Sire, forgive me for this, but I know no other way.
Your empire needs you.
[giggling]
[gasps]
[Pidge] He fought us here,
his generals were here, and he stole the comet here.
So, Lotor could be anywhere.
We'll never be able to find him unless we can figure out his plan.
- We're totally missing the big picture. - How about this question?
Why was Voltron made out of the same material as that comet?
What's so special about it?
My father discovered another comet like that before I was born.
Your father... and Zarkon.
This is back when Zarkon was the Black Lion's paladin?
Before that. Before Alfor built the lions.
I know this is painful to talk about, but if we're going to stop Lotor,
it's time we heard the rest of the story.
In the beginning, the paladins were just five leaders,
who despite coming from cultures which were vastly divergent
and in some cases, had been warring for generations...
managed to look past their differences
in an effort to protect their common interests.
What was initially a formal agreement to work alongside each other
soon blossomed into a true friendship.
A warrior's bond was forged,
and together, they worked to rid their system
of those who would do it harm.
Oh, dear.
[grunting]
- [clanging] - Huh?
[clanging]
[screams]
[both grunting]
[grunts]
I keep warning you not to break formation and run ahead, Alfor.
You are much more knowledgeable as an alchemist than a soldier.
That's what I keep you around for, Zarkon.
[Coran] The original paladins were Zarkon from Planet Daibazaal,
King Alfor from Altea,
Gyrgan from Rygnirath,
Trigel of the Dalterion Belt
and Blaytz from Nalquod.
Mm. Pull up a bench and join the feast!
[Zarkon clears throat]
You know that fraternizing with the servant class is not permitted.
It erodes discipline.
Well, perhaps a bit of discipline erosion would do you good, Zarkon.
Something I will consider the next time you are surrounded
by Lambonite scavengers.
I was handling myself.
You mean wetting yourself?
[all laughing]
Why I ever joined up with this band of scoundrels, I'll never know.
Because we're the only band of scoundrels that would have you.
To us!
- [rumbling] - [all gasp]
By Willow!
[Coran] They could have never known that, that very night,
the fate of the universe would be changed forever.
[Zarkon] I have finished evacuating all Galra citizens near the crater.
- What have you discovered? - We're not sure.
This comet is like none seen before.
It seems to be made of a material that can pass between realities.
What do you mean?
Well, I mean that sages have always theorized
that there are many realities stacked side by side with each other.
Whole other universes
with their own histories unbeknownst to us.
But we never had any proof.
Until now.
When we moved the comet, we found this.
This... is another reality?
- [screams] What is that? - [meows]
Do not worry. It is only Kova. He is from our reality.
Zarkon, this is Honerva. She is the best alchemist on Altea.
I asked her to come to Daibazaal and lead the scientific investigation.
Her expertise will be invaluable.
Isn't it exciting?
It could change the way we understand our entire universe.
Well, find out everything you can.
I will provide any support you require.
I must go.
He didn't stay long.
[Coran] King Alfor experimented with the comet's ore in his lab on Altea,
as Honerva continued her research of the rift on Daibazaal.
But Alfor visited often as the years passed.
Zarkon, I'd like you to meet Princess Allura.
It is my pleasure. Please accept this gift in honor of your birth, Princess.
Honerva has really softened you up, my friend.
I never thought I'd see the day the great warrior Emperor Zarkon was married,
to an Altean alchemist, no less.
Honerva, working hard as always.
Many thanks for the gift. Allura loves it.
It was a customary gesture.
Of course.
- How is our quintessence experiment? - Still running.
Running for a full year on one drop of quintessence,
with no decline in revolutions per dobosh.
No other energy source like this exists.
The ships I'm creating for us work on the same principle,
and the ore from the comet practically engineers itself.
It's frightening, in a way.
Endlessly powerful ships for the Galra Empire.
And an endless source of clean energy for the entire system.
Of course.
Huh?
What is that?
I sent some signals into the neighboring reality
and this creature answered the call.
Nothing from our universe
has been able to survive the passage through the rift.
- But somehow, he arrived unharmed. - [Alfor] What?
I thought we discussed this. We must exercise caution.
We have no idea what is out there.
