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“Commander.” A Galran guard approached Keith. Pounding his fist to his chest. When a galra approached him with any news. It was usually because of the emperor summoning him and the paladins for a mission. A majority of these missions consisted of either mining planets of their resources or worse, sucking the planet dry of their quintessence. These missions were hard on his fellow paladins. Especially Hunk.
Keith glares at him sharply. “What do you want?” He scowls.
“Emperor Zarkon demands your presence.”
Keith shots up from the sofa he had been sitting on. No one was in the room with him. Which is what he preferred. Not like his friends wanted to sit with him or converse with him in any capacity.
With no word. He moves past the guard, down the hallway. Several Galra moved past him, muttering to each other. Sentries, about seven of them, met him in the elevator. Now, Keith is alarmed.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Your presence is required.” The robotic sentry said matter-of-factly.
“What for?”
“This way.” The sentry led him to the elevator. Silence lingered in the air. Keith would welcome this silence if not only for the strange behavior everyone seems to emit around him.
The sentry escorts him down the hall and finally to the big double doors. The guards pushed the door open and there he saw the Paladins, all exchanging looks at him. Looks of fear and confusion plain on their faces. Hunk huddling onto Pidge with Shiro fussing with the guards holding him back.
Keith reaches for his sword.
“I wouldn’t, commander.”
Sendak stepped to the side, revealing Lance chained to the ground with electronic cuffs. His head facing the ground. Anger surged through him. His hands itching for his sword.
“What happened?” Keith demanded, “What did you do to him?!”
“Go on, Paladin. Tell them.” Sendak prodded Lance with his leg.
Lance spat out droplets of blood in response.
Zarkon and his witch observed him from the throne. Watching his every move. Wondering what he will do to remedy this situation. This was something Keith could handle personally with Lance. One order from Keith can override any concerns Lance or any of the Paladins have against the empire. He has done it before with Pidge and that is…. Something he would like to forget.
“What has he done?” Keith questions.
“Disrespected the emperor and myself personally. Refused orders to meet with me after he failed one of his missions. And speaking in an unknown language that I can tell was insulting.”
“Lamebotas.”
Lance spits at Sendak’s feet.
Lance reeled from the slap Sendak delivered to him. Keith froze in place. If he interrupted Lance’s punishment, then it won’t be Lance that will get punished. Everyone will reap the consequences. Burying the anger. He approaches Sendak. “What do you want me to do with him?”
“Beat some respect into him.”
Lance lifts his head up to Keith, “Keith..”
Without hesitation. Keith kicks him in the mouth. Lance cries out in pain and leans back. Keith did not dare look back at the Paladins. He could not bear to see the look on their faces.
Lance coughs up more blood. Keith looks back to Zarkon, who has not said a word since he entered the room. But he can see a faint smile. It was clear the emperor was entertained. However, Sendak was not. He did not order Keith to stop. Which meant in Keith’s mind he must continue.
“Apologize for your transgressions.”
Lance peers up from the puddle of blood. But he does not respond. Not with the blood pouring from his mouth.
“Lance!”
Lance tries to utter a sound.
“Keith! He can’t talk. Look at him!” Hunk cries out. Pidge is dangling from his arms. A rush of soldiers stops the Paladin from charging at Keith. Weapons trained on the Yellow Paladin.
Keith had never seen the Yellow Paladin so angry in his life. He knew gentle giants like Hunk would be prone to one day snapping if push comes to shove. And Keith would never dare to push Hunk to that level. If Pidge had not been danging from his arms, screaming. Hunk would have torn the sentries to a bunch of wires and bolts. He might stand a decent chance against Sendak. The sentries shouted at him to stand down and to his credit, he did. Seeing that level of anger in the Yellow Paladin made Keith do a double-take.
“Hunk, shh!” Pidge grips onto Hunks arm with her dear life.
“Keith.” Shiro finally spoke after an unsettling silence, “Lance needs medical attention. We can talk to him about his disrespect for a later time—-“
“He will learn obedience.” Zarkon spoke, “And if your commander can not handle it. Then Sendak will. A slight against him is a slight against me.”
Shiro and Keith exchange glances at one another. At this point. Keith would seek Shiro's advice about what he should do. He valued the Black Paladins’ advice more than anything. But letting it go was not an option. And he'll admit that he was angry with Lance for not only putting him into this situation but the rest of the paladins. 'Keep out of sight and don't talk to them.' That was what he told them after they got here. He told the paladins that he'll handle the the talking. However, Lance could not do this one thing he asked. This. One. Damn. Thing.
“Do not worry, my emperor. He will learn.” Keith kicks him in the side of his head. The Blue Paladin is knocked to the side. Clinging to every bit of consciousness he has left.
“Beg.” Keith commands, “Beg for forgiveness.”
Lance gurgles.
“Beg!”
“S-s-s-o-o-r-r-y.”
“I did not hear him, Commander.” Keith had to suppress everything, to not strangle Sendak.
“He is choking from his own blood. This is all he could say.” Keith responds, “He apologized and this incident will be put behind us.”
Zarkon waved his hand in dismissal.
Hunk pushes past the sentries to tend to Lance, Pidge follows behind Hunk. Even ignoring Shiro. Keith did not face any of them and did not check on Lance. He simply walked out of the throne room. He knew for a fact Hunk and Pidge would tend to Lance. Lance will learn. In time, he will.
-----
Keith spent most of his time in his room. The silence bridging comfort after the situation in the throne room. He was not updated on Lance’s condition, nor did he inquire about Lance afterwards. If possible, he’ll speak to Lance. Privately, about this mess and what not to do when speaking to Sendak and Zarkon. Keith had made sure unless they were summoned they would not be interacting with the Galra at all.
This wasn’t the first time this happened. Only that time, He slapped Pidge in front of the emperor for disrespect and did not go further. It was him or Sendak and if he had to punish the paladins. He might as well be the one to enforce it. The Galra weren’t exactly known for their mercy, either. He scowled, Lance and his big mouth. He’ll have to squash that. This situation could have escalated further if Keith had resisted. Bringing his entire team down.
A knock on the door brought Keith’s attention back to the real world. He drags himself up from the bed to open the door.
“Keith.” Shiro greeted him, “How is it going?”
Keith steps inside to let him in. “How’s Lance?” he asks first, wanting to avoid the topic of his feelings.
“Recovering. Pidge and Hunk are with him right now.” Shiro sighs, “I tried to stop Lance from saying anything more. But, well, Lance. Once his friends are in trouble. He takes the fall for them.”
“What?” This tidbit of information is news to him. “Who started this?”
“Does it matter?” Shiro counters. It did. At least to him, he had to pull the bulb at its roots before the situation escalated any further.
“Who started it.” This was no longer a question. But, an order.
“Keith.”
“Who?” He orders again. But Shiro remains silent. Keith sighs, knowing Shiro would not give that information freely.
“Have Lance report to me later. I need to speak to him.”
“You’re going to yell at him.”
“No, I’m going to let him know who’s in charge here.”