While Hunk and Lance distracted Sendak by pretending to surrender, the other three Paladins entered the spaceship. Inside, Shiro realized something.
“I’ve been here before,” he said. “The Galra brought me here.”
Pidge wondered if Shiro’s other crewmembers from the Kerberos Mission were onboard.
“We’ve got to rescue them!” Pidge said.
But Shiro reminded Pidge that they didn’t have time. “We have to get the Red Lion and return to Arus,” he said.
“No!” yelled Pidge. “Commander Holt is my father. He and my brother were on the Kerberos Mission with you.”
“Commander Holt is your father?” Shiro asked.
“Yes,” said Pidge. “I’m not going to give up looking when I’m this close.”
“I’m coming with you,” Shiro said. “Keith, you go find the Red Lion.”
Pidge wondered if Shiro knew the truth. Shiro had been with Pidge’s father and brother on the Kerberos Mission. He might know that Commander Holt only had one son, Pidge’s brother. Pidge was Commander Holt’s daughter.
Pidge opened the prisoners’ chamber. But her family wasn’t there. Instead, there was a group of aliens. Some of them recognized Shiro. They called him “the Champion.” Shiro didn’t know why they called him that, but he didn’t have time to figure it out. The Galran guards had found them!
Shiro used his robotic arm to ward off the Galran guards. He smashed, punched, and defeated the guards.
The former prisoners entered an escape pod and blasted away from the Galran ship. They were safe.
“Where did you learn to fight with that?” Pidge asked Shiro, nudging his robotic arm.
“No idea,” he admitted.
It was like his arm had a mind of its own.
Meanwhile, Keith knew he didn’t have much time. He was about to give up when he closed his eyes and thought hard. Then he saw it in his mind—the Red Lion.
Keith’s eyes popped open.
“Gotcha,” he said, and started running toward its location.
Once he made it to the Red Lion, Keith reached out to touch its force field like Lance had done with the Blue Lion, but nothing happened.
“It’s me,” he told the lion. “Keith. Your buddy.”
The lion didn’t budge.
“Come on. We’re connected!” Keith pleaded with the lion.
The lion still wouldn’t move.
Galran robots found him. Keith had no choice. He activated his Bayard and went after the robots.
He fought some of them off, but more robots came. Keith had to think fast. He smashed a button, and the floor opened underneath them.
Crash! The robots fell into space.
Keith tried not to get sucked out too, but he lost his balance.
Just when all hope was lost, Keith saw something overhead.
It was the Red Lion!
The lion opened its mouth and grabbed Keith, saving him. The Red Lion met up with the other lions. They had all escaped the Galran ship.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
Shiro had to collect the Black Lion.
