Catch the Stars ||Keith Kogane||

23

There was a dark cloud over the entire castle of lions now. And one over each individual head inside.

Everyone was trying to swat theirs away with their own tactics. Keith and Shiro had doubled on their training exercises, sparing with each other under Trip's instructions. And for once, Keith didn't sneer every time she told him to focus on more than the obvious blow. Pidge and Hunk devoted all of their free time to their small lab in the hangar, fixing anything they spotted broken around the castle, trying to invent new add-ons for their lions. Lance was putting a lot of time into 'self-care' as he called it. Goop smeared on his face, smelling like a different flower every day, taking shows so long no one else had any hot water.

Trip spent a lot of time talking to Haylee and Harron and Ella when she wasn't on the training deck. The small communication devices the princess gave them was becoming an everyday carry around the castle. It was comforting seeing the pink hair of Haylee and the underbite of Harron every afternoon.

Today was no different. She held herself up in the observation room, a big open room with an entire glass wall so you could look over the endless space around them. There was no furniture inside to get comfortable on, just a single step down to get closer to the window. She sat on that step and held up the device in front of her.

Harron was in the commanders' hut until she got back, and Haylee and Ella were staying there with him. They use to have sleepovers there as kids after training. Once Harron and she actually got along, at least. But that was so long ago, seeing the throne as a background behind them felt odd. Not uncomfortable, just new.

"Squad 8 took down the Galran ships orbiting a Balmera a few clicks west from here," Harron is explaining to her as she sits on the step of the room, "they got back last night. No casualties on our side or on the Balmera."

She nods, "good. Any signs of being followed?"

"None," he assures her, "we tore the ship apart looking for a tracking device. Just like you asked."

Trip could hear the annoyance in his voice as he added that on. But she couldn't help it. After Haggar made her think that they had been followed back, she's had a sinking feeling every time Harron told her a ship returned with no casualties. That's supposed to make her feel good and proud of her second. He was doing right as Heda. Like she knew he would. But now she's just worried that they only allowed them to get away to follow them back.

She sighs, resting an elbow on her knee and her head on her fist.

"It's not you, Harron," she assures him, "I know you're being a great Heda. I've just been..." shaky? Scared? Terrified? "paranoid recently."

He grunts in understanding. Behind him, Haylee gives her an understanding tilt of the head, the bundle in her arms squirming.

"I know," He says, "but everything's fine on our end. Just focus on getting those paladins in order before coming home."

She nods, cracking her knuckles on the hand not holding the device, "yeah. I know," she sighs and feels her shoulders slump in exhaustion.

She hasn't told them about the kid on Olkari. She didn't plan on it, either. There was no need to tell them about something that didn' pertain to their lives. Both of them obviously knew something was bothering her. But they had known her for long enough to know that she wouldn't tell them unless she wanted to. And she didn't want to.

The blankets in Haylee's arms let out a high-pitched whine, making Harron flinch in front of her at the volume. Haylee only laughs and looks down at Ella.

"Someone wants to see you," she says and walks around to stand in front of Harron. Trip visibly perks up when she realizes what she's saying. Haylee crouches to lean the blanket towards the device's view.