sagi-writes

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt and Nails - Chapter 5

Like Patience and Focus

Yet another week has passed since my time with the paladins of Voltron. Upon seeing that I am still very reluctant to trust any of the paladins, the obnoxious old man has told me he wants me to try a training exercise with the imbecile holding me captive.

"Alright, I think you might like this one. Had the paladins try it out when they first became a team! And you'll get to have your restraints off temporarily!"

With that, the idiot firecracker and I are led to what appears to be a large empty training room, the door locking as soon as both of us are inside.

"Coran—!"

"Standard precaution. Don't worry now, I'll be watching from inside this room up here, and she'll be restrained once more when we're done! Don't try any funny business now, number 3!"

The cuffs deactivate, falling to the floor as a small robot comes up to me, presenting what looks like a spare weapon.

"It's not gonna turn into a blade so don't get any ideas, housecat." I hear him tell me, seeming to have read my mind before I could blink.

"Must you think so little of me?" Even if I wanted to, harming him would just finally give the princess a reason to drop me into space. So unfortunately, I have to play nice. Whether she sends me back to Zarkon or simply shoves me in the airlock, I'm as good as dead either way.

"Alright, Keith knows how this exercise goes but the gist of it is you gotta protect each other. You'll be attacked from all sides, so watch each other's backs or it's lights out!"

As he finishes, a ring of drones show up around us, both mine and Firecracker's weapons turning themselves into shields. We stand back to back, to the point where we can't see what the other one is doing unless we look over our shoulder.

I know he's just going to protect himself. He won't waste a second trying to keep me safe, and I don't expect or trust him to. It won't do me any good to rely on him. I can't depend on anyone ever again.

I start spinning the shield, using it to deflect any shots at me.

From behind me, I hear him get frustrated as he seems to be deflecting anything shooting at him. Just as I thought.

"Are you stupid? The point is to protect each other! That's the only way this works! Looking out for yourself just fails the exercise! You have to trust me for this!"

"Well, I don't trust you to even think about keeping me safe, so forget it! You're already looking out for yourself!"

"No, you stupid housecat! I'm keeping them from hitting you! That's the only reason we're still standing right no—!"

In ticks, a drone hits him, sending me down into the floor with that self-defending idiot following suit.

The exercise ends, with my hands being restrained once more before the doors open. I push past the old man, storming off into the library by myself. My peaceful solitude exists for all of 2 minutes before a breathless red paladin is through the door.

"Okay so you cannot run off like that, not until Allura trusts you to walk the castle alone or unrestrained!"

"Well, then maybe I should let her drop me into the airlock! Maybe then you'd go back to whatever it is you do!"

----

As she yells at me, I notice her fangs are bared, and I start to look her up and down. Her ears have flattened themselves, pupils dilated in anger making her eye just yellow sclera and the glowing purple I know her to have. Though I know her hands to be covered completely by the restraints, I imagine her claws are out now, just as sharp as the day we met. She's all but curled in on herself and her tail has tucked itself behind her legs. She's trying to make herself look intimidating but it only serves to make her look like a frightened and shaking kitten.

She's...scared.

I take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

Okay, Keith. Don't make it worse. Remember, patience yields focus. Don't lose your temper. Treat her like a cat in the wild and maybe she won't hurt you.

I still back up a bit, just in case she decides to demonstrate how sharp her fangs are.

"Alright, I can see you're on edge. You wanna yell at me or tell me what's going on?"

"Why should I tell you anything? You probably would be glad to be rid of me and have a room all to yourself again!"

This half-witted cat. Does she not see how much trouble she causes me? How Allura gives me the cold shoulder now because I brought a Galran on board? "If that's true, then why the hell am I here?! Why didn't I just let you attack me when your hands were unbound so Allura and Coran could send you off?!" I can feel the irritation slipping into my voice, and have to will myself not to grab her by the throat and choke her for a tick.

I meet her eyes again, seeing her look at me in confusion as she takes in my statement. Finally, she's at least listening.

"Now, tell me what's going on! I can tell that there's more to this than you're letting me know."

And the confusion dissipates, with her being some spoiled little brat instead of just accepting help. "Shut up! I hate you! You're just some self-righteous 'hero' who kidnapped me and thinks that you saved me! You should have just left me on the ground and let me die on Olkarion!"

I can practically feel myself growing gray hairs, and honestly I'm starting to wonder what made me save this girl all those days ago.

"Yeah, well sorry but letting people die isn't exactly in my morals! I didn't kidnap you, I saved your life! Even if you're an enemy, I wouldn't have left you for dead like your disloyal teammates!"

The moment the words leave my mouth, I can see that I clearly struck a nerve. Her pupils retract, and for a moment, I can almost see her tear up.

Just for a moment, she almost looks...human. Innocent as a child that got left behind by their school friends. As that thought crosses my mind, I recall the way she reached out in desperation when they left. And the name she spoke.

"Lehta wasn't just your teammate, was she?"

And just like that, her anger crawls back to the surface. I see her fur even stand on end, with her eyes expressing nothing but pure seething rage as she hisses at me in disgust. "Don't you dare speak her name! You don't have the right to even say her name, let alone know what she and I were!"

So they were something.

"God, would you just quit with the hostility?! Alright, so I won't say her name! Were you two friends at least?"

I watch her reaction, and it reminds me of how I used to look when asked about Lance after our breakup.

She spits out her words like venom, now refusing to even meet my eyes. "Yes, fine! Aside from Ulaz, she's the only other person I trusted in my life! And now they're both gone..! So why on Daibazaal should I trust anyone else?! It hasn't done me any good, all I got was an ex-friend and a dead father figure! Trust makes you weak, and I refuse to make that mistake ever again!"

For a moment, I see a version of myself before Shiro took a chance on me. The Keith who would have rather isolated himself instead of dealing with things like bonds, trust and relationships.

And it infuriates me.

"Yeah, so trust makes you vulnerable sometimes! But it makes us stronger! I mean, without trust, I wouldn't be a paladin. I had to earn the red lion's trust and respect! So stop being stubborn and just let me in damnit!"

I take a breath, trying to will myself to not completely lose it.

"Look, I can't force you to trust me, alright?! I can go on and on about how trust is good for you and how everyone needs friends and blah blah blah, or I can tell you what I know. And I know that at the very least, I will do my best to keep you safe out on the battlefield should the need arise. I am not like them, and I will at least never leave you to fucking die! So can you quit being a stubborn brat and accept that you're here to stay already?!"

"And what about off the battlefield? What about on the ship? What if I attack someone here and end up in a fight? What then?" She asks question after question, as if trying to convince me that I won't keep her safe.

