a clear view of the figure.

He was… colossal. Even Shiro would have looked like a child next to him and the dark purple armor just made him more imposing. He'd aged like an Oaktree. The years had just made him bigger and stronger. His skin was grey and scarred but what drew Keith's attention were the eyes. They glowed with sickly yellow light and in his hand…

"Where did you get that?!"

Despite the silence of space separated them, Zarkon raised the black Bayard like a greeting.

Face me and I might tell you.

The Red Lion let out a roar… or maybe it was Keith's own war cry. He lunged forward with full power. Zarkon had been a fool to challenge him. Lance had been right. The man was crazy. Who else would try to fight the Red Lion on foot? He prepared to pin Zarkon down and tear him to shreds. The universe was better off without that maniac in it. When the Red Lion opened its maw, Zarkon swung the Bayard that had transformed into a claymore in his hands.

Keith blacked out.

He came back to when every monitor howled to him about damages and danger while they were thrown back. He was circling uncontrollably, and his last meal threatened to spill out. When he managed to regain control, Zarkon was on to him and a single blow from the black Bayard pierced the Red Lion's armor. The Lion let out a scream of pain.

Confident laughter filled Keith's head.

I am the first of the Galra, boy. I am the conqueror of worlds. I am the vanquisher of death. I am the emperor of the stars. When I order suns to die, they blacken and die. You think you can face me with one Lion?

Keith didn't answer. He just roared and unleashed everything he had. Zarkon blocked him almost contemptuously.

Such rage but then again… you are Galra.

He hesitated. Just for a moment but it was enough for Zarkon to force him back. The strike left his ears ringing and blood started dripping down his nose. Darkness began edging his eyes.

Do your so-called friends know what you are? Do they appreciate the crime you've committed when you raised your hand against your emperor?

"Shut up!"

Dead! Zarkon was dead! It didn't matter if he went down with the monster too if he just could kill him! That beast wouldn't live for one more minute! Not after everything he'd done! He wouldn't allow it!

Zarkon deflected everything he had.

Are you afraid what they'd do if they knew? How lonely you must be. Why are you fighting me, young Galra, when you could be fighting with me?

"I said shut up!"

He wouldn't lose! All his life had been building up to this moment! He wouldn't fail now! Zarkon would die!

Zarkon just laughed.

Would your father want you to die in a war you can never win?

"Don't talk about my father!"

He accepted my rule and became my spy on Earth. And what about your mother? Don't you want to see her? Bow to me and I'll find her. You could have the family you've always wanted.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Coran's face appeared on the monitor. Barely contained fear had turned him pale.

"Keith! Fall back! You…!"

Keith cut the connection and continued the fight. He emptied all the magazines on the emperor but wasn't able to leave a scratch. Why wouldn't the bastard die?! Why couldn't he win?! What did he have to do to win?!

You are not a human being. Killing me won't make you one. No matter what you do, no one will ever accept you. Except me. In my empire strength is the only virtue that matters and you are strong.

He was running on fumes. On his lonesome Zarkon had done what an entire fleet had failed and tired him out. All he could do now was go for one last desperation attack.

Yes. Come. Victory or death. You are a fine Galra.

"Keith!"

The private line between paladins was forced open and Lance's furious face appeared on the screen.

"Fall back, damn it!" Lance yelled.

"It's Zarkon! I can finish this now!" Keith yelled back.

"You'll die, you idiot! Please! You promised! Fall back!"

A promise? Yes. Come back. Even if it means running. I'd rather have you be a living coward than a dead hero. There was a moment of hesitation. Yes. He had promised but… it was Zarkon! He… it could end now, and Lance wouldn't have to fight anymore. He could go home. I'm sorry, Lance. It was a promise he had to break. Even if it meant never seeing Lance again.

"Goodbye, Lance." Keith said.

"No! Don't you dare! You…!"

Keith cut the feed and turned his attention back to Zarkon… who had let him finish his conversation.

Ready to continue?

Keith grabbed the stick.

"… yes."

Make it count, young Galra, or my next opponent might be your… hmm… lover.

How dare you?! How did the bastard dare?! How did he dare to threaten Lance?! Keith pushed forward… he tried to push forward. Why wasn't it working?!

"Red! Move!"

The Red Lion moved. It turned its tail at Zarkon and fled. Keith screamed and cried while tearing at the stick.

Very well. Run. I can find you anywhere.

"No! Turn back! We have to finish this!"

The Red Lion didn't pay him any heed and kept flying away from the battle. Behind the tears Keith could see the other Lions running away too. When the fleet tried to make chase, Red sacrificed the last of its power to shake them off. The speed was so great that steering was impossible and when they finally came to a halt, there was barely enough power left to maintain life support… and Keith was hopelessly lost. And even if he wasn't, he couldn't move. All he could do was float amidst the stars.

He hit the command board weakly.

"We had him! Why did you run?!"

The Red Lion didn't answer and just drifted through space. Keith slumped back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Had Alsa's uncle being staring at the ceiling of his ship like this? More annoyed then scared? At the start anyway. The panic must have come later.

"You son of a bitch!"

