They only ever referred to him as Gladiator 3392.

Ulaz had never seen the elusive warrior, having never before been tasked to minister to higher-ranking prisoners. It was to be expected after all, he was new amongst Zarkon's ranks, having been sent there by Kolivan barely two phoebs ago.

At first Ulaz had been cautious, doing his utmost best to avoid falling under the suspicion of Hagar and her druids. Thankfully it seemed to have worked since one of her faceless followers had hauled an unresponsive Gladiator 3392 on to an examination table and left, throwing a half hearted order over his shoulder.

"Fix him or die".

Ulaz had blinked uncomprehendingly at the door following his departure before shaking his head and quickly focusing on the task at hand.

Gladiator 3392 was possibly the strangest species he had ever laid eyes upon, and by the scent rolling off of him he was indeed a male of his species.

Bending over the unconscious man his amber eyes travelled over the small…human man. He was tall for his species, with dark hair, tanned skin and a well muscled body, though the missing leg was a slight issue in his appearance.

Ulaz immediately found the problem as sparks exploded outwards from the malfunctioning Galra prosthetic that seemed to have taken damage in a recent fight.

Ulaz's heart always went out to those who had been ruthlessly taken prisoner by Zarkon's forces, his compassion for the injured compelling him to make use of his talents on Galra ships. This was not his first post on one of Zarkon's ships, and due to his success it would be unlikely to be his last.

He'd heard about the newest Gladiator from earth in only brief snatches of conversation between the guards. According to one of the sentries he'd worked on, number 3392 was particularly feisty despite his handicap.

As Ulaz connected the final loose wire in the no longer sparking prosthetic, a small jolt of electricity travelled in to the unconscious patient, making his body jerk off the bed before settling again.

Ulaz paused before screwing the outside plating back on, waiting to see if his elusive patient would wake.

He sniffed, his powerful nose catching the scent of fear and distress emanating off of his patient moments before the man jolted fiercely, blue-grey eyes snapping open to glare fiercely at Ulaz who had hastily retreated a few steps to give him room.

"Be calm my friend, it is not my wish to harm you," Ulaz growled softly, showing his hands empty of weapons.

The Gladiator panted harshly, dark eyes narrowed on Ulaz's furred face.

"You expect me to believe that? That a Galra would ever show mercy to a human like me?" The Gladiator retorted fiercely, eyes darting round the room for escape.

Ulaz was slightly taken back by the rough voice that replied to him, most prisoners had no concept of how to understand the Galra language he had spoken.

"You understand me?" Ulaz asked evenly, hoping to confirm this revelation.

The gladiator stared back at him incredulously, a sneer building on his scarred lips.

" Weren't you there? Every other Galra was there the first day when they held me down, sliced open my neck and implanted that damn translator in to my voice box. I understand everything you bastards say to me!"

Ulaz fought to keep the disgust off of his face, knowing that his patient was not in fact exaggerating about what had happened, he knew his kind all too well to doubt his description of events.

He reached in to his belt, slowly pulling out the hidden blade, making sure to move slowly so as not to startle the man who watched him warily from the bed.

"Do you know what this symbol means?" Ulaz asked softly.

The man's eyes widened to huge stormy orbs, gaze zeroed in on the Blade of Marmora symbol glowing softly in the medical bay lights.

"You…You're one of them! She told me about you…before she left. You're a blade just like she was…" The human whispered, awed gaze taking in the similar style to the blade he'd known so well.

Ulaz's head snapped quickly to look back at his patient, a wary glance on his own forming on his features.

"Who told you about us?"

"Her name was Krolia, she was my lover, the mother of my son".

Ulaz internally swore fiercely, Of course! Of course it would be Krolia who would mother a child with this human, she had always been accepting of other species. After she asked to have her mission extended we should have known something was up. How will Thace react? Knowing he now has a nephew, that his baby sister bonded for life with this human gladiator…

Ulaz knew he needed to get this man safely to the blade headquarters, especially if Krolia was involved in this debacle. And yet he had mentioned a son…

"You have a son? Do you know where he is?" Ulaz asked quickly.

The man's face fell and a bitter scowl overtook his features.

"They've taken him from me, when that damn Galra scouting party came and took us, they noticed he was half Galra and took him away. He's on this ship, they're forcing me to fight or they'll kill him in front of me. Will you…will you help us? Help him?"

Ulaz nodded calmly, noticing the pure relief that flooded the man's gaze as his posture slumped from its rigid position.

"You will go back to your cell, once I find your son I will trigger the cell doors and you will meet me at the hangar bay. Can you do that?"

The human nodded, a wry grin forming on dry lips.

"I'll do anything to get us outa here. My son's name is Keith, if you knew Krolia then you'll know him when you see him. I'm Daniel Kogane, but most just call me Danny".

"Ulaz, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance…Danny".

Ulaz paused outside the trophy room, a sick feeling welling up in his stomach. Of course Zarkon would have put the boy in the trophy room, a sick reminder of the planets he'd marked as his own.

Ulaz had followed a scent that was rather like that of Keith's father, Daniel, except tainted with a Galra clan marking that mirrored his own. Obviously this was Krolia's doing.

He crept quietly through the softly lit room, his amber eyes seeing perfectly well him the dim lighting. He passed the many trophies of planets passed, some living creatures kept alive in pods, others famous artifacts or religious objects that were highly coveted.

The soft glow of lilac eyes had him zeroing in on the darkest corner of the room, or rather its occupant.