I snap, having had enough of this girl who for some reason can't seem to process that I saved her from certain death. I mean, is a little trust too much to ask for after I literally saved her life?! I could've left her to die! "...then hell, I'll try to minimize damage on both sides! But I will keep you from attacking anyone, so this is a pointless topic! I'm responsible for you, remember? So to answer your question, yes that applies to off the field. On and off the battlefield, I'll protect you. You have my word. That good enough for you?!"

I see her roll her eyes and scoff, standing up and beginning to walk away.

She mutters under her breath, and from the little bit I've picked up from Pidge, I know it's Galran.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

And with that she walks out. I know I should follow, but honestly I don't have the patience or the energy for her dramatics again.

So much for patience yields focus...

----

The nerve of that inconsiderate fool! Me, trust him? Why in the name of Zarkon should I bother to trust someone just because they happened to take me somewhere I never asked to be? Why would I trust him to even think about keeping me safe? Just because he says he will? I took Lehta at her word and look where it got me! Imprisoned with 7 strangers who will all betray me eventually.

I find myself wandering into the castle kitchen, where Hunk stands presumably cooking dinner.

"Oh, uh hey..? You alright? You kinda look like you're planning a murder...."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, well are you hungry..?"

I glance at the oven, which looks like it has two trays inside holding what I've learned to be dough.

I look at him, entirely baffled by why he would choose to spend valuable time like this. "Why do you waste your time like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why bother with such an activity? Does this castle not have technology to make it's own sustenance?"

"It does, but the food goo isn't all that tasty. No offense." He says, his expression giving off disgust as he presumably recalls whenever he had traditional food.

"Taste means nothing. The purpose of eating should be quick, only to sustain the body and nothing more."

"Honestly, for the Galra that makes sense. You're fighting all the time, so you probably wouldn't care about something like eating..."

"Exactly. Time is limited, so why spend it on something as foolish and time-consuming like making intricate meals?"

"Well, enjoyment for one. I cook because I like to, it's just that simple." He says this as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, and it's so perplexing. Why waste energy and time, especially when going against Zarkon's mighty empire? I see him go back to the furnace, taking out a tray.

"I want to cook for anyone, Galra, Altean or otherwise. There's something about good food that just warms people up and makes them smile..."

I look at him quizzically. This can't be his real self. It has to be a facade of some kind, and I won't fall for such a ruse.

"...What's wrong with you?"

"Excuse me...?" His voice is genuinely confused, and it only serves to further anger me.

"Nobody is this genuinely this soft-hearted. What's your angle?! To pry past my defenses with meals that don't serve the purpose of sustenance?! Gain my trust only to sabotage me or stand back while your princess sends me off back to Zarkon?! I won't let that happen!"

I hear him sigh, and he looks at me with concern and pity etched onto his face. "I know you think we're all gonna hurt you or turn you in to Zarkon, but we won't. At least I think we won't, I can't speak for the princess— we just want to end this war and go home. I mean Zarkon aside, don't you also have something to go back to? A home or friends?"

I shake my head no, refusing to meet his gaze. "No, my only friend left me behind and Ulaz is dead. I have no one, and no home to return to."

He gives me a very warm and friendly smile, one that is so sweet it sickens me to my stomach. "Well, hopefully in time you'll have us. I mean you seem like you won over Keith somehow. I know you think it, but we don't have any ulterior motives. I don't hate you for being Galra. I mean yeah you scare me half to death, but I think you've got at least some compassion beneath the tough shell. Kinda like this pizza roll."

He shows me what looks like a hardened lump of dough.

"Yeah, the outside is crispy and a bit overcooked. But once you get past that and crack it open..." He breaks open the item, revealing layers of what I've read to be cheese and some form of sliced meat. "You get lots of warmth and spice. And you'll burn yourself if you try to do that too quickly. So, we gotta take it slowly. That's what the team is trying to do with you. Get past the crispy shell to all the warmth and flavor without getting burned. Only issue is you've been in the oven so long, we have to let you cool off for like...a varga at least."

He hands me a smaller piece of food, it isn't scalding hot but just...warm. It feels like someone wrapped up all of this ship and put it in an orb.

"We can't force you to cool off faster. All we can do is wait and check in on you occasionally. And when you won't burn off our hands, then we can get to all the layers."

I take a bite from it, and it feels like a home I don't have. I look up and see Hunk staring at me with more concern and worry, which prompts me to notice the tears dripping down my face.

Am I...crying? From a simple piece of food and conversation?

His concern and worry soon shifts to panic, as he frantically tries to discern the source of my tears.

"Are you okay? Did I say too much? I've never made someone cry with my food- oh god is it too hot? Are you allergic to pizza, should I get Coran—?"

I cut him off with a simple gesture, swallowing before speaking. "I am...better. Just...not a word of this to anyone else, okay?"

He nods in understanding, seeming to calm down.

"Lips are sealed, at least until the rest of the pizza rolls cool off."

"One more thing, Hunk."

"What's that? Need some water? Is it too spicy?"

"No, not that. Just....thank you. For the food. I can try to...cool off and not burn everyone's hands."

"Anytime. You can always count on me for some decent food. The purpose of eating doesn't always have to be sustenance, y'know."

I don't want to let my guard down yet. But maybe, maybe I can try to just "cool off", just so someone can touch me and not burn their hands.

I can let them in and still keep myself protected.

She flashes through my mind and for a moment, I almost hear her voice in the back of my head but push the thought away.

No. Not yet. I can't let them in.

----

I find myself walking absentmindedly, just thinking that I need to find Divale before Allura sees her walking around unsupervised.

After wandering aimlessly, I end up in the main room where I find Shiro relaxing on the couch.

"Hey, Keith. Where's Divale?"

I roll my eyes at the mere mention of her name. "We got into an argument earlier, and she stormed off."

"And I take it you're trying to find her before Allura or Coran realize she's wandering the ship unattended?"

"Like usual, you know exactly what's going on. You seen her anywhere?"

"Well, I remember hearing her and Hunk when I passed by the kitchen earlier. Come on, they're probably still there. Or at the very least, Hunk might keep an eye on her for a bit."

We begin walking to the kitchen, Shiro and I talking along the way. Or rather, me venting about how much this ingrate enrages me.

"I mean, doesn't she get that I saved her? Why does she insist that I kidnapped her?"

Shiro takes in a breath, as if preparing to give me a lecture I don't want. "Well, in her eyes that's what it was. She passed out in battle and woke up in an enemy ship. What would you call that?"

"Saving her life! Why doesn't she understand that?! I mean, she would be dead otherwise!"