There wasn't enough power for visual, but he could hear Lance's voice. Keith shot up in his chair.

"Lance?"

"You utter bastard! What were you thinking?!"

"Lance… I… are you alright?"

"Oh, now you care if I'm alright! Yeah. I'm alive which is more than I can say for you when I get my hands on you!" Lance screamed.

"Lance… please… can we not do this now? I… I'll send you my location. Come pick me up and then… we'll talk."

The line fell quiet.

"Lance?"

"… I… I was going to send my location to you. I don't have any power left so… I'm just floating here. I don't even know where I am and… I can't contact the others."

"Oh." Keith said and for the first-time fear reared its head: "You… you shouldn't shout so much then. We need to preserve oxygen until the Castle gets here."

If it gets here.

He didn't say it, but he knew they were both thinking it.

"Yeah." Lance agreed.

Keith sat back and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. He couldn't waste any energy.

"Any word on Allura?" Keith said.

"We got her. She's safe." Lance said.

Keith hoped it was the truth and not just a comforting lie.

"Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"… do you want to die?" Lance asked.

The question could have been a needle into the heart.

"… what?"

"You… you didn't stand a chance, but you just kept going at Zarkon." Lance said.

"I… would have figured something out. It… would have been a fair trade."

Lance laughed bitterly.

"You… dumb… stupid… idiot. You think the empire would have gone anywhere? There would have been just another Zarkon who also had the Red Lion. You almost cost us the war."

"I…"

Keith tried to point out all the ways Lance was wrong… and couldn't come up with any. If any of the Lions were lost, that was it. The Galra would win. It didn't matter if they possessed the Red Lion or destroyed it, Voltron would be gone. Voltron couldn't win a war on its own, but it could inspire others to fight. Without it, they were lost.

"… I'm sorry, Lance."

"You will be when Shiro finds you."

Keith tried to laugh.

"You think it would the first time he chewed me out?"

"I don't think you've ever messed up this bad." Lance said and sighed: "It will take me… a long, long, loooong time to forgive you. You promised to run from a hopeless fight."

"… I thought if Zarkon died… you could go home."

"Don't… don't use me as an excuse for your death wish and… we're all going home together. What's the point otherwise? I won't let you die on me… or Shiro. You're pretty much his kid." Lance said.

Shiro… what would Shiro have done if he hadn't… come back? Would that be what finally broke him?

"… I messed up, didn't I?" Keith said.

"You did. It's a pity you don't learn from your mistakes. You'd be the smartest man alive by now. Good thing Red is smarter than you." Lance said.

"Guess so."

They were quiet for a while and then Lance chuckled.

"Hey, Keith. Want to have race to see whose oxygen runs out first?"

Keith smirked without any humor.

"You're on."

"If I win… you'll have to… cook me breakfast every morning for a month. Wearing nothing but an apron." Lance said.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"And if I win?"

"You won't. I'm the biggest waste of oxygen there's ever been… but if you pull off that miracle, I'll cook for you. In an apron. And nothing else."

"Deal." Keith said.

Talking helped keep the fear in check and he told Lance everything what had happened with Zarkon. How he'd talked to him through the Bayard. That Zarkon had the black Bayard. How he'd called himself a paladin.

"Guess… Allura hasn't been telling us everything." Lance said.

"Guess so… but who are we to complain about secrets?" Keith said.

"Touché."

The hours slipped by… and the oxygen levels kept dropping. It was getting hard to breathe and it was making him drowsy.

"… we should… cut communications… and… sleep… to save… power…" Keith mumbled.

"… yeah…" Lance agreed: "… I'll… be seeing you… on the other side…"

"… I'll… find you first…" Keith promised.

Communications went dead and Keith closed his eyes. Goodbye, Lance. I think I loved you. With that thought he slept. He had hoped that his dreams would be peaceful as he… drifted away. Dreams of his father. Of Shiro. Of the time spent at the Castle. Of his time with Lance… but his dreams were far from comforting.

He found himself standing in a throne room built from the carcasses of dead planets and supported by slaves who'd been worked to death. Even death hadn't released them, and their eyes glowed with yellow light from whatever power it was that animated the dead bodies.

Above them all sat Zarkon on his throne and Voltron lay broken at his feet.

"I told you there is no hiding from me." Zarkon said.

Keith drew his Bayard and it transformed into a sword.

"Don't bother. I didn't order Haggar to arrange this meeting to fight. I'm here to grant you a gift."

"A gift?" Keith said without lowering his sword.

"Yes. With this, you'll find where you truly belong. No need for you to hide anymore. I will finish what the Quintessence in you has started."

Zarkon just looked at him and the glow in his eyes turned into a pyre. The sword slipped from Keith's hand. He was burning! His arm was on fire! The blue scar was boiling him alive and then it started spreading like acid running down his skin. It grew past his wrist all the way to his elbow and then beyond. He couldn't even scream. The pain choked him while he was turned inside out.

"It is done. No need to pretend anymore." Zarkon said.

Keith woke up in the cockpit panting and dripping with sweat. Then he saw his reflection and realized he had just woken up to another nightmare.