A cage was sprawled haphazardly on its side, a tiny lavender furred figure crouched as far back as it would go occupied it, tiny white fangs glinting as he kit bared its teeth.

And that was what he was, a kit.

Barely old enough to have left his mother's pouch and only just reaching Ulaz's lower hip the kit crouched, gaze defiant despite the fear that he reeked of.

And the waves of hunger, pain and terror rolling off of the kit was heartbreaking.

Ulaz dropped in to a crouch outside of the cage, amber gaze softening at the sound of a terrified squeak.

"Fear not dear one, I am here to help you, your father sent me," Ulaz murmured softly.

The kit chirped anxiously, thin tail lashing worriedly as he huddled away from the much larger Galra.

A sudden thought crossed Ulaz' mind and he slowly bent further to stare at the kit eye to eye.

"Do you understand me, young one?"

The blank look that was sent his way had him cursing softly, the kit obviously was too young to fully understand his Galra dialect used by the Blades. Calling on a long forgotten ability he cooed softly, the sound rumbling deep in his chest and causing Keith to creep closer, a small smile twitching on his lips as he recognised the call of an older pack member.

He would be safe within his pack.

Ulaz kept up his cooing purr as he unlatched the cage and gently reached in to scoop up the tiny kit who whimpered in his grip.

Holding him out to the lighter part of the room it was clear that the kit had barely been fed or watered since his arrival as his prison clothes hung off of his body and Ulaz could easily feel the kit's ribs and fluttering heart within his grasp.

Palpating the kit's throat he felt no translator that was present in almost all beings in the galaxy, he knew those on earth never received them. No wonder the kit had not understood him.

The grime and blood covering the kit's fur, his obvious starvation and the various sluggishly bleeding marks across his body spoke of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the guards and Ulaz swallowed down his fury, not wanting to upset the tenuous trust he had with the child in his arms.

He gently pulled the kit closer to him, feeling small arms wrap around his neck and a tail curl around his waist as the child clung to his warmth.

"It's alright little kit, I'll take you to your father, we're getting out of here," murmured Ulaz, despite knowing the kit wouldn't understand anything he just said.

They moved quickly, Ulaz knowing that once the gladiator cells were open it would only be a short matter of time before the guards managed to find them all. They had to escape before the guards could reach the hangar.

He skidded in to the hangar bay, Keith clutched tightly to his chest as he whipped around, searching for the tanned skin of Danny Kogane.

He spotted him quickly, the human having just entered from a side entrance, his chest heaving with exhaustion as they locked eyes.

Immediately Danny's gaze locked on to the lavender figure clutched in his embrace and he was racing over to the pod Ulaz entered, joy clear in his huge smile.

Placing Keith in one of the passenger seats he immediately closed the entrance ramp after Danny skidded inside, firing up with pod with practiced hands.

"Hold on!" Ulaz growled.

The sentries on duty at the hangar would later wake with a killer headache, having no memory of their silent assailant and missing a pod that had apparently disappeared off of all maps.

Medical Officer Ulazan resigned the following day.

The moment they cleared the Galra's fleets tracking waves, Ulaz slumped in to the pilots seat with a small, relieved sigh, typing the coordinates to their base in to the ship's navigator with ease.

Danny was curled up in he copilot's chair, a softly crying Keith embraced in his warm arms. The kit was obviously distraught about something and Ulaz nudged Danny's shoulder, gesturing to the kit with concern in his gaze.

"Poor kid's exhausted, starved and injured, Ulaz. He's crying because he missed me and he was scared," Danny explained, voice turning bitter at the thought of what had happened to his young son.

"When we get to my base you will be introduced to Kolivan, Thace and Antok, my three fellow pack mates. Krolia, your lover, was also a member of our group but she is on a deep undercover mission and has been for some time. Kolivan and the others will not warm to you immediately, Daniel, but they will shelter you in to our pack, along with your son," Ulaz predicted calmly.

Danny seemed to mull over his words for a while before he spoke hopefully, clutching Keith closer to his body.

"Can they help Keith? He's so small for his age, and he'll need help to be nursed back to health. He doesn't have a translator so he won't have any idea what anyone around him is saying other than myself. I don't know what is normal for a Galra kit, he'll need support from you and your pack".

Ulaz hummed softly as he took in the sight of Danny's hopeful expression and the absolutely adorable fluff ball curled in his arms.

"Somehow I don't think that will be a problem. My pack mates can be frosty but I promise you, they're all softies on the inside, they'll help take care of you and your son, and if in time you bot decide to attempt to train with the blades and join our mission, well, they'll help you there too".

It was with slight trepidation that Ulaz stepped out of the pod, having cautioned Danny and Keith to stay back until they were summoned.

His trepidation melted away with the greeting purrs of his pack-mates who smiled gently at him as he moved to greet them.

"Welcome back Ulaz, I trust your mission as successful," Kolivan greeted warmly, drawing the smaller blade in to his arms for a rough hug.

"Highly successful, many prisoners have been released and I have obtained important information about the lions which I will share with you later. For now, I would like you to meet a gladiator I rescued and his young son. The elder one bonded with our pack-mate Krolia," Ulaz murmured.

As if rehearsed, Daniel slowly walked down the exit ramp, Keith clutched tightly in his arms and a nervous smile on his face.

Ulaz noticed the barely suppressed shock in Kolivan's features and the telltale wariness in Antok's stance.

"You, earthling, are bonded to my baby sister?" Thace inquired incredulously, ears twitching sharply in response to his shock.

"Yes, my name is Daniel Kogane and this is Keith, and if you are in fact Thace, then little Keith here is your nephew".