Chapter 6

Demands

It was quickly discovered that allowing their prisoner to have an extra bit of cloth was a horrible idea. It didn't take long for their prisoner to realize that having a purple over shirt could be handy in its own right. Two quintant's later the first guard was almost strangled to death by said purple over shirt. The next three were a more creative version of the same scenario. In total, the young former paladin had ventured an escape repeatedly four times. But only once had he even got down the third corridor before being caught. His purple shirt privilege was instantly revoked. They learned pretty quick that just because you have a former paladin with a broken arm does not mean they aren't dangerous in the slightest.

Some that guarded his door wondered if it was even a good idea to even allow him any garments at all. The current one that guarded Keith's prison refused to keep his back to the door regardless of it being locked. He simply didn't trust the paladin and half expected him to blast through the door like a magical beast. Armed to the teeth with his suit as a weapon.

It had become a headache. But the old witch would have none of it and quickly seen to it that no one entered his confinements. Unless it was one of her own druids or Prince Lotor. Not that she fully trusted the prince but he did prove to avoid getting himself strangled when he entered, , she did find it quite refreshing when he arrived in her lab with a large bruise on the side of his face and a rather limp prisoner. It appeared, Keith didn't need a over shirt to keep on fighting his useless battles. His cast proved to have become a weapon in its own right.

Lotor dumped the limp form of Keith on one of her tables with little care. Not even bothering to adjust the rag doll look of the boy. The old witch regarded her prisoner with mild interest. He was certainly no champion but he certainly had the spirit of a Galra. It was just a shame he wasn't one. They would use more with his fierceness.

Brushing a lock of dark hair from her captives face she would frown slightly at the black eye he wore. Haggar turned towards Lotor to regard him with a cautious eye. "Is this going to become a common theme between the two of you?" She declared with an unreadable expression. Knowing full well the prince' personality to disregard her words, she moved to the side and gestured towards the black eye to make a clear point. Like a skilled game show hostess.

Lotor turned towards her with a smirk, "That all depends on him." Lotor left it at that and took to leaning against the wall of the lab with arms crossed over his chest. Normally, he would leave after depositing Keith in her care. But today it seemed he felt like staying. She turned her back on him to tend to her current project.

For hours, if not days, she had tried to extract information from the smaller male on every way she could think of at the time that would not outright kill him. But nothing came of it. All he would do was stared at her in defiance. There was no begging, no cry of mercy, but only a promise that she would regret her decision in harming him. Especially when she snapped his arm in two just after mending it the follow day. It was cute really. It had been so long since someone had given her that much lip. She was quite tempted to give it a third snap in a new location just for looking at her the wrong way, if the opportunity arises. She was certain it would. In fact, that could become a whole new game for her. How many times could one snap a human arm before it became irreparable? Well with the count on two and the arm being repaired more barbarically she wondered its long-term effects.

Her eyes rested on the scarred arm in question. It was in another cast giving its owner a false sense of security, that she was certain. It looked twisted as if the bones hadn't been quite aligned correctly this round. She might go about fixing that at a later date if he ever learned to behave. As feral as he is he would eventually lose that fighting spirit.

The sound of her door opening pulled her attention away from the subject. Her golden gaze came to rest curiously on her Emperor. Coming to stand beside her, Zarkon would peer down at the boy. He stood there in silence for a long moment. No one dared to speak not even Lotor who remained in place against the wall as if he was watching his favorite television show.

"I want him presentable in half a varga." Zarkon spoke at last leaving no room for debate.

"My Lord?" Questioned the Witch with a single raised brow. On either side of the pair, her druids came out to fetch blade. She paid them no mind as they did their usual business of securing the boy.

Zarkon stood watching the druids for the time being. It was as if he was trying to find the right words to express his needs. "I will be broadcasting your session to the Paladins. We will see how they respond." Crossing his arms over his chest he finally regarded their captive with a look of interest. "I want you to find a way to reestablish his bond with the Black Lion. He might become the beacon I need for the Lion to leave the ship on its own accord."

"Sire, if I may, I do not believe that is a wise choice. It is bad enough you already have one Paladin mixed in with your connection to the Lion. Having a second might make things far more complicated." Haggar added in her two cents that she knew her Emperor would ignore. He did just that as he disregarded her with a simple rotation to take his leave. "Get him ready."