"Sure, you saved her life. But she had no say in the matter, and the unfortunate truth is that not everyone we save will be appreciative of it. Yeah, we might have people who love and adore us for saving them from Zarkon and the Galra — but for every adoring group, there's bound to be someone who didn't want to be saved."

I pause, listening and trying to imagine Divale as some unwilling prisoner instead of the spoiled and ungrateful person I've thought her to be while Shiro continues speaking.

"I mean, think about it. As a commander, she's used to being in control of everything. Suddenly she's on an enemy ship, alone and surrounded by strangers she doesn't trust, being under constant supervision at all times. She probably feels like she's lost all autonomy. It's gotta be a lot to process in just two weeks. Give her time to trust you." Shiro finishes as he places a hand on my back, trying to get me to just calm down a little.

"And what if she's so stubborn she never trusts me? What then?"

"I don't think that's a possibility right now. I mean if she really were that bad, she'd have said forget the consequences and just attacked us all anyway. The fact that she's being so docile means she at the very least might trust us eventually. We just have to earn it, that's all. And considering your lion, I'd bet that you might be the one she ends up trusting the most."

I think for a minute, us just walking in silence. I mean, the red lion did almost let me die before it trusted me enough to let me in. Maybe Shiro's got a point. He more than anyone else would know when not to give up on someone.

We finally arrive in the kitchen, where Divale is entirely comatose next to an empty plate with what looks like pizza roll crumbs stuck to her cheek.

"She ate like half a tray of pizza rolls..." Hunk explains while I mentally debate whether to move her or just let her rest for now.

She's used to control, so maybe I should just let her rest for now...

About 2 hours later, she wakes up very out of sorts, clearly surprised and annoyed to see me.

"Come to yell at me again? Talk more about how I should trust you for no reason when you kidnapped me?"

I take a deep breath, trying to still my nerves. Patience yields focus, Keith.

"No, I'm not here to yell at you, I just...—"

"Just what? Want to ramble incessantly?"

"No, I just—...!" I force myself to calm down, trying to keep Shiro's words in the back of my head. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't get in trouble. Now, would you like to go to bed? It's a bit late, and you look like you're still tired." Good, good. Give her options, and she'll feel like she has a little control at least.

She looks at me a bit strangely, squinting her eyes in suspicion. "Are you...alright? Did you hit your head while I was asleep?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You seem...more tolerable. Less like a nagging governess."

I swallow back my insults, trying to remember that this is a long game I have to play.

"Just answer me, would you like to go to bed?"

She stands, not bothering to give me a reply. "What are you waiting for, an invitation to get off the seat? Hurry up, I'm tired."

I move, allowing her to walk in front of me and trying to think of ways I could give her the feeling that she has some semblance of control while she's here. I can give her choices, maybe? I can let her walk in front of me, no more than a few paces though...what else?

Her voice breaks through my thoughts. "...I'd like to talk about earlier."

"Earlier?"

"The library. And the training exercise. I just...I understand that you believe you saved my life, but I just feel...trapped here. I mean, I'm only allowed to walk with handcuffs and a bodyguard, and I'm never allowed more than a minute of solitude! It feels suffocating, like I'm a prisoner!" She exhales, as if she's trying to get her thoughts and words in order.

"I still don't trust you...but perhaps with time, I can be more..." I hear her pause, as though she's searching her mind for the correct words or phrasing.

"...open, I suppose. Just don't expect any major changes. I have no intention of letting my guard down with anyone here, least of all with you."

I inhale, trying to find the words. Maybe if she knows my motives, she won't still see it as a kidnapping..? "I wanted to protect you. I hate the way they just left you to die. They were your teammates and she was your friend and yet all of them still left! It enrages me to think about. And it bothers me that you still don't think I'd keep you safe after all that...after all that I've done and am still doing just to keep you here."

I really want to scream at her. Yell at her, get it through her head somehow that she has to trust us. But I push it down, and force myself to be patient with her and play this excruciating long game.

She glances back at me over her shoulder. "You're still a kidnapper, savior or otherwise."

I am going to absolutely lose it if this keeps up.

"I hate you." I tell her, knowing that it is likely the only thing I can say that won't make things worse.

"I hate you as well." She tosses back, approaching our door.

I hear her pause as she looks forward. "That being said, I can try to...be a bit less combative and hot-headed."

"Thank you, Divale."

We enter the room, Divale taking her usual place on the floor, back turned to me as I settle into bed.

"Goodnight, firecracker."

"Goodnight, housecat."

Her walls are up still, I can see that much. But maybe if I listen to what Shiro said and just try to not want to strangle her every 5 seconds, maybe I can sneak past the walls and get her to trust me.

Patience yields focus...

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt and Nails - Chapter 4

Like Fireworks and Firecrackers

It's been about a week since I found myself having to stay with the idiots who kidnapped me. In that time frame, my captor decided to have Lance teach me Earth culture and language in an attempt to help me better understand the paladins and not be so unintentionally rude. We study in the castle library every other day, and it seems to be the only time he will leave my side. Even then he just stands outside the library door, likely by orders of the princess.

So here I am, a once proud Galra commander who used to bring entire fleets to their knees getting chastised because I can't stop mixing up the words "embarrassed" and "emberasada", which apparently do not mean the same thing.

"No for the last time Divale, not every word in Spanish means the same as it's English similarity." Lance sighs and shakes his head in frustration, clearly exasperated. "Okay, let's try something else for a bit. Figures of speech. They're in both English and Spanish. Like when we say 'raining cats and dogs!', it doesn't literally mean cats and dogs are falling from the sky.."

"Wait, it doesn't? And here I thought Earth just had strange weather phenomena."

He looks at me a bit bewildered and then lets out a laugh. "I mean we have strange weather but our rain is just water falling from the sky. Pretty harmless. Though I've heard in some parts of earth, they have what's called 'acid rain'. Surprised we haven't encountered that out in space yet." He flips open the book in his hand, a large one full of phrases that Earthlings call "idioms". According to Lance, they are words and phrases where the meaning isn't literal. Earthlings are so strange, why can't they just say what they mean? It'd be so much easier.

"Okay, let's start with a simple one in Spanish. 'Ser uña y mugre.' There's a similar one in English, which is 'They are thick as thieves.' or 'They are like peas in a pod'. The translation in Spanish means 'They are like dirt and nails.'"

I look at the book, finding the wording and comparison odd. "Dirt and nails? Like the metallic earth object?"

"No, like fingernails. Or in your case, claws. To be like dirt and nails means to be very closely bonded, like a partner in crime or a close confidant."

