Chapter 3: A New Motivation

A/N: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender.

I just own Ziera, Colran, Sephiras, Janze and any other OCs mentioned in this fic that isn't canon.

WARNING: Contains violence, death, implications of sexual acts, Lance's flirting, and other things that may cause some readers discomfort.

Hey guys, I finally finished chapter three! The reason I was so reluctant to post this chapter is that I strayed off the original plan, which is something I rarely do to this extent, and I thought it'd be taken badly because of it.

Turns out, it makes perfect sense, according to a beta reader, I'm grateful she read through my work, and I want to thank her.

Check out her AO3 Fic, Lotor's Gift, it's super good. She's under the name The_Cat_Whisperer. I hope that's right!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Within moments of Ziera entering the cockpit of Pidge's lion, the five of them lifted off and hovered for a few seconds before flying into the sky and out of sight, with the poor Tylyrion female clinging to Pidge's seat in surprise. "Th-the turbulence is far more prominent than I expected!" She stammered out over the vibrations wracking the ship.

"That's because we're leaving the atmosphere!" Pidge commented, typing on a screen, her eyes scanning the words as she made her way into the system. "I'll make some adjustments, give me a tick to find the right command."

The green paladin pressed a button and the shaking ceased, letting Ziera sigh with relief, she could not remember being on a ship before, so the turbulence had ignited an unfamiliar fear and sinking dread she did not want to experience. Honestly, she had expected to enjoy flying, maybe she did somewhere in her history, but right now it was unknown and unsettling because of it.

But her mind wandered when they finally reached the vacuum of space, and she looked out at all the stars she had watched back on Olkarion. Her eyes sparkled in awe and her fanged mouth fell open. "Oh, Divine Beings...This is beautiful~!" Her awestruck maw curled into a happy smile and she leaned a little too far forward to get a better look, with Pidge scrambling to keep her from pressing any controls on the monitors. "With what little I can remember, I've never seen the stars up close! I understand why they are seen as brilliant marvels of creation!"

"Heh, space is pretty great~." The young technician chimed in with a warm smile, just as happy as she was to see space, even after all this time. "So, where's your planet, anyway?"

Ziera's smile fell and she looked up with a bit of a perplexed frown. "Uhhhh..." She blushed and started sweating a little as she flashed the young pilot and awkward grin. "Ah, ha, ha...I can't remember!"

Pidge head lowered nearer to her shoulders with a dumbstruck expression. "Of course you don't..." She sombred up a moment later though. "How did you get to Olkarion if you don't know the way?"

"I already told all of you that I crash-landed, correct?" Ziera's expression softened into a frown and she leaned back, standing up behind Pidge's chair now, rather than excitedly leaning forward. "Well, the truth is, I really can't remember anything at all, not even how I got into the ship I was found in, let alone my method for getting there..."

Her grip tightened on the back of the chair as she gazed out at the stars, hope gleaming in those ombre colored eyes. "If I get back to Tylyrio and see everything I was once a part of, I may regain the memories of who I was, and what made me crash to begin with...Maybe I'll even find a family waiting for me, and a life filled with wonders that will help me create new technology when I return to Olkarion!"

"Uhhhh, guys..."

Both women halted their conversation when a confused, yet concerned Hunk echoed through the intercom. "What's up, Hunk?" Pidge asked curiously, a small screen appearing with a horrified Hunk staring off into space.

"I think I found Ziera's planet...And, uh...She's not gonna like it."

Ziera felt something drop in her heart, fear clouded her mind and she quickly moved to see Hunk better. "What do you mean, Hunk?" She asked, her tone a little higher out of fright. "What could possibly be so bad that I-...Oh...Divine Beings..."

Of course, her words trailed off as her gaze snapped to the black abyss of space. The once excited gleam coating her eyes turned to wide, sickening horror as her expression warped and tears pricked in their corners. Outside, surrounded by nothing but asteroids, were the remains of a planet, left floating, hollow and empty, in the space that Ziera's planet once occupied.

"No...No...!" She scrambled forward, Pidge fighting to keep her from getting too close to the monitors, her tears fell as she clenched her sharp teeth together and choked out a broken sob. "NO!" In that moment, a throb went through her head, from one temple to the other and she let out an agonizing cry, dropping to her knees gripping her muted blue hair. Her new friend's voice was nothing but a dull murmur as a sharp ringing clouded her hearing and everything went black.

~FbnL~

Ziera sat in the small, claustrophobic space of the pod she had found herself in, taking heavy, scared breaths as she tried to fight the unbreakable protocol that kept her from turning around and returning to her planet. She was not going anywhere, she would not leave when they needed her the most.

