Battle Scars

Chapter 11- Connections

~do I even have to warn you about my swears anymore~

After a long, long time slowly learning to speak and read Altean, I groaned and shut off the learner.

Streaching, cracking my back and neck, I decided to go to the bridge and see if the paladins were back.

A pit stop in the kitchen for some water, and I made my way.

----------

I choked, my water coming out in a spray. Allura had apparently let the mice style her hair, in a whacky assortment. It looked rediculous.

I'm the midst of my coughing fit, I felt a large hand clap my back a few times. Catching my breath, I turned to see that it belonged to Hunk, who wore an apron. Keith was close behind, as was an excited Pidge carrying a game box and Lance, who had a cow in tow.

I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged. Coran followed as well, dressed in an odd getup that seemed out of character and fitting at the same time.

"I got the lenses!" He shouted, and Allura spun around to face us.

"Excellent! Now we can get the Teladuv up and running!"

"Where's Shiro?" Keith looked around. I downed the rest of my glass as the door opened behind us.

"What did you do, take a nap?" Asks the one who let fucking mice style her hair.

"Not exactly." Shiro looks to Lance. "Is.. That a cow?"

"Mmmmmhm." Lance beams. "His name is Kaltenecker." The cow moos. Shiro raises an eyebrow.

"So, did you find a way to bond with your lion?" Keith. Shiro turns to him, disregarding the cow for the time being.

"Yes. And we need to get moving. We're heading for the blade of marmora's headquarters!"

Everyone stared for a moment. Coran gave me his bag of lenses excitedly.

"I'll plot a course!"

"While you're doing that, I'm gonna hook up the videogame Lance and I bought." Pidge grinned one of those really big grins that makes your eyes squinty. She and Lance ripped into the box, Lance excitedly grabbing a controller.

"Yeah! Let's get this baby set up!"

They both looked around before Pidge had a realization.

"Where can we.. how do we... uhh..." I saw her eye twitch and covered my ears. Shiro and hunk followed suit just in time. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She fell and Lance followed suit. I rolled my eyes. Nerds.

I trudged toward the Teladuv with the lenses as Hunk and Shiro attempted to console the two crying messes on the floor. Coran followed after me.

He didn't want my help putting the lenses in place, but he did keep me busy by having me carry out broken shards of lens. He had also charged me with watching Kaltenecker, who occasionally moo'ed at us.

It took several minutes, but he was super excited when they were done and sprinted back up to the bridge.

For an old fart he sure has a lot of energy.

I put the cow in a room with a field that Coran had given me directions to before returning to the bridge myself.

"Coran. How soon will we get to the Blade of Marmora's base?" Shiro's voice carried to the door as I opened it.

"Based on the coordinates that Olas gave us, we should be there within a few doboshes."

"I can't wait to see it." Pidge gushed. "I mean, they were able to fold space-time and that was just at an outpost!"