Note: So apparently I didn't post this a month ago like I thought. Sorry! ^_^*

Hopefully I'll be posting more frequently now!

Pidge~

When they landed on the new Olkarion, Pidge felt like a weight was lifted off of their chest.

The new planet wasn't the same by any stretch. There were large rolling hills and an expansive desert on one area of the planet. The number of trees and jungles was greatly reduced, and the planet even had icy mountains at the poles.

It sort of reminded Pidge of Earth.

Just with a complex network of rivers and lakes instead of oceans.

But, when they touched down, Pidge felt as though everything was becoming whole again. They saw small huts formed from clay or tree branches and grass pulp. Blankets drying and fires blazing.

Yet, though lesser in number, the technology still existed plentifully, woven into their lives in the form of washing food and clothes and purifying water and growing edible crops and testing the effects on different crops to see how they could be used to best benefit the Olkari.

But the best part, the part that solidified the existence and safety of the Olkari for Pidge, was seeing their bright faces, smiling at them, as they landed with all of the refugees.

Pidge saw scientists that they had worked with previously and who they knew were trusted by Ryner. They saw a school of children peering around from the mats that they sat on.

They saw a thriving civilization rebuilding themselves.

And when Green opened up and the Olkari were able to file out, Pidge watched as parents ran to children and children to parents and siblings to siblings and friends to friends.

And it warmed their heart.

All of the time they were flying, the only thing that Pidge could think about was how much they wished that they hadn't disappeared. They wished that they hadn't been gone for three years so that they could have helped and saved them.

Maybe the paladins could have changed things.

But, despite it still hurting, it helped to know that they could still help. To know that they hadn't failed completely.

Shiro walked up and placed his hand on Pidge's shoulder. "You helped them reunite."

Pidge smiled softly.

"You helped these families find each other."

"Yeah," Pidge said warmly, a soft grin spreading across their face.

~~..

Keith~

"So, have you heard anything?" Keith asked. "Do you know where that huge Robeast came from or where it went?"

The Olkari in front of him shook her head solemnly. "I'm not sure. It was so hectic with all of... everything," She covered her face, a few tears slipping out the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry... I... I lost my daughter in the crash."

Keith closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish... I wish we could be of more help. But that is why we are trying to find where this Robeast came from so we can prevent this from happening to anyone else."

"I... I think it was flying here," an older olkari beside the other said as he pointed at a 2D map. "I think I saw it flying off this way when we were escaping."

Keith pulled up a 3D holomap of the universe and gestured to where Olkarion was pointing. "Could you point me in the direction you think it went?"

"Um.. yeah..." the man said, standing up shakily with the help of a cane. The woman helped hold his arm so that he could stand up and he hobbled forward, jumping with every step.

Keith realized that the man was missing his left leg from the knee down. He hadn't noticed sooner because of the Olkari's robes but now Keith saw how the fabric fell in the area of the missing limb.

"I'm..." Keith started to apologize before the man looked at him with tired, exasperated eyes. Keith closed his mouth and bowed backwards, watching as the man stepped up to the map and traced the direction they had flown to reach the planet they were on now. Then, slowly and shakily, he traced a pathway away from Olkarion and towards a fairly unpopulated quadrant of the the universe.

"I think I saw it fly off this way when it was done."

"Did it arrive from that direction?"

"Yes," the olkari said slowly, unsurely.

Keith nodded. "Is there anything else you could tell us?"

The olkari paused. "Is... is that one, Pidge, with you?"

"Yes."

"Ryner asked me to give her some notes. I have them in my place. Just follow me and I'll help get it."

Keith nodded, stepping out of the way. He watched as the olkari strapped crutches to his wrists and used handholds to push himself forward, hoping and using his crutches more as legs than his one working leg.

"Don't pity me," the Olkari said as he began walking at a brisk pace, Keith a step behind him. "I've been like this for years and I'm used to it. There were many who were not as lucky as I am."

Keith pursed his lips. "I know what you mean... it is impressive how good you are at using those, though."

"Why, thank you," the Olkari said, tipping his head in gratitude.

After a short, mildly awkward, walk, they reached the olkari's hut and he ducked under a cloth doorway to get inside.

Keith expected darkness when he walked in, but instead he was greeted with light. There were a handful of small jars that contained fluttering glowing moths inside, illuminating the room in soft a blue-green glow.