The moment he says the words "close confidant", I see a familiar fanged smile in my mind. Memories flash through in a way that makes my heart ache and nearly brings me to tears. I force myself not to cry, knowing that if I falter for even a tick, I won't have the discipline to stop. I refuse to let anyone around here see me show even a shred of weakness. Lehta didn't even get to see me cry, so this bunch of imbeciles certainly won't.

Damnit, Avzov. Get it through your head, she left. She left you. Clearly you didn't mean as much to her as she did to you. You're better off alone.

Lance's voice breaks through my thoughts, as I look up and see concern on his face. "You alright? We can take a little break if it's too much information. I know learning a new language can be tough."

"How would you know that?"

"Well I wasn't born knowing English and Spanish. I learned Spanish first since it's my mother tongue, but English I had to learn when I got older. It was kinda hard for me at first, I used to get so frustrated and wanted to just give up on it sometimes." I see his expression go to a smug grin. "But hey, now I'm so good at English, I can teach other people. You're so lucky to have an awesome teacher like me, hehe~..."

His change in attitude makes me roll my eyes and feel a bit of mild annoyance. "You seem like you've taught Spanish before, or at least some language lesson."

"I tried teaching Keith once. It didn't exactly work, he only had enough patience for the basics, not much else."

"So you two are capable of not arguing for 5 doboshes?"

"Well yeah. I've known him since I was about 16. Probably the longest I've known anyone on the team."

"Hm, you don't give off the vibe of being longtime friends." I look him up and down, and notice his face has changed to where he looks rather...nervous. Perhaps apprehensive...?

"...actually, we're ex-lovers."

Huh. I thought there wasn't much on this ship or team Voltron that could surprise me anymore, but I suppose I was wrong.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Ex-lovers? Oh god, please tell me the Galra aren't homophobic...."

"Homophobic?"

That's a new word, I remember from earlier lessons that anything ending in "phobic" means to be afraid of something...

"Y'know, against people of the same gender being together? Earth has a fair amount of those.." He looks to the side, as if he's afraid I'd condemn him for something as silly as who he chooses to bed.

"What?! No, how preposterous. Why would Emperor Zarkon waste his time policing something as minuscule as whether or not men or women can be together? And why would the Galra be afraid of men being with men or women being with women?"

I see his face go blank for a moment and can almost see his mind processing everything. 

"...honestly, did not expect to learn that Zarkon's an ally. Or that the Galra are allowed to love at all. You all give off the vibe that you'd think love is weakness or something."

"I do, but it's not because I'm Galra. I've only trusted two people in my life so far. One of them is dead and gone, and the other one left me to die at the hands of an enemy. Far as I'm aware, love and trust leave you open to attack. It's far better to keep everyone at a distance."

I hear him let out a small laugh, which I almost find insulting. "Haha, you sound like Keith when I met him! He was all lone wolf and angsty, granted he still kinda is..."

Now that's insulting.

"I still don't trust him."

He looks at me, his eyes wide and his face rather shocked, as if the idea is just that appalling. "H-How?! He saved your life! I'd figure if you'd trust anyone on this ship, it'd be him!"

I look over at the ground, mildly annoyed and uncomfortable with such a conversation. "Well, I owe him no gratitude for kidnapping me. He should have minded his own business and left me where I was."

Trust is for fools. Trusting people has done nothing good for me, so may as well learn the lesson now. The last person I trusted was Lehta, and look where that got me.

"Kidnapping you?! He saved you from certain death!"

I let out a sigh, already getting exhausted of this talk. It's gone on for all of one dobosh, which is one dobosh longer than I'd like. "Nobody is simply good for the sake of it. They either have some hidden motive or they betray you. Why would your friend be any different?"

His face falls as he meets my gaze, and then glances over at the library door. "I think you two might be more alike than you think. Keith was just like that when I first met him, closed off to everyone. It took a while, but I eventually proved to him that there were good people out there who won't just abandon you. That there's people out there you can trust and open up to."

"And then you left him."

I see a bit of hurt flash in his eyes, as if I just cut at a scar that was long healed. "...it was more of a mutual thing. We just didn't work together. No hard feelings for either of us, and I just want the best for him. Y'know, as a friend?" 

"Do you still love him?"

He shakes his head. "Not in a romantic way, no. In the way where you wish the best for someone, even if the best for them isn't you."

"Romance seems...complicated." He lets out a lighthearted laugh. "It is. But sometimes it's worth it."

"You know him best. Do you think he saved me out of pure goodness?"

He rests his hand on his chin, thinking to himself for a moment. "Honestly, I can't say. What I do know is that Keith doesn't lie often, and when he does, it's through omission." He meets my eyes once more, giving a gentle smile. "For what it's worth, I think he made the right call saving you."

"Really? I thought you all didn't like me because I'm Galra."

"At first, I was kinda caught off guard and wasn't a big fan...but I've seen the way you act. You seem like you genuinely want to stay here. I mean, if you really wanted to hurt us, you've got fangs and fairly quick reflexes. So the fact that you haven't means you're either scared to death of going back to Zarkon or you just like it here."

"It certainly is...different. Everyone here is so open with their emotions, for the most part at least. It's...strange." I glance back at the door for just a tick, grabbing a nearby book so I can avoid looking at Lance while he talks.

My eyes land on a description in the book.

"A firework...something that amazes one to look at, but dangerous if held too closely for too long."

My mind flashes back to her. Her mischievous smile, her snarky manner of speaking and the way she protected me with her life...until she didn't.

She was definitely a firework.

As I flip to the next page, I notice another photo and description. Reading it, the first thing I think of is my keeper lurking outside the library threshold.

"Firecracker: An explosive that makes large amounts of noise when the fuse is lit. Also used to describe someone feisty or hot-tempered."

...I think I know what I'll call him now.

I hear a timer go off, snapping me out of my trance.

"Looks like our lesson's over. Didn't get much done so maybe let's not get so sidetracked next time...come on, Keith is probably tapping his foot and waiting."

Lance leads me out of the library, where Keith is indeed tapping his foot and impatiently waiting.

"Hey, firecracker."

I see him look around in confusion, before it sinks in that I'm calling him "Firecracker". His face contorts upon realizing the nickname. "Ugh, firecracker? Just call me Keith."

I cut my eyes at him, glaring daggers in annoyance. "I'll do that when you start to call me Divale."

I see his face go from mild disgust to the signature smirk he seems to constantly wear. "Touché, housecat."

Meanwhile, Lance gets ready to go presumably either eat or bother Allura, but he quickly calls over his shoulder. "Hey Divale, one more thing!"

"What is it?"

"Don't forget today's lesson. It was an important one."

And with that Lance walks off, leaving me with him.

"What was the lesson?"