Haggar watched him exit the lab with a small sigh. She did not agree with the idea of shoving a third-party into the links but who was she to say different? Certainly, he had a plan though his obsession with the lions often got in the way. Annoyed she turned towards the prince to say something but then decided it wasn't worth the effort. She would stare at him for only a moment before turning to direct her druids. If the prince wanted to stay to see the session that would be his business. She had other pressing matters to deal with other than a nosey prince.

Lotor had remained in place like a piece of well made furniture throughout the small meeting. Finding it a tad curious towards his Father's wish to insert a middle man. It didn't seem like a very brilliant idea. Though, he could see where this might lead too. Zarkon wasn't just sticking a third anchor, he was plotting a course for a goal. The question was, what was the reward?

Keith's head vibrates violently as if someone just stuck his head inside a bell and gave it a good ring. Much to his dismay, it was becoming quite common that he was always in some amount of pain. Be it from his head, arm, or whatever body part got in someone's way. Maybe he should reconsider some of his actions if he was going to be stuck here, or not.

With a shake of his head he tried to gain back his senses. Testing his limbs first he realized they were made immobile. He was also standing, no, attached vertically to a large something, possibly a table of some kind. Which meant he was more than likely in the witches hands or about to be dissected by some crazy medics.

Opening his eyes slowly he discovered the harsh violet lights hurt his eyes, blinding him temporarily. Squinting with a moan he turned his head away from the lights. Keith would wait a good moment before opening them for a second time. Once the his vision adjusted and cleared in at least his one good eye, he was able to lock onto a reflective surface slightly to his right. Though unable to make out what the object could be. One thing he could say for certain is, that judging by his deformed reflection, his hair was officially untamable. There would be no brush that would save that mullet with the amount of rat's nest that formed. His black suit was even worse, ripped at the edges with tears here and there exposing puckered flesh of healing wounds. His skin looked sickly and pale. Was it possible he might have a fever? Who could tell? But his body had been under a bit of stress under such a short amount of time. It wasn't uncommon, he figured, to look like the true embodiment of shit.

Pulling his gaze away from his rather hideous form he would cautiously scanned the room. Three druids where in the same room as him. One standing in front and two the side. Across the room was a medic with a facial masking reading, what he could assume to be, his life signs. He wasn't certain but he thought he spotted Lotor near the door. His thoughts didn't linger on him. He wasn't as important at the moment as the old witch. He didn't see her and that made him nervous. He didn't favor the idea of not knowing where she might be hiding. As if on que, the blue woman passed into view. Stopping to speak only to her druid and then to the medical personnel who looked less than happy to be attending this particular session.

Not one to be left in the cold Keith would call out to her, "Could we get this over?" He had other things to do and not hang around suspended on a metal table all day. Such as resting in his ceil to promptly plan and execute a break for it and get the hell out of here.

Haggar ignored him. She spent another five minutes before she and the med tech split ways. She would move to stand in front of him while the other disappeared. Her druid greeted her with a sage nod before taking a step back. "Don't be so impatient." Was her only remark as she then turned away from him to speak to her druid quickly. Then she stepped away from Keith all together.

Keith was getting ready to verbally assaulted the woman but a sudden flash to the side caught his attention. The object had been staring into earlier was finally identified mentally. It was a thin monitor. That in itself was a huge surprise for Keith. He hadn't a clue why there would be a monitor there. The moment it flashed into life he felt the first wave of fear since he arrived onboard. Staring back at him was the Paladins of Voltron. Each one looking far more surprised to see Keith while sitting at their individual stations. Their startled expressions soon turned towards concern, except for one particular individual. Standing to the back in the center of the bridge was Shiro. His burning gaze was fully focus on Keith. His gaze carried over a small message to his partner, they are coming for him.

Before anyone could even speak, Zarkon's voice announced his presence off-screen, "I believe you misplaced something. " It seemed he much prefered to leave Keith as the main focal point as that something that had been misplaced. Allowing the paladin's half a second to gather his thoughts the emperor of would continue. "I've come for an appraisal."

Lanced opened his mouth to probably say something a bit uncalled for but it seemed Shiro silenced him with a single hand coming to rest on his shoulder. The two shared a glance that spoke volumes to one another. Lance looked away and Shiro turned towards the video with an unreadable expression. But Keith knew better, he was masking his emotions and going into what he liked to call: The Garrison Stance. Shiro stood tall with his shoulders thrown back with a look of complete and utter control. He had the best poker face in the universe. He knew exactly how to hide what he was truly feeling inside.