The ancients thought that lightning was shot from the bows of the gods
until science proved otherwise.
We must always push into dangerous territory
in pursuit of knowledge.
[screeching]
[Coran] King Alfor and Honerva erected a particle barrier around the crater,
containing the creatures.
But it wouldn't hold forever.
The barrier is weakening. We don't have long.
Once those creatures escape, my forces will quickly be overrun.
My planet, my people...
- Alfor's project will save us. - Let us hope.
I trust this plan of yours will work, Alfor.
[gasps]
By Willow!
Incredible.
Alfor, they're amazing. How do they work?
I made them from the quintessence-infused ore of the comet,
which provides them with an endless supply of power.
Remarkable!
[Alfor] The comet alloy also renders them nearly indestructible.
[Blaytz] What sort of weaponry do they have?
This is where things become more interesting.
Altean alchemy can accomplish
some incredible feats of engineering, as you know.
But in testing my ship,
I started to feel some sort of psychic link.
I'm not sure how to explain it, but the ship wasn't just reading my mind.
It was communicating with me.
They seem to be evolving.
We don't yet know what powers these ships possess,
but we may gain understanding with time.
Time? Time slips away even as we stand here.
My people will soon be slaughtered by dark creatures from another realm.
Without these ships, all hope is lost.
I understand.
It may take some doing.
These are not regular ships to be chosen at a whim.
You do not pick the beast.
The beast will choose you.
[growls]
[roars]
Yeah!
[laughing]
[Alfor] Now, go easy at the beginning.
This is greater energy than you have ever worked with before.
[Zarkon] Perhaps you should lead the formation, Alfor.
You have a greater understanding of the vessels than anyone.
I'm a better alchemist than military leader, Zarkon.
I'll stick with being your right hand.
Very well, then. On my mark, Paladins!
Right flank, Alfor and Blaytz. Left flank, Trigel and Gyrgan.
[Zarkon] Paladins, I'll fly ahead and divert its attention.
The rest of you, attack from all sides!
Fire!
Keep firing!
- [grunts] - [alarm blaring]
These blasted things are covering me!
Blaytz!
- Th-Thanks, Alfor! - Anytime.
[yelling]
Spinning head smash!
[yelling]
- I can't hit it! - Fall back, Paladins! We must regroup!
Wait! We must come together in formation.
What? Why?
I don't know, but somehow I can feel it.
- Hey, I feel it! - I do, too! What's happening?
[lion growls]
[Alfor] Voltron.
[rumbling]
[all yelling]
I can't believe we did it!
How did this come about?
Am I a leg?
This power, it's unbelievable.
This is Voltron.
[grunts, gasps]
- [Trigel] A shield! - [Zarkon] Well done, Trigel!
- [grunts] It's trying to rip into us! - We have to get it off!
[grunts, gasps]
I know what to do.
[Alfor] We must find a way to seal up this rift.
- Seal the rift? Why? - It nearly destroyed Daibazaal!
Those creatures nearly destroyed Daibazaal,
and you found a way to defeat them.
Zarkon, surely you agree with me.
- It must be closed. - Perhaps not.
Look at what we've gained, Alfor.
Your ships are the most powerful machines ever created.
Who knows what else may be discovered if we continue working?
You would risk your entire planet, the entire solar system, for what?
- For more power? - You know it's more than that.
We already have Voltron. You have to know when it's enough.
I'll decide what's enough on my planet!
[gasps]
I'm sorry, Alfor. The work will continue.
[Coran] Honerva continued her experiments on the rift.
Despite their differences,
Zarkon and Alfor, along with the other paladins,
established a new era of peace and prosperity.
It was an age of exploration,
and Voltron became known as the Defender of the Universe,
establishing the legend that would live on to this day.
[Alfor] I heard there were three more earthquakes this movement.
Don't worry, I'm installing stabilizers to strengthen the planet's cohesion.
Zarkon, my scientists have scanned Daibazaal.
It is fracturing. Soon, the structural integrity will...
I can't stop Honerva's work now! She's discovering more every day!
Her team has developed a space cruiser
five times the size of our current largest ship.
- But that's nothing. - Hello, Honerva. It's been deca-phoebs.