I shake my head, making a mental note to "accidentally" scratch Lance in the arm the tick my handcuffs get taken off.

"Nothing important. Come on, I'm hungry."

He rolls his eyes, giving me what looks like a small warm and borderline friendly smile.

It feels so familiar...

"Alright, let's go get you some food. I'm kinda hungry myself and I'm pretty sure Hunk just finished cooking dinner." And with that, he walks ahead, gesturing for me to walk alongside him.

He isn't leading me? He usually drags me everywhere by the arm, sometimes the ear or tail if I've particularly irritated him.

He looks back at me, waiting for me to take a step forward.

"Trust you can walk on your own, housecat?"

I scoff and move ahead, walking just a pace in front of him.

"Try to keep up, firecracker."

I don't trust him, and I don't plan to.

But he might trust me even a little, for some odd reason.

And maybe, just maybe that's enough to keep me alive and here.

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt and Nails - Chapter 3

Like Insults and Trust

Morning arrives, and the prisoner is already awake, sitting on the floor and staring at me with her shifty little eyes.

...Did I ever get her name?

She seemed rather annoyed and a little bit fidgety. "You're finally awake. Took long enough, I was this close to chewing off my own tail."

I roll my eyes at that, no way she'd get hungry enough to resort to auto-cannibalism. "Yeah, alright. Day 1 and you're already waking me up, demanding I feed you. You're like a housecat."

She looks at me, very confused. Almost like she isn't sure whether I'm insulting her or complimenting her.

"House...cat..?" She asks, clearly not knowing what the term means.

I try to think of a way to explain the concept to her. "People on Earth, they domesticated creatures centuries ago. Turned what would've once mauled them to shreds into a personal companion that catches mice, whines all the time and demands food even when their bowl is full. They're also known for being annoyed little things that will whine and demand your attention and then get upset and hiss and scratch when you finally give it to them." I see her start to absorb the information, understanding what a housecat is.

I then smirk, looking down at her. "So, that's basically you. Right down to the hissing and scratching."

"That implies I'd ever want your attention enough to whine and beg for it."

"Did you not wake me up for that purpose?" I cock an eyebrow at her, seeing her expression shift to irritation. I swear if she wasn't restrained, she'd probably be all pissy and stomp her foot like a spoiled child.

"I just want food! I haven't eaten in hours!"

Yep, just a housecat.

"Alright, housecat. Quit whining.." I stand up, grabbing my jacket off the hook and dragging her by the ear to the dining hall, where it seems like the rest of the team has gathered.

"Alright, everyone. Meet housecat. Provided she can prove that she isn't a Galran spy and won't kill us in our sleep, she'll be staying with us indefinitely."

I see Lance and Shiro show very different emotions. Lance practically has his jaw on the floor, while Shiro looks...intrigued?

"Keith, did you clear this with the princess?" Shiro looks at me quizzically, but doesn't seem to have any particularly strong feelings towards the housecat — negative or otherwise.

"Provided I am responsible for her and she proves that she isn't a threat, Allura allowed her to stay."

"Dude, why would you bring a Galran?! You couldn't bring me back something cool, like a cute single girl? It had to be a Galran?!"

"Lance, she would have died otherwise! Her teammates left her out there to die while they went back to Zarkon! Those same teammates who were blocking my every attack from landing on her, somehow left her for dead! I made a choice, and that's to be better than this tyrannical overlord trying to take over the galaxy!" I look around, seeing the prisoner looking down in either shame or despair, I can't be certain which. Looking over at the team again, I take a deep breath and try to straighten myself.

"Listen, I get that we hate the Galra and Zarkon for everything. They destroyed Allura's home, kidnapped Pidge's family and stole Shiro's arm, but maybe there are some good ones out there. What about Ulaz?"

I see Shiro avert his eyes at the memory, but then the little housecat speaks up with a surprisingly soft tone.

"Ulaz...? You know where he is..?"

"You knew Ulaz..?" Shiro and I both look at her, waiting to see her connection to our fallen comrade.

"He was my friend, and practically a mentor to me. I heard from Zarkon about Ulaz betraying the empire and running away, but no records of where he went were anywhere to be found!"

I glance over at Shiro, shooting him a look as if to say: "Should we tell her?"

Shiro speaks first, settling on a half-truth. "He helped me escape the Galra prison. I met him again about a month ago. But Zarkon was tracking us and sent a murderous robot after us. If it wasn't for Ulaz, I don't think we would have made it out alive..."

Her eyes seem to glimmer with hope for a second, the brightest look I've seen from her since meeting her. "So he's alive...? He's still around?"

Shiro shakes his head no, and I can tell this is difficult for him, so I take over. "No...Ulaz sacrificed himself by making a sort of pocket in space and pulling himself and the robot inside. He's...gone."

The light vanishes from her eyes as quickly as it appeared and for a moment, I almost think I see her start to cry. "I see....I'm glad you got to meet him at least. He was a very kind soul."

"He was. Were you close?"

"My father wasn't around much, so in all honestly, Ulaz is probably the closest I had to a father." I see a look in Shiro's eyes, recognizing it in how he used to look at me when I was younger.

I attempt to steer the topic away from Ulaz, not wanting to start getting emotional as well. "Your name. What is it?"

She looks shocked, as if the idea that I would want to know her name never crossed her mind. "But Lady Allura said..."

"I know what she said. But far as I'm concerned, I'll make sure you don't do anything stupid. So I'm gonna need your name, unless you've grown attached to 'housecat'."

I know if I tell him my name, one of the people on this ship will know exactly who I am. I am high enough in Zarkon's command that my true name strikes fear into any who have submitted to the empire, and if either of the Alteans hear it they will drop me into the airlock before I can even blink.

"Divale. Also known as Deadly Nightshade. A plant that's poisonous and yet earthlings use it in medicine. Even though the wrong dosage could very well kill them."

"Ulaz, the earthlings sound dumb!"

"They are a strange civilization, yes. But we shouldn't mock them simply because we don't understand them."

"Hm...I don't understand, but I believe you Ulaz!"

I feel a smile almost surface at the memory, forcing it away before I almost shed another tear. He's gone, Avzov. Get that through your head.

"Divale. My name is Divale. Now will you stop calling me housecat?"

"Only if you quit acting like one." He rolls his eyes, looking down at me. I turn and see the black paladin offering me his non-prosthetic hand. "Nice to meet you, Divale. The name's Shiro."

I recall him as the gladiator I'd witnessed fighting in the arena. "I know your name. Champion." 

I see his face go pale, almost matching the white on his paladin suit. Did I say something wrong?

"...Shiro is fine."

"Shiro it is."