Keith was staring around the room at the shadows when the old Okari whacked his hand and Keith looked down to see that the man was holding a small piece of technology. "Ryner asked to give this to the green one. She said that they would know what to do with it and what the information meant."

Keith smiled and shook the Olkari's hand. "I'm sure that they will. Thank you so much for your help."

The olkari tipped his head toward Keith, muttering "Happy to help," as Keith darted out of the room and to go find the others. He had some new information to share and maybe, just maybe, Ryner's notes would have some way that they could get some new information and know how to progress.

~~~...

Shiro~

"So… the general consensus is that we learned nearly nothing?" Shiro asked the group of assembled leaders.

They were in the Atlas's meeting room with everyone jumbled together so that they could all input new ideas.

"Basically," Lance sighed.

"Pidge is analysing the information that Ryner left right now," Hunk announced, "But from what they told me, it seemed like a lot of technology information and not a lot of 'alteans are planning things.'"

"So… what's the next step?" Shiro questioned, folding his hands on the table before him. "Should we go in the direction that Keith recommended and… what? See if we magically run into the small secluded Altean planet?"

"Maybe we could send out the MFEs and the lions in different formations in that direction to cover more ground," Krolia suggested.

"That still seems like a gamble," Iverson told them.

"Isn't everything we do a gamble?" Adam asked, leaning closer to Shiro. "I think this whole war is one big risk game where we don't know the outcome and have to keep shooting blindly in hopes that we will get a hit."

"Like a big game of battleship?" Lance suggested.

"Yes, Lance," Keith responded dryly, "Like giant battleship. In space."

"So… does anyone have any better ideas than spreading our forces out and searching?" Krolia asked staring at each of the leaders in turn. "We would have to supply every ship that we have in order to cover as much ground as possible with the Atlas in the center."

No one objected to the idea. No one had any better ones.

"Okay," Shiro said, standing up and pulling up a holographic 3D map of the universe, zooming in on where they were.

"The olkari that I talked to," Keith said, standing up and gesturing to the map, "Directed us to this direction. If we assume that the Robeast was headed in a straight line, then we would end up about here," he gestured to an area of space that was mostly deserted of planets, especially inhabited ones.

"I would have thought that Honerva would be hiding in a large cluster of planets. Like in plain sight," Lance commented.

"Strategically, that might make sense," Krolia interjected, "But at the same time, isolation makes more sense because then no one can stop by and investigate because they have no reason to suspect anything."

"Think of it like you have a really weird neighbor," Adam told Lance. "If he lived two streets away by himself, would you ever want to go investigate? But if he was right next door, you would be more curious what he was doing, right?"

Lance chuckled. "You're right. That's a good analogy, by the way."

"Why, thank you," Adam said, bowing slightly in a joking manner.

"Anyway," Shiro continued, "Thank you for the analogy, Adam, but moving on to the problem, We would have to coordinate our flight paths so that our radar would pick up anything unusual.

Hunk stood up and walked around the map before reaching out and drawing shapes with the interactive map. "I think if we started from here and flew out in this direction…" Hunk drew a conal shape leading away from the old Olkarion and out into the new area where they hoped Honerva was located."We might get lucky enough to run into the new Altean planet."

"It has a low probability of being successful… but…" Shiro paused looking at everyone around the table. "I think it might be our best option."

The doors behind them opened and Shiro turned to look to see Pidge walking in, bags under their eyes. "Hey, guys," the said. "I finished the videos… um. There was nothing important. Ryner just left me instructions for some of the technology of Olkarion… some plans for the future that they had had. And some general life advice that Ryner had for the future… nothing that would help us though."

"Are you sure?" Allura asked, interjecting for the first time. "It is imperative that we find Honerva and stop her!"

"I know!" Pidge shouted in retaliation before sitting back down and closing their eyes, taking a deep breath. "I know," they said, calmer, "I watched the videos and read the papers— all of them— multiple times, but I didn't find anything."

"That's okay, Pidge," Lance said. "We all know that you're trying a lot. We all are. I think that the strategy we came up with might work though."

Hunk leaned over and whispered to Pidge to tell them what they had missed from the meeting.

"So we need to designate the squads," Shiro started to say just as an alarm started balaring through the speakers, quiet but persistent.