The sound of a larger, stronger engine caught her attention and she looked up to see a large Galra ship flying away from her planet, Zarkon's command ship, that much she could gather. At first, she was hopeful, but when the large battle-ready station turned and faced her planet again, that hope drained away.

Her eyes widened as the ion cannons on every ship in the system lit up, including the ones on the main hub, and she let out a horrified, pleading scream as they fired at her home, reducing it to a burning mess of death and destruction.

Zarkon had just destroyed her home, her family, and everything she knew in a split second, and she had no idea why.

~FbnL~

"ZIERA!"

The humanoid feline let out a gasp as her eyes opened suddenly and she found herself back on Pidge's ship, huddled on the floor, with her claws digging painfully into her scalp, while the worried pilot stared at her in concern, the others shouting through the coms for an update on the situation. "Oh thank God!" The young girl sighed with relief, sagging as the tension left her shoulders.

"P-Pidge...?" Ziera stared for a moment before she choked out a sob and tears spilled down her dark cheeks. She dove forward and pulled her into a tight hug, crying softly against her new friend. Of course, said friend was blinking widely with confusion, unsure whether to hug back or pull away. "I-I saw it...! I saw my planet get destroyed! That's why I was in the escape pod, that's why I was running away! Zarkon destroyed everything!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down!" Pidge put a hand on the woman's back, typing on the monitor to show the others what was going on. They all stopped asking panicked questions once they saw the scene. "Guys, Ziera just told me what happened to her planet! Zarkon was here, and he destroyed everything!"

All their eyes hardened, and Ziera pulled away from Pidge, hiccuping on her tears as she wiped them away with the palm of her hand. "I've lost so much...!" She started, her voice breaking at the end as she stood up and removed her hand from her face, revealing tear-filled, puffy, heart-wrenching eyes. "And it's all Zarkon's fault!" She took a deep breath, shaking as she clenched her fists. "I want to ask for another favor, if it isn't too much?" Her expression softened into a pleading frown, chin trembling. "I want to join your coalition. I want to fight by your sides and stop Zarkon before he can take any more worlds!"

"You can't just jump onto the front lines, y'know!" Keith pointed out, his expression hardening. "You could die out there, there's more to war than fighting!"

"I know that..." She lowered her head and her shoulders shook visibly as her tears kept falling. "I may not be the best fighter or the best engineer but...I will do whatever it takes to avenge my race, even if that means I die in the process!" She choked back another gut-wrenching cry and wiped her eyes once again, pressing her palms into her eyes. "So please...Please let me join you!"

"Uh, it's not really us you need to convince, Ziera..." Shiro started, sharing a concerned look with the other Paladins. "We'll take you back to the castle...If you're really serious about this, then there's someone you need to meet."

"...I am." She grimaced as she looked back at the broken remains of her home, unable to bear the sight for more than a few seconds as she jerked her head away from the image and squeezed her eyes shut. "I won't run away from this...If I do that, I'll be disrespecting the memory of my planet! I will convince your leader, and will work hard for the sake of peace!"

Silence stretched for a moment as the Paladins listened to her emotional, yet passionate words. Lance looked slightly confused, Hunk was very worried, and Keith's expression remained hard and intense, understanding her resolve. Shiro remained serious for a moment, then his expression softened slightly and he nodded. "Paladins, return to the castle...Pidge, let Coran know that we're bringing someone aboard."

"Got it."

The screens all vanished and Pidge paused as she went to call Coran, looking back at her new friend. "Are you sure about this?" She asked. "Fighting won't bring your family back...And...Do you really want to risk your life when you have friends waiting for you back on Olkarion?"

"Pidge, I spent a century with Ryner and the others..." She didn't pay attention to humorous shock that crossed the young teen's features. "I wouldn't have left if I didn't think I needed to do this...I know my memories are out there, and even if my home is gone..." She clenched her other fist and fought back her aching sorrow, gritting her trembling jaw. "I live on. So for the memory of those I've lost, I will get them the justice they deserve, and ensure that my new home never falls to the same hands!"

The conviction in her words, even behind the pain of her loss, was overwhelming, it could not be said that she was not passionate once she put her mind to something, at least. Pidge let out a soft breath and nodded. "Alright, I get it." She would do the same if her family had been killed, though she knew they were out there somewhere, she could feel it.

Sadly Ziera had lost that hope the moment she saw the state of Tylyrio.

With a press of a button, she called the castle. "Coran, It's Pidge. I've got some news..."

~FbnL~

Honestly, though she had no reason to fear this 'Allura,' considering she was the apparent leader of the team, Ziera found herself fidgeting nervously as her and the Paladins stepped into the elevator that lead to the bridge of the giant castle ship. Of course, it took them a good ten minutes from entering the castle to get to said elevator due to Ziera's obsession with technology, along with the many, many questions about the ship none of them could answer, as they were not well-versed in Altean technology.

