Catch the Stars ||Keith Kogane||

60

Trip wasn't allowed to sleep in her own bed, yet. That was something the doctors wouldn't budge on. They wanted her to stay for "observation" to make sure she wouldn't keel over and die as soon as she stepped foot out of the mountain. So the paladins were hanging around, giving her updates on their progress since she'd been asleep.

"There's been a lot of freedom fighters popping up!" Pidge announces to her, "all over the galaxy! I've been trying to track them down to see if they want to work together, but no luck yet."

Trip smiles. Freedom fighters. For the longest time, Olympia was the only group that stuck together long enough to be called a rebellion. Now, people were jumping into the fight. It felt like a miracle, but it was all owed to Voltron.

"And Harron's taken in some recruits from the planets we've run the Galra off of!" Lance adds on proudly. From outside eyes, it looked like a bunch of kids filling their mother in on their days at school.

"Everyone's been busy," Trip comments from her spot on the bed. She'd finally given in to lying down for a while, but everyone kept the energy in the room high so she didn't feel like she was doing nothing, "at least that training got put to use."

"That's true," says Hunk, "but now I could use some of that stew that Sitra made the last time we were here."

The Night of the Alliance. It felt like so long ago. But it was actually two weeks longer than it felt like for Trip. Everything had paid off in a big way. She wonders if Olympia had celebrated the night of the fight after they heard that Zarkon was nearly dead. They'd earned another night of drinking and dancing to honor the ones who died for the cause.

"Litra's in charge of the mountain kitchen," Trip informs him, "he loves when people offer to taste test for him."

Hunk's eyes lit up, "taste test? I can be a taste tester! Where's the kitchen?!"

He was all too excited to try some Olympian food again. Litra was a good cook, Trip would agree. The second he was put in charge of the kitchen, morale was boosted and rations suddenly weren't terrible to eat on missions anymore. Luckily, he enjoyed his job and often wanted Trip's approval on ration recipes.

Haylie stands from the chair to Trip's left, "I can show you," she offers, Ella asleep in her arms now, "I'm hungry, myself. I hope he has some of his crystallized chocolate."

"Crystalized chocolate?" Allura asks from the end of the bed, her eyes wide in excitement, "oh I love crystallized chocolate! My father used to buy it at the Lights Festival on Altea! Do you mind if I join you?"

Coran also looks intrigued, "me as well? It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a treat from Altea."

Haylie grins, "Oh a party in the kitchen! Follow me! Trip, do you want anything?!"

The commander scoffs, "a drink," she says with no hope of actually getting one.

"Something that won't thin your limited supply of blood?" Haylie rolls her eyes, slowly shooing people who were following her through the door, "oh you like those hashburgers, I'll get you one of those!"

Hunk gasps from the hallway, "what's a hashburger?"

Lance, the only one not moving towards the door, was grabbed by Pidge so quickly Trip almost snorted when Lange yelped. Everyone seemed to be running from the room after catching up. Except for Keith. And then she understood why Lance was being dragged out.

Haylie winks as the Green and Blue paladins exit.

"But I'm not hungry!" Lance wails.

"Then you can bring Trip back something to drink," Pidge says through gritted teeth, pulling at him until his feet were dragging on the ground. Haylie walks out and closes the door behind them.