"What is that?" Krolia demanded, standing up.

"Are we under attack?" Adam asked Shiro.

"No," Keith said, "It's a ship approaching."

"Not a friendly ship," Allura growled. "It must be one of those robeasts."

"We don't know for sure," Hunk, always the mediator, said.

"We should look! Maybe it's a refugee ship?" Lance wondered.

"We need to get to the lions!" Allura shouted. "And then we can decide."

"Allura," Pidge snapped, "I get that you've been on edge since we left Earth, but we don't know for sure that the ship approaching is dangerous. It just might be."

"Let's head up to the deck and look around," Shiro directed, "Try to connect communications if we can and see who we're dealing with."

Everyone heeded his orders in a panicked shuffle, moving as a group towards radar and windows and the main deck.

Once most of them had reached the main deck, they looked out the windows as the computers offered unhelpful warning about an unidentified spacecraft approaching.

"What kind of ship is that?" MFE pilot Griffin asked, pressing himself up against the front of the window to try to see the approaching ship.

Shiro pushed his way up to the window and took a look for himself. He saw a new ship approaching quickly. It didn't look like any ship he recognized but it almost seemed like it would fit alongside the robeasts with its silvery colors and smoothed edges.

Shiro turned back, walking briskly towards the Comm device at the central control panel. Along the way, he grabbed Adam's hand and dragged him beside him to the controls, needing the support.

"Get me a connection," Shiro ordered.

"On it," Veronica replied, already typing away at the control system.

"Link established!" she shouted after a moment.

Shiro took a deep breath. "Bring them through."

Adam squeezed his hand, smiling at him reassuringly. "You're going to do just fine Takashi. You've been through worse than this."

Shiro smiled at him gratefully. "Yeah, you're right."

And then the video communications pulled through.

And everyone took a collective step backwards, away from the screen while many of them whimpered in surprise and agitation.

"It can't be," Shiro heard Lance whisper.

"Lotor?" Shiro asked.

~~.

Allura~

Allura couldn't believe what she was seeing.

It couldn't be him.

It didn't matter if she had thought she had seen him at the mall.

It couldn't be him.

"Lotor?" Allura blurted. She hadn't even realized it had been her who had spoken until her eyes darted around and she noticed a large number of people on the Atlas staring at her awkwardly.

Did they know?

Allura flushed at the thought of her and Lotor. As she thought of all that had happen… of what they could have been.

But then she remembered Keith returning and telling everyone about his betrayal.

And how betrayed she had felt.

She had been destroyed.

How could he keep something like that a secret?

Why would he?

It didn't matter that he thought he was saving lives or helping people or whatever, he had destroyed so many Alteans by manipulating and tricking them.

And tricking her.

Lotor tricked her and manipulated her so he could get all of the power that he craved.

And she had followed without a second thought, agreeing to his every desire and fawning over him like he was an almighty god.

She had been such an idiot.

Without fully thinking, Allura marched up to the control station and hovered by the command position, the position Shiro held.

"Have you linked communications?" Allura asked dead serious.

"No—" a crew member started to say before another butt into the conversation and said "But we're getting right on that communication!"

Allura nodded, satisfied and held her position at the Captain's chair, waiting.

Eventually, the communications officer swallowed and opened her mouth slowly. "We… we have a line open. It's up to you and him on whether it's received or not."

Allura took a deep breath and held her hand over the button, her mind wavering.

Was she ready to hear his voice? Was she ready to… to interact with him again? To acknowledge him?

Before she could think about it any further and stop herself from potentially making a grave mistake, Allura squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her hand down on the button.

The event ended with an anticlimactic beeping as the call tried to reach through.

And then it stopped and Allura held her breath, waiting as quietly as she could, unable to stand the tension in the room.

A screen in front of them enlarged, broadcasted on the window of the ship with Lotor's face. He looked older somehow without having physically aged. His hair, once luscious and beautiful, was now destroyed and matted and more grey and beige than white. His eyes looked the most tired, bags underneath and the pupils smaller. Allura could almost swear that she could make out his fangs twice as well from what she used to be able to see.

"Hello there, Princess," Lotor remarked snidely.

"Lotor," Allura said slowly, trying the name on her tongue as she saw him in this new light. "Why have you come to us like this?"

