"This is crazy," Lance said uneasily from his lion's cockpit. When he didn't get a response, he continued. "Does anyone else think this could be a trap? Am I the only one with a bad feeling about this?"

Finally, Shiro spoke. "You are the only one incessantly asking questions about it," he snapped.

The young man attempted to shrug the jab off, but Allura could sense the hurt in Lance's response. "I mean, isn't it strange to liberate a planet full of galra… for more galra? That's all I'm saying."

Hunk must have noticed the unease too. "I guess."

"I agree with your uncertainty, Lance. But this may be the first step into a larger relationship. We should operate on trust even if it is tentative," Allura supplied. She glanced out over the desert planet the lions were currently orbiting. Voltron's force was intended to be a show of power and no less, according to Lotor. Voltron would be "the symbol of authenticity" she recalled him saying at their briefing.

She hated being his only advocate, but she added, "Lotor is certain this commander will not risk his status for one conquest. These people are relatively peaceful." She had almost used the word 'measly' as an adjective for 'conquest', proof she had been spending far too much time with the prince.

Allura blushed, horribly distracted and unable to hear Lance's reply as she was reminded of the last couple nights. She wondered if her feelings were that obvious to the others. I hope not. Becoming overly worried about awkward interactions would only draw more attention to them. She vowed to remain poised and shook her head in an effort to focus on the world beneath them.

It was a bleak, beige ball of sand and rock. There was little of mineral importance to the soil, a vital asset to life. Only meagre streams decorated the bland globe. They fed into massive delta's which dominated the poles. The shape of the water ways reminded her of an upturned hourglass set behind a barren, tan background. The worst aspect however was the climate. The planet was hot.

Vast technological infrastructures which marked the only civilisation on the planet were located near the deltas' fanning hands, on opposite poles. The cities, one named Shadi and the other Nahook, shone from space like glistening oceans where massive factories harnessed the winds like crops. Every drop of energy taken from the planet was invested into the galra war machine, particularly the medical corp.

Lotor's voice glided into the conversation amongst paladins. "I was stationed here, long ago. For some time in my youth I thought perhaps the biological sciences called me."

Allura could not supress a smile at the image.

Lance, always eager to jump on an opportunity to scold the half-galra said, "Oh yeah? What happened?"

"The second planet in the system died to a virus accidently created by Nahook scientists," Lotor replied flatly. He honestly did not wish to relive the memory. It had been nearly a week since his last flashback. He enjoyed the stability.

Pidge interrupted dubiously. "It died?"

"Yes." Lotor explained, "Nahook scientists were developing a virus to combat a certain strain of bacterium wreaking havoc on crops. It failed, causing ecosystem collapse and later mutating to affect other living organisms. I aided in the relief effort before I was forced to command an orbital bombardment." Regret stained the words even through the comm.

"That is one of the reasons we will not incite the anger of our allies," Lotor quickly added. "The Nahook and Shadites have been in tense association for centuries since the incident. Each side blames the other. Voltron will unite them."

Hunk swallowed audibly over the channel. "How? Who's fault was it?"

"Neither side was truly at fault," Lotor said vaguely.

"But this planet is clean right? It's not infected is it?"

"No," Lotor replied with finality, signalling he was done with the conversation.

Shiro broke the long silence following. "Let's focus, team. We will be landing on the equator at the Summit of Pillars. I hope everyone brought their sunblock."

XxX

Allura popped the seal of her flightsuit and Lotor could not help but feel his eyes drop down as she spoke to him. "When you told me it was hot here, I didn't think it was this bad," she complained.

The princess was walking beside him as they passed down a dusty concrete path. He gave her a supressed smile and said nothing.

The city was as clean as one could expect with the almost daily dust storms that plagued the planet. Why the Galra had decided this would be a suitable spot for scientific research was beyond him. Lotor imagined their sterilisation procedures were a nightmare.

"I mean it," she wiped sweat from her brow and adjusted her uv screens.

Lotor chuckled. He was more put at ease now that the other paladins had pulled a ways ahead of them. The local population, which was comprised of a kaleidoscope of prestigious alien races, milled about their fast-paced lives without so much a care for the newcomers. The people held the characteristic neutral look that was so common to subjugated planets. No one here was miserable but they were not truly living either. They parted ways for the paladins before quickly filling in the space as the group passed.

A thought came to him as he caught Allura's glance. He wondered for an exhilarating second if this was how people 'in a relationship' acted. The thought sent electricity down his spine and pasted a stupid smile onto his face for a moment. On a whim, he offered her his arm and to his blessed surprise she slipped close to him without a gram of hesitation.

He could melt but the prince schooled himself into levelness. "We will be inside shortly."

She leaned slightly into him, careful to preserve public image. He was warm too, but the shadow he cast on her conjured feelings that Allura knew she would never be able to place... Joy came to mind and she had not felt such in so many years.

When they finally congregated outside the looming steel building where the governments received their orders from the Empire, Allura did not break contact with Lotor. She stood resolutely even when Shiro's eyes glazed with ice. She knew his thoughts about Lotor. She was determined to change them.

Lotor kept his face composed but the princess' boldness was otherworldly to him. He felt like at any moment he could choke on his tongue. It reminded him of his confusion about the entire affair. How could this wonderful feeling feel so… awful? Was that even possible?

Instead of falling down the spiralling line of thought, he turned his eyes to the magnificent building. It was crafted to withstand the heavy winds that scoured the planet. The globular structure was mainly constructed with thick steel beams reflecting Mindt's star blindingly. The steel skeleton was filled in with panels of blue-stained glass set in honeycomb patterns. Altogether, the structure was very un-galra and difficult to look at during midday.

Pidge thankfully broke the silence. "Why do they call it the Summit of Pillars?" she asked as they stepped into the massive shade cast by the dome like building.

"Wait till we enter," he replied.

Indeed, the girl had her answer within minutes.

The entrance was grand. Double rows of pillars flanked the right and left sides of the hall. Masterfully sculpted into the towering, striated sandstone columns were various flowers, trees, and vines. Amidst each garden's image was a renowned character from history. Both Galran and exotic species were represented in a rare display of equality: a legacy of Lotor himself.

It took Lotor back decades. Suddenly he was a younger man, fresh-faced and thrilled to discover himself through science. Freedom had not felt sweeter than that day when he had been given the grand tour by a grizzled war-veteran-turned-plant-doctor.

A pang of shame flickered through him. With it came his unwanted whispers for the first time in days. That man tried to help you... He pushed the negativity away, resolved to keep the present pure. Nothing else mattered now. He was here.

"We worked as one people," Lotor commented. "Now is the time to reunite that alliance." He met Allura's eyes resplendently.

She smiled radiantly.

A deep voice echoing over the polished floor took their attention. "Well said, Emperor Interim." The speaker was a pedigree galran warlord with an aristocratic face and white-frosted lilac fur that formed a sharp goatee on his chin. He stood comfortably exuding influence and masculine presence.

Lotor recognised him only from the alabaster scar peeking from his hairline. "Greetings, Naigus."