It was several Vargas later when a beam of light hit Keith, melting some of the ice that was surrounding his suit, because the thermal heating had failed.

He sensed something pulling him up. A tractor beam, maybe?

He felt the smooth ground beneath his back. It felt oddly warm, even past the armor.

He heard the voices.

"-o way!"

"Yes way!"

"It's a Blade member!"

"Someone else is out there!"

"Bring them aboard."

Keith groaned, trying to duck away from the noise above him. He only managed in shifting his right hand.

"Can you hear me?"

Pidge-?

Keith wondered, staring up at the person before him. Who had given her that scar on her cheek…?

"What's your name?" Pidge asked, touching his shoulder gently.

It's me! He wanted to scream. Keith! Just pull of my helmet! All that came out was a whimper.

"Aw, com'n, Matt! Don't patronize this guy with questions!" A familiar voice sighed. "He's pretty much dead, in case you haven't noticed."

Matt…? Oh, of course. Pidge's brother. Not Pidge. The eyes threw him.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Slender, gloved fingers grabbed Keith's helmet, trying to pull it off.

Keith moaned in pain, the helmet grinding into his jawbone. He couldn't blame this guy. He had made the same mistake the first time.

"Wait, I think…" Matt pushed a button above Keith's ear, and the mask disintegrated. "Oh my Galra."

"What? Who is…what the ruggle."

Why was there a dog standing, on two paws, next to Matt? Someone trained this pup well. Wait…that was Olia. Keith recognized her. Barely. His head hurt.

"That's Keith! He helped us in the Battle of Nagzela, right?"

"Yeah." Matt confirmed. "Who's the other person?"

"I'm not sure." An almost rebotic voice carried from across the cockpit. "Female. Galra. Looks like a scientist, based on the uniform."

Matt's voice is surprisingly hard as he hissed "throw her out."

"Matt…?"

"Throw her out!" He snarled. "I don't care how, just get rid of her! She's Galra!"

"Okay." There comes the sound of armor being dragged across the halls, and Keith found strength.

"No." Keith whimpered, extending a hand towards his mother. Then, with an even bigger effort, "Mom."

Everyone froze.

"Keith." Matt said carefully. "Is that your mother?" He pointed at Krolia.

Keith nodded weakly. "Mom." It hurt to move. Or speak.

"Oh, holy Quiznak. Um…put her in the infirmary. Olia, take the controls. Set a course for Olkarion. Jabbin, come on. Follow me. Keith, can you walk?"

Keith whimpered with pain. No, he obviously could not.

"Right. Sorry." Matt grabbed Keith's armpits and managed to half-carry half-drag him into the infirmary.

Olia had already put Krolia onto one of the cots and was setting up all the proper equipment for Keith's bed, done with everything necessary for his mother.

"Oh, ruggle, Matt! Can't you see this poor kid's hurting? You have to be gentle." Olia approached them, grabbing Keith's scruff-did humans even have scruffs?-and hoisting him up, easily.

Keith dangled helplessly in her grip, allowing her to set him on the cot.

"So…" Matt began, taking a seat next to him as he peered down at the former Black and Red Paladin. "What happened?"

"M-t-or" Keith mumbled, folding into himself.

"Meteor?" Matt asked for conformation, frowning to himself.

Keith moaned in agreement. Man, he was exhausted…he had woken up three Vargas earlier in pain, and had to bear it the entire time they were floating in space, since he clearly couldn't fall asleep while in pain…

"Alright, Matt. I got some cleaning ointment for Pup."

"Ah, thanks, Olia." Matt accepted the cream thankfully, his peer still clasping one bin of ointment in her paw. "I'll tend to Keith."

Olia nodded, baring her teeth in what Matt could only presume was a smile. "And I'll tend to Mrs. Mom over here."

"You can just call her 'The Galra' or 'Keith's Mom'."

"-rowia…" Keith mumbled,

"Rowia?"

Keith shook his head numbly. "Cowia…"

"Cowia?"

Keith frowned. "Krrrowia."

"Krowia?"

"Hmm…-wose enoff."

"I have no idea what you just said." Mutt grumbled, adding disinfect to Keith's wound. He would bet anything that Keith had a concussion.

