" Shoot them-" he overheard a voice echoing behind him. Hunk felt a weapon pressed against his head. The doppelganger ready to shoot him at a moment's notice. His ear, that was beginning to heal ruptured , "Shoot them ." The voice said again.

"You were to execute them already." Hunk recognized the voice as Sendak's. After all this time. He memorized his voice. Sendak caused so much suffering to so many people during his time as a Paladin. He will never forget.

"I have another idea." Another voice replied. Hunk pinpointed the voice as his, but much deeper, "How about you kill them in front of their allies? Or what little allies, they have left."

Silence engulfed the ship. The only thing Hunk heard is whistling from his left ear. The Paladin felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. Shit, right when it was healing.

"Very well." Sendak scowled, "But-."

Choking sounds alarmed Hunk. The weapon that the other Paladin is holding dropped to the ground with a clang. A laser pistol. How unusual , Hunk remarked in his head.

"I'm the one who gives orders around. Next time, you question me. You'll be shot with the rest of the Paladins. Do I make myself clear?

"Y-Yes."

"Good." A body slammed to the ground. Coughing ensued.

"Take the Paladins and bring them aboard the vessel. The sentries will be here to help collect them."

"Yes, sir." The other Hunk said, his tone despondent.

Footsteps marched towards the Yellow Paladin lying on the floor, "I know you're awake."

Hunk said nothing.

His doppelganger grunted, "I can see you breathing."

Another grunt, "Have it your way."the doppelganger picks the laser gun up, the butt of the gun pressed against his skull. Hunk clenched his eyes shut. With one whack to the head, he was out again.

"Your experiment worked as planned, Haggar." Sendak stared at several screens; which showed the Paladins in their cells. Almost all of them are knocked out. Except for their leader; who is pacing across his cell in anger. Haggar's eyes followed him with interest.

"I'm telling you to let me keep at least two of the Paladins. The rest can be executed. I have no use for them"

"You have the Yellow Paladin." Sendak narrowed his working eye at her.

"I have no use for him anymore." Haggar scoffed, "He did his job."

"Yet, he has not failed you."

"I agreed to your plan to bring back Zarkon from the rift." The Druid continued, "I can use the lions to open accomplish this task."

"Once you turn the Blade. Have him pluck out every single double agent, he can find." Sendak peered at the Black Paladin in disgust. As soon as they get rid of the half-breed, the better. He is a stain in his Galran Blood, "I want everything to run smoothly once Zarkon returns on the throne."

"Very well." Haggar glances back at the screen, "The princess has awoken." She had her own plans for the princess.

The purple doors slide open to reveal a guard. He stumbled in, giving a fist to the chest to show respect, "We have collected most of the lions, s-"

"Most?!" Sendak snapped instantly, "Where is the rest?!"

"At our initial count. All were there except for the Red Lion!" He stiffened upon Sendak's tone.

"Find it." Haggar snarled, "We need those lions." The druid's robes swish around, her temperament much calmer than Sendak's. She didn't seem to worry, unlike Sendak, "Now!"

The guard scurried off wasting no more time.

"This is unfortunate." The Druid hissed, "The ritual will be incomplete without the Red Lion."

"Then we will use the Princess-"

"No!" snaps Haggar, "She is too valuable to lose!"

"If WE cannot use the lions. Then we will use the Princess as an alternative. Time is wasting." Sendak's voice booms down the hallway, making the guards standing next to the door shiver in fear.

Haggar falls silent at this.

"Find the Red Lion or we'll drain every last quintessence from the princess."

Haggar vanished in the mist of shadows. While Sendak remained behind, watching the screens intently. Finally, the Paladins where they should be and while he wanted to kill them back on the ship. Perhaps, he can slaughter them in front of their allies as a message. Throughout, the years. They had reclaimed some planets from the coalition.

With Zarkon back, he can reclaim the entire system.

Lotor retaliated by attacking several of his resources. Mostly quintessence. It was a huge loss and for that, Sendak wanted a war.

Lotor appeared unamused; when Sendak declared war. Regardless, he did not treat it seriously. Nor, The Coalition. He found it strange when Voltron never showed up to fight him.

Especially, when they retrieved the Yellow Lion. More importantly, It's Paladin.

"Status report." A voice said behind the Paladin. His eyes watching the Yellow Paladin carefully. They had stripped him off his armor, bayard, and the Lion; he came in with. This... was not what he was expecting. It was not supposed to happen. So, what happened? Why didn't it work? And, why did this Paladin come through instead?

"The rift is too small." Haggar responded. Disappointed in the results, "Our druids alone cannot open a big rift. It was big enough for the Paladin to come through."

"What does it take to make a bigger rift?"

"More power."

Sendak pondered, "Use the Yellow Lion."

"Right away."