The moment the lift stopped and the doors opened, the feline humanoid froze in fear, as before the group of six, stood two Alteans, one being a tall, older man with ginger hair and a moustache, while the other was a tall, dark woman with white hair tied in a bun and unique pink markings on her cheeks, nothing like the ones the Tylyrion had, which were just like the whiskers of a cat, and were only a lighter shade of her actual skin-tone.

"Welcome back, Paladins." Allura stated, her eyes remaining on Ziera, feeling an uncomfortable sensation of distrust. She had been filled in on the situation, but could not quite believe it to be true. "Coran told me you were bringing a potential ally back to the ship, and that she wished to speak with me, I assume this is her?"

"Yes," Shiro confirmed, stepping forward before turning slightly and gesturing to the nervous alien. "This is Ziera, she was among the Olkari refugees that were hiding from the Galra that had infiltrated the planet. She proved herself trustworthy during the battle, and Ryner, the new leader of the Olkari, swears she can be trusted and will bring no harm to our Coalition."

Allura's eyes narrowed suspiciously and settled on the gem around Ziera's neck, which glimmered in the flickering lights of the many screens surrounding them. "Yet she wears a Galra crystal?"

The entire group snapped their attention to the poor woman, who felt like shriveling up and falling out of an airlock right then and there. They all had wide eyes and confirmed for themselves just by looking, that the jewel which resembled an amethyst, was truly a Galra crystal and not the popular Earth gem.

"Wait, what?!" Lance blurted out in surprise, pointing rudely at her. "You're telling me that's not just some alien gem?!"

"Hmmm..." Pidge got a little too close to the flustered feline, who stepped back slightly in surprise, as she stroked her chin and inspected the pendant. "Now that I think about it, it does look a lot like Sendak's crystal."

Allura was quick to turn vicious, speaking in a tone no one would question. One that spoke authority. "State your name and purpose!"

"Z-Ziera!" The woman stammered out, stiffening up like a soldier under the princess' commanding tone. "I came here to offer my assistance to the Coalition!"

"Are you a spy under Zarkon's command?" The taller woman stepped closer and Ziera panicked and stumbled back in fear, while the others tried to get her to back off a little, they had trust in Ziera, she had given them no reason not to. "No person against his empire would dare to wear a crystal so sought after by their armies!"

"W-wait, I-" Ziera swallowed hard and gripped the pendant around her neck. "I'm not allied to the Galra at all! I don't remember how I got this necklace, but it wasn't from the Galra, that much I know!" She looked down at the beautiful shine from the gem itself. "I crash landed on Olkari after my own planet was destroyed by Zarkon, I have no memories, no home, and no family...I would never ally myself with him!"

The way Allura continued to stare at her made the tech-loving alien shrink back, she could feel her distrust even now. However, it was Shiro, the voice of reason, that stepped in for her. "Allura, I understand why you're suspicious, but I can tell she's telling the truth. Even Ryner confirmed her story was true," He glanced back at the cat-like female, who was surprised by his words, since most tended to shy away when the Galra were mentioned, not wanting to stand up for someone who may or may not be 'friends' with them. "Not only that, but the commander in charge of enslaving the Olkari didn't recognize her, and he seemed like a pretty important figure."

"Yeah!" Hunk chipped in, clenching his fists which were bent by the elbow against his sides. "Plus she kinda helped us out, and I don't think Zarkon would've let anyone do that, even if they'd get access to the Castle of Lions!"

"I've gotta side with Shiro and Hunk on this one." Lance pointed out, closing his eyes with a sigh as he crossed his arms and gestured a hand towards their new friend. "She doesn't seem like the 'spy' type to me."

"Zarkon might be devious, but I don't think he'd risk losing a planet full of the universes' best technicians just to get a spy aboard," Pidge stated, pushing her glasses up her nose as she thought it over. "It's too much of a risk, especially with the advancements he could make to Galra technology with the Olkari under his control."

Allura looked at each of the Paladins, noticing none of them seemed to show an inkling of distrust towards their new friend, and shot Ziera a glare, watching as she stood there, shaking and holding the necklace tight as if the princess would take it from her otherwise. "Fine." She finally ground out, looking down her nose at their new 'ally.' "Since the Paladins know you better, I'll choose to accept their opinions of you...But be warned, if I find out you're lying, your punishment will be severe!"

Ziera knew that meant prison or worse, and the idea of being locked up made her swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. "O-okay...!" She croaked, looking down at the floor. "But I can promise you...I won't ever betray the people that helped Ryner and the others!"

Allura was surprised when the feline lifted her head and shot her a determined frown, as if doing a one-eighty from the fear-ridden kitten she had been before. After a moment, the princess relaxed and stepped forward, keeping eye-contact as Shiro and Pidge stepped out of her way. "Welcome to the Coalition, Ziera." She held out her hand, and her new ally looked at it in surprise. "Prove to me that you can be trusted."

