[Lotor] To return so triumphantly is a dream I thought I would never achieve.
We are one step closer to bringing peace and prosperity to the entire universe.
This is all because of you, Princess.
We did it together, Lotor.
I would have never even known of Oriande without you,
and therefore could have never unlocked its secrets.
[air lock hissing]
[doors opening]
[Shiro] We'll see intel in your briefing
and decide what to do.
- Maybe we can... - [woman] Lotor.
Oh, no.
Uh... who the heck are you?
How dare you speak to me without authorization from Blood Emperor Lotor.
Ow! [Groans]
She was my governess.
No one has used the term "Blood Emperor" since before we were a star-faring race.
And these are my colleagues.
They have more than my permission to speak.
Everyone, this is Dayak.
- Hi. - A pleasure.
[groans]
- Hiya. - Hello.
Nice to meet you.
So, to what do we owe the honor?
Word of your victory at the Kral Zera has spread throughout the empire.
I always knew you had it in you to crush your enemies.
Dayak's raised you from a child to a man,
and now I'll witness your ascension to the throne.
[laughs]
Wait, she raised you from a child? Aww, is this your nanny?
- Governess. - You have a nanny!
Is she going to read you bedtime stories?
Is she gonna rock you to sleep? Is she gonna...? Ow!
I instructed Lotor in the ways of the Galra.
The history of our conquests, our customs, battle philosophy, the art of war.
Hmm, Galra customs, huh?
Is that like when you guys say "vrepit sa" and stuff?
There's so much we don't know about you.
If you're interested in our society's history,
you couldn't find a better teacher than Dayak.
What Lotor says is true.
Oh, wow. Would you really teach me about the Galra?
What you wanna know about the Galra for?
We're gonna be working with Lotor to bring peace through the empire, right?
Makes sense the more we know about their society, the better.
If you are to learn the ways of the Galra,
be prepared for the most challenging trial you could ever undertake.
There will be no turning back.
Victory or death.
Uh, oh, that's okay.
Hunk, you're a Paladin of Voltron. There is no challenge too great for you.
[groans]
- Will I learn what "vrepit sa" means? - Yes.
Let's do it!
Let's get to that briefing.
- [beeping] - [man] The civil war continues unimpeded.
More and more Galra forces are leaving to join other factions.
Sendak has claimed the most deserters.
They call themselves "the Fire of Purification."
It is time I address all Galra and make my claim as emperor absolute.
Is that going to start with you freeing planets?
It's not that easy. My grip on the empire is tenuous as is.
I need to proffer an alternative to our current state.
That's why it is so important that Allura and I gain access
to the quintessence field.
Are we to focus all of our energy on that?
It is paramount.
However, we cannot let the empire fall apart.
I will address my people at the astral conflux.
- [metal rattling] - [grunting]
How is holding these weights gonna help me learn Galra history?
- Palen-bol! - Ow!
For the mind to learn, the body must be broken.
- Broken? Seems a little drastic. - Palen-bol!
Ow! What does that mean?
It means "the enlightening pain."
But apparently there is not enough pain to make you enlightened yet.
- So you're gonna hurt me until I'm smart? - Yes!
Aww.
The Galra race started as a nation tribe on planet Daibazaal,
- home to many warring races at the time. - [grunting breaths]
In the war to annihilate the opposing tribes,
the Galra formed a phalanx of their bravest
and made a spear-like attack to the heart of their foes.
It was known as the Killing Thrust, or Vrepit Sa.
Oh, so that's what Vrepit Sa means? "Killing Thrust"? That's so violent.
- Palen-bol! - Ow!
- [groans] - Yes, it is violent.
The Galra believe combat is the searing light
that burns away imperfections on every level,
from personal to societal.
- Cool. Can't I maybe take a break? - Breaks? There are no breaks!
Your training is finished when you have learned all pain has to teach you.
Oh, man. That's so intense.
If you decide to leave your training early,
it is an insult to my teaching.
An insult that can only be settled by a fight to the death.
So you're saying a fight to the death is the only way out of this?
Ow! Okay, yeah, you just said that. I guess I am getting smarter.
[Lotor] You must replicate your father's work
if we are to use this ship to enter the quintessence field.
- But how? - Something you learned in Oriande.
Something your father learned to become the superior alchemist he was.
How he built Voltron is the key.
