A/N: FRICKING heck, y'all asked for it, and here I provide.

It's - I hadn't finished rewatching Voltron, and besides the new season it's been awhile, so characterization may be off.

Then again this is comedy, so things will be exaggerated in terms of personality and such.

Then again, this is comedy. Which I still don't really know how to write.

Just don't kill me please.

-/-

Table of Contents:

1.(Sort of) Lotor & Shiro (leaks into the next part)
2. Allura & The Paladins
3. Kolivan & The Blade (plus the Paladins visit the Galra Empire)
4. Krolia (don't ask how I'm going to work out this episode as it'll cross with chapter 3)
5. ?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Voltron or associated characters.

Violet embers

1. Well. . . this is awkward

This. . . was definitely not what should have happened.

The Advisor (Archivist? Keith didn't quite catch the title) had just announced to all the powerful Galra below that he, Keith Kogane, was their Emperor.

Emperor Keith didn't even sound right.

And to top it off, the ship he had arrived on, just sped off into the freaking atmosphere.

It's not that he didn't get it; the Blade had to keep a low profile. They couldn't cart around the new Emperor. Plus, they had just failed a mission, and would need to brief Kolivan, sort out the ramifications. . .

Oh dear lord - if Kolivan tries to blame this on him-

"Keith, I presume."

Nope. No way in hell. He is not dealing with this creep.

He turns to leave, not even descending the steps but rather to jump off the back and use the aid of his jet boosters to leave this conversation.

But Lotor has other plans, delicately yet firmly wrapping his fingers around Keith's upper arm.

There's enough strength there that Keith knows the message: Don't even think you can leave.

(Foster home number seven taught him that.)

Keith faces him reluctantly, in a manner that screams defiant. He can tell from Lotor's face that the (former) Prince is annoyed, but there's another expression settling on his features.

Keith doesn't like it one bit.

He bites back a what the hell do you want, Prince L'oreal?, because although it would be satisfying (nevermind that the others the Paladins would get a kick out of it), he knows it would just be lost on the other half-Galran.

"What do you want, Lotor?"

Slim eyes narrowed, calculating. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, it'd be nice to leave this conversation," he said, with a deadpanned expression.

Lotor snarled softly, then, suddenly, let go of Keith, smirking. "Now now, Emperor. I think we got off on the wrong foot here. After all, we are allies. And perhaps . . . this situation could be to our favor."

What does that mean?

The casual use of the title was so suddenly disarming, that Keith was at a loss. Luckily, he was saved from further awkwardness by a voice hailing him.

"Keith!"

Unluckily, it was Shiro.

The Red paladin, Black paladin, Blade, Emperor went rigid. Oh lord, what was Shiro going to say? It's not that Keith had never royally screwed up before; and although Shiro had never been unkind he had been stern, plus with the stress of leading Voltron aga-

A hand clasped his shoulder, and he turned, eyes trailing up the human arm to meet his brother's friend's eyes, fearful.

He couldn't read them.

Panic briefly over took him, and then disapated; he had never been good at reading facial expressions, relying more on the vibes coming off of someone. But Shiro he had always been able to read, and, after a moment, he found he still could.

(had he really been gone so long?)

The older man's eyes had softened, almost warm. There was irritance, surely, but also the expression of someone knew they just had to deal with the situation presented to them.

"The others contacted me, on their way here; I told them to head back to the Castle for now, and that we'd discuss things there. I'm guessing you need a ride," he quirked his eyebrow, though there was a teasing smile on his face.

Keith turned to glance out and, sure enough, most of the other Galra were gone; ships were rocketing out of the atmosphere, or preparing to. The only ones really lingering were Haggar and her entourage, one of the female commanders staring, meeting his eyes.

It was a peculiar moment that quickly passed; Keith swallowed, hard.

"Y-yeah. Let's, let's get going. Thanks Shiro."

The man in question have him a firm squeeze on the shoulder. "Of course, Keith."

They began to make their way to the Black Lion, Lotor silently stalking his way forward.

"Oh, and before I forget."

Keith turned to look at Shiro curiously. "Hmm?"

"You totally screwed up. Worse than the March Exam."

The few remaining Galra turned their heads to see their newly named Emperor, flinging his hands to the sky and yelling aloud with frustration.

"Why do you alway have to bring up the March Exam?!"