"Why?" Lotor repeated exaggeratedly. "Why, why, why indeed."

That's it! Allura thought to herself. He's lost it. He's gone completely insane in the time in the quantum abyss.

Allura saw movement from behind Lotor and a small furry thing jumped up into his lap, curling around and flicking it's ears.

"Is… is that a cat?" Allura asked, semi-stunned by seeing the creature.

"Yes," Lotor said defiantly as the cat stood up and hissed at the video of Allura that was no doubt being broadcasted to Lotor.

"That's… that's Kova!" Axca cried, flabbergasted as she stepped closer to the screen to get a better look. "It is! That's Kova!"

"Am… am I missing something?" Lance asked tentatively from the back edges of the group.

"Narti… our friend," Axca said, her eyes tearing up as she spoke, "Was bonded to this cat. Kova helped Narti to be able to see even though she was blind. Haggar, the witch, ended up using Narti and Kova as a means to watch Lotor and spy on him. It was effective until Lotor learned of what was really happening and ended up killing Narti as a way to prevent the witch's spying."

"So… the cat lived?" Hunk asked softly from the crowd.

"Yes," Allura replied.

"Kova is mine," Lotor told them simply. "He is bonded to me now. But that is irrelevant information I'm here to talk to you… Princess."

The way he said the name made Allura's skin crawl. There was nothing warm and caring like the words he used to speak. Nothing in his voice that made Allura think that he cared about her.

Or that he ever did.

"Lotor," she growled through her teeth.

"How did you get back from the Quintessence field?" Keith demanded, boldly taking a step forward to ask.

Lance was right behind him, walking quickly up to Keith and placing a hand onto his shoulder after hovering for a moment. "Keith…"

On the screen, Lotor smirked at them and stroked Kova like a mad scientist. "Oh, I had some help. But that doesn't really matter now does it?"

Allura swore she saw his eyes flash purple with power.

Was he turning into Zarkon? Exposed for barely a minute and mad with power?

"Then what are you trying to accomplish?" Allura demanded.

"I'm just looking into what my mother wants," Lotor replied snidely.

"Your mother?" Lance cried, crinkling his nose in shock. Allura knew why. Lotor had never admitted to Honerva being his mother before.

So what changed this time for him to change his mind? Allura thought to herself.

"And what might her plans be?" Keith asked, glancing a Lance out of the corner of his eyes.

"And why would I reveal that to you?" Lotor asked logically. "Why do you even believe that her plans are inherently evil? How are you sure?"

"We're not," Pidge said, finally stepping forward defiantly. "But we do do know that you are power hungry and insane. You were before the quintessence and you most definitely are afterwards."

"What is it that you even want you— you— sick twisted quiznak!" Allura yelled, fed up with this. Lotor had hurt her and she wasn't able to get past that. Maybe that made her petty. But… he had betrayed her and her feelings and she couldn't force herself to forgive him. And she was nowhere near trusting him.

Lotor smirked ever so slightly. "I wanted to find you, of course!"

Allura had to bite her lip to keep from screaming at him. How in the world could he be so twisted and horrible? How could he be so persistent?

"Listen," Shiro said, his voice sounded cool and collected but Allura knew that from knowing him, he was struggling to keep it together. It was hard to know that they should talk and be reasonable when Lotor was being so... so awful! and it was hard knowing what he had done regardless of whatever reasons he may or may not have had. "I think that it might be best if we try to hear what he has to say," Shiro said reasonably. That didn't mean that Allura wanted to listen to him.

"What makes you think that I'm so eager to talk and be pleasant?" Lotor asked snidely.

Allura turned around towards Shiro so her back was to the screen and gestured to Lotor like See! This is what you want me to deal with?!

"I for one," Lance started to say slowly, "think it might be good to hear what he has to say. I... I know!" he cried when everyone looked at him in surprise. But... haven't we all made mistakes? Haven't we all done questionable things from someone's point of view."

"Lance is right," Hunk stepped up. Sometimes Allura really did hate how big of a heart he had. "I hated Lotor the entire time. I was always suspicious of him. But... that doesn't mean we didn't treat him like he was a part of our family and... I think he might be worth hearing out. Maybe just this once."

Allura felt rejected and betrayed, even though she knew where they were coming from.

"Regretfully," Keith said slowly, "I agree with Lance." He glanced at Lance and under his breath whispered "For once."

"Hey!" Lance protested quietly. "I heard that and I think that we tend to agree a lot more than once in a while."

Keith rolled his eyes but Allura swore that she saw a faint smile under his scowl.

