Voltron Legendary Defender A Dragon's Heart

The Strange of Change

Over five quintants of complete silence, I find myself still very sore from the trial and all alone, for once again the Champion is not here. He has never said a word to me since we last spoke, at least he was actually starting to understand my boundaries. But at the same time, I can't help thinking about the last thing he said to me.

"Wouldn't you want that?"

True, I didn't want him to help me and I don't like the fact that he made me look weak, but I was bound to die from all those injuries. Commander Sendak and the Galra weren't going to do anything about it... but Champion did.

Maybe I should be grateful for what he did, he is the reason I'm still living and breathing. After this whole time thinking about everything, maybe... maybe I shouldn't have treated him the way I did.

The door starts to open, pulling me out of my thoughts. A half-conscious Champion gets thrown in here, unable to stop himself from hitting the ground. I can only stare at him while tries to get up with a pain-filled grunt, he struggles to push himself off the floor.

Just then, something flashes in my head, I remember a moment during my childhood when I too was unable to bear the pain and hardships of the Galra's actions on me. How hard it was and still is for me to fight through it all. Who would've thought that seeing this happen to someone else feels more painful than when it happens to me?

"Starblaze," one of the guards says, breaking me from my thoughts, "Commander Sendak requests an audience with you."

It feels strange to be summoned by Sendak since he is the one who chose to let me die, but I obey the instructions I'm given and follow the guards to the bridge.

The Commander stands on a higher platform as he observes the soldiers do their work. I lower my head while moving towards him from behind, he doesn't even look back at us as he speaks.

"Congratulations, Starblaze. You have claimed victory in your first trial and have emerged to a higher strength in battle. You're even more like the Galra than I expected, able to stand tall in a moment of what might be your last breath."

I feel pleased to be complimented by him since a good congratulation from a Commander is very rare for me, but at the same time, I also feel overwhelmed by how he's not showing any concerns about my health. It just isn't right for me.

"Perhaps we should consider going even more forward with your training, I'm sure Emperor Zarkon wouldn't mind if we had you help one of our next battles for universal conquest."

I am almost moved by that request, it's what I've always been hoping for, but something inside me is telling me not to go through with it. If a trial was able to nearly kill me, what would a real mission do?

"I can't accept this offer." I say. There's a dead silence on the bridge before Sendak turns to glance at me.

"What?" He growls.

"I can't follow the Empire's lead into a battlefield when I can barely survive a trial. I need to train more, I'm not ready."

"Don't be ridiculous." Sendak says, turning to face towards me, "You are more powerful than you imagine, you're meant to become our greatest weapon."

"And like any other weapon, I should be properly trained and taught with, until I am all but uncontrollable." I respond back, "I'm still recovering from my one trial. How do we know that I can survive a battle when I don't get to have another to be sure?" Sendak stares at me for a moment, clearly unable to find an answer or argue back, so I continue.

"All I'm saying is I would like to be favored with more time to recover from my last trial and then be tested with another. Only then will I agree with whatever you're planning for my next step."