Stay Alive

Chapter 1

The fireball that engulfed what had once been a Galra ship died down, returning space to its natural darkness. A lone Galra fighter floated amongst the blackness, circling the diminishing fireball. Ironic, considering that the lone fighter had almost become a fireball itself, nearly crashing into the particle barrier protecting a gun firing on the planet Naxzela's surface. And its pilot had yet to realize just how quickly he'd escaped death.

Keith Kogane, the part-Galra former Voltron Paladin, sat back in the fighter's seat, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. Letting instinct take over, he maneuvered the fighter out of the fireball's way, watching it dissipate. His heart rate, which had been racing faster than a hover racer, was also coming down. He took his sweaty palms off the controls.

Just moments earlier he was the one almost flown the fighter into a particle barrier to save Voltron, the rebels and everything within 10 systems from utter annihilation. Naxzela was a trap set by the Galra, an entire planet turned into a bomb just to destroy a single giant robot. A giant robot made up of five robotic lions, five pilots and that had become a symbol of hope for a universe desperate to escape 10,000 years of tyranny. He had been one of the pilots, until he embraced his Galra heritage to join the Blade of Marmora to bring the Galra Empire down.

But that wasn't his concern right now. Right now, he wondered what had just happened, until he realized that someone had just saved him from certain death. He looked up and saw a familiar ship heading in his direction.

It can't be, he thought to himself.

Prince Lotor of the Galra Empire; the object of his months-long chase that forced him to join the Blade of Marmora on a full-time basis.

This can't be good, he thought to himself again.

"Great work, Keith!" He heard the voice of his long-time mentor and brother figure, Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane coming through the fighter's comm.

"It wasn't me," he replied. "It was Lotor."

Right on cue, the Galra prince's voice could be heard on their comm channels. "Attention Paladins of Voltron and the Rebel Fighters; I know we've had our differences in the past, but... I think it is time we had a discussion."

"We accept your offer to talk," Shiro answered. "Meet us back at the Castle of Lions. Voltron out." Keith heard the comm clock.

"You should come back too, Keith," said Coran. "They'll want to talk to you."

"Sure, Coran," Keith answered. "Keith out." He heard the comm click.

Then he remembered that he'd come close to dying. But why didn't it effect him?

He imagined death so much it felt like a memory. When was it going to get him? In his sleep seven feet ahead of him? On his feet with the enemy ahead of him? Would he let it come to him or would he fight back? Death surrounded him in the Blade of Marmora. No one was expendable, but the cause mattered more to the organization than the life of the individual; the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Anyone could, would and did die to complete the mission. He saw this first-hand very often. Even before then, he came close to dying with Voltron, and before that, often had vivid dreams about death and dying. That's why he steeled himself before crashing his fighter into the particular barrier. So long as he saved his friends, he could have done something.

But now...

He wiped his face and gripped the fighter's controls again. He had to rendezvous at the Castle of Lions, even if he wasn't looking forward to it.

But after he'd switched his comm off, Coran had made another call to someone else in Voltron.

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