"N-No." Hunk croaked. Blood splatters from his mouth from being constantly kicked by the guards. Sendak spared a glance towards him, a look of dissatisfaction evident across his face, "What am I to do with him? I don't need him."

"He will be useful to you." Haggar advised; Sendak slammed his heel against the Yellow Paladin's back, "He can lure out all the Paladins at once and kill them."

Hunk cried out in pain, "I will never betray my friends..." Droplets of blood stain the purple floor.

"You're not my champion."Grabbing a fistful of his hair, The witch hissed into his ear,"you will have to do."

Afterwards, things went dark.

Lance could feel Red crying out to him. It wasn't the faint cry like before. It was furious. Not at him for once. Infuriated she had let her Paladin get in Sendak's hands. Despite this, Red isn't about to turn herself in. Which made Lance relieved.

"You're finally up." A deep voice said from the other side of the cell. Lance froze. The Paladin never thought of what he would say if he found Hunk. If he ever saw him again. Lance always held up hope. Now, that the circumstances are different. He didn't know what to say.

"You know me, Hunk. I need my beauty sleep." He flashed a cocky smile. Lance faltered slightly when greeted with a cold stare.

"Ten years." Hunk began, "Ten years in this shit hole. And, this is what you have to say?"

"Hunk..." Lance began. He rose from the cold hard floor only to have a sharp pain in his leg. He glanced down to spot a large wound on his calf, "O-Oh quiznak... You got me good."

Hunk flinched at the sight of his wound, "You asked for it."

"I deserve it." Lance disregarded his wound to face Hunk. His eyes did not brighten up like they used to. His eyes appeared soulless. Hunk had to be there. Somewhere. Perhaps, he just had to bring him out.

Hunk grimaced, "You do. I probably should've killed you.""Why is that?"

"To spare you the pain you're about to go through."

"No." Lance chuckled bitterly, "to spare YOU the pain. Are you sure you're my Hunk? He wouldn't act like this."

"Hunk is long dead." He grunted, "You lost him years ago."

"We tried finding you." Lance limped over to the bars, "we searched high and low-"

"Yet, I'm still here." Hunk retorted, "You guys never came for me. Even after Sendak notified Lotor of my captivity."

"W-what?" Lance quipped, "What? No. We never received word about you."

"Sendak told them I was here! I watched as Lotor dismissed him!"

Lance sneered. It wasn't directly at Hunk, "He would've told us."

Hunk was about to open his mouth An audible groan interrupted him, sparing Lance from his oncoming tirade. The former Paladins attention is directed away from the Red Paladin towards his doppelganger.

"Hunk! Please! He did nothing wrong!"

"Is this who you replaced me with?" He asked, staring at the other Paladin with venom in his eyes.

They shackle the Paladin inside the cell to the wall. His undersuit in tatters. He's in obvious pain which made the hatred for the other Paladin dwindle. For just a second there, he imagined himself in his doppelgangers shoes. In an instant, he clutched his head. It almost felt real.

"Obey."

"N-no!" A softer voice said. A whip crack echoed in his head. The scent of fresh blood invaded his nostrils.

"Again." Sendak's voice ordered. The sound of the whip hissed into the air.

"His will is strong." The witch's voice is heard, "This intrigues me."

"Whipping him will not make any progress. You need to step it up."

"As my old champion used to say" The witch cackled, "patience yields focus."

"What about Kuron?" Sendak inquired, "The fake Shiro."

"Connection is sparse. I'm losing control of hi-"

"Hunk." Lance called out to him, "Hunk?!"

"You think we can send the Yellow Paladin back?" Sendak growled impatiently.

"Too risky, especially with Kuron pulling away from my grasp."

" Hey, buddy." His doppelganger said, "You need to snap out of it."

"I'm not your buddy!" Hunk flashed a distraught look over towards the Yellow Paladin.

"What just happened?" Lance probed. Even if he is in a cell. The Red Paladin tries to reach out to his former friend.

"Don't touch me!"

"Hunk-"

Hunk slammed on a pad next to a huge bulky door. The door slides open, allowing him to leave. The last thing he heard is Lance calling his name.

"Your Paladins are as good as dead if you don't consider my offer."

Allura scrunched up her face in disgust, "You want me to consider betraying my paladins? My family? You must be out of your mind."

The Druid observed her for a moment. Taking in her words.

"If you join me," Haggar spoke, "I will see to it your Paladins will be safe."

"You're not listening to me." Allura glared at the druid, "I will never betray my family."

"Do you want them to die, princess?"

"No. I won't even entertain the idea of tossing them aside." Allura scorned. Does this Druid realize she has lost her family to the Galra Empire? and now she might lose her new family as well.

Allura already had lost them for over ten years.

If that were the case, she wouldl die with them.

The thing is, she wasn't planning on dying. They had forgotten one thing.

Coran.