"An appraisal." He repeated with full understanding of the situation but doubting the emperor's true intentions of merely looking for value of a life. "You have our attention." The paladin crossed his arms over his chest.

"Of course, I offer a very simple trade of what I have deemed as equal compensation. I do hope we can come to terms." Zarkon's words came off as smooth as honey. Shiro though wasn't falling for it. He narrowed his eyes with suspension as the other paladin's stood silently in the background.

"We will not surrender the black lion." Allura stepped so suddenly into frame next to the unphased black paladin. His head turned towards the princess. Keith was almost certain he saw a brow twitch in irritation that lasted only a nano second. He knew they would never give up a lion for him nor would he ever expect them to do such an act. Still, it did little to ease the ache in the teens chest from how quickly she reacted.

"No, I expected as much." A twisted smile touched the Galra's features. "However, as much as I entertain the idea of receiving my lion I know that isn't quite worth the life of one of your, acquaintances." He paused for effect. "But, of course, if you do not wish to give me back my lion I do offer an alternative. I require you to first relinquish Olkari to me."

The amount of shock that swept through the Castle of Lions was enough to probably power the castle for ages. The silence was deafening with each paladin looking at one another as if Zarkon grew a second head. No one knew what to say about that demand. Shiro stood there like a greek statue taking in the information and evaluating it with careful regard.

Keith was the only one shouting. Jerking on his restraints in vain with viger. "No! You can't do that!" He yelled at the monitor. "I refuse to be the reason an entire planet falls back in this son of a bit-AHH!" His words were quickly silenced by the two druids next to him. Their magical energy shot through his body like lightning. Every nerve screamed that he was on fire even though he knew better. It was light someone just ripped him open and decided it was a great idea to dump a pile of salt into it all while sewing him back together crudely.

His screams silenced the bickering that he didn't even know had started on the screen. His companions faces paled. Allura had her hands to her lips. Shiro remained neutral. His jaw quivered only slightly due to clenching his muscles so tightly. A moment later the energy left his body, leaving his entire body steaming. A trail of blood made its way down the corner of his mouth showing the clear signs that he bit into the soft flesh with his teeth.

It felt like the world was spinning but Keith refused to let it take over. He glared hard at the monitor, at Shiro. Willing him to understand that this was unacceptable. There would be no trade. He would have to let him die in the hands of their enemy.

"You said, first. What else are you wanting?" Shiro questioned.

Zarkon merely waved his hand idly. "That will be for debate on our next conversation. Now, about Olkari."

"We can not surrender a whole planet that is not something we can decide..."

"Then your companion will become my constant source of entertainment." It was like everyone on board was just waiting for that response. Keith felt a sudden stab in his thigh. Looking down he spotted the med tech who glanced at him with what looked to be, regret. His yellow eyes glanced at the screen before quickly backing away. Having no idea what was injected into his system he could only assume the worst but he was almost certain it was something yellow.

His mind did not have much time to debate on the matter as the druids returned to their work. Their magic enveloped him for a second time. This round was far more painful than the last. He discovered that whatever had been injected into his system increased his sense and intensity of pain. Every hair on his body stood on end as he screamed at the top of his lungs. It didn't matter how much he held it in and tried to control it. Unlike before it was merely impossible. His skin throbbed in a way he had never felt in his entire life. It was like someone took a handful of cactus and rubbed it up and down his flesh. His insides felt like they were turning into marshmallows. Even the air smelt like something was burning. The sickening realization it could be him turned his stomach even more.

Whatever was happening around him was nothing but a blur. Sound became lost to him. He had no idea what was happening on the screen or if they were still watching him. All he knew is when the druids had stopped. The world had spun out of control and darkness became his friend. In his brief moments of peace he prayed that he was dying. If he died, Okari would be safe. Zarkon wouldn't be able to get a lion and Shiro wouldn't be faced with making the decision to abandon him.

The ship had been chaotic for two quintants when they had lost Keith's signal. Matt had tried to reestablish the connection and Pidge troubleshoot it while Hunk offered theories. But nothing worked. Refusing to believe he was dead they all assumed his suit was either damaged or removed in some fashion. Neither theory put Shiro at ease. Figuring out a plan was also taking far too much time. Kolivan shared his thoughts on the matter as did Allura but neither of them could agree on which path to take.

It was during one of their discussions that they received a hail from Central Command. Accepting it, they encountered Zarkon and Keith. For a moment, the team felt at ease but that ease quickly disappeared when the team realized what was about to play out before them. The feed would eventually end with Keith passing out with Zarkon leaving one last message for their all ready tortured minds, "You have five quintants to come to a decision."