"So?!" Lotor chimed in cherrily. "We're going to have a big reunion are we?"

"If you wish to," Allura said through gritted teeth. We will meet peacefully."

"Don't bring all of the lions. I don't want Voltron threatening me at knifepoint."

"Don't worry about that," Pidge added, their usual spunk back, "We're ready to fight with our own hands if it comes to that. I'm pretty sure we could overpower someone as scrawny as Lotor."

"Normally I would take offense to that," Lotor murmured as he leaned closer to the camera, "but right now I- ARGH!" he cut himself off, crying out in pain and clutching his head in agony. He looked sharply at Allura, his gaze searing into hers before he slammed a fist down on the control board of his ship and the screen shut down, leaving the room of the Atlas in stunned silence.

...

Lance~

"We have to go after him," Allura shouted. "We have to find him and detain him. He cannot get back to Honerva and tell her what we're doing and what's happening to us here."

"What I think," Lance stepped in, "is that we need to talk to him. Not go in with an attack plan but just talk to him some."

"I think..." Shiro started slowly, "That Lotor may be experiencing the same pain I did when Honerva was trying to take over my mind."

"What?!" the paladins cried while Adam stood up from his chair, slamming his hand down on the table nearby. "TAKASHI?!" he cried. "You were mind controlled? What? Why— Why didn't you tell me?"

Shiro started blushing and turned towards Adam slowly, taking his hand. "Yeah... I was... I'm better now. That's a story for another time.

Adam didn't look convinced but Shiro looked at him with pleading eyes and leaned up to kiss him. Adam accepted with a bashful smile. "Alright. But you have some explaining to do when we get out of," he gestured to the world around them, "all of this."

"Agreed," Shiro said softly as he nestled his head into Adam's shoulder.

Lance smiled at the display of affection. He might have been able to have that with Allura. But... she wasn't ready after Lotor. And it just... it just so didn't feel right to Lance.

Without noticing it, Lance glanced over to where Keith was standing stoeckly, his hair fluttering around his head in different waves.

Stupid mullet.

"Anyway," Pidge interrupted his thoughts, "I think Shiro might be right... I think that Lotor lost his memories and Honerva brainwashed him into believing that he was her son, which he is, but that that meant that he should help her and turn against us. Now, his having conflicting memories between the ones he used to have and the ones Honerva told him."

"I'm guessing that it wouldn't be too hard to turn him against us," Hunk interjected, "Considering he already kind of wanted to destroy us and we were only barely keeping him being our friend."

"I'm not so sure," Lance interjected. "I think that he was fine before. Sure, I didn't like him around, but I don't think he believed what he was doing was wrong. I think he believed that what he was doing was for a good cause and was a good thing in the world. I think that once he got into the quintessence, whatever mild power lust he had had before, became extreme and he was unable to control himself."

"He snapped," Keith whispered in agreement.

"But he still had those tendencies beforehand," Allura argued, pain etched into her voice. "He was just good at hiding them until they became too strong to ignore."

"None of this arguing helps us decide what we want to do," Krolia said as she stepped into the room, Kolivan just behind her.

"What we need to be doing is coming up with a battle plan," Kolivan announced. "We need to decide our next action and then move forward."

"The point I was trying to make earlier," Shiro said calmly, "was that there is a possibility that if he sees us, his mind will be reconfigured. He'll remember whatever memories he had previously blocked out and he will either remember us as his friends or as his enemies. Or both."

"The enemy of our enemy is our friend," Pidge quoted quietly. "Maybe he'll turn against Honerva. He never was on her side. So maybe he'll help us defeat her."

"But which is more dangerous...?" Krolia asked. "Lotor ruling or Honerva ruling?"

"I want to say Lotor," Allura announced, "but I know that Haggar is an extremely powerful witch and that she is planning something big, probably to wipe out a large part of the galaxy. So... I guess Haggar."

"Which is why it would be helpful to have Lotor on our side. If we can manage that," Kolivan announced.

Reluctantly, the paladins agreed.

Lance wasn't sure about meeting Lotor. He kept glancing at Allura. She had known him best and the betrayal had hurt her the most.

Keith... Keith on the other hand hadn't known Lotor at all except for being a horrible person. So having them both facing Lotor at the same time could lead to volatile reactions.

Lance was worried.

But eventually they decided on a battle plan, mostly of Kolivan's making with Shiro offering input every now and again.