A strained, reserved smile slowly spread onto the extremely nervous Tylyrion's face and she grabbed Allura's hand, almost yelping at the strong grip the Altean possessed. Were all Altean women this powerful?! "I-I will!"

Allura nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. The resting quarters are down the hall, to the left, and around the right corner..." She gestured with her hands to where said quarters would be. "Once you're settled come back to the bridge and we can explain your role alongside us."

Ziera mumbled a nervous 'yes' and turned, leaving the room while mirroring the younger woman's gestures so she would not get lost or forget them.

Once the door slid shut and the sounds of footsteps were no longer heard, Coran spoke up. "Allura, do you really think we can trust her?" He asked, knowing Allura well enough to know she would not let such an important detail slide so easily.

"I don't know." She turned and frowned with concern at her dear friend. "Something's off...I feel like we're not getting the whole story."

"Well, yeah." Lance pointed out, shrugging his shoulders flippantly. "If she's lost most of her memories, then we can't get the full story, can we?"

"No, that's not what I mean." Allura's voice softened as she stroked her chin and looked down at the ground.

"Then what do you mean, Princess?" Shiro asked.

"It's probably nothing, but I feel like she's hiding something from us, a detail she may be keeping hidden as not to cause suspicion...Of course, I may be overthinking it. I just...I can't trust her, not yet."

"Will y'still give her a chance?" Hunk asked, pressing two fingers together as he looked at the door with a curious pout, it was nice to have someone more...energetic aboard. "I mean, I don't think she'll do anything y'know...Bad. She might've gotten that Crystal from someone who fought the Galra, we don't know."

"That's true..." Allura sighed. "Alright, I'll definitely give her the chance to prove herself. Especially since she gave you so much support on Olkarion, but..." She smiled slightly at all her friends. "Don't let your guard down until then, okay?"

They all nodded and with that, they turned and left the room to change out of their Paladin armor, as they knew it would be time to sleep soon.

~FbnL~

Not ten minutes after leaving the bridge, Ziera had located and picked out an empty room for herself. She had settled the box down on her bed and sat on the top of the desk that came with the small space, legs bent as she held them close to her chin. Her eyes were sad, and a little lonely as she thought back to everything that had just taken place.

Not only was she the only Tylyrion left in existence, as far as she knew, but because of one silly little gem she could not part with, she had lost the trust of the leader of the Coalition, the one person she needed to convince of her desire to fight Zarkon's rule. Now she had to go about her days in a strange ship, with strange people, and fight harder than ever to gain the trust she had taken so long to earn back when she first crashed on Olkarion.

Tears pricked at her eyes when she thought of her friends back on the wonderful planet she had called home for a century. She gritted her teeth and buried her face into her knees as she let out a tiny sob, wishing she had not made the rash decision of leaving, just so she could understand herself a little more.

She missed Melrak.

She missed Sephira, Colren and Janze.

She missed Ryner.

'If there's one thing I did right...' She thought, peeking out over her knees to stare at the wall in front of her. 'It's that I didn't tell her more about the crash...'

If Allura had reacted so negatively to her crystal, she could only imagine what she would have said or done if Ziera had mentioned to her or any of the Paladins that she was found in Galra armor. That did not mean she had lied about the crystal, she truly did not know where she got it from, but the mention of it did not bring about fear or discomfort, like most memories of her time with the Galra did, so she could only assume it was someone else who gave it to her.

The 'young' Tylyrion took a deep breath and straightened her legs out in front of her, turning her attention to her belongings, where a piece of parchment showed an image of her, Melrak, Colren, Sephira, Janze, and Ryner sat, waiting to be displayed. With a smile, she stood and walked over, picking it up and staring intently at the memories it contained.

She regretted leaving so suddenly but knew this was the right thing to do. If she helped the Coalition, if she gained their trust, then she could give something back to the Olkari. She could set the universe free and they could exist without any fear of the Galra returning to claim their planet.

She could stop them from having the same fate as her birth home...That enough was a motivation for her to gain the trust of the princess and the others, no matter what she had to do.

However, just before she could put the picture down and rest so she could do just that with her full attention, the ship shook violently and an alarm blared overhead. "What the Quizna-" She was cut off when another violent tremor made her lose her footing, and she hissed softly once she found it again.

Without waiting a second, she pressed the button on her Skate-Overs, opened the door to her room and started skating towards the bridge, ready to face whatever danger they were about to get into.

Whatever it was, she would do everything she could to help.

A/N: Thank you for watching! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please review, all comments and criticisms help me be a better writer!

Voltron Time

Tick = Second(ish)