Hello everybody. Acxa and Krolia make the team realize the full weight of their decision. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.

Unworthy

Hunk was the first, who got his breath back. He turned to Acxa and Veronica with a worried look.

"What has she talked about, Acxa? What has you started to see?"

Acxa didn't moved, but her breath was hard and she had made trembling fists with her hands. Suddenly she simply stood up. She pushed back the chair so hard, that if felt over on the floor.

"Acxa..."

Shiro's voice was filled with sadness, but the Galra ignored him and started to walk to the door as well.

"Acxa, please..."

The Galra didn't stop, she had nearly reached the door.

"Acxa!"

Shiro had jumped up from his seat. His voice was trembling, but it had the commanding sound, which didn't accepted to be ignored. And it also worked this time, but not like he had expected. Acxa ripped her blade off her belt and threw it on the table.

"Here, take it! You have taken my right to handle things, which were my business and my alone! So you might also take my blade! It's obvious, that I'm not allowed to choose, whether I may use it or not, so I have no use for it anymore!"

The glowing rage in her eyes died and was replaced by a desperate bitterness.

"And once I thought I have gained more freedom here to be myself."

Veronica couldn't take it anymore. She jumped up and sprinted to Acxa to embrace her in order to ease her pain. The Galra seemed to try to slip out of the grip for a moment, but then she finally leaned in and pressed Veronica's head at her cheek. She glared at Shiro again, while she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

"I hope, I'm still allowed to join the mission on the planet."

The accusing look made the man turn away from her.

"Cause I hope, you don't plan to put more shame on me, than you already have, by making me break another word, I have given."

She left the shocked team behind, while she disappeared through the door with Veronica still in her arms.

Hunk shared helpless looks with the rest of the team. Shock, sadness, confusion, all this were to be found on the faces of the Paladins and of the Commander. And in between this awkward feeling, that something had went completely wrong.

"But was has she seen?"

A sad silence was the first answer for Hunks helpless question. The empty faces of the team made the confusion obvious.

"Hope."

All turned around to Krolia, who stared defeated to the ground.

"Hope for herself, that a peaceful solution is possible."

The shocked shouts and gasps made her look bitter. Keith faced his mother with an angry look.

"But you have said, that they'll have a duel. That at loss like his always ends in a duel. He had demanded a vendetta!"

Her sad sigh sounded almost tortured.

"Keith, you haven't listened. First I said a duel is the last option and we have ignored two aspects."

Tears came back to Krolia's eyes as she walked to a free chair to take place. She suddenly looked so weak and… ashamed.

"I have ignored these aspects, too. Ronan isn't a Galra and more important, he isn't a soldier."

"What? But he has fought against Galras for years!"

Lance's voice pitched up higher at his surprised reaction for this quote. Krolia wiped away her tears.

"I'm too much a Galra for myself, for thinking about it earlier. It was also my fault."

She looked up to the ceiling in sadness.

"He respects the Galran rules of honor. Probably more than even other Galras, but he isn't a Galra. With a loss like he had to suffer, no Galra would even consider another option, but he's a human. And I have slipped this fact."

She punched in anger with her fist on the table.

"And I have skipped the chance to take a look at him in the canteen!"

Krolia faced Keith's questioning look.

"Haven't you seen it, Keith. His eye. His reaction. He's no soldier. I have met enough to recognize the difference. He did what he did, but he isn't a soldier. Look what he's done, beside what he had to suffer. Freyda, the kids, the respect for Galran culture, do you really think he would have planned to kill Acxa?"

"If he had wanted to see her dead, he would have left her to die in the canyon."

Pidge's weak voice was quoted by a nod from Kroila.

"He had said, the fact, that we all care for her helps him and Acxa."

Allura stared shocked at Kroila, who had closed her eyes in bitterness.

"And it seems, that Acxa was about to consider such an offer, too. But by canceling the duel you have chosen the worst way to show your care for her."

She looked at Keith again who was sunken back into his chair.

"Like I have tried to make clear, with the Vocazz they both had agreed to end this guilt, but now… By denying the duel this hope is gone. You have damned her to live with this guilt until the end of her days."

"But if you're right, we haven't had a need to interfere. If both had always planned to find a peaceful solution, I wouldn't have stopped this."

Shiro sounded angry, but Kroila released another sad sigh.

"I still couldn't exclude a fight, Shiro. Ronan respects the Call. I'm absolutely sure with all consequences. But he was searching for a peaceful solution, I'm sure."

"Oh no, poor Acxa! And you think, she might reject such a way."

Allura's face was as pale as the table of the conference room. Krolia turned to her and gave her a sad nod.

"Correct. Like I said. A Galra wouldn't even think about a peaceful solution in a comparing situation. And as far as I know her, she might have considered, that she wouldn't deserve redemption."

"And now we have made it worse."

Keith's voice was dark and empty. His mother took a look at Acxa's blade.

"Yes, Keith."

"But couldn't we just cancel the canceling? I mean, now we're nearly sure, that they won't try to kill each other. Let them have their duel day."

Lance shared a questioning look with Krolia and Shiro

"No."

The Galra and the Commander answered at the same time. Krolia continued first.

"You cannot switch between having the duel and canceling, like you want to, Lance. Normally this isn't even our business. There had been some very rare occasions, when such duels were canceled. When a higher instance has decided, that one combatant is unworthy..."

Keith eyes widened in pure shock.

"Mom, don't tell us, we have addressed Acxa as unworthy! That's ridiculous."

Tears came back to Krolia's eyes. She turned away from the rest of the team to avoid the spreading horror in the faces.

"We have agreed, that Ronan was worthy. That he had the right to give the Call."

"But Mom, this.."

"I HAVE WARNED YOU KEITH!"

Krolia had jumped up from her place and had slammed her hands on the plate. She looked furious at her son and then at Shiro.

"I have warned you all. The Call is most important for a Galra and for Galran culture."

Her voice was now only a frustrated hissing.

"Acxa respects Shiro's authority, so does Ronan. A higher instance has canceled the duel, that's it. There is no way back."

She faced Shiro with an accusing look.

"The Call could only be given once to a person, never twice."

Shiro withstood her burning eyes. His voice was weak, almost a whisper.

"But a duel still might had happened. It couldn't be absolutely excluded. I had no other option. Not as the Commander of this ship."

Krolia sighed and faced Keith and Pidge with a disappointed look.

"I know. And I understand it. It was my fault. I should have known better."

She stood up and gave Acxa's blade a last painful look.

"Let's hope, that she'll take this blade back some day. Because only a Galra with honor is allowed to wear its own blade."