Chapter Text
The Kral Zera on planet Feyiv had been going the exact opposite way Lotor had planned. Of course he hadn’t been naive enough to expect the Galra to accept him as the new Emperor with open arms, but with Sendak as a contender put forth by the witch Haggar, the brute was nothing but an irritating obstacle to eliminate.
The fight between the two of them had led them to the top of the stairs. Above them was the Eternal Flame which had been extinguished since Zarkon’s death, and in front of them was a large opening, an entrance that led straight down into the structure’s catacombs. Even Lotor hadn’t been down there, and the thought that someone might be inside didn’t cross his mind for a tick, as he was focused on trying to kill Sendak.
Lotor leapt into the air, dodging Sendak’s bulky robotic arm. He raised his sword, ready to strike, when suddenly a figure emerged from the dark abyss of the catacombs. Lotor barely had time to register what was happening, when the figure sprinted towards him, jumped up, wrapped his arms around Lotor’s waist, and sent the two of them flying back down the steps as a burst of hot flame and rubble exploded behind them.
They fell with a thud onto the platform, and Lotor got to his feet quickly to assess the situation. Beside him lay a small figure clad in dark armor that looked familiar to him, and he realized that this person was a member of the Blade of Marmora.
But there was no time to ask questions, for Sendak bellowed from above, “Lotor has betrayed us to Voltron! Fire on the Black Lion!”
The Galra generals, commanders, and soldiers were not firing on the Black Lion, however, but on each other. The ships above in the dark sky began to launch their bright, purple lasers upon the surface of the planet and at each other, aiming haphazardly.
The Black Lion rose up into the sky, drawing the fire away from the surface, twisting around and in between the ships and taking them out one by one with a great blade clamped in its powerful jaws. It was a mesmerizing sight, watching the purple light dance in the sky, but it was absolute chaos.
Lotor saw out of the corner of his eye that the Blade had gotten to their feet and was observing the battle as well. “This is exactly what I wanted to avoid,” Lotor said, more to himself than to his rescuer. “I knew they would all turn on each other.”
If the Blade had been about to respond, they were cut off by Sendak’s roar as he descended upon them and Lotor. He landed in between them, causing a cloud of dust to form. Lotor slid out of the way and was separated from the Blade. As he continued his fight with Sendak, he saw that the Blade was taking on Commander Trugg, who had suddenly targeted them out of nowhere.
Turning his attention back to Sendak, Lotor held up his sword at the ready.
“Killing you would be too merciful,” Sendak snarled. With his overgrown, shaggy fur and hideously mismatched eyes, he looked positively manic. “Once I’m Emperor, I’m going to keep you as my slave!”
Their duel continued, but not for much longer when the Lions suddenly appeared from a portal, coming to aid the Black Lion. They all came together to form Voltron and destroyed dozens of ships, and Sendak paused to watch the battle in disbelief.
“Sendak!” Lotor roared, leaping into the air, about to deliver the killing blow, but Sendak used his robotic arm to throw up a piece of the platform, fling it at Lotor, and blast it to pieces, making a giant cloud. By the time Lotor flipped out of the way and landed on his feet, the cloud had dissipated and Sendak was gone.
Lotor clenched his jaw. It was no matter, now that Voltron was here. He approached the bright, blazing fire and grabbed one of the torches within, then proceeded up the steps to finally take what was rightfully his.
As a new Eternal Flame blazed in the altar, Voltron landed on the surface of Feyiv in a majestic pose, and The Archivist bowed to the ground.
“The flame is lit! Bow to your Emperor!”
Lotor looked out at what remained of the platform. His former generals and the witch must have fled the commotion a short while ago, for they were nowhere to be found. The remaining surviving Galra accepted their new fate, kneeling before Lotor, though some did so with no small amount of reluctance.
Even the little Blade knelt on one knee, though Lotor thought it odd that they were alone. He had very little knowledge of the Blade of Marmora, as they were one of the best kept secrets in the universe, but he did know that they rarely travelled unaccompanied.
With the ceremony now complete, Lotor descended the steps. He was now the Galra Emperor, but he didn’t feel any different. He could feel the weight and burden of his new responsibilities on his shoulders, but deep down… even after ten thousand years, he still felt like the small half-breed child who was always trying to prove himself to those who looked down on him. Now, more than ever, he would have to work even harder to continue to prove himself to his people.
As he got closer to the bottom, he saw that the Blade’s mask was gone, perhaps removed during battle.
“You are human,” Lotor observed quietly, approaching the Earthling.
“I’m Keith,” the human confirmed. “I used to be a part of Voltron.”