The blue one chimes in, moving in far too close for my personal liking. "You can call me Lance. Or maybe you can even call me yours~."

I feel nothing but disgust, knowing that if I ever decide to actually kill everyone in the ship, the blue one goes first.

I see my captor hit Lance on the back of the head, pulling him away from me by the back of the collar. "Cool it, Lance. Quit hitting on every girl with a pulse."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game. You got a problem with that, Keith?"

They shoot glares at each other, but beyond that, these two seem to have a sort of rapport that reminds me of myself and Lehta...

Lehta...why did you leave? I thought we were best friends..?

A smaller voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "I'm Pidge. Voltron's resident tech." They reach out their small hand and I shake it, looking them up and down.

"You would die first in unarmored combat."

"Wow, blunt." They look to the side, almost appearing...insulted? But all I did was make an observation. They're small and don't look like they have much strength or muscle...

Next I see the yellow paladin from yesterday approach me, looking rather nervous and frankly, downright scared of me.

At least I know someone fears me.

"Hunk. You kinda chased me around yesterday and you tried to kill me..."

"If I truly intended to kill you, you would not be standing here talking to me right now." I see him look at me, absolutely petrified despite his size.

Do earthlings not like factual statements? I have not lied once and yet they all seem offended by my very existence.

"Divale, talk with me for a moment." I hear the red one ask— no, demand me to speak to him, yanking me into a nearby hallway by the tail. "Hey— Unhand me, you—!"

He all but backs me against a wall, glaring daggers at me. "Listen, I get not being friendly right away, but you can't insult the entire team to their face if you want to stay here."

I insulted them...?

I refuse to meet his eyes, my voice getting rather shaky. "I..I didn't mean to insult them. I was just making factual statements and observations. I'm not acting in malice."

I hear him take in a breath, and he puts some distance between us. "So just to be clear, you did not intend to insult them."

"That is correct."

"You were simply stating what you believe to be factually correct statements."

"That is also correct."

"You're gonna send me into an early grave...okay, so first things first, not every statement is okay to speak."

"How shall I know what is okay to speak?"

"Would you say those things to Zarkon? Or Allura?"

I pause and think for a moment, shaking my head no. "Emperor Zarkon is temperamental, and Lady Allura already dislikes me as is."

"Okay, so chances are if you wouldn't say it to Allura or Zarkon, don't say it at all. At least until the team gets used to how...direct you are. Maybe just keep it to a minimum until Allura trusts you enough to walk around unrestrained."

I nod, finally looking up at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For keeping me from making a mistake that could get me thrown off the ship."

"Well, wouldn't do much good if I saved you only to let you fail."

I look at him, trying to read his facial expression. What's his angle?

"May I ask something?"

"Go ahead, housecat."

I ignore his blatant disregard for the name I already told him, still trying to figure out his thought process. "Why did you save me? It certainly hasn't been advantageous for you, quite the contrary. So why? Why risk it to save a stranger, an enemy no less?"

He looks to the side, clearly avoiding my gaze. "I honestly can't really say. It just didn't feel right, leaving you to die. I recently learned that we all come from the same cosmic dust. So we're all connected, this ship, the stars, even us and the galra...so maybe I wanted to save someone who might not be an enemy after all."

"And what if I had killed you in your lion?"

"Then I guess that would have been my fault. But you didn't."

"Only because you held a blade to my throat."

I see his eyes go from nervousness to...hurt?

"I see. Well, perhaps that mindset can change in your time here. We're equals after all."

"Nonsense. The galra are above all, and Zarkon will lead us to greatness and glory."

I see him look at me, as if trying to dissect my thoughts and words. "Do you truly believe that?"

"Emperor Zarkon said so. Why would he lie about that?"

"To gather people for his cause. He destroys worlds and just takes what he wants without care for who or what it affects. I hope you can learn that for yourself in time."

A silence passes between us, and it feels like forever until he breaks it.

"Come on, let's go back to the dining hall. I'll get you some food and maybe see if Lance can teach you how to not be so literal and blunt."

"The disgusting one? He doesn't look like he could teach me anything, let alone how to not offend others." I see him hold back a chuckle.

"Hm, I think you and Allura may bond over something."

"What's that?"

"Your mutual distaste for Lance and his lack of braincells. Now come on."

With that, he leads me back to the dining hall, where I share breakfast with the Voltron paladins, mostly just shoving my face into a plate. Maybe it won't be so bad here after all.

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt and Nails - Chapter 2

Like Kidnappings and Housecats

"...bringing her back to the castle. Hopefully Allura won't min— oh, she's awake."

I slowly blink, finding myself somewhat weak, and there's a voice in my ear.

None of my soldiers or guards get close enough that I can hear them in my ear.

I am not on the ship. I am in the lap of a Voltron paladin.

Well, not for long anyway, given that I'm already pushing myself off him.

"Release me, NOW. Or Zarkon will have your head on a platter!"

"News flash: you're in MY lion. I don't have to release you. So how about a thank you for not leaving you to die out there? Or for not finishing you off myself?"

"You're a paladin. You have things like morals. So you wouldn't have the audacity to take my life."

"I might not kill you, but I can make your stay a living nightma—!" I cut him off by grabbing his shoulder and digging my claws in, dragging them to rip through the fabric and draw blood.

"You can't kill me, but I'm Galra. The only things that stop us are victory or death!"

The next thing I know, his weapon is at my neck, the blade mere ticks away from decapitation.

"Don't make me show you that I am not as merciful as the other paladins. Now, you're gonna move along and you're gonna behave yourself."

I exit the lion, where my hands are promptly cuffed with an Altean device.

"Sorry little lady, can't have you running off on us now!" I am met with an old Altean man sporting ginger hair, a goofy mustache and who honestly looks and sounds like he's gone off the deep end.

"Oh joy..."

"I see you did quite a number on number 3 here! Those galran claws are no joke I see!"

I roll my eyes, desperately wanting to either claw his throat or mine, whichever makes the misery end faster. "Whatever, just take me wherever you're going to."

"That would be to Princess Allura."

The red Paladin pushes me forward, almost making me step on my own tail in the process. "Cool it, I'm going already!"

I begrudgingly move, being led by the, let's face it, probably insane old man to face someone I know as Princess Allura of Altea, the key to the Voltron Lions and Zarkon's current greatest enemy after her father died ten thousand years ago.

Someone who unlike the paladins, probably would kill me.

"Keith, care to explain why there is a galran on my ship?" She glares at the paladin, who I now know to be Keith.

"Princess, she would have died out there. Her teammates left her for dead, and I chose to spare her life. If we kill every Galran who crosses our path, we're no better than Sendak or Zarkon."