Their plan was to use their ships to talk to Lotor from the safety of a nearby deserted planet. From Pidge's calculations, the atmosphere of the planet wasn't good to breath so they would need to stay in their suits which would offer them a better chance of escaping and fighting if it came to that. Originally, they were only going to have the five paladins go, but then they decided to have Shiro join as well in case he could be of any sympathy to Lotor. Adam pled to come as well, but there was no way that Shiro was going to let him get in the way of harm. So, Adam was going to stay behind, watching right next to Krolia who, also, wanted to accompany them.

Six paladins and one half Altean, half Galra, half zombie.

Lance was scared out of his mind, but that didn't mean it wasn't time to go.

"Everyone, to your lions!" Shiro announced valiantly before turning to give Adam one last goodbye. Though Lance sincerely hoped it wasn't goodbye and was merely 'see you in a bit.'

Everyone stood from the war room table— where they had been making their battle plans— and left, except for Lance.

He thought he was ready to face Lotor again.

But he wasn't sure that he was.

How could he be? This was the man who had betrayed them, fought them, and then robbed three years of their lives. And yet… they were going to try to be nice to him. And Lance was going to help them.

"Hey," Keith said as he sat down next to Lance, turned towards him and leaned on the table slightly. "Everything okay?"

Lance nodded, not meeting Keith's eyes. "I guess... I'm just... I'm scared. We don't know what Honerva is planning. We don't know if this is a trap. We don't know if Lotor is about to kill each an every one of us. Yet we have to go and hope for the best. And... that's stupid!"

"It's war, Lance," Keith said. His voice was rough but not uncaring. In fact, it sounded like Keith cared a lot.

"But... but what if we all die because we were trying to be nice and talk things through? How do we know that... that we aren't all going to die?"

"We don't," Keith said simply, slowly. "We never know when we're going to die, though. That just means we have to do everything we can, and everything we want to do until then. We have to fight our hardest. Fight to the end. And protect those we care about."

Lance's breath hitched in his throat. He thought about all of that time that Keith had spent virtually alone with only Kosmo and Krolia. And how they must have wondered if each and every day that they were there, if it would be their last.

Lance thought about when he had... when he had died. And how if Allura hadn't been there, he wouldn't be here now.

"I... I died once," Lance whispered softly.

Keith's eyes grew wide and he sucked in a breath.

"And I'm not talking about a mental 'the old me died'. I'm talking about... I was hit with a beam of energy and Allura pulled me back from the edge of death, dead."

Keith paused. "When... when was this?"

"While you were gone. When Lotor was around and we were gaining the trust of some of the Galra forces. But... but I'm here now."

Lance glanced at Keith out of the corner of his eye. He sort of looked like he was wanting to give Lance a hug. "Lance... I... I'm really really glad that you're still here."

He looked away from Lance as though he didn't want him to see his face. Lance lowered his head.

But then Keith stood up and offered his hand to Lance. "How about we go fight them together, Lance?"

Lance smiled genuinely and took Keith's hand, gripping it and not letting go, even after he had stood up. "I... I would like that."

The fly there seemed to take no time.

But waiting for Lotor, that took an eternity.

Lance couldn't help fidgeting. He kept glancing at the sky and then at the other paladins nervously. It seemed as though everyone else was perfectly calm.

But he knew that wasn't true which, honestly? calmed down his own nerves a bit.

He could see Pidge fidgeting with their tech, checking the different chemicals on the planet and the oxygen levels in their suit. He could see Allura clasping and unclasping her hands. Hunk was rocking back and forth slightly. Shiro was staring at the sky, searching for any signs of Lotor's ship. And Keith was playing with his Blade of Marmora. Krolia had given it back to him, telling him to fight with it for all he's worth if it came to that.

Silence had fallen on the planet. No one dared to talk. Through their helmets, it was hard to even hear the crunch of their feet on the dirt below or the whistle of the wind from nearby.

But when Lotor's ship did arrive, flying in and setting down several hundred meters away, Lance's breath caught in his throat again and he found it hard to breathe. The planet was filled with whooshing wind and clouds of dust.

It was time.

They stepped forward as a group as Lotor approached them, wearing the same suit he had been wearing when they had fought in their robeasts all those years ago.

"Lotor!" Shiro called out, his voice carrying over the wind and through Lance's comm. "Why have you come here? What do you plan to discuss with us?"

"I want to-" Lotor started, his voice sounding oily in Lance's ears. But... then he stopped. And once again he was clutching at his head, falling down to his knees .