[guard] My lord.
It is time to prepare for your speech.
It seems my empire needs me. Please continue.
Galra brothers and sisters,
I am your emperor, Lotor, son and successor of Zarkon.
Slayer of a tyrant,
child raised in the void and taught on the battlefield.
There are rumors of doubt regarding my leadership.
Do not let them poison your ears.
Pledge loyalty to me,
and I will deliver the Galra Empire unto times of untold prosperity.
An age of unlimited quintessence,
the likes of which this universe has never known.
Commander, radiation belt approaching.
- Soon I will raise our grand empire. - Initiate shield.
Above the indigence and violence of its past
up to new heights of peace and limitless possibility.
Those factions that splintered from the empire will pay for their treachery.
[distorted] I urge you now, send me your messages of fealty.
Those who choose to turn their backs on their emperor...
[distorted] will find themselves lost to the sands of history,
unremembered and unmourned.
You can't possibly be thinking about pledging to him.
And what's all that about becoming a peaceful empire?
- He's too weak to be our emperor. - Enough.
Lotor lit the flame.
We are honor-bound to do as he says, even if it is... strange.
We will be pledging to Lotor.
You're weak, too.
Maybe I didn't make myself clear, Lieutenant Lahn.
I'm in charge of this shielding facility, my word is law.
[sighs]
Aye, sir.
[Lahn] Shield at 85 percent. Next radiation event in three vargas.
Recharge and prepare for the next radiation sequence.
Open a hailing frequency to Galra command.
- [beeping] - [man] Sir, hostile ships incoming.
Sending a message to Lotor, are we?
And to think, I came here to offer you a chance
to serve in the Fire of Purification.
Fire the ion cannon.
Ow! Ow!
I did everything you told me!
Yes, but that doughy face of yours is very un-Galra.
It's just my face!
[grunting]
Ha!
[grunting]
Very good.
- Owwie! - Showing complacency?
- Palen-bol! - Ow, ow, ow!
[alarm blaring]
The planet has already been fired upon
and we do not have the means to protect ourselves.
You must send assistance immediately.
- Understood. - What's going on?
One of our labor planets is under attack from Sendak and his fleet.
Sendak? Not that guy again.
We've got to help that planet immediately.
Sendak would have me respond to his attack and neglect my empire.
Voltron can handle this while you continue to rule.
But, Princess, I need you here. Without you...
Your plan has waited this long. It can wait a tick longer.
We must protect your innocent subjects.
Of course. You're right.
We will return as soon as we can.
Looks like I'm gonna have to cut my training short.
- You dishonor me. A fight to the death! - [whimpers]
Okay, well, I've got to go with them right now.
But maybe we can put a pin in that? Reschedule for tomorrow? Or never?
Hey, Dayak isn't really gonna fight me to the death, is she?
Is she?
She seemed pretty serious.
But I bet if you ask Lotor nicely, he can have her exiled.
Oh, that'd be nice.
I'm not really in the mood to die, you know?
Uh, speaking of, anyone else scared that we're to face Sendak?
Sendak "who almost took all the Lions" Sendak?
And who basically came back from the dead Sendak, that guy?
Come on, Hunk. We're Paladins. We got this. Right, Shiro?
- [wincing and groaning] - Shiro?
Pidge is right. Let's focus on our mission.
[Sendak] Take heed.
Galra citizens who side with Lotor will be destroyed.
Here at your new master's bidding?
We've arrived at the coordinates.
We can't go any further without losing power.
[Haggar] Stay on course.
[grunts and groans]
[wincing]
[Lance] Shiro, are you all right?
[panting] I'm fine.
Come on, team, let's form Voltron!
[roars]
[man] Sir, cannons aimed at Voltron.
[Sendak] No. Aim them at the shield station.
I know your true weakness.
That you value the lives of others.
And I will hammer that weakness until you are crushed beneath my heel.
[alarm blaring]
[Pidge] No! Without those panels in place, the planet will be fully exposed!
[Lance] Which means?
[Pidge] No protection from radiation bands!
[Sendak] The entire planet is doomed.
Take us out of here. We've won the day.
We can't let him get away!
There's no time. We've gotta fix that shield as soon as...! [Grunts]
[grunts and moans]
- Shiro, are you all right? - I'm fine.
We can't leave that planet unprotected.