Not a soul moved on the bridge. Allura looked towards Shiro. She thought the elder paladin was going to either pass out on her or break the nearest possible object. His gaze was frozen in place where the call had projected itself on the screen, now only held space. Gently, she reached out to touch his shoulder. Shiro flinched as if she just physically pulled him out of a black hole. Easing out of his commanding pose his shoulders sagged.

"This will not do." Kolivan was the first to speak. When the call had come through he had moved out of visual sight to avoid detection as did Jak who stood beside him. "His demands are too great."

"I know." Shiro spoke evenly. His galra hand came to rest on his left temple. It felt like he was falling down a rabbit hole that he could never escape. He had to do something but he didn't know what in the hell to do. They all had just seen their friend being tortured. It made Shiro want to find the nearest trash can and empty the contents of his stomach.

"Giving up Olkari could easily shatter the sense of security the coalition has brought to the universe." Kolivan continued without missing a beat. "We must consider all possibilities carefully."

"I know!" Shiro insisted sternly with a quick snap that caused the team to turn towards Shiro in shock. Even Jak tilted his head to look between the two leaders in concern. Having taken notice of his sudden and very uncalled for outburst, Shiro cleared his throat. Unable to face the others he spoke more softly to them. "I need time to think." Uncharacteristically, he tore his eyes away from his crew and left the bridge.

Matt, who had been near his sister, ran both hands through his long hair with a frown. He wasn't fooled by Shiro's calm escape of the situation. He could spot one of his episodes a mile away and he wasn't about to let his best friend suffer alone. Smiling at the others as best he could, considering the circumstances, he walked backwards towards the door. "I'll, um, I think I left one of my machines on. I, ah, better go check on it."

Now down two individuals, Allura looked at her paladin's sadly. Her hands clasped in front of her as she tried to gather her thoughts. Coran seemed to be at a loss of words as well. "We should all rest." She commented softly, trying to find something to say. "We have five quintants to come up with a plan of action. Until then, I suggest everyone rest so we can all have level heads when we make a final decision." She pressed her lips together.

"We are going to abandon him, aren't we?" Hunk asked softly with a deep sadness. "There is no way we could as the Olkarian's to go under Zarkon's rule. Especially, after we liberated them. That would be...horrible." He looked miserable as he spoke like someone had just destroyed every hope and dream he ever had.

"No, man. We aren't going to abandon, Mullet. We will figure out a way to save him without giving up Olkari. Zarkon doesn't know who the hell he is dealing with!" Lance stood with confidence, slapping his hand on top of his chair. Even though the future looked bleak he wasn't about to show defeat. Someone had to bring the team back up. Lance would do it too if he had too. Shoving away his own fear and concern for his friend he replaced it with rage and the willingness to wreak havoc.

"By the time we get everything planned out, Zarkon won't know what hit him! We will wreck his shit and take Mullet back!" He gave a fist pump into the air but no one joined him. Pidge, who remained huddled in her seat looked terrified.

"What if they killed him just now?" She asked, tears threatening to fall the she tired to hold back.

"Pidge…" Lance lowered his arm, uncertain what to say. "He isn't dead. He would never die so easily. He's too stubborn, man."

The crew quieted down. Jak took a step forward, "There is a chance we could get him off Central." Gazing up at Kolivan for hope the older Galra just stared straight ahead for a long moment. Looking as grumpy as ever he finally lowered his gaze down to Jak.

"Are you suggesting we put more lives at risk?" He inquired with a hint of irritation.

Jak pressed his lips together, "There is always a constant risk for death among the blades. However, would it not be in our favor to allow those on board to make their own decision if it is worth their life? Or, would you prefer we go with Zarkons idea?"

The moment he spoke he almost wished he had not. Kolivan looked like he was about to slap the living fuck out of him for his sudden cheekiness. Luckily, someone else got that evil look directed at them with a quick quip.

"Don't look like an angry koala, Kolivan. Jak might just have an answer to our problem. What do you mean others?" Lance questioned while promptly ignoring the look of horror his fellow paladin's was giving him.

It seemed Kolivan had forgotten his spark of rage and replaced it with confusion. "What is...a koala?"

Lances tries to be upbeat in a very bad situation. Poor Shiro is busy having a PTSD moment and well, Kolivian don't be a koala! Listen to your peeps!