@cosmic-gemstone
In so many thousands of phoebs, this was far from the first time Commander Sendak had been separated from the Empire. The times between each 'excursion' became fewer and further in between as the reach of the Galra grew greater over the expanse of the unclaimed universe, but Sendak wouldn't consider himself much of a soldier if he couldn't survive on his own. It didn't mean he enjoyed it — perhaps he'd gotten too used to the resources made available to him. In any case, there was an aggravating itch under his fur that would not rest until his return was finished and his plans afterward were set into motion.
Zarkon could die. Would, most likely. Far be it from him to express any doubt in his Emperor, but he knew between Voltron and Lotor that the likelihood of it coming to pass was higher than it had been in the past ten thousand years. If there was nothing to be done about it, Sendak was at least keen on being there to take advantage of the power vacuum that would undoubtedly follow. If he could be there at the start, the advantage it would afford him would be immense. Making himself known was bound to be far, far more tedious otherwise.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been gone. With time dilation between worlds, across space and time, the movements he'd counted could have easily been phoebs elsewhere. Sendak had moved between half a dozen planets by now, and only the last three held any galra on the surface. But they were civilians only, far from the military or any great Empire influence — nobody who could contact, or even hold the means to do it at all, the Empire. Nothing to utilize. The database he could access through his cybernetic didn't even tell him anything, and he could not put it into use for long. It was in dire need of repair, and he afforded himself little more than a varga a day of its use. Not that it told him anything.
Until now. He'd heard rumors in the non-galra population that shore-leavers from the Empire came here now and again, mostly when they wanted to go unnoticed from their superiors. So used to dead-end leads (it seemed anyone not in the Empire's military only wanted to get as far away from it as possible), Sendak did not expect to lay eyes on anyone in a database he actually recognized. Day after day when he climbed to the highest point in the hill and overlooked the settlement, nobody was ever revealed to him. But this time, they were — just one figure in the crowd below. He even recognized the fleet, as the text temporarily glitched in and out of his field of vision. The glow flickered too, subsiding a moment more before the cybernetic dimmed and he saw fully the face of this person he'd already committed himself to pursuing. A seemingly young galran with piercing green eyes. Sendak stared at her from the far distance until she disappeared around a corner, and he began the descent towards the village to look for her.
It took an afternoon to find her. At some point, he was sure she had realized she was being followed, and he knew he was going to have to corner her. It was just as he'd begun to do so that he saw the military ship overhead, landing elsewhere. He'd considered turning in its direction instead, but opted to continue his pursuit of the woman. A medic might have been preferable to a soldier. Sendak was rightfully admired in the military, but detested by just as many in it, possibly more who only saw him as competition they'd need to be rid of one day. The military types were nothing if not maliciously ambitious — an attitude he himself had assisted in fostering.
Eventually, as she passed by the alleyway he'd hidden within, Sendak lashed out his hand, grappling her around the wrist and wrenching her back in the shadows with him. His iconic armor was hidden beneath a ragged cloak, but his eyes — red like a bonfire, yellow like the moon — were absolutely unmistakable to anyone of any rank in the military. Even if he hadn't been seen in some time.
“This is a far place to stay for a simple shore-leave.” Sendak rasped, making only an educated assumption. His grip on her wrist was near strong enough to bruise; he wasn't going to let her escape. “I won't hurt you. But if you scream I won't hesitate to silence you for good.”