“Used to?” Lotor wanted to ask, but he was interrupted by feedback coming from his earpiece, which he had forgotten was there.
“Lotor.” Shiro’s voice was grainy from the poor connection.
Lotor put a hand up to his ear, then looked up at the larger-than-life entity that was Voltron. “I’m here,” he responded.
“Good work out there. Unfortunately we have to leave now. We just got a call from Olkarion and they need us back right away. We can take you back if you hurry.”
“No need, I will return to the Empire in one of the Galra ships,” Lotor assured him. “After all, they belong to me now.”
“Roger that. We’ll be in touch soon.”
The connection was broken and Voltron took off through another portal. Lotor caught a glimpse of the symbols on the portal and recognized them to be of the Altean language. Perhaps the princess was responsible for the creation of these gateways.
From his peripheral vision, Lotor saw Keith move closer towards him.
“Was that Shiro?” Keith asked.
“Yes,” Lotor answered.
Keith nodded, letting out a tired sigh. “Hopefully he and the others are well.”
“You appear to be alone now.”
“Yeah,” Keith glanced around at his surroundings, as if just realizing the fact. “My team sort of… left me… here…” He trailed off, avoiding eye contact.
“I must admit, I do not trust the Blade of Marmora,” Lotor said, taking a step closer to Keith and folding his arms. “Everything they’ve ever done has been to take down the Galra Empire. I am now the Galra Empire, so any action they perform against my people is an action against me.”
Keith’s posture stiffened in defense as he looked up at Lotor warily. “What are you going to do with me?” His hand hovered over the weapon strapped to his belt.
They stared each other down in silence for a moment, before Lotor said, “Not a single thing. The status quo has changed drastically, and perhaps an agreement can be reached between the Empire and the Blades. For now, I offer you passage off of Feyiv so you can reunite with your team. If you accept, that is.”
This earned a look of surprise from Keith. “Uh, sure,” he said. “I guess if you’re offering, yeah, I accept.”
“Excellent.” Lotor turned his attention to a ship which was still in suitable condition and was some distance away from the platform. “We will take that one. Come with me.”
Upon arrival, the Galra soldiers manning the ship were flustered in the presence of the new emperor, but obeyed the command to take off immediately.
“Right this way, Your Majesty,” the captain greeted, gesturing towards the front of the ship. “The bridge will be much more comfortable for you.”
“No need, I shall stay in the hangar with my guest,” Lotor dismissed. “We will be going to the next inhabitable planet so he can make contact with his people.”
“Uh… I’m afraid it is a tight fit,” the captain said with some uncertainty. Indeed, this Galra ship was smaller than most; whenever the soldiers were not in combat, they were all in the hangar for safe transportation while the ship was in motion. With two more occupants, the space would be very crowded.
“It is of no consequence to me,” Lotor said. He turned to Keith. “What do you think?”
Keith shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“Then we shall take off right away, Your Majesty.” The captain bowed and left for the bridge. In only a few doboshes the ship’s engines started up.
“This isn’t so bad,” Lotor heard Keith say behind him, commenting on the spaciousness. Just then, a dozen more soldiers came in late, and one of them unknowingly bumped into Keith, sending him face first into Lotor’s back. “Sorry,” he muttered as he righted himself. “Guess I spoke too soon.” Everyone in the hangar held onto handles that hung from the ceiling, but as Lotor looked over his shoulder, he noticed that Keith’s shorter arms could not reach a single one.
Lotor turned around to face him, and just as he did so, the ship jolted as it lifted from the ground, and threatened to topple Keith into Lotor’s chest. On instinct, they caught each other by the arms, and Keith looked up at him. The top of his head barely reached Lotor’s shoulders.
“Sorry,” he said again, glancing away. He let go and backed away as much as he could, but still remained chest-to-chest with Lotor, who kept his palm underneath Keith’s elbow.
“It is of no consequence to me,” Lotor murmured.
They remained that way for the remainder of the flight until the ship landed on Puig. Lotor found himself gripping Keith’s elbow more tightly as the hangar shook from the landing, but he quickly released him once the doors opened.
“Thanks,” Keith said as he climbed out and onto the planet’s surface.
“Do you require further assistance?” Lotor asked, raising his voice slightly over the rush of the engines.
Keith shook his head. “There’s always a way to contact the Blades,” he called out. “Of course, I can’t tell you,” he added as an afterthought.
“Of course not,” Lotor said, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Farewell, Keith. I’m sure we will meet again soon.”
“Yeah,” Keith said with a nod. The doors to the hangar began to shut, and Lotor’s last sight of Puig was of Keith, whose dark eyes searched his until the doors closed.