I see him look at her with a look I can only describe as pathetic and something that would get me killed back on Daibazaal. "...Shouldn't we try to be better than them..?"

"We have no way of knowing that she's not going to sabotage the ship, or try to kill us, or take the lions! She could be a spy for Zarkon, feeding him back our whereabouts!"

"I checked her. No communications devices on her, or even any hidden weapons. Seems to rely on her fangs and claws more than anything else." He tosses a glare my way, holding his still-bleeding shoulder.

The princess sighs and I see her holding her head in her hands.

Is she...genuinely considering sparing me?

After what feels like an eternity, she exhales, looking my captor in the eye. "Fine. She is your responsibility, and if she lays a hand on anyone, we drop her out the airlock in ticks. Until she proves herself to not be a dangerous threat, the restraints stay on."

He nods, looking up at her with what I assume to be gratitude. "Thank you, Princess." He then nudges me as if expecting me to show a similar sentiment.

"Ugh, fine. Thanks, Lady Allura."

"Princess Allura. I'll ask your name when you prove yourself to be safe enough to remain here."

I say nothing in response, now being led by both Keith and the old man to what appears to be sleeping quarters.

Already occupied sleeping quarters.

Oh no...

"Unfortunately until you can prove yourself to not be a liability, can't exactly trust you alone now, can we? So you'll be rooming with Keith! Hope ya like roommates!"

I see the paladin shake his head in frustration, and the obnoxious old Altean walks off, closing the door behind him.

"This is what I get for showing mercy for once..."

I look around at the room. There is one bed that could barely fit both us even if we laid on our sides, which is entirely out of the question.

"I'll take the floor."

I hear him mutter under his breath. "You really are a cat...", a statement that causes me to cut my eyes at him and hiss in pure disgust.

"I'm going to the infirmary, and you're coming with me because you're not allowed to be alone and those injuries of yours should get checked out."

With that, I'm led to a room that looks like the castle infirmary. The insane old man from earlier looking over my wounds and forcing me into a pod, where an hour later all my wounds are healed. Meanwhile, my kidnapper was already taken care of in minutes, his shoulder wound now a scar beginning from the top of his arm ending just where his paladin suit armor starts.

"I know I can't be alone so just take me to the sleeping area already." I'm exhausted and seconds from passing out on the infirmary floor.

He rolls his eyes, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me back to his sleeping quarters. "Sure you wanna take the floor?"

"The options are floor or sharing a bed with someone I deeply want to destroy but can't. I'll take the floor."

"Suit yourself." He tosses his jacket on a hook, turning out the lights before promptly jumping back and almost falling. "What the hell—?! Galra eyes glow in the dark?!"

"Not all Galra, but mine do. Just face the wall!"

"I am not turning my back to someone who tried killing me hours ago!"

"And I'm not turning my back to someone who kidnapped me!"

So we resolve to simply sleep facing each other, our eyes closed so the glow of mine doesn't disturb him and I don't have to fall asleep with him staring at me. Honestly the floor isn't awful, it gives me a bit more security if someone attacks me. I certainly don't trust this brute to care about my safety in the slightest, given that he only saved me for the sake of having the moral high ground.

Why'd I have to be right about someone not returning home to Daibazaal?

---

I should have left her for dead. Now I have a Galran with freaky glow-in-the-dark cat eyes for a roommate, and a shoulder scar to show for all my trouble. Not even a "thank you" for saving her life.

Granted I didn't do it for the gratitude, I did it because it just felt...wrong. I saw her, she was weak and couldn't stand yet her first thought was to reach out for the guard she was with. The guard who looked like she would have laid out her life for the girl and yet, left her to die at our hands. She clearly trusted them, only to be met with betrayal, and I just couldn't bring myself to end her. So much for thinking like a paladin...

Well, it's on her now too. She was there and heard what Allura said, so if she steps out of line or proves herself to be a danger to the team, I can't be blamed.

...so why do I want to protect her? Why do I want to make sure she doesn't die? Maybe Shiro's affecting me, or maybe all this time in space has messed up my moral compass and sense of self-preservation. 

I open my eyes, seeing her peacefully resting on the floor. She seems to sleep at a strange angle, so her cat ears pick up the smallest sound of movement. Must be a survival thing, can't say I blame her. Looking at the Galra, they all give off the vibe that it's "kill or be killed" for them. 

Maybe she'll actually behave herself, but if Allura doesn't ever warm up to the idea of trusting a Galran, it's game over.

She looks kinda like a common housecat like this...just peaceful with a mischievous vibe.

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt and Nails - Chapter 1

Like Life and Consequences

A week later, we finally land on Olkarion. Pidge, Hunk and Allura decide to be the ones to head out and go tell the Olkari to stay inside their homes. Meanwhile, Lance, Shiro and I stay behind to guard the castle on the off-chance this is a trap and they did this to simply lure us out and try to take all 5 lions. I honestly wouldn't put it past them, given the interactions we've had with the Galra before.

I turn to look at Shiro, anxiety probably written all over my face.

"How do we know that this isn't some trick to get us out in the open and ambush us?"

He sighs, shaking his head and looking back at me in exasperation.

"Keith, we don't. But we can't take a chance that the Galra might hurt innocents just to get to the Black Lion."

I nod, keeping my bayard close. "I just can't shake the feeling that this is a trap."

Lance chimes in, giving me a look of annoyance. "Dude, you're paranoid. There's no way the Galra could have known Pidge would intercept their call."

"Lance, we can't rule out the possibility of the Galra trying to lure us into a false sense of security. That being said, we also can't rule out the idea that the Galra would attack an innocent planet just to have a shot at getting one or all of the lions." Shiro looked at us both, confirming that I wasn't being paranoid for no reason.

"I'm just saying that we shouldn't second-guess everythin- WHOA, WHAT IS THAT—?!"

Right as I look outside, the castle gets shadowed in darkness, confirming my worst fears.

"The one time I wanted to be paranoid for no reason!"

---

We finally land on Olkarion, a week later when it honestly should have taken mere days. I swear I'll have my pilot sent to either jail or back to the academy...

"Commander, it appears as though the Olkari have retreated inside."

"Damnit, Voltron must've gotten here first!"

"Commander, your orders?"

"Lehta, grab two of your most trusted soldiers and come with me. Those you would trust with your life."

"Commander, only 4 soldiers?! Is this wise?"

"You'd dare question me?!" I snap at her, looking her up and down as if she's gone absolutely mad.

Lehta says nothing, her head hanging as she turns around to go retrieve the guards. Returning with two women that I know to be named Styxar and Vyntra, top of their class.

