Battle Scars

Chapter 12- Damage

~swears and minor self inflicted pain. Sorry for taking so long!~

I shake my head, refocusing on reality. Lance is gone from my side, returned to his chair like the others, looking worriedly at the princess.

"Allura?"

"Everyone, stay focused."

I return to my own seat and controls, worry filling me more than anything, watching the sensors and screens going crazy.

"Coran, how much linger until we can get in?" The princess asks, determined.

She's hardly my main focus, though, as I can see one Paladin who is testing the limits of eyebrow mobility with his worry. Lance is staring up at her, stock still as Coran answers.

"Just a few more tiks, Princess."

"Get ready."

I move my hands over the controls as Coran begins his countdown. I look around at everyone, a bit scared of what's happening.

"Five." Allura looks certain, determined, ready to fight without hesitation.

"Four." Pidge's brows are furrowed, the same look in her eye as when she's solving a particularly difficult bug. Hunk is giving a slight smile, and it calms my nerves.

"Three." Lance hasn't taken his eyes off of Allura's determined expression, his face an open book to his emotions as he wears a closed-mouth version of my own expression.

"Two..." I turn back to the front of the castle.

"One." Almost immediately, Shiro's voice comes over the comms.

"Princess, we're coming back, and were bringing someone you should meet."

"They're all right!" I can hear the smile in Coran's voice, even though I can't see it. My eyes are closed as I let out a breath in relief. I can hear little calls of yesses, relief pouring through everyone.

I don't remember who started walking first, not having memorized footsteps well enough for that yet, but before I knew it everyone was leaving the room and my own legs moved to follow without command. The whole group moved down to the Red Lion's hanger and looked up at it as it landed.

It's mouth opened, allowing Shiro and Keith to exit with who I assumed to be a member of the blade. His suit was pretty fucking sweet. Violet and black, some pretty nice patterns. His mask seemed to computer glitch away.

The blue and red scarred face of the alien looked down at us, Shiro barely coming up to his shoulder. The hood stayed up until he spoke.

"Princess Allura, it's good to see the rumors are true." The Galra-mix man fell into a bow, down on his knee, the hood revealing two big fluffy ears. The red markings on his head weren't exactly fur but they weren't exactly skin. His braid was long and thin, white. "You're still alive after all these years." These words were spoken to the ground, the princess looking down at the back of his head.

Her words came out harshly towards him, though I can understand it this time seeing as the Red Lion was acting without its pilot. "So is Zarkon. Can we consider you our ally in the fight against him?"

"Yes, but we have little time to discuss this." He stood up straight again, dwarfing all of us. "I just received word from our spy in side the Galran hierarchy." What a cute little braid. Fluffy ears. "They have become aware of our presence, so the timetable for our plan has been moved up." I wonder if that little purple stripe on his chin is a beard? Or is it just his skin?

Would it be rude to ask?

"How soon do we need to begin?" Shiro's voice cut into my thoughts quickly and I turned to look at him instead.