Four pheobs passed since the Kral Zera, four phoebs since Lotor had taken the throne and become the new Emperor of the Galra. A lot had taken place since then: the discovery of Oriande with Princess Allura, the process of absorbing the Empire into the Coalition, and there was the constant struggle of opposition amongst many Galra citizens.
Many of the Empire’s powerful leaders had pledged their loyalty to Lotor, but there was one leader in particular, Commander Cossack, who was stirring up trouble within the ranks. He was not present at the Kral Zera, but openly opposed Lotor and his Altean heritage. Speaking out against the royal family was treason and punishable by death, but the commander had gone into hiding, and Lotor could only assume that the coward had managed to sway a portion of the citizens over to his side. The best thing Lotor could do now was wait, and it irritated him to no end.
There was also the project he was performing with the princess, making ships using her alchemical knowledge, and that only added to his stress, as his plans to retrieve quintessence from the Void were more vital than ever. If he wanted to win over the favor of the Galra for good, he needed to act quickly. Time was running out.
Lotor had just finished a meeting with his advisors in the throne room, which had been redecorated since his coronation, when a guard walked up to him. Lotor himself was not sitting on the throne, but stood at the base of the steps that led to it.
“Emperor Lotor, the Blade of Marmora’s leader Kolivan is waiting outside to meet you,” the guard said after saluting.
“Very well, send him in,” Lotor agreed with a nod. His interest was piqued, for he had never met the secret organization’s leader before, but he also dreaded the conversation, as it could potentially lead to a declaration of war between the Galra Empire and the Blade of Marmora. He did not need anymore on his already full plate.
His advisors vacated the room, and soon were replaced by two figures wearing the recognizable dark blue uniforms. One was the same height and build as Lotor, while the other was much smaller and leaner. Lotor’s eyebrows rose slightly upon seeing the latter. Could this one be the Earthling Keith? He could not tell, for they still wore their masks.
The two Blades stood before Lotor and saluted.
“Emperor Lotor,” the leader greeted. “We meet at last.”
“Kolivan, I presume,” Lotor said, walking up to them. “Please, there is no need for secrecy here. I would like to think of us not as strangers, but as potential friends.”
Kolivan looked over at his companion, nodded once, and their masks both disappeared.
“A pleasure to see you again, Keith,” Lotor said, and he felt relieved somehow, seeing him again. “It has been approximately four phoebs since we last met, if I remember correctly.”
Keith nodded. “I hope we’re not visiting at an inconvenient time.”
“Not at all,” Lotor lied, for he was very busy and stressed, but it would be nice to have a distraction, at least for a while. He turned back to Kolivan. “What can I do for you?”
“As you can see, we are in the midst of reforming the Empire,” Lotor said over his shoulder. Kolivan and Keith were following him as he toured them around the home of the Galra. Two sentinels, one in the front and one in the back, escorted the group. They entered the infamous arena, which was in the process of deconstruction. Workers passed them, carrying supplies and tools, but not before saluting to Lotor first, which he returned with a nod. “There are many old traditions of the Galra that must be expunged. This gladiator ring for example,” He stopped and directed their attention to the pit down below. Once filled with sand and tall structures, workers were currently cleaning everything up and removing everything, “has been a part of our culture for generations before even Zarkon became Emperor. It is a stain on Galra history, a reminder of nothing but torment and death. This is just one of the many things I will be changing in this new era of the Empire,” he said, turning to Kolivan and Keith. “Not to erase completely, of course. It will remain a part of our history so that we can learn from it.”
“I admire you for that,” Kolivan said quietly, staring down at the arena. “Many lives were taken here for the mere entertainment of past emperors.”
“An entertainment I had firsthand experience with,” Lotor added, and Keith looked at him with surprise on his face, and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but the group was already moving on. They walked a bit a ways to Lotor’s personal workshop and laboratory.
“This is the Sincline prototype Princess Allura and I have been developing,” Lotor said, gesturing to a large ship that took up much of the space in the workshop. “She is currently away on Voltron business, but with her alchemical powers, we have been making a lot of progress, and I hope to finish its construction soon for testing.”
“What are you testing, exactly?” Keith asked, walking up to the ship to examine it. He put a gloved hand against the hull before turning to Lotor. “The princess didn’t mention any of this to the Coalition.”
“Do not blame her,” Lotor said gently, coming to stand next to Keith as he too observed the ship. “It is meant for Galra purposes only. My aim is to use it to enter the Void and collect the infinite amount of quintessence within.”
“Zarkon was stealing quintessence from living entities in the universe to give himself more power,” Kolivan spoke up, folding his arms. “So by ‘Galra purposes’ you actually mean ‘a quest for power’?”