Stupid Keith, always getting hurt…

Keith suddenly growled between clenched teeth, clutching Matt's arm like a vice.

"Ow." Matt grumbled, silently hoping that Keith would grab something else.

He lifted his head as Olia yelped in pain, the dog-like alien whining as she stared at Keith's mother in interest.

"What? What happened."

"She has good reflexes." Olia nodded, looking back at Matt. "Even in her sleep."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Hmm." Olia nodded, rubbing her muzzle. "More or less. She packs a whopper."

"Do want to switch patients?"

"Nope." Olia shrugged, returned to Krolia. "I'm good, just a bit surprised. Now I know to stay clear of her fists!"

"Mommy…" Keith muttered, suppressing a sob. "Mom…"

"Alright." Matt sighed, preparing a sedative. "It might be best if I knock you out before we proceed, m'kay?"

"Mom." Keith sighed, but didn't struggle as Matt added the drug to his system. He blinked twice before nodding off, slouching.

"Alright. Let's do this." Matt took a deep breath then prepared to add bandages to Keith's wound, steeling himself.

"Oh my gosh-! Keith!" Pidge was the first to the rebel cruiser when it landed, and thus was the first inside. She recognized it as her brother's, and hadn't seen him since Lotor became king of the empire, so was eager to meet him.

She hadn't expected to find him washing some blood off of him and Olia doing the same to another, female Galra.

"What happened?!" She wailed, rushing to the ex-Paladin's side.

"Hey, Katie. We found him floating in space like this. He got struck by a meteorite." Matt told her, whipping his forehead. He didn't seem to realize he had painted a red streak across his head, so Pidge didn't comment. "That's his mom." He pointed, frowning at his patient. "You guys have operational healing pods, right?"

"Yeah, we fixed them up since last time." Pidge assured him, putting her hand on Keith's. "He had got to stay alive! He just has to."

"He will be." Olia told them, having finished up and sitting down.

It took another moment for Pidge to start, realizing what Matt had said mere ticks before. "Wait-! His mother?!"

"Now you know where he got his dramatic flare." A haggard, tired voice said behind them.

They all whipped around, gapping in shock as Keith's mother pushed herself off from the cot. "Now, are you quiznaks friends or foes?" She growled, pulling a gun from a hidden holster and pointing it at them.

"Friend."

"Friend."

"Friend."

They all answered immediately, stepping in front of Keith to protect him.

Keith's mother narrowed her eyes, putting the gun down, within easy reach, beside her. "Why should I trust you?"

"Alright, miss-"

"Krolia."

"Alright, Krolia." Matt gestured at himself, eyeing her suspiciously. "My name is Matt Holt, and this is Olia. We're part of the resistance."

"And I'm Pidge." Pidge informed her, not backing away from Keith. "I'm a Paladin of Voltron."

"Ah." Krolia coughed. "Keith mentioned you. My name is Krolia Chk'har. I'm part of the Blade of Marmora, and Keith's mother."

"It's…nice to meet you." Pidge told her, eyeing her strangely. "I…I didn't know you were alive."

"Neither did Keith. Now, I assume that you have better medical supplies then this sorry treatment." She wrinkled her nose as she picked up a bottle of painkillers, wrinkling her nose.

"Hey! Our supplies are plenty fine!" Matt protested.

"Maybe for patch jobs, but this isn't very good long-distance supplies."

"That's why we bring the injured here. They have better supplies here then the space hospital and pods that can heal someone in a matter of days." Olia responded, taking the container from Krolia's hand and setting it back on the shelf. "Now, Krolia, we should get you to the Castle of Lions."

"Is that where the best medical treatment is?" Krolia asked, her yellow eyes still narrowed.

"Yes." Pidge told her, nodding. "We can take care of Keith better there…er…if you'll let us."

"Do what you must, but I refuse to be healed until I am positive he will be okay."

Indeed, it wasn't until Krolia watched her son drifting sleepily in his pod, wounds already healing, that she agreed to go to be healed, following the women into the side room to be changed into a Cryo-suit. Even then, it took them at least a Varga to coax her into the pod, but within twenty-four hours of Matt finding them, they both began to heal.