"Commander, these two are my most trusted soldiers. Excellent combatants I would trust with both my life and yours."

"Then let us be off. Make short work of this mission, as I'm certain Zarkon already wants our heads on a plate for taking so long."

"Yes, Commander."

And with that, we exit the ship. Luckily making short work of finding the Voltron pilots, as I happen to gaze upon the yellow one. I know him to be cowardly, always screaming and running in the way earthlings do. A pathetic excuse for a paladin.

I'll make quick work of this mission, and bring glory to the empire.

Vrepit Sa.

---

I hear Hunk on the comms, practically shouting in my ear. "Guys, we need backup, pronto! Scary Galra lady chasing me, and she's got friends!"

Getting ready to hop into Red, I look over at Shiro and Lance. "I'll go help, you two stay here and guard the castle!"

"Coming for ya, Hunk! Evade them in the meantime, and get the Princess to safety!"

"Roger that, I got her!" I hear Pidge yell, assuming that she has the princess and needs no backup.

"Hunk, I'll cover you! Get back to the castle with Pidge and come back in your lions, we'll need the firepower!"

My eyes land upon the "scary galra lady". Tall, purple skin, long dark purple hair, huge cat ears with a tail...?

...are those retractable claws? Since when did the Galra come with claws and fangs?!

Regardless, I'm sending her packing. Right back to that idiot Zarkon.

I start shooting at her, but unfortunately she seems to have both the guards who would protect her with their life, and it appears that the catlike traits are not just cosmetic....

Hunk and Pidge join me, and after a while we manage to weaken them, especially the "scary Galra lady".

I see her friends or comrades or whatever start to walk back towards their fleet.

Wait...they're leaving..? No, that can't be right. They never retreat so early.

Then I see the Galra woman fall to the ground.

"Huh, looks like she passed out! Not as tough as she looks!"

"Pidge, Hunk, wait..they never retreat so early. It could be a trick."

I see the other 3 nod to each other and...leave?

"Did they just...leave her for dead?"

The Galra soldiers get back to their ship, and the entire fleet takes off, leaving the planet.

They really just left her for dead....abandoning their own teammate? Just because things got tough? Unless they planned on leaving her behind all along...

"What do we do? Leave her here? Drop her into space?" I hear Pidge ask over comms, each question leaving me more and more overwhelmed.

"She's as good as dead if we leave her here. I say we do nothing and head back to the cast— KEITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Not listening to Hunk I get out of Red and jump to the ground, walking towards her slowly.

Alright, treat her like a cat in the wild. Approach with caution.

Walking closer, I see her stir and try to gather her strength to stand, only to fall to her knees.

"No...Lehta..why would you—....?"

She crashes back down, her eyes closing once more and her breathing slowing to indicate that she's once again unconscious, likely over-exhaustion and using up all her strength in battle.

I can leave her here, with no consequences.

—Or I can be better than Zarkon, and I can save her life.

"Guys, I'm bringing her back with me."

"Keith, are you insane? She's Galra, and she was just trying to kill us!"

"Yeah, and she's alone. She might have useful information, and she's not exactly harmful at the moment. Besides given that her fleet left empty handed, she's probably as good as dead otherwise."

"Dude, if we take her back to the castle and she kills us, I am so haunting you."

I roll my eyes, gently grabbing her and loading her into Red, sitting her in my lap so she doesn't wake or hit her head on something.

Well, looks like I was right about this battle changing our team drastically...

The one time I had to be right about something.

[sagi-writes]

Like Dirt And Nails - Prologue So this is my Keith Kogane x OC story! Lots of angst, slowburn, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and found family with a little mutual pining! The story starts around season 2 episode 4, with occasional deviations from canon! Hope you enjoy!

---

"Return with the Black Lion. The only things I expect from you and your fleet are victory or death."

I look up at the screen, a cold and stone-faced emperor looking back at me with eyes that cut me down to shreds.

"Yes, Lord Zarkon. We shall return victorious, and bring glory to the empire."

"See to it that you do. Vrepit Sa."

"Vrepit Sa."

I give a salute, the video feed ending abruptly. Lord Zarkon requests my team and I to go steal the black lion, so it shall be done. There is no other option.

My guard Lehta turns to me and breaks the silence. "Commander Avzov, shall we depart?" I look around, seeing that the ship is finally completely loaded with rations, fuel and weapons.

"Yes. Make haste. I sense that our emperor will not be very patient."

She nods as I have a seat for the journey.

"And Lehta?"

"Yes, Commander?"

I turn to face her, giving the smallest possible smile. "You serve your empire well. May your name always be remembered."

"Thank you, Commander Avzov." She bows, turning and exiting to the control room, her heels echoing on the tile.

I can't say why, but something tells me not everyone will return home to Daibazaal.

---

I exit the training deck, seeing a slightly out of breath Pidge running toward me. "Keith, I need you and everyone else in the main room now! I just intercepted a Galra video call, and they're coming for us!"

I sigh, heading into the main room. "How do they even know where we are?"

"I don't know, but they're heading for the Black Lion. And they've got a whole fleet this time!"

"WHAT?!" Shiro exclaims, shock written on his face.

Allura clears her throat, addressing everyone. "No matter, we will be prepared. Castle defenses have been repaired, and we can anticipate where they're heading."

"But Princess, a whole fleet? We've only ever faced single ships before, three at most! An entire fleet..." I look at Allura, convinced that this is either a suicide mission...or that 10,000 years of sleep finally took it's toll on her and she's gone mad.

"It looks like they're coming for Planet Olkarion. I say we land there and get the planet's people to stay inside until the Galra retreat." Pidge explains, at least trying to come up with a plan that isn't pure insanity.

"Good work Pidge, we can try to thin out their defense if they're trying to find the Olkari. Coran, chart a course."

And with that, our fight may finally end...is what I would say if I wasn't convinced that this was absolutely out of our ability as individuals and a team.

"Whatever, I'm gonna hit the training deck. I have a feeling we'll all need it." I grab my bayard, leaving the main room.

"Aw, what's wrong? You scared, mullet?"

I shoot a glare at Lance, not in the mood for his antics. "Can it, sharpshooter."

Leaving the main room, I feel a chill crawl down my spine.

I have a feeling that this battle will change our team drastically. Maybe even the war...

[sagi-writes]

Introduction time!

Hello, helloooo! Welcome to my writing blog, which will likely be mostly fanfiction! My current work at this time is a story called "Like Dirt and Nails" which is a Keith Kogane x OC, featuring slowburn enemies-to-lovers with forced proximity, angst, bit of mutual pining and found family to top it all off! I also have a few Error143 one-shots that will be posted here! Enjoy your stay!