“I assure you the quintessence is not for me personally,” Lotor assured him. “Believe it or not, I have never used the substance in all my years of living.”
Keith frowned, but remained silent, so Lotor went on:
“It is no secret that the Galra have stolen quintessence from other planets, yes. There are millions of Galra who depend on quintessence to live, so my solution is to find a source that does not result in using the barbaric methods of the Komar. It has been my plan since the very beginning. The paladins of Voltron know this already, surely they told you this?”
Keith and Kolivan glanced at each other.
“It seems they failed to mention it,” Lotor said. “Well, I will not speak for the paladins or the Coalition, but I can assure you the starfaring ways of the Galra are over.”
Kolivan thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’d like to believe you, but I need more convincing. I speak as a Galra myself, that the Empire has been a source of pain and suffering for thousands of years. It’s not something that the Blade of Marmora can just forget easily.”
“I understand that,” Lotor said honestly. “What do you propose?”
“With your permission, I’d like to assign one of my agents to stay here for a while. They would report back to me on the goings on in the Empire, and they would confirm whether your plans of peace are not just all talk.”
Lotor stroked his chin, thinking. “And how, may I ask, does this benefit the Empire?”
“You would get the Blade’s undying loyalty,” Kolivan said. “You and I both want what’s best for our people. After all, we too are of Galra heritage.”
That last statement struck a chord with Lotor, and he nodded resolutely. “Very well. I agree to your terms, not only because of the Blade of Marmora’s reputation, but because I would like to reunite our people as well. How soon can I expect your agent to arrive? They will be given all the accommodations during their stay.”
“Within the next few quintants,” Kolivan answered. “I have a few in mind that I could ―”
“I volunteer.”
Both Lotor and Kolivan turned to look at Keith in surprise.
“Keith? Are you sure?” Kolivan asked, and Lotor detected a hint of concern in the man’s tone, much like a father worrying about his son. Lotor couldn’t help but feel some envy deep within his chest, which surprised him. It wasn’t often that those kinds of emotions came up.
“I can do it,” Keith assured him confidently. “I can handle the proceedings, I’ll always report on time, and I promise not to disobey your orders. Plus, Emperor Lotor and I are acquainted, which ― which I think will help.” He glanced at Lotor, a silent plea in his eyes to back him up.
“That is correct,” Lotor spoke up. “He saved my life at the Kral Zera. If it wasn’t for him, I probably would not be standing here today.”
Kolivan’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell me that, Keith.”
Keith shrugged but looked a little sheepish. “It never came up.”
The Blade of Marmora’s leader considered, then nodded. “Well, if you think you can handle it, then I trust you, Keith. I’m appointing you as representative of the Blade of Marmora.”
Lotor trailed behind as Kolivan walked with Keith back to the hangar bay, where Kolivan’s ship was waiting to take off. Lotor stood back while the two said their goodbyes.
“Are you sure about this?” Kolivan asked again as he and Keith stood in front of the ship. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable, I just ―”
“I’ve got this,” Keith said, determined. “And will you say ‘hello’ to Krolia for me? We didn’t really get a chance to talk, but…” He trailed off, and he had a conflicted expression on his face, but it seemed that he couldn’t find the right words.
“I’ll tell her,” Kolivan assured him. “I know she’d be proud of you, Keith.”
“You seem to know her pretty well, by the looks of it,” Keith said, a small smile forming on his face.
“I mean ― we’ve known each other for years, but ―” Kolivan stuttered, suddenly flustered, which was amusing to see from the leader of the Blade of Marmora.
“I’m just kidding,” Keith said, and he smiled a real smile. “Thank you for trusting me, Kolivan.” He held out a hand.
“Good luck, Keith,” Kolivan returned, gripping his arm. He saluted to Lotor once more before entering his ship and taking off into the inky blackness of space.
When his ship was out of sight, Keith turned around to face Lotor, who approached him with folded arms.
“So,” Keith said, shouldering his rucksack. “Where do we start?”
Lotor’s eyes lingered on Keith’s hand which gripped the handle of his pack. The brief exchange between Keith and Kolivan had felt so natural, the way they said goodbye and held onto one another’s forearm as a sign of respect and farewell. It was an exchange Lotor had little to no practice with. Then he recalled the time they were in the ship hangar after the Kral Zera, when he held onto Keith to keep him from falling. The Earthling had not reciprocated very much, but he also hadn’t recoiled from him, either. Perhaps the two of them could get to that level of comfort with each other, maybe even become friends.
“It would appear that you are my guest once more,” Lotor said, smiling a little. “Welcome to the Galra Empire, Keith.”