We are the Paladins of Voltron, working with Emperor Lotor.
We're here to help you. What is the status of your shield system?
Paladins, I am Commander Bogh.
Our damage report indicates that a plate has been fractured.
Our generator is offline and needs rebooting.
Other plates have shifted out of their harnessing and must be repositioned.
Only five doboshes until the next solar sequence.
You're engineer, Hunk. How should we handle this?
We need to split up. Pidge, you handle the generator system.
I'm gonna need Shiro to come with me.
I can use his arm to power the mainframe.
Okay, good.
Allura, Lance, re-fuse that fractured plate.
- Affirmative. - You got it!
- I'm gonna try to get the plates aligned. - Okay. We've got our orders. Let's move!
[snarling]
Where's this plate need to be lined?
You're moving plate 7-2. It needs to be aligned with plate 8-1.
Got it, but those other plates are out of position.
There's no way I'll move them all myself.
I can activate the manual thrusters on some of the plates.
It will be slow-going, but I...
First you side with Lotor and get our system attacked by Sendak.
Then you willfully work with Voltron, our sworn enemies!
Get to your station and begin the thrust sequence.
That's an order!
Are you freaking kidding me?
Palen-bol!
- Huh? - Huh?
You're both a dishonor.
Do you fight for yourselves or do you fight for the Galra?
- Galra! - Galra!
Then victory or death! Enough of the bickering!
We're going to die because of Commander Bogh.
You know, long ago,
there was a desperate group of Galra that thought they were going to die.
They executed a spear-like attack known as the Killing Thrust.
Those soldiers knew what it meant to put life on the line.
They won the day.
Are you ready to put aside your differences and fight with me?
- Vrepit Sa! - Vrepit Sa!
I guess all that pain did make me smarter.
[Hunk] Pidge, I need you to restore main shield power
- to get gravitational harnessing going. - We're on it.
Okay, Shiro, let's jack your hand into that terminal
and we'll get this thing running in no time.
[humming]
[beeping]
[Lance] Okay, broken massive shield plate.
Don't suppose there's a video on how to fix this, is there?
[Hunk] Make sure connection's straight.
If it's even one degree off, the shield will fail.
That's not a tutorial!
If you hold them in place, then I could freeze them together.
But I don't think the ice will stand the radiation for very long.
Maybe after you freeze them,
I could use my heat ray to weld them together.
- Great idea, Lance! - Aww. Thanks, Princess.
Couldn't have thought of it without you.
Really, I think we make a great team.
Here we are working together, just the two of us.
[Allura] Let's go, Lance.
[grunting]
This isn't going fast enough!
[roaring]
- [snarling] - [Lance] They're all in place!
[Allura] That should hold them.
[Lance] Hope this works!
[Allura] We did it!
[Hunk] Nice job, guys.
Pidge, you ready? We're almost at the radiation belt.
Hold on. I just need a few more minutes.
[Lance] Uh, guys, that radiation belt is getting closer!
Last piece in place. Fire up that power, Pidge.
[beeping]
[humming and whirring]
[Pidge] Shield's up!
[gasps]
[growling]
- [gasps] - [beeping]
- [groans] - Shiro, no!
[Lance] What's going on with the plates?
[gasps]
Allura!
Aaah!
[gasps] Lance!
Lance, please respond!
[Hunk] The broken plate shorted out.
Lance isn't responding, Allura jumped out of her Lion...
What else could possibly go wrong right now?
Pidge, what happened to the power?
- We're almost at the radiation belt. - [Shiro groaning]
[Pidge] I know. I'm on it.
Come on, Shiro.
No. [Gasps]
No, no!
[snarling]
[Hunk] Let's try this again.
Radiation exposure in four...
- Pidge, hit it now! - [Bogh] Three...
Come on.
Two...
- One... - [Pidge grunts]
[humming and whirring]
[grunting]
- [Hunk] Great job! - [Pidge] It worked!
Shielding complete.
Recharge and prepare for the next radiation sequence.
Huh?
You saved me.
I owed you one.
[Bogh] Thank you for reminding us what it means to be Galra.
- Vrepit Sa! - Vrepit Sa!
Vrepit Sa!
- Man, that's weird to say. - [laughing]
Nice work out there, Hunk.
That Galra training really toughened you up.
[snoring]
[groans]