[Honerva] I hope you haven't come to try to shut down my work.
There is more hidden knowledge and power in this tiny fissure
than you can possibly understand.
I'm only worried about the stability...
- [purrs] - Is that Kova? How old is he?
[Honerva] Twenty-eight deca-phoebs old.
Shortly after the creatures attacked, he fell ill.
But then, I began treating him with quintessence.
- No. - [Honerva] He revealed the truth to us.
Quintessence is so much more than you can understand.
- It is life itself. - You've gone too far.
You've always been a coward.
Honerva, you...
You wish to close off our gateway to enlightenment.
We should be expanding it!
If we use Voltron, we can enlarge the opening to the other reality.
It's madness! This prolonged exposure to quintessence has poisoned your minds!
We've only scratched the surface.
We can rule this entire universe! We can live forever! All of us!
- I cannot be a part of this. - You are only one part of Voltron, Alfor.
You cannot hold us all back because of your fear!
Alfor, I lead the paladins!
I command you! Alfor!
[sighs weakly]
Honerva? Honerva!
[Honerva breathing heavily]
[Honerva] We mu... We must...
We must have...
We must have it.
- Get back, get back, get back... - What is it, my love?
Uh, quinte... quintessence.
Quintessence is life.
[takes sharp breath] Into the... Into the rift.
[moans]
How?
We mu... We must... We must have Voltron.
Voltron. Voltron.
[gasping] Voltron! Voltron. Voltron...
It is the only way.
[Zarkon] Alfor tried to warn me, but I would not listen.
Now, my wife has fallen ill, and my planet is on the brink of collapse.
So I must beg you,
my trusted comrades, to join me on a most dangerous quest.
We must close the rift, and I need Voltron to do it.
We will help you.
I only hope it is not too late to heal the rift in my planet...
and our friendship.
[Coran] Alfor's compassion for his old comrade
blinded him to Zarkon's true plans.
[Zarkon] Honerva told me the only way to close the rift
was to use the power of the quintessence.
We must make the opening bigger first to gather the power.
- How do we that? - We use the sword.
Form sword!
- It's too much! - Stay focused!
[groans, gasps] Huh?
[breathing heavily]
[groaning]
[groans] Uh...
[groaning]
Where are we?
- We've entered the rift. - [whirring]
[alarm blaring]
No! Zarkon, what are you doing?
We have to get them out of here!
We must hurry. The creatures have returned!
They're everywhere!
[grunting]
[screaming]
Fire all lasers!
[Alfor] Trigel, grab them!
Gyrgan, Blaytz, fire your thrusters! We must leave!
[Coran] Zarkon's attempt to save Honerva was in vain.
They both succumbed to overexposure of quintessence.
The paladins had been deceived by Zarkon.
They had unwittingly enlarged the rift,
which further destabilized Planet Daibazaal.
King Alfor was forced to evacuate the planet.
He, then, closed the rift the only way he knew how.
By destroying the Galran homeworld.
King Alfor held a state funeral for Zarkon and Honerva in his royal hall.
But what happened next, he could never have guessed.
[ominous music playing]
Mmm.
[breathing uneasily]
- Where am I? - Aboard your ship, sir.
Take us home.
I can't, sir.
Daibazaal has been destroyed.
My fellow Galra...
King Alfor of Altea has destroyed our planet.
He must pay dearly for his crimes.
Rise up and join your emperor!
Revenge will be ours!
[Coran] Zarkon had become pure evil, obsessed only with quintessence.
In order to open a new rift between the realities,
he needed Voltron.
And so, the war began.
The Galra immediately responded to their leader and attacked.
The peaceful planets of our system were not prepared.
Soon, they had all fallen, except for Altea.
In a final attempt to keep Voltron from Zarkon's hands,
the lions were sent to the far corners of the universe.
Zarkon flew into a rage.
He killed King Alfor,
then avenged the loss of Daibazaal with the destruction of Altea.
So, that's Lotor's plan.
To cross into other universes and get the purest quintessence possible.
No matter what, we have to stop him.
[screams]
[breathing heavily]
Husband. How could I have forgotten?
You brought me back to life long ago.
Now, come back for me.