"Lotor?!" Lance cried out without even thinking about it. He didn't want to help him, but he also couldn't stand the sight of anyone in pain like that. In pain like Shiro had been in.

Lance thought about how Shiro, the real Shiro, had called out to him. How Lance had missed it. How Shiro turning against the team was his fault. He had never really let himself think about it before but now that he was, it was painful.

If Lance was in the state of mind to think things through, he never would have done what he did. He never would have run towards Lotor.

But in his mind, he saw Shiro.

And he saw a second chance to make things right.

And he ran.

~Allura

Allura saw Lance running towards Lotor after he collapsed and she was stunned.

How could he be running to help?

Or was he worried that this was a ploy and he was actually being really smart about trying to detain Lotor?

Lance slowed down and paused in front of Lotor.

Through the comms, Allura could hear Lance speaking softly. "Lotor? Lotor?"

"LANCE!"

Allura whipped her head around and saw Keith running after Lance, maybe a few seconds behind him.

Allura was stunned, but then she was running too.

"Stay back!" She called out to the other three Paladins, throwing her arm out as though she were going to hold them back by force.

As far as she could tell, they listened to her this time and let her take over and protect them.

She ran towards Lance and Keith but as she got close, she knew that something was wrong.

Lotor was staring straight ahead— straight at her. His eyes were switching from milky white to shades of purple swirling together.

"A... Allura?" he said vaguely as though he were far away.

"What should we do?" Lance asked frantically. "I don't know what to do!"

"We should take him to the Atlas and detain him for questioning," Keith offered.

Allura ignored both of them and knelt down before Lotor. "Lotor? Are... what do you remember?"

Lotor's breathing was labored and thick. "I-" he grunted as though every syllable caused him pain to utter. "I... remember us... fighting... and white... and eternity... and- and... we k-kissed..." he fumbled. "W-working... together...but... Honerva!"

"Lotor..." Allura interrupted softly. "Could I... would you be alright if I tried to heal your mind?"

She looked up at Lance and Keith who were holding their breaths, standing above her, listening.

Lance nodded first, encouraging her to try. She saw him glance back at Shiro and wondered if he was thinking about him and when this happened to him.

Keith was a bit slower to respond but he, too, looked back at Shiro and then nodded to her.

If she could heal Lotor's mind, he might only want to destroy them. But there was a slight chance that he would remember all of the good memories as well.

Allura looked down at Lotor and he was moving his head, slowly, up and down. Nodding to her. "Please... please help..." he whispered. When she looked she could see tears were falling down his cheeks as he spoke, thumping on the glass of his helmet.

Slowly, still uncertain, Allura moved to try to touch Lotor's temples. She grabbed the side of his helmet and tried to feel his mind through it but she couldn't.

"Pidge?" Allura asked through the comms.

"Yeah?"

"How long could someone survive without their helmet in this air?"

Pidge paused, probably calculating. "I would wager about an hour."

"Thank you. That should be more than enough time."

Allura looked back to Lotor. "I'm going to take off your helmet so I can try to heal your mind."

"Yes," Lotor choked out. She couldn't fathom the kind of pain that he was in.

Slowly, Allura pulled the helmet off of his head and immediately, Lotor gasped at the change in air.

Quickly, Allura grabbed Lotor's temples trying to get her mind to focus on reading his mind and repairing his thoughts.

But before she could, Lotor's head fell from between her fingers and he was a crumpled pile on the ground. His head was thrashing around and he was mumbling to himself, his eyes perfectly closed.

"Is he okay?!" Hunk asked through the comm.

"I... I don't know!" Allura cried panicked.

"It's okay," Keith said slowly. He might just have started to have a memory. Maybe you touching him helped to jog his memory."

"We should take him back onto the ship," Lance advised, placing a hand on Allura's shoulder.

"Yeah... okay," Allura said stepping back. "Let's get him into air and see if he wakes up anytime soon... maybe I can help more later."

Keith and Lance nodded, both bending down to lift Lotor up onto their shoulders, wrapping one of his arms around each of there's.

They walked back to the ship with Allura explaining the details as best as she could.

Shiro was trying to console her and Pidge was telling her that he wouldn't die from the air and it wasn't a shock... probably.

Still Allura was more nervous than she should have been as they carried Lotor onto the Atlas. Not only was she worried about their abilities to help him, she was worried that he was setting up a trap.

Or that Honerva was.