The Lotor Chronicles

Chapter XVIII - The Atlas

Lotor was lead to a jail cell not far from where his and Wilder's shipped landed. He was escorted by four earthlings and the palidans themselves minus Allura. Wilder was unable to follow them as he had to meet up with the Allura to discuss their plan of attack. After he was escorted into his cell, all the palidans, and earthlings except the one with the white hair, the former black palidan. Lotor remembers the day this man attacked his own team and kidnapped him and brought him to Hagger, also know as his mother Honerva. He was skeptical of the man standing in front of him.

"You are quite alright to think I am one of your mother's puppet, but I assure you I am not. We never were properly introduced as the man who helped you previously was my clone. My life force was inside the black lion after I defeated your father so long ago. Allura with her Altean alchemy was able to transfer my life force into the clone's body. The only thing different about me is my hair and my arm," said Shiro

Lotor responded "You must have heard the stories from the palidans on how I used them to create my own Voltron and tried to destroy the universe. Some of what they say is true and some will be false. However, I never wanted any of this to happened. I wanted to protect the Alteans from our enemies, but now Hagger is using them against us. All I wanted was peace like the princess. I needed the quintessence to save the Alteans, not to use it against them."

"So what Romelle was false, you were not harvesting the Alteans for their quintessence," Shiro questioned.

"No, I was draining the bad quintessence out of them due to a mutation in the Altean DNA, which was caused by being so close to the quantum abyss. I sent the bad quintessence out hopefully the Galra would use it, which they did. Unfortunately, it had some bad side effects. All I wanted was the purest quintessence from the rift to heal those Alteans I left in stasis on the base," answered Lotor.

"Then why did Bandor, Romelle's brother say otherwise?" asked Shiro

"Romelle's brother was told he had the mutation, but when he saw his fellow Alteans in the pod he lost it. He ran off and stole a ship off the base, and flew back to the colony. I didn't realize he was in communication with his sister, but when I went to crash landing site, I could tell someone was there. I knew the time for me to leave my people and to find the quintessence. If I didn't rumors would have run rampant in the colony, and I would lose the Alteans to fear. I could and would not let that happen," stated Lotor

Lotor noticed Shiro was looking up at a glass pod protruding out from the wall. He could tell he was looking at someone, but couldn't tell who.

"I can tell you are looking at someone up here. If it is Allura, tell her she does not have to see me. I know I have hurt her in the past. Let her know my feelings for are still true and they will always stay true," exclaimed Lotor

Shiro looked at Lotor again, but somehow he could tell he was being honest.

"When it comes to Allura, I try to act like her big brother, and do not like seeing her hurt, but after everything that happened, how could she ever trust you again. Why couldn't you just be honest with her from the start, then none of this would be happening right now," asked Shiro

"Every since my father banished me from the empire all those deca-pheobs ago, it was hard for me to trust anyone. Even my generals didn't know the real truth as to why I wanted the purest quintessence. I was afraid if I told them, they would have informed my father. Of course, those two, minus Axca turned on me. In hindsight, I should have at least told Axca, but fear kept me from telling her. When it came to the princess, I so desperately wanted to tell her, but I was afraid again that she would take the colony from me and then somehow the Galra would find out and destroy it," said Lotor slamming a fist into his bed

"It so strange, you are nothing like your father Zarkon. With your father, he wanted power and Voltron, but you wanted peace," said Shiro.

Lotor's eyes widen a little as the former black palidan did not see him as being a bloodthirsty emperor like Allura did those deca-phoebs ago.

"You are the first person to ever say that. When I met Allura, she already judged me for my father's misdeeds, even though I had nothing to do with them, you did not," stated Lotor

"I don't judge a book by its cover. I learned that you have a little faith sometimes," said Shiro

"Something, I need to learn to have myself," stated Lotor

"Until I speak with your co-pilot Wilder, I cannot let you roam the Atlas, but seeing how you are no longer a threat to the coalition I might be able to let you walk freely later on. However if I do let you free, you are to not to have contact with Allura," stated Shiro.

Lotor nodded to agree to Shiro demands.

Shiro exited the room where Lotor cell was. He went to go lie down on the bed when he looked up could faintly see someone was watching him from the glass pod. Lotor hoped it was the princess, just a mere glimpse of her face would help get thru the day until Shiro released him from the cell. However, it wasn't the princess, just a guard. Lotor closed his eyes as sadness grew over his face as he knew she